Best Friends Brother

One

Laura Marano smiled slightly at her big sister, Vanessa Marano, as their dad finally left the house, the slam of the door rattling the entire house. Vanessa wiped away a few tears before crawling over to the smaller brunette and wrapping her arms around her.
"I'm sorry," Vanessa broke before sobbing into Laura's hair. Laura just whispered soothing words and stroke her sisters long, thick black hair, letting her own tears fall. "It's all my fault. I should never have let mom leave when we were six or dad do what he just did."
"Vanessa, I'm fifteen, I should be able to stand up for myself. But I didn't and that's my fault. You're only nineteen, you can barely drive your car, I don't expect you to look over me twenty four seven." Laura giggled slightly, trying to lighten the mood.
"But it's all true. I am a bad sister, I should be able to defend you and take you away from our abusive father. He's been hurting you since you were six and he's barely touched me. What do you think that says?" Vanessa said. "It means I can only look after myself because I'm a bad person too."
"You are not, Vanessa Marano! You know why he hurts me and not you. He's your dad, not mine." Laura muttered loudly, getting annoyed with her crying older sister. She stood up, leaving her sister on the floor. "I have to go to school now. Call me if your dad gets back."
Vanessa nodded weakly and wiped some tears before watching as Laura quickly put some make up over the faint bruise appearing on her eye and left the house, slamming the door. Laura walked slowly to school, not caring if she was late.
Vanessa and Laura were related because they had the same mom and her surname only they had different fathers. When Vanessa was two Damiano and Ellen broke up and Ellen married Laura's dad, two years later having Laura. Then when Laura was four Laura's dad died and Ellen moved back in with Damiano.
However when Vanessa was ten and Laura was six their mom died from a car accident and they were left with Vanessa's dad and Laura's step dad. He turned abusive and drunk, relying on Vanessa to make money and supply food while he went out and got drunk around the local pub.
Once Laura had arrived at Marino High she headed straight for her locker, grumbling as she entered the combination and took out her history and science books. She turned around, coming face to face with her blonde best friend. "Hey, Rydel." Laura smiled softly.
"Hey, Laur!" Rydel chirped before they greeted Raini who had just joined them. "Guess what happened?" Laura just shrugged, shutting her locker and turning to face them properly. "Raini, you tell her!"
"Calum Worthy from English class finally asked me out!" Raini fangirled, the massive grin not leaving her face as all three of girls began to jump up and down and squeal. "Oh and guess who finally decided she would let us go to her house after school?" Raini smirked teasingly.
Rydel blushed and Laura gasped. "Wow, you're finally letting us meet your "crazy" and "embarrassing" family?" I asked with a slight smirk. Rydel and her brothers were going to be homeschooled but Rydel wanted proper schooling so she moved to Marino high while her brothers stayed at home. She had met Stormie and Mark but never her brothers, the girls had always hung out at Raini's, in town, at the park or somewhere else.
"Says you. You've never invited us around your house to meet your parents!" Rydel turned the tables on Laura. Laura blushed slightly, knowing fully well why she had never invited them over. Plus Vanessa had to work enough without her fifteen year old sister pestering her to let her invite friends around while their dad was gone.
They couldn't anyway; their house was a massive mess and only proper cleaners could fix the hell hole they are forced to call home. "Yeah well parents don't matter; I hate them anyway." Laura muttered angrily, thinking about her real dead parents and the monster that was at the pub getting drunk right now.
Raini frowned. "You don't meant that," Raini nudged me. Of course I meant it but I didn't say anything else. The bell rang and more crowds of people flooded through the halls to make it to first period. The three girls were practically pushed against the lockers. "See you after last period. Meet us by the car park, Rydel's brother Riker is picking us up."
"Okay," Laura yelled out before she was taken by the crowd of people and pushed so that she was just another student lost in the stampede. She made her way to her first class and sat at the every back, just like she always did for History.
What surprised her was when someone actually sat down beside her. She looked up and saw a flash of red hair, instantly knowing it was Calum Worthy, the guy Raini was practically in love with. "Hey, Laura right?" Calum smiled, taking out his history book. She nodded shyly. "Aren't you Raini's friend?" She nodded again. Calum grinned.
"Awesome, cause I really wanted to ask a few things about what Raini likes and dislikes, I want our first date to be perfect!" He grinned enthusiastically. "What is Raini doing tonight?" He asked, concentrating deeply.
"Rydel, Raini and I are going to Rydel's house to meet her siblings and hang out." Laura mumbled quietly, not used to the attention that wasn't from Rydel, Raini or her sister. Laura had a lot of things going on in her life. She cuts, starves herself, is abused, bullied and only has three friends including her sister however no one, not even Vanessa, knew about the cutting or starving herself or the bulling (except the bullies of course).
Calum smiled. "I know it's a weird question but can I come?" He asked hopefully. Laura was slightly shocked by out going and confident the red headed tall boy seemed to be. She would never in a million years ask someone to go to a strangers house that didn't even know the people living there.
"I think it will be okay, if you go to the car park after school you can ask Rydel. I'm sure Raini would love for you to come," she smirked a little to herself. Calum smiled and thanked her before the teacher walked in and began to start the lesson.
After School...
