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Deceptive Guise (Ookami & Sumi)

Raika

Raika

Star
Joined
Apr 20, 2012

Lying on the couch in the living room of his apartment, blue eyes gazed up at the creamy white ceiling as he waited for the damning knock that was sure to come at any moment now. He didn’t know how his parents had managed to track down his home and phone number, but apparently they had, and the first thing they had to say to him after four years of separation was that he’d be looking after his younger sister Chloe while both his parents went off to travel around the world for an entire year.

Obviously Trent had outright refused, he didn’t like his family. They were nice people and all, but after spending twenty years under the same roof as his parents he’d not only gotten sick of them, but also his little sister who seemed to be under the impression that Trent would be there to look after her for her entire life. He supposed he’d spoiled her too much, falling in love with the idea of being the bigger brother, he’d spent his entire childhood pampering her with attention, spending as much time with her as humanly possible, his teenage years weren’t much different with him neglecting his friends, personal interests, and even his love life in favor of his little sister. His first relationship had ended after only three days, his girlfriend getting extremely upset when Trent cancelled their first date since Chloe had caught a cold. It hadn’t been anything serious, and his parents had assured him she’d be alright, but Trent had firmly believed as the older brother, he had to look out for his little sister, and nothing could get in the way of that.

Well, that turned out to be a complete lie since something did get in the way of his relationship with Chloe, and after a few weeks of inner-conflict, he’d suddenly declared to his family that he’d had enough of them and wanted his own place. Surprisingly his parents had taken the news rather well, reminding him to be responsible, and to keep in touch. But Chloe hadn’t taken the news well at all, unable to understand why her beloved brother was suddenly abandoning her. Trent hadn’t even bothered to say farewell, sneaking out of the house with a bag full of his own belongings, and not telling anyone where he was going, or what he intended. He kept in touch with one of his closest friends, who occasionally visited to assure his parents he was okay, but besides that, Trent had gone to extreme lengths to keep away from his once lovely family.

Unfortunately though, his freedom and efforts had been brutally destroyed with a single phone call from his father. His attempts to dissuade his father had all ended in failure. Both his parents were the only child in their family, and all their grandparents were deceased, they probably had distant relatives somewhere, but Trent had never met or even heard of them. His suggestion to let Chloe live with friends had been swiftly shot down too, their mothers logic that it made more sense for Chloe to live with him ringing true. Chloe couldn’t even live in the family home as the house had been rented out to other people…. Though Trent himself had no intention of suggesting Chloe be allowed to stay alone in the spacious family home, especially not when the newspapers were fussing over an increase of rape and violence against women in the city.

The responses he’d gotten from the people in his life had varied, with his manager yelling at him, Trent wasn’t exactly a celebrity, but his popularity had been on the increase lately, with more and more girls wanting to know about him. Accepting an interview with a popular woman’s magazine had been the biggest mistake of his life, and the highlight of his career thus far. Admitting sarcastically that he was single and looking when asked about his love life had resulted in a sudden surge of fan-mail. Women of various ages sending him love letters along with a scantily clad photo of themselves. The worst part was when they approached him in the flesh, bumping against him in public and apologizing for the intentional accident they’d caused. A few of them even getting frisky and groping his rear or chest. The thought that he’d soon be sharing his own apartment with a girl like that made him bury his head in his hand. Hoping to any god who’d listen that Chloe wouldn’t be anything like those crazy fanatical girls that squealed like dying pigs.

“Chloe huh….” he whispered quietly. Still hoping that this was some bad dream he’d soon wake up from. Reality was reality though, and just as he was about to doze off, he found himself interrupted by a knock at the door. A loud aggravated sigh blowing past his lips as he kicked himself upright and got up, dragging his feet over to the door hoping it was some unwanted sales person.
 
Caught completely off guard as the loud knock shook him from his stupor. It wasn’t until now that he realized he hadn’t done anything in preparation for her arrival. Though that said, his father had given him less than a day to prepare himself, and if his father’s words were to be believed, the plane they were on would be departing from the airport any minute now, and that was assuming it hadn’t already. Undoing the chain-lock and reaching for the little nub to unlock the door. Trent suddenly found himself unable to move, his mind crashing into a light panic as he tried to steel himself for the confrontation he’d been dreading all day. How was he supposed to act towards his sister after all these years? Four years was an awfully long time, for someone Chloe’s age. The feeling only emphasized by how he’d stuck by her side for the first ¾. What was he supposed to say to someone he’d harshly abandoned in the past? Things would have been easier if Trent had explained himself or had a proper reason for wanting to get away, but telling Chloe now that he’d left simply because he’d gotten tired of her and their parents certainly wouldn’t do him any favors.

Standing stock still, the only thing separating him and his undoubtedly vengeful sister right now was the sturdy door that stood between them. A barrier that Trent knew he’d have to open up sooner rather than later, but the longer he delayed opening the door, the less time he’d have to deal with Chloe. Looking at the whole picture there was little difference in the tiny seconds he’d spare himself, but opening the door and letting Chloe back into his life was no easy feat, and the possibility of Chloe yelling at him the moment she saw him weighed heavily on his mind.

