His Effect [h.s] AU

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐉𝐨

"Jaque?" I call out after hearing noise downstairs. It was currently seven in the morning and I was getting ready for school. Jaque hadn't come home last night, which I didn't really expect him to anyway. I go downstairs, following the noise into the kitchen. I was surprised to see my mother instead of a hungover twin brother raiding the fridge like a madman. "Mom?"

"Josephine. Good morning sweetie." She says, looking over her laptop. Her glasses situated on the bridge of her nose whilst her black hair was slicked back into place, not a single hair astray.

"Surprised to see you." I say, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket. You'd think after not seeing your child for almost two months now, you'd be raving about seeing them again but no. She sat behind her computer, working. Per usual.

"You have no idea what your father and I have been going through to get a new label for the wine. Clemonte Valley Vines does not cut it." She breathes out in annoyance. "It's a mouthful."

"Why not just Clemonte?" I suggest, not expecting she'd take my suggestion into consideration. She looks to me for a brief moment before looking back down to type. I hum as I felt ignored. "Have you seen Jaque?" I ask, washing the apple before I take a bite.

"It's only seven twelve. He's probably asleep." He was definitely not in his room. "He is here, right? You're keeping an eye out for him?"

Oh, right. I forgot to read the sibling manual where it says I'm meant to take care of him as if he were my child. "You know he's two minutes older. It's supposed to be the other way around." What I meant to say was: You know you are our mother, you should be taking care of us.

I don't dare say it though.

"You know what I mean." Yes I do, although her and my dad fail to realize that her son is a lost cause who's in too deep and no amount of therapy nor rehab will help his addiction.

And who's fault is that? The lack of attention my parents gave us. "Of course," I say. "What are you up to today?"

"I have a busy day today, I'm getting everything ready in time for the ACA," The ACA. The famous Annual Clemonte Anniversary. The day my parents got married was also the day they inherited the business from my grandparents on my dad's side and served it at their wedding.

Even their wedding day was pure business. They give a whole new meaning to marriage is a business deal.

The house soon will be filled with snobs and people who are dying to invest in the business. It's also a time where my parents brag about Jaque and I's modeling and show old pictures of us to make it seem like we're a family of successful people.

Also the day they promote the hell out of their wine. "..And the wine will be ready in about a month, just in time for October." She rambles on though I didn't pay attention to a thing she said.

"What?" I say making her face fall.

"Nothing, just make sure your brother gets home after school, okay?" She says, kissing the top of my forehead before walking away towards the backyard with the laptop on her hand.

I pull out my phone, sending Jaque a quick text asking where the hell he was before I grab my backpack and leave for school.

What could he have been doing there? Did he spend the night in that sketchy place? My brother's a complete snob, but if there's drugs he could care less where the hell he goes to get them.

He could be face down in a ditch somewhere and no one would know. No one except me. And then I'd get in trouble for it. Four did say he was going to be fine, but I really don't trust him at all and I had absolutely no reason to. I don't know him.

Jaque better show up at school because if he doesn't, I will call the police right there and then to get Thomas and Four arrested if need be.

Once I get to school, I make sure to park my car close to the swimming pool area so I didn't have to walk around campus after school. As I walk towards the front of the school, I see Jaque sitting on the bench with his usuals making a weight be lifted off my shoulder. "Told you he'd be fine." I heard Four's voice right beside me making me stop, my heart accelerating due to the fact that I was so easily scared of everything.

"You need to stop doing that." I grit, glaring up at him and watched as two sets of dimples carved in his cheeks. This was the first time I realized that his eyes were green.

"You are so tense, loosen up a bit." He remarks making me roll my eyes and keep walking yet he stays by my side, matching my pace.

"Quit following me." I say making him snort.

"We're both going to the same place, Jo." He says making me stop once again.

"Okay, let's get this clear. Don't call me 'Jo'. That is only for my family and friends to use. I don't know you, nor what you're intentions are with my brother but—"

"My intentions are with you." When I look at him, it's hard to tell if he's kidding or not. But he sure can keep really good eye contact.

"What?" I ask, completely confused. He stares into my eyes for a few more seconds before a smirk reaches his lips.

"I'm kidding." He jokes making me scoff. "Try some meditation for your tenseness. Or that thing you rich people do..." He trails off. "Pilates! Yes, that's it. Try that."

My face gave out how much this guy was annoying me but he never once lost his stupid smirk. "Just stay away from us." I say and begin to walk away. Jaque notices Four and I.

"From what I've seen, everyone else around here is fake. Trust me, you're going to need all the friends you can get." He says, nodding towards me before walking away towards his group, leaving me dumbfounded.

What the hell was his problem?

I brush it off and walk towards Jaque who plastered on a smile on his face. "Good morning, sister." He grins, opening up his arms in a hug making me push them away.

"Where the hell were you? I called your phone twice this morning and you didn't answer once. Mom was home, if she finds out you didn't come home last night—"

"Hey, hey, hey." Jaque groans, putting his hand up in a way of telling me to stop talking. He rubs his head. "I'm here, alright? Mom won't know."

"Where were you?" I push, already annoyed and it was only seven-fifty in the morning. When I scan his face, he appears to have a small abrasion in the corner of his lip with faint bruising around it. "What happened to you?" I try to reach for it but he backs up.

"You really want me to tell you about my sex life?" He lies.

I wanted to scream from how frustrated with him I was. I don't even know why I even bother, he was like a brick wall that just wouldn't budge. "If you don't want to tell me, fine. But when you get yourself in some shit that neither mom or dad can help you with without putting you into another rehabilitation center, don't come crying to me because I will not take your shit anymore."

I say, my finger jabbing his chest making him wince back before I walk away passing Four who was casually watching the scene unravel before him.