she's mine.

56

I stared after my brother's truck for a good while before I decided to go to my classes. I had wasted my whole lunch and off, so my last classes dragged on as my stomach growled and I worried over the two boys I cared about the most in the world right now. My fingers were going to be nubs by the time this day was over with how bad I was chewing the skin around my nails.

I didn't have to avoid anyone like I had expected. All my afternoon classes where with Eli and he didn't show. Everyone else was on the opposite side of campus for their afternoon classes. And when the last bell rang, I had no idea what I was going to do. I was on the front steps of my high school looking completely lost when I heard D.

"Rai!" She called me. I turned to see her walking to me with Lea and Jake close behind her. Both their heads were down as they avoided looking at me. "Are you okay?" she asked as she looked me over. She was in dark ripped jeans and a white shirt. She had a black necklace wrapped tightly around her neck and her blonde hair was falling in loose curls around her face from the low bun. Her big brown eyes looked up at me in concern. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know. None of us did." She acknowledged what I was too afraid to.. I should should have figured they didn't. Eli wouldn't have told anyone.

"I know.. It's okay," I glanced at Lea and Jake behind her. They stopped short, not getting too close to me. I could tell they were scared.

"They think you hate them," D answered my unasked question in a low voice. I turned to her confused. "I mean.. He is their brother and he has been cruel to you.."

"It's not their fault," I immediately jump to defend them.

"I know, but they can't help but feel like they are partially responsible- he's their brother." She repeated and sighed. I suddenly realized she knew more about everything than I considered. She had an outside perspective, but knew everyone well enough that she understood every angle. She saw everything for how it was and I envied her levelheadedness.

I looked back to the other two. I took two steps forward to close the gap between the two siblings and me.

"Hey," they both looked up as I spoke to them. They were both nervous and uncharacteristically timid. "I'm not upset with either of you," I told them. I had never been very good at beating around the bush. "Neither of you have ever done anything to hurt me so please don't act like it."

They still had their sad sorry expressions, but Lea at least tried to smile. "I just-" she started, but I cut her off when I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her to me.

"It's okay, I'm okay." I laughed through the lump building in my throat. All this was getting to be too much. I had never been the type to cry in front of people I didn't know so I swallowed the lump and stepped back to look at Lea. Her dark hair was complimented by her soft pink shirt and jeans. She looked completely different from the girl I had met on my first day of school, so much softer and sweeter than she let on back then. "I don't hate him either, you know?" I could see in her eyes that she didn't believe me, but I was telling the truth. I didn't, far from it. She nodded and I glanced at her brother. His sharp features reminded me of Eli, but he was still so distinctly himself. Less intimidating and he was lighthearted in the way he moved. I hoped he never lost that. "And you guys shouldn't either," I told them.

"Too late.." Jake laughed. I shot him a glare, "Kidding!" He held up his hands. "He's alright, but you're way cooler.. Just sayin'."

"Obviously," I winked and flipped my hair dramatically. "No, he's a great guy, and we are still friends. I just can't be more than that with him.." They both nodded in understanding and agreement. We were all quiet for a moment before Jake broke the awkward silence the way Jake does.