Obviously though, he couldn’t stall her forever, and the few seconds he’d wasted standing around dumbly was reluctantly ended as Trent finally flipped the lock, his hand darting back as if the door handle had zapped him with electricity. There were two ways of looking at things now. He was glad that the door hadn’t burst open the moment he’d unlocked it, he couldn’t even begin to wonder how annoyed Chloe was with him, but at the very least it didn’t seem like she was going to slam the door in his face and start berating him like some cross neighbor. On the other hand though, it also meant he’d have to open the door for her, and the act itself made him sigh uncomfortably.

Taking in a deep breath he warily wrapped his hand around the door handle, turning it slowly and cracking the door open a bit before pushing it open gradually. Having no idea how to react, he kept his blue eyes lowered. The first thing his eyes fell upon wasn’t her long silky black hair, nor her sparkling eyes, it wasn’t even her developing(?) body nor her somewhat curvy figure. What Trent looked at first was her shoes. He couldn’t look her in the face at first, weighed down by the guilt he felt for leaving her, and stirred up by the irritation he felt towards her re-entering his life. Part of him was expecting a good slap across the face, while another part of him secretly hoped for a casual nonchalant ‘Hi.’

Her response however was far from being either of the two things he’d thought of, her actual response shocking enough for Trent to suddenly glance up at her with a rather agitated look. He hadn’t expected a friendly reunion or anything, but he certainly hadn’t expected her to treat him like some hotel bellboy. Unless she was forgetting, Trent was allowing her to live with him, even if it was against his wishes, and a bit of gratitude certainly wouldn’t hurt. But then again, he supposed she was a teenager, the same type of ‘creature’ as those squealing fangirls who thought the world revolved around them. He’d secretly been hoping that Chloe would be different, but apparently she was just as obnoxious and unpleasant as most girls her age.

“Do it yourself, I’m not your slave” he grunted crossly, trying to glare at her with a definitive look of contempt, though the disappointment was rather obvious. Despite his harsh words though, he did reach over and snatch the bags, turning his back on Chloe rudely before marching back into the house and heading towards the spare guest room. He felt sort of stupid for worrying about Chloe’s arrival now. Annoyed at her arrogance, but somewhat relieved to find that she’d grown into a ‘typical’ girl. While Trent would never admit it out aloud, her attitude had hurt him more than anything he’d predicted. He didn’t expect her to be clingy and sweet like she used to be considering the circumstances, but he’d expected something more. Even being yelled at seemed better now as it’d have at least been some indication that she cared enough about him to get upset.

“Do I need to show you how to walk through a door too?” Trent asked harshly, disappearing behind a wall that obstructed a visitors view of the bedrooms. “Your stuff’s on your bed princess, have fun unpacking.” He grumbled, quickly stepping out of Chloe’s new room, and slamming the door to his own bedroom behind him as he disappeared. A noticeable click indicating that he’d childishly locked himself in his own room. Her words had shocked him so much that he hadn’t even bothered to look at her properly, and even after glancing at her briefly and locking himself away in his room, the image of Chloe he had in his head remained the same Chloe he’d last seen four years ago. On the bright side though, at least living with Chloe would be easier now if she was going to act like that for the rest of the year. They’d simply be two people living in the same apartment, nothing more, nothing less. And when the time came she could walk out and back to her parents place, treating the year she’d spent with him as if it’d never happened. Things were looking much easier than Trent had initially feared…. But whether he was happy about the revelation or not was a completely different matter.
 
It wasn’t until Trent was safely locked away in his room that he realized how he’d probably stuffed up at the first chance he’d gotten. Blood had rushed to his head when he’d heard her the first words she had for him, and he’d clearly overreacted to a simply deman…request, which while he still felt inappropriate, wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be. As the adrenaline began to calm itself down, Trent scowled, this time more at himself than Chloe. Apologizing for leaving her behind was completely out of the question seeing as how he’d have to explain himself, but he hadn’t intended to be as rude as he had been with her.

Unfortunately, going out now and apologizing with him would only make him look like an idiot, and while he admitted some wrong doing on his own behalf, he still wasn’t happy with the way Chloe had reacted either, and if there was one thing he’d learned from his fans, it was to never let a teenage girl think they had the upper hand. Going out and talking to her now was probably the right thing to do as a brother, but Trent was certain that admitting any wrong on his side would make an obnoxious little girl like Chloe think she owned the place. And the last thing he needed was to have an unpleasant ‘creature’ polluting his sanctuary.

Having nothing to do in his own room, but now willing to open the door up and face Chloe so soon after the immediately negative altercation, Trent slumped against the door. Burying his head in his hands and pulling his knee’s close to his chest, this wasn’t how he imagined Chloe to be at all, and the thought that she’d literally changed so much in four years was both a source of relief and grief.
Her words in particular had pierced through him like a sharp blade, his brows furrowing and his lips frowning to hide the raw emotion that threatened to burst out of him. He’d already braced himself for this. Figuring that Chloe would have all sort of names for him, being traitor was something he’d fully expected…. And yet it still hurt like hell. Though the pain of being called a traitor was nothing compared to the words that followed. His hand swinging backwards and violently thumping the door in response to her saying she didn’t want to be born his sister. Quite frankly, the sentiment was mutual, but the burning feeling that spread from the side of his palm calmed him down enough to keep quiet. Silently praising himself for not yelling back at her.


