𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐚 | ✓

t h r e e

Brad was fixing his hair in the mirror near the door when Charlotte stopped to talk to him. He was about to leave for Peter's party and she was about to leave for her date with Alex.

"Hey, can I ask you favor?" Charlotte said, her face looking uneasy.

"What's up?"

"Can you check on Magnolia tonight? She's going to be alone and I don't want some random drunk guy coming into room and try to take advantage of her. She's too nice to say no to people."

"Uh—sure," he smiles. "I'll make sure there aren't any creepos."

"Cool, thanks."

And with that, both siblings left, heading to their locations for the night. The house was already full when Brad arrived.

"Bradley!" A girl that he couldn't remember said. "Glad you came."

"Uh, yeah," he smiles. "What's your n—"

"Do you wanna go somewhere?" The girl was clearly drunk and was in no mood for getting to know each other.

"Maybe later," he said distractedly. "Have you seen Peter?"

"He went on a liquor run with Thomas."

With a nod, Brad then walked off and ventured into the kitchen. The sound of people chanting Chug, chug, chug drew him in.

His heart sunk when he saw that Magnolia was the one that was chugging a bottle of cheap alcohol. Brad immediately walked over to the crowd, snatching the bottle out of her hands.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked a guy standing right next to her. "She's fucking sixteen."

"I ran into her when I went to the bathroom! She seemed like she needed to have some fun."

Brad grabs Magnolia's hand, "So you decided to get her wasted? Did you happen to notice that she is Peter's little sister?" When the guy doesn't answer, Brad says, "That's what I thought."

He then led her up the stairs and back into her room. She was very, very drunk. Considering it was one of her first times drinking, it didn't take much for her to feel something.

"Are you okay?" he asks her frantically. Brad almost feels like it's his fault. He was given the task to make sure she was okay tonight and he failed.

"I'm peachy!" she giggles.

"Did any of those people touch you? Or hurt you?"

"Nope," she starts spinning in circles, but immediately gets dizzy and falls to the floor. "Oops."

Brad holds his hands out and pulls her small body up with ease.

"You should lay down, Magnolia," he says calmly. "I promise no one will come in here and bother you."

"I want to party!"

"No you don't," he shakes his head. "Those people are not your style."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she giggles. "I'm your lame sisters friend. Boys like you don't like girls like me."

Brad didn't know how to answer that. He could say it all right now. He could tell her how he feels. How he's had feelings for this girl for eleven years. How just the thought of never being able to be with her makes him sick.

"Because you're impossible to be mean to. You're the sweetest girl in the world."

Even drunk, she still manages to blush. Magnolia blushes at everything. It's both a blessing and curse. Well—blessing for Brad because he thinks it's unbelievably cute, but a curse for Magnolia because it's embarrassing.

Magnolia then climbs into her bed, laughing the entire time. "I don't want you to leave."

"I have to," he says. "Can't break the pact."

"How do you know about the pact!"

"Charlotte shoves it down my throat every chance she gets," he says, opening her door. "I have to go, Magnolia."

"No!" she whines. "Don't leave. I don't want to be alone."

This isn't a good idea, Brad. Just leave her the fuck alone, Brad.

"Only for a little while," he agrees, then sits down next to her on her bed, making sure there is a generous amount of space between them.

Magnolia shifts her body, placing her head in his lap. "Magnolia.."

"This is the nicest any boy has ever been to me," she giggles. "You're so nice."

What is sad is that she isn't lying. Every time someone is kind to her, she gets overly happy because she is so used to everyone in her life being mean.

What those people were doing to Magnolia before Brad found her was mean and she didn't even realize. The guy convinced her to come downstairs and shotgun a bottle of liquor. Who knows what they would've done if Brad came later.

"You should go," she says. "You came here to party and get drunk with my brother. Not babysit his little sister. You can go."

"I don't drink," he says softly. "And you are the main reason I came. I knew Charlotte wasn't coming and Peter doesn't care."

"I'm not a charity case, Brad."

"No, I know that. I just—I just wanted to make sure you're safe and that something, like what happened earlier, wouldn't happen. Obviously I was too late."

"Ah," she hums. "You go, Brad. I'm fine here."

Brad doesn't want to go. He'd much rather be with her, but if Peter were to walk in or anyone else from the party for that matter, he would be toast. Sure, he likes Magnolia, but he can't get caught simping for someone who is younger than him.

Brad is popular. He's good looking and has a lot of friends and girls that would do anything for him. He is the captain of the lacrosse team and does decently well in school. He has a reputation and getting caught with Magnolia, a nobody, would ruin him.

It's not like it would be a problem, though. He can't be with her, anyway. It's his little sisters best friend.

"Sleep well, Magnolia," he whispers, picking up a pillow and putting it in his place. He knows she won't remember any of this tomorrow.

"Hey, where've you been?" Peter says once Brad gets back downstairs.

"I was—"

"You were getting laid, weren't you?" Peter laughs. "Nice one, man."

Brad didn't get a chance to tell Peter he was wrong because he already stumbled away. Brad saw it as a good thing, anyway. He didn't have to make up a lie because Peter did it for him.

Brad and Peter aren't best of friends, but considering their sisters have been friends for so long, they naturally became close. Playing on the same lacrosse team also made it quite easy, too.

Once the party finally died down and all of the immature people were either passed out or gone, Brad decided to go home. He definitely felt much better knowing that Magnolia was safe in her bed. It was quite ironic that he looks out for her more than his own sister.

Brad already warned Alex that if he does anything to hurt Charlotte, his ass is grass. But Alex isn't the type to be scummy or rude towards girls, so Brad didn't care that much.

When Brad arrived at home, the house was still and quiet. Anne was most likely sound asleep and Charlotte might still be out with Alex.

He was exhausted and definitely ready to sleep. Brad always found himself being tired. From school, to lacrosse and then piano, then homework. He is a busy guy and losing sleep from thinking about a girl definitely didn't help.

But if there was any girl that was worth losing sleep over, it would be Magnolia.

unedited