"Looks like I'm gonna have to take care of you too"
My jaw probably hit the leafy floor as I stared into his eyes. His hands noticeably tightened around the spade as he took a small step towards me. I was frozen in my spot and he stepped closer so we were barely a foot apart. I looked into his face, frustrated at just how forgettable he really was. I heard the sound of crunching and I guess Daniel heard it as well because his head whipped to the side. As he peered into the foliage I gained control of my legs and walked away from him slowly, still facing him.
There was more crunching and Ace's light brown hair came into view. I nearly cried in joy, Ace might be emotionally stunted but he was a big guy. I promised myself never to complain about his insane work out resume. His palms and the knees of his jeans were covered in dirt so I guess I wasn't the only one who fell.
"Ace, you don't know how happy I am to see you!" He looked at me and than at Daniel confused.
"Elle usually, we try not to get lost in forests" I ignored him, the hypocrite, I wasn't the one who ran in to it in the first place.
I watched Daniel look at Ace's towering stature and his grip on the spade loosened, he turned his face to me, "You ever mention this, I'll find out" With that he took off running into a deeper part of the forest so it was just Ace and I.
"What was that about?" Ace took a few steps steps closer to me and scratched his head.
"Nothing, are you, uh, okay?" I rubbe my fingers looking up at him, his face clouded over but he shook it off.
"I'm fine, I guess I saw it coming" My gaze softened, it didn't matter that he was a year older than me, I was the one to take care of him.
It's always been like that, taking care of him while my dad worked and my mom went off with her friends. I tugged Ace towards what I think our house was, no one would ever believe we were related if they just looked at us. Ace was obsessed with working out so he was a giant with light brown hair and pretty blue eyes. From what I've been told he's attractive and I could kind of see how someone could think that, he didn't look like Quasimodo.
A cold breeze blew over my bare arms and I shivered, looking down at my skinny arms I frowned. I'd always been small for my age and was often told I looked younger than I was, my thin blouse wasn't helping with the cold and I walked a little closer to Ace trying to steal his heat. My hair was tangled and loose falling down my back and my jeans were dirty, this day sucked.
I was letting my brother lead us and thought back to what Daniel said and shivered, this time not from the cold. He had run off into a deeper part of the forest, going off what he said or what he didn't say, he killed someone. Maybe it was because I was mentally exhausted or what but the intensity of that barely hit me. A yawn escaped my mouth and I noticed the sky get slightly darker.
"Ace, are was close to home?" He looked at me and shrugged.
"I think so..."