He’d always known she wouldn’t be the same person he left behind, but the realization that Chloe wouldn’t ever be following him around and being the cute little clingy angel she’d been was nothing short of emotionally overwhelming. But despite his loss, Trent was convinced he’d done the right thing by leaving, he’d outgrown being Chloe’s brother, and Chloe herself would never be able to get a proper boyfriend and lead a happy life if she was always hanging around in Trent’s shadow.

The silence of the apartment was nearly deafening as Trent sat still, the only thing he could hear was the sound of Chloe moving around only a few feet away from him. And yet he couldn’t go out and face her, simply because he’d exploded in her face the moment she’d gotten here…. Perhaps he should have slammed the door in her face and waited until she’d learned some manners? Or maybe he should have simply stood firm and refused to let her in? Or maybe…..
The possibilities had been endless, but out of all the options he could have taken, he’d chosen the worst possible one…. Or at least it seemed that way now. The only thing he could look positively on right now was that Chloe was in her new room instead of on the streets. Trent didn’t want her in his apartment, but the idea of Chloe literally living and sleeping out on the streets had easily overpowered him when his father had first informed him Chloe would live with him, and that feeling hadn’t changed, and most likely never would.

Minutes turned into hours, and the rustle and bustle coming from the other room had long died down. And yet Trent still sat in front of his door, curled up and listening the complete silence that crept through the air. Even after the unwelcoming reunion he’d given her, Chloe had continued to plague his mind, a slightly nervous feeling building up inside him as he started to question if Chloe was actually in her room, or if she’d gone out. It was starting to get pretty late, and like it or not, his parents had trusted him to look after her….

One the possibility that Chloe wasn’t here anymore struck him, he couldn’t shake the prickly feeling off. Pride and Concern waging war inside his mind for a good long while before they reconciled and agreed that Trent should at least leave his room. It didn’t make sense for him to be hiding away in his own house, if he left, he could check to see if Chloe was okay, and at the same time his pride could be kept intact if he pretended to be grabbing a drink or going to the bathroom.

Steeling himself for another possible confrontation, Trent took a deep breath. He sluggishly picked himself up, hesitantly unlocking the door for the second time that day, before cautiously opening the door. Taking one step out of his dark room, only realizing now that he probably should have turned the lights on hours ago.
 
(Surprise!... Okay not really xD … It’s not that we don’t stick to plans, we’re…. uhh flexible! That’s it, yeah that has to be it!)

Trent felt his blood go cold the moment he opened the door, already sensing the answer even before his eyes could confirm his fears. Rushing into Chloe’s room and frantically sweeping the room with his eyes to in hopes that he was just fussing over nothing. It was quite obvious Chloe no longer occupied the room, but Trent didn’t want to believe it, scrambling over to her closet and tossing the twin doors open before falling on his knees to check under the bed. His face paling more and more with each passing second, he knew Chloe wasn’t the same girl he’d left behind. In fact even the Chloe he’d parted with had grown out of playing hide and seek with him years ago, but his unwillingness to accept the possibility that she’d gone out by herself kept him hopeful. Wishing with all his heart that she’d jump out from somewhere unexpected, her sparkling eyes accompanied by a the playful smile he loved seeing.

It was a relief to see some unfamiliar things lying around, and the clothes hanged and folded neatly in the closet, since it meant Chloe intended to come back at some stage, but there was no telling when that’d be. And more importantly if she’d be allowed to. Trent’s apartment was located in a relatively safe area, but a safe area still had it’s dangerous spots, and there was no telling what sort of freakish bastard would be lurking in the shadows. He did sort of feel like he was exaggerating the situation a bit too much, but it was better to be safe than sorry. And while the thought of being scolded by his parents did shove him forward, his primary concern was Chloe’s safety. Trent strongly doubted anyone had visited while he’d been sulking, and it was unlikely Chloe had already organized to meet up with friends on her first day here.

Realizing that standing around wouldn’t lead to any desirable solutions, he scrambled back on to his feet, scanning the living and kitchen briefly before flinging the front door open so violently that a normal door might have been ripped off its hinges. Thrusting his head out the door and swiftly glancing left and right, feeling the panic inside him rising by the second. A part of him had sort of hoped to find Chloe standing right outside the door with a confused look in her eyes before explaining to him that she’d just stepped outside for a bit of fresh air. His luck today was apparently rotten though, and there wasn’t a single soul in sight. “God damn it Chloe” he grumbled, sprinting down the hall and smashing his fist down on the elevator button before cursing his luck once more. Spinning around and heading for the stairs. He had to find Chloe as fast as he could. Call it intuition or a sixth sense, but Trent could feel something dark and ominous threatening to ruin Chloe’s life.