Laura was shutting her locker and about to make her way out of the school building when she heard someone running behind her. "Laura, wait up!" They panted. Laura stopped and turned around and Calum placed his hand on her shoulder, leaning over to catch his breath.
Laura raised an eyebrow. "You ran for ten seconds down the school hall." Laura stated simply, staring at him in disbelief. She was no sporty person, with how weak she was from no food Laura could barely run half a mile, or even a quarter of one, but she could handle ten seconds down a school hall!
"You have no idea how badly I am failing gym class." Calum looked at her seriously. Laura laughed, Raini and Calum were perfect for each other. By now there was about ten over student in the halls, just messing about or collecting things from their lockers. "So, where's the car?"
"Just out here," Laura pushed open the door and made her way over to Rydel and Raini were standing in front of a black Audi car. Raini's eyes widened when she saw Calum walking behind Laura and Laura smirked. "Hey guys. Calum asked if he could come to your house, Rydel?"
"Sure!" Rydel chirped as a tall blonde guy got out of the car, a smile on his face. "Guys, this is my brother Riker, Riker, this is Laura, Raini and Calum." Rydel introduced everyone as Riker shook their hands, smiling kindly.
"Is it okay if we stop at my house first quickly? I don't have any credit on my phone to tell my big sister I'm going out." Laura asked hopefully. Riker smiled and took his iPhone 5c, switching it on and getting it out.
"What's her number? I can call her and tell her that you're coming around our house if you want, saves time." Riker told her with a slight grin as he got ready to type in her number. Laura thanked Riker gratefully and gave him Vanessa's number, also giving him her name. Riker waited for a second before there was a voice on the other side of the phone. "Hello, is this Laura's sister, Vanessa?" He asked politely.
"Oh my gosh!" He heard a voice shriek down the phone. "Is Laura okay? Is she alright? Nothing happened right, she's not in the medical office or anything?" Riker's eyebrows knitted together with confusion as he scanned Laura over quickly, seeing if there was any reason she did need to be in the medical office.
"No... she's okay. She's right here, actually. I'm Riker Lynch, Rydel, Laura's friends, older brother. Rydel wanted to take Laura to our house for dinner and we were wondering if that was okay?" Riker asked, soothingly.
He heard a sigh of relief before the girl began to speak, "okay, that's fine with me. Can I talk to Laura for a second?" Riker agreed before handing the phone over to the tiny brunette. "Laura? Is your head okay? I know that dad hit it really hard today, you don't feel dizzy, do you?"
"Your dad," Laura hissed so that the others didn't hear, though they were watching her expectantly. "And my head's fine. I'll see you around half six, okay? Can you pick me up from Rydel's house?"
"Yeah," Vanessa sighed, knowing that her younger sister was annoyed with her. "I'll see you in four hours then," Laura nodded to herself, although Vanessa couldn't see her, and hung up the phone. She gave it back to Riker and thanked him with a smile.
Rydel sat in the front next to Riker while Laura was squashed in between the middle of Raini and Calum who were staring at each other awkwardly the entire time, blushing and smiling like two love struck teenagers. They hadn't even gone on their first date yet!
They eventually pulled up by a large mansion-like house with a massive front garden and fencing by the side, obviously a big back garden too. Riker got out of the car and opened it for Raini while Rydel opened Calum's and everyone climbed out, walking to the front door.
Riker opened the door and lead their way to the kitchen, Laura admiring the tidy, large yet cosy household. She had never been in a house that looked like it was so friendly. In the kitchen was a blonde woman and a grey haired man who were cooking with music playing in the back. "Hey, we're back mom." Riker announced.
The blonde woman and the man turned around and grinned at the five children standing in the doorway, especially Calum, Laura and Raini. "Ahh, you must be Laura!" The woman hugged the tiny girl, remembering the descriptions that Rydel had given of her friends. "And you must be Raini!" She hugged Raini. "So who must you be?" She stopped at Calum, a smile on her face.
"I'm Calum Worthy," he smiled, reaching out to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Lynch." Rydel's mom just blushed slightly and swatted the air at Calum's politeness. After all, it wasn't everyday that a teenage boy was being polite.
"Oh please, call me Stormie. This is my husband Mark and my other children should be somewhere." Stormie told everyone as Mark joined her side, wrapping an arm over her shoulder. "Riker where's Ross, Ryland, Rocky and Ellington?"
"Ellington's here?" Rydel gasped, eyes wide. Stormie nodded and Laura smirked, knowing that this Ellington guy was the boy Rydel had been crushing on since he had moved to LA in middle school and became best friends with her younger brother Rocky.
"Rocky! Ross! Ryland! Ellington!" Stormie yelled. They heard footsteps trampling down the stairs and four guys came stumbling into the kitchen, laughing at something. "Guys, this is Rydel's friends, Calum, Raini and Laura."
Ross just stood there, staring at the petite brunette girl that was scratching the back of her wrist slightly. "H-hey, I'm Ross." Ross smiled slightly, trying to gather the girls attention. Laura looked up and smiled slightly, a faint blush covering her pale complexion.
"I'm Laura," she murmured quietly, shaking his hand. Something about the girl, Laura, was luring Ross in. He could tell that she was different or had something going on in her life, everything about her screamed it. The way she stood, acted, spoke, made eye contact. Everything.
He had only known her for two minutes and he already wanted to figure out what that thing was.