DogBird

Chapter 11: Roe

I halted in my tracks, my eyes unable to break connection with Not-Jasper's. My hands began to tremble at my sides, the fear of being known pulsing through my body and rendering me frozen in place.

The spell cast on me seemed to dissolve after Not-Jasper tore his sharp gaze away with an angry huff. I blinked in an attempt to bring some of my sense back, then slowly sank down in the only empty seat in the vicinity, my eyes still glued to Not-Jasper.

A tap on my shoulder had me jumping slightly, and I whipped my head around to Yuki, who had a delicate and gracious smile spread across his dainty lips. "Hi, Roe. Long time no see." His smile turned up a little more and I couldn't help the crooked tilt to my own lips.

A glance at Not-Jasper wiped what little of a smile I had off of my face instantly, though, and my eyes fell to my hands, which were wringing nervously under my desk. A hard thing to do with two of my fingers taped together.

A muffled smack had my shoulders hunching in reflex. I slowly peeled my eyelids apart to find Not-Jasper's chin to his chest, Jasper's hand finishing his swing. "Don't be an asshole, Shiloh," he whispered harshly.

Shiloh shot Jasper a sharp glare, the turquoise in his irises seeming to ignite with his fury. "Don't hit me, asshole," he spat back with venom.

Jasper paid no mind to Shiloh's harsh words and turned to me, apology etched into his boyishly handsome features. "I'm sorry, Roe. This is my twin brother, Shiloh. He's a little rough around the edges but he's not a bad gu–mph!" He was cut off by Shiloh's hand, which gripped him over the mouth. Just as quick as Shiloh's hand was placed over Jasper's mouth, his hand was ripped away as disgust screwed his face.

"That's nasty, I can't believe you licked me," he muttered, wiping his hand on his faded jeans.

"Fuck you, bitch, you can suck a nut," Jasper cursed as his chin jutted out, whistling before flipping off Shiloh with both of his hands.

Subdued chuckles sounded from random areas of the classroom and both Jasper and Shiloh's faces seemed to darken as a blush overtook their features. Jasper's chin twitched to the side as he tongue clicked repeatedly.

It felt weird seeing real siblings interact with each other. Was this how siblings treated each other? Did they always fight? Just these few seconds around them made me curious, and I was greedy to see more.

I leaned back slightly to whisper to Yuki, who had been watching silently, his mouth hidden behind his hand as he rested his chin in his palm. When he noticed me inching closer, he raised his eyebrows slightly in question.

"Are they always like that?" I asked.

Yuki chuckled softly before shaking his head. "Not always, but they're brothers, so you can't expect them to get along twenty-four seven. Shiloh's just not good with meeting people, so he gets a little bit defensive. He'll loosen up soon, though."

I nodded once, stealing another glance at Shiloh. He was looking at me too, but once our eyes made contact, I couldn't look away.

I knew what he was asking me; Who did this to you?

This was the look that froze me in place.

He knew—just like all of the others—that something was wrong. I dreamed of someday telling someone. To uncover all of the secrets and sins buried in our shell of a home. But that's all it was—a dream. It wasn't as easy as my fantasies made it out to be.

After all, I'd already tried.

That effort had resulted in me being labeled as the neighborhood crazy kid back in Montana. If I were to try again, I would need more than just my word and a couple booboos. Not having a phone keeps me from collecting evidence or calling for help.