-----

“Weird hours simply cater better to weird people little miss” a voice suddenly croaked a bit further up the alley. A purple flame bursting out of nowhere and illuminating the alley, alarming a family of rats which had been lying still in hopes that Chloe would leave them alone. The lighting in the alley was extremely poor, but Chloe could be pretty certain that there hadn’t been a stall, or a hooded figure when she’d walked past that spot earlier. In fact she could nearly swear that there’d been one of those large industrial steel bins standing in that spot. But seeing as how there was no such object now, she was probably imagining things in the dark.

“Fear not little miss, nothing to be alarmed about, I’m not some ‘unwanted poor beggar,’ just a shriveled old crone that wants to make the world a better place for all of us…. For a price of course” she cackled, the voice growing clearer, and distinguishable as an elderly woman’s. Something about the hooded figure felt wrong, almost inhuman, but the figure was clearly speaking a language Chloe could understand, and the shape of the hooded figure was unmistakably the shape of another human being.

A green and blue flame suddenly flared up beside the crone suddenly, the flame quickly waning and subsiding into a small candle sized flame. On closer inspection all three flames came from three of the seven candle sticks placed on the table on the stall. The new source of light did reveal a glimpse of the face of the woman, shriveled dry skin and thick cracked lips. Chloe would be able to catch a glimpse of the woman’s whole face as the hood was pulled down low over her eyes.

“No need for you to run away screaming little miss, if I wanted to harm you I would have done so already, I won’t ask you to trust me, but do this old crone some kindness and humor her a bit will you? It wouldn’t be good for my business if I let you walk off to tell everyone I’m just a ‘silly joke’.”
 
“Oh?” The old crone asked, her shrill voice becoming an octave higher as Chloe assured her that she had an interesting wish to make. Despite having seemingly read Chloe’s thoughts only a few seconds ago, the hooded woman seemed to be intrigued by what Chloe would propose, a few moments of silence passed between them, the elderly lady didn’t move a muscle, her body completely still and unmoving, as she waited for Chloe to voice her wish. The moment Chloe spoke though the woman grinned, an evil malicious smile that momentarily made her look more like a demon than a witch. Though it was impossible to be sure what she was as Chloe could only see her shriveled lips, and even the smile disappeared as all three lights suddenly flickered out, enveloping the two of them in complete darkness. As luck would have it, a cloud have just floated over the moon, bathing the world below in complete darkness.

The darkness however last only a moment, a strong gust of wind suddenly blowing in the alley, ruffling Chloe’s clothes and hair, the gust forcing Chloe’s eyes shut. The flicker of a second was all that was needed, light once again returning to the alley when her blue eyes were opened. Four flames now burning awfully close to her face, strangely though, none of the flames seemed to be emitting any heat… on the contrary a dark coldness wafted up from the four candles, the flames flickering with an unnatural neon glare, from left to right, there was a golden yellow flame, emerald green, crimson red, and dark violet flame.

“Oh….” The woman whispered quietly, her voice saturated with disappointment, Chloe’s wish wasn’t as exciting as the woman seemed to have anticipated. “Why settle for one little miss? You could have every man that took your fancy, a new male body for each day of the year and more” she croaked in a sickening lewd croak, giving Chloe a moment to consider the suggestion before shaking her hooded head slowly. “No matter, if that is your wish, it would be pleasure to grant it for you.”

Lifting her both hands up slowly she reached her hands out to either side, thin bony white hands revealing themselves from beneath the dark robe she adorned. “No need to offer your meager savings to this old crone little miss” the woman croaked waving her hand dangerously close to the flames. “Your satisfaction is all I need….” she whispered, suddenly dropping her voice to a barely audible level, the woman had definitely muttered something beneath her breath but it was simply too hard for Chloe to make sense of. “Your satisfaction and a bit of cooperation actually….” The woman corrected herself, curling her bony finger beckoning Chloe closer.

“One of these flames represents the forbidden crush” she stated, pointing to each flame with an open palm, her movements awfully slow, but somehow graceful, it would be an impossible task for anyone to turn their eyes away now, an almost magical attraction pulling Chloe’s attention closer to the four flames that flickered in their various unnatural colors.

“All you need to do is blow out the right candle, and he’ll be yours for all eternity” the woman cackled, her voice suddenly rising with excitement. “One little puff, that’s all it takes” she assured Chloe, her withered hand fondly curling over the red flame as if to say she already knew which flame Chloe would pick, before finally withdrawing back beneath the sleeves of her robes.
 
The old woman once again waited patiently as Chloe looked over each flame carefully, her eyes initially falling on the red flame the woman had lingered her hand over, before looking curiously at all the other flames, her eyes finally sparking with the determination that indicated she’d made up her mind, the hooded head of hers nodding slowly as if to say she’d known all along that Chloe would choose the red flame. Her head nodding one last time before going still her head hung low like a puppet that had suddenly had its strings snipped. Even as Chloe explained that she needed to get going, the old woman remained unresponsive, simply sitting there silently, it was almost like she’d suddenly fallen asleep, though Chloe wouldn’t be able to hear any snoring, or even the sound of woman breathing. With nothing else to do, and no reason to stick around Chloe headed off. Heading out of the alleyway, when she turned back to peer into the dark path she’d just walked though, the other three flames had disappeared, along with the stall and old crone….. haha, yeah right, she was probably still sitting there in the dark, trying to act all mysterious and creepy as part of some advertising performance. There was no way she could have left since there was only one exit, and Chloe would have noticed for sure if an old woman walked past her carry the stall and candles.

-----

When Chloe finally returned to the apartment building, the first thing she’d notice was the line shining out of Trent’s living room, the door still left wide open. The creepy feeling had lingered and perhaps still did hold a place inside Chloe’s body, but things had gotten significantly better when the moon had come out of hiding. The bright assuring light of the moon feeling strangely warm and comforting, it was hard to believe that Chloe had experienced anything in the alley at all. In fact, it was probably starting to feel like a dream or her imagination going wild and conjuring up something purely fictional.

Approaching the door though, she’d notice a dark shadow slumped right next to the door, the crumpled figure barely noticeable from a distance, it didn’t take much longer before the figure could clearly be discerned as her own brother. Trent too seemed to notice Chloe at the exact time, his head slowly lifting up and glancing towards her lifelessly, the cerulean blue eyes almost looking a pale grey. His expression looked so different for a moment that Chloe would be forced to wonder if it really was her brother, though there was no way she’d mistake that flaming red hair of his.

“Chloe?....” a hushed shaky voice called out to her, the usual pair of blue eyes staring over at her with a mixed look of disbelief. It took a few seconds for Trent to pull himself up, stepping into the light as he approached her, his once clean white shirt had been torn in a few places, and a smear of dirt gave him a sort of homeless look. The first few steps seemed awfully shaky and unstable, but the closer he got to her, each step became more firm and steady, until finally he was standing an arm length away from her. His blue eyes staring down at her with a stern look that gave away just how annoyed he was at her. Lifting his hand up, he swung his hand towards her face, seemingly intending to give her a good slap across the face for the worry she’d caused him. Strangely though, the slap never came. A gentle hand cupping her cheek kindly as his finger trailed over her cheek. “If it happens again, you’re getting a six’o’clock curfew.” He whispered sternly. Not seeming too angry with her. Being furious with Chloe really wouldn’t do him any good, and the sense of relief that washed over him when he’d seen Chloe safe and sound was currently stronger. “Come on, it’s late, you’ve got school in the morning” he continued, pulling the warmth of his hand away from her cheek and turning his back on her. Not waiting for Chloe to follow he headed back towards his room, the light revealing how his feet had gone black with dirt, and cut by jagged rocks that littered the streets. If he’d bothered to wear some shoes before leaving it was an injury he could have spared himself from, but his concern for Chloe had won out.

Standing infront of the door, he paused, looking back towards Chloe before outstretching his hand, his voice sounding a lot more confident now than it originally had. His lip twitching a bit as he spoke “Hurry up, thanks to a certain someone, I’m a bit worn out from running around all night.” He grumbled, his voice sounding exactly like the irritated Trent that she’d been reunited with a few hours ago.
 
Sighing loudly as Chloe followed him in, he was silently grateful that Chloe had the sense to close the door behind her, but apparently her common sense ended there. Launching straight into a topic Trent really didn’t want to deal with right now, it was well past midnight by now and Trent too had a job to go to when the sun came up. The more she spoke, the more irritated Trent got, his initial attempt to ignore her question and hope she’d get the hint getting nowhere. His temper quickly got the better of him though, and he couldn’t resist snapping back at her. “Unfortunately we’re related by blood, and that means I’m required to care for you” he grumbled rudely, the kindness he’d shown a few moments prior nowhere to be seen. “You were a nuisance back then, and you’re a nuisance now, but you’re staying here for the next year whether you like it or not, and you’ll do your best to not cause any trouble until our parents get back” Trent stated crossly, no longer caring if he upset Chloe again. He feet were sore, his body worn out, and his mind tired. He didn’t have the patience nor the time for a teenage girl’s hysterics. Especially considering how Chloe’s lack of sense had been the cause of all three of the aforementioned symptoms.

If Trent did care about Chloe, he clearly wasn’t showing any concern for her right now. In fact it almost seemed like he was going out of his way to seem like a complete and utter jerk. His snappy rudeness continuing further. “If you want to leave, you can contact dad and explain to him that you don’t want to be here, I’ve already told him and he didn’t seem to give two shits about my circumstances.” He scowled, clearly resenting his father for the burden he’d dumped on him. “But until I get the green light to let you wander off, you’ll stay here. If dad says you can leave, you can go wherever you please, go get raped by some dirty homeless guy and get knifed for all I care” Trent finished. His spiteful comments clearly intended to hurt and annoy Chloe. If Trent had been the ideal brother four years ago, there didn’t seem to even a shred of the old Trent left now. The man that stood before Chloe genuinely seemed to hate her, and whatever hocus pocus the witch-like crone had promised clearly hadn’t worked. On the contrary he seemed to hate her even more now than he did before.

“Are we done here? I’d rather be sleeping than answering your pointless questions, just in-case you didn’t know, some of us actually have this thing called a responsibility and can’t stay up all night wasting their life away dealing with annoying little pests.” Sighing once more, he finally seemed to have finished insulting her, though not once during the barrage of statements had Trent turned to look Chloe in the eye, his back pointed directly at her, even if she tried to move towards him Trent would simply step away or look the other way, acting as if her mere presence insulted him.
 
Relieved that Chloe had finally gotten the hint, Trent simply stood still, stepping aside and turning his head away when Chloe brushed past him. Trent obviously couldn’t see her face, but he could sense that he’d torn her heart apart. Even after he’d heard the door to Chloe’s bedroom closing Trent had made no move to leave. His eyes closed and giving nothing away, his cheeks tense, and lips locked into an ugly frown. His head was throbbing like that one time he’d drunk himself into a hangover, though this time he hadn’t drunk a single drop, nor did he intend to drink ever again after his first and final experience with the mind-numbing booze. Though something to numb his mind would have been very welcome at the moment. Standing in the same spot for nearly an hour after Chloe had left, he kept repeating to himself the same thoughts, gradually convincing himself to ignore Chloe’s feelings and how his priority was to keep her out of his life. By the time he finally managed to move towards his room he couldn’t think of anything other than getting some desperately needed sleep. His body screaming at him to rest, and his mind threatening to black out at any moment. He’d intended to go straight to his room and throw himself on the bed… But his feet had other plans, and directed him to Chloe’s room, his rebellious legs coming to a halt just outside her door. Trent didn’t even know what he was doing anymore, but apparently his body did. An aching arm reaching up and touching the wooden doorframe carefully. His hand lifted at the same height Chloe’s face would be.

“Sorry for being the worst brother ever” he whispered to the door, his voice so hushed and quiet that not even Chloe would be able to hear unless she was pressed up against the door waiting for him to speak. There were a hundred different thoughts running through his head, some being deemed inappropriate while others were rejected due to their nature. One of the few things he was actually able to say aloud had been his apology. His entire being accepting the fact that he was acting cruelly towards his sister. No matter what his intentions were, his words had been too harsh, but from Trent’s perspective, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Vision blurring his legs slowly gave out beneath him, his vision completely abandoning him and leaving him sightless as he leaned against Chloe’s door. He didn’t have the energy nor the willpower to bother getting up now that he was on the floor, his body using the last little bit of strength it had to flip him around so that his back was pressed against her door. “That…. Should do it” was the last thing he muttered before giving in to the darkness.

-------------
When Chloe awoke and left a several hours later, there wasn’t any sign of Trent anywhere. Though that wasn’t that surprising after last night, and the fact that Chloe had left the house pretty late. Trent wasn’t even in the house at the time, but Chloe had no way of knowing that seeing as she was just as unkeen on seeing him as Trent was of dealing with her first thing in the morning. When she did finally manage to leave the apartment though, she completely missed the tall figure standing a few feet behind the door. Dull empty eyes staring at Chloe as she hurried down the hallway. The figure didn’t move, nor call out to her, instead standing there silently and watching her as she disappeared from his line of sight.
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“Could I borrow Chloe for a few minutes please Mr Johnson?” a familiar voice called just as about the class was about to end. Standing in the doorway was a figure Chloe knew all too well, a childhood friend of sorts who was only second to Trent in the number of hours Chloe had spent with other people. Upon turning her head Chloe would notice the familiar piercing green eyes staring straight at her, the brunette patiently waiting for Chloe to make her way over to him. Chloe didn’t really have much of a choice but to comply with Jared’s request seeing as how he was one of the teachers that taught at her school. Secondly though she probably didn’t want to stick around in class anyway, the majority of the students glancing curiously at her, wondering why she’d be getting called out of class, the fact she’d arrived late wasn’t helping her image much either.

Stepping to the side as Chloe followed him out the door, Jared closed the door behind her quietly, looking up and down the corridor before suddenly grabbing ahold of Chloe’s hand. Placing a single finger on Chloe’s lips to keep her quiet. “This way” he whispered, tugging lightly on her hand as he led her down the hallway and into an empty classroom. The stern expression he’d worn earlier when calling to her had completely disappeared now, replaced by the kind caring smile Chloe would have grown used to over the years. Jared was supposedly one of Trent’s close friends. ‘Supposedly’ because after the incident four years ago, Chloe had no idea what happened between the two. Trent had completely vanished from her life, whereas Jared had made his way into her life, filling a good portion of the roles Trent used to fill.

The second the door closed behind Chloe though, her hand would be released, only to suddenly feel the same hand wrapped around her shoulder and pulling her closer to Jared. There was an awkwardness to the hug, the sudden action a completely unexpected one. Jared had always been there for her after Trent had left, forfeiting an invitation to work at a prestigious national highschool in favor of attending the same school as Chloe, albeit as a teacher. But not once had he been this direct with her. Always there to listen and offer helpful advice, he’d held her hand on a few rare occasions, but this was the first time he’d actually held her against his chest. In fact the last person to hold her like this was none other than Trent himself four years ago, a few days before he disappeared.

Gently touching her head, and running soothingly gentle fingers through her long dark hair, this too was something Trent had done for her often in the past.
His hold on her wasn’t that strong and Chloe would easily be able to break his hold on her and push him away, though his actions caused an emotional wave of nostalgia to suddenly spring up in the room as Jared silently continued to stroke his hand over her head, mimicking the 'old' Trent's actions nearly perfectly. His hand moved slowly and steadily, and although Jared himself showed no signs of explaining himself or questioning Chloe, it was clear from the way he was acting that he knew something.
 
(Moving houses in a few hours 7~8ish so I’ll probably just get this one post in tonight before going to sleep).

As Chloe slipped out of his grasp and took a few steps away, Jared wasn’t able to conceal the hurt and disappointment in his eyes. His semi-outstretched hand reaching out to grab her again before halting in mid-air and falling lifelessly to his side. The pained look however didn’t last that long, vanishing after the next blink of his jade green eyes, he seemed to think her words over a bit before slowly shaking his head from side to side, “Not quite” he stated, admitting that Chloe’s parents hadn’t been the one to inform him, but offering no other supporting information to explain his sudden actions. A small smile creeping onto his face as he gave her a kind smile. One eye closing to wink at her in a friendly gesture. “Why would I pity you? You always wanted to see Trent again didn’t you? If anything I was punishing you for not telling me earlier” he lied. The smile faltering a bit as his lip tremble unnoticeably. It wasn’t so much punishment as a last ditch effort to have Chloe notice his feelings.

Wanting her to acknowledge him as more than a childhood friend, he’d thrown his scholarship with one of the country’s leading colleges, and used the scholarship to get into a local college to convince the local college into providing him with a fully-paid scholarship. Unlike Trent who’d always been a bit of a delinquent at school, Jared had always been the star pupil, his name being put forward for nearly every important task, Jared himself however didn’t seem interested in achieving his potential. Declining any additional privileges and responsibilities in favor of spending his time by Chloe side. Thing had calmed down significantly over the past four years with Chloe but he still worried about her wellbeing constantly. Wanting to grant Chloe’s wish to be with her brother again, but understanding why Trent had acted the way he had. He’d cancelled his enrolment immediately when Trent came to him seeking help, asking him to take care of Chloe after he’d left. At first it’d been a lucky favor for a close friend, but he’d always harbored secret feeling for Chloe. Subtly trying to acknowledge convince Chloe into seeing him as something more. Even after he’d graduated with the highest honors the college could provide him with he’d declined the offers from the interstate school wanting his capabilities. Once again opting for a local school after confirming Chloe intended to go there. He’d dearly hoped that Chloe would see him as something more if spent enough time with her, but after four years the only thing he’d managed to gain from her was the title of ‘teacher.’ Which was probably more counterproductive seeing as how Chloe seemed to draw a line between herself and her new teacher.
“Chloe…” he called her name, the smile wavering with discontent at being lied to. A normal person might have been fooled by her little act, but Jared felt personally felt like he knew more about Chloe that anyone else, even Trent. And right now, he could declare with outright certainty that Chloe wasn’t fine. In fact he was pretty sure a bit of probing would cause her to burst into a uncontrollable wave of tears. He’d been with her for four years…. but he couldn’t really say he’d made any progress in the time. His heart being twisted painfully as he thought to himself that he hadn’t even gained enough trust from Chloe for her to share with him her problems.

The option to point out her lie was an easy one. But instead he shook his head, changing his mind and deciding to confirm her words. Hoping that he could at least be of some use, reinforcing her words and assuring her that she really was okay. “I’m glad you’re okay, you looked a bit pale earlier, but I guess it was my imagination” he lied, looking at how she was still paler than usual. What gave her away the most though was her beautiful blue eyes. The familiar saddened look being a common look for her ever since Trent had left her behind. Only the longing and grief seemed worse today, plunged into a sea of despair. Last night he’d figured that his role was over, and that Chloe would turn up today smiling and happy. There was no way he could genuinely be happy knowing that Chloe would be spending more time with someone other than him. But if that someone cared about Chloe, and Chloe wanted ‘him’ more than Jared, his sincere wish was for Chloe to be showered with all the happiness and joy in the world… even if he wasn’t the one enjoying the experience with her.

Instead the Chloe that had turned up seemed awfully upset and lost. Jared had actually called out to her earlier when she’d arrived at the school, but she’d completely ignored him, making him wonder if everything was alright. He’d followed her to her class and observed for a few minutes before brashly calling her over. Unable to continue watching her so miserable. He’d hoped the hug would cheer her up, and even make her turn to him for help. But it didn’t look as if either of his goals had been attained.

“Free period for me, saw you from the staff room and thought I’d ask you why you were turning up so late today” he continued, acting the role of a stern teacher, his hands crossed over his chest crossly, though the silly smile gave away that he wasn’t at all upset with her.
“But I’ll let you off, teacher or not, I was and always will be there for you Chloe…. Or are you worried having a teacher as a friend will make you uncool?” he chuckled a bit, trying to lighten the mood with a small joke. Jared himself wanted nothing more than to grab her again and coax her problem out of her. Using every ounce of his being to fix the cause of her sadness, he considered leaving the matter a more appropriate time. But even if Chloe was fine, there was no way Jared could face a classroom full of kids right now, when Chloe occupied his mind a hundred and twenty percent.
 
(It’s not like I made him to show how niceness alone gets a guy nowhere~)

Jared simply nodded his head when Chloe admitted to something he’d known for years now. He’d put his heart and soul in his attempt to replace the vacuum of emptiness Trent had left behind inside Chloe’s heart, but not once had she responded to his subtle advances. There’d been a brief period of time when he’d suspected Chloe knew how he felt, and was simply playing dumb so that their friendship could continue, but over time Jared realized how Chloe looked at him, and how she continued to look at the several photo’s of her brother that lingered around in the house to show that Trent was and forever would be part of the family. What Jared couldn’t quite understand though was how Chloe had admitted to her missing her brother. Though that said, it didn’t take much for him to figure out that something had gone wrong between Chloe and the man Jared considered his best friend.

Not wanting to force Chloe into explaining anything she didn’t want to, Jared was happy to change the subject, simply satisfied at how Chloe had decided not to leave the room and go on her way. She wasn’t exactly the easiest girl to deal with at times, and conversing with her like this was actually one of the few things he had to look forward to in life. The smile on his face faltered a bit when she mentioned the girls in Chloe’s class. His mouth opening and closing as he tried to think of some well-phrased excuse to explain how Chloe was the only girl he could ever be interested in… though he couldn’t exactly just come and say that… else Chloe would have known about his feeling a long time ago. “I wish you were right, but I figured it wasn’t the deputy or her little worship group leaving those heart sealed envelopes on my desk” Jared stated, shaking his head slowly to show that he was flattered, but not all that interested in reciprocating any feelings. “Unfortunately I don’t think the person I like will ever be sending me anything” he muttered a bit bitterly, flickering his eyes down towards Chloe’s small hands, imagining how happy it would make him to receive anything from her. The last thing he’d been given was a picture of Trent, Chloe and himself. Though no one else would have been able to guess what the picture was seeing as how it was a childish piece of art Chloe had drawn for him and Trent when she was three of four years of age. It was a source of constant jokes and ridicule from his mother, especially since it was hung just over his bed where he could see it whenever he lied down in bed. To most people it’d be nothing more than scribbled junk, but to Jared…. It was a priceless treasure, he framed and looked at every morning since Chloe had innocently shown it to him, pointing out herself and Jared holding hands. Trent was obviously in the picture too, but he might as well have been invisible for all Jared cared.

“I!... uh.. didn’t mean-“ he started, going a bright shade of red when Chloe referred to him as making a puppy dog face. He didn’t know if he’d actually been making such a silly face at her the whole time, but there was no denying that he’d been a bit hurt by how she’d hidden away her problems for him. His little panicky reaction quickly died down when Chloe continued, pointing out how Trent wasn’t eager to see her, and how she felt like she didn’t belong in Trent’s apartment. As always Jared simply listened, clinging on to everyword she’d said with astonishing concentration, reciting the words over in his head a few times before she finally stopped. A moment of silence lingering between them before Jared let out a soft sigh, shaking his head and reaching out to Chloe, this time poking her forehead playfully and pushing her head back up after she’d dropped her gaze down to the floor.

“You must still be half asleep” Jared smiled, shaking his head to deny everything she’d just said.
“I don’t know what sort of nightmare you had last night, but I can guarantee you that what you just told me is absolute nonsense.” Knowing a few things Chloe didn’t it didn’t take much for Jared to imagine how Chloe had been led to such a conclusion, but despite being his best friend, even Jared had trouble reading Trent sometimes. “Next thing I know you’ll be accusing me of hating you and wanting you gone, if Trent said something to hurt your feelings, I’m sorry, but he didn’t mean it…. I can swear my life on it” Jared emphasized, taking a step closer, barely managing to restrain himself from reaching out for her again.

“We both love you Chloe… how could we not? You’re like a sweet little sister to both of us… well to me at least anyway since Trent actually is your brother.” His voice wavered a bit, embarrassed at how he’d made the little mistake. There was no denying the bond between Chloe and Trent, but Jared liked to think his bond with Chloe was just as strong, and that he too, had a chance at earning her affection. It would have been easy to steal Chloe away right now, telling her that Trent was exactly as she said, comforting her and assuring her that he was different. But while he might be able to direct Chloe’s attention his way, knowing her brother hated her would make miserable, and his friendship with Trent meant more to him that a cheap shot at attention whoring. But… a little bit couldn’t hurt, right? Just giving her an option, and hoping she’d take it wouldn’t be betraying his friendship or tricking Chloe.

“But if you really believe what you just said… I wouldn’t mind letting you stay at my place… my mother’s a bit crazy, but she’s not that bad a person… maybe” he added, uncertainly suddenly picturing his mother directing all sorts of uncomfortable questions at Chloe. “We spent years together as kids though, and I have to admit I’d be a bit hurt if you said the time Trent and I spent with you was all fake and forced…”

Perhaps he was chickening out, but it was how he genuinely felt when he’d heard how Chloe viewed their childhood together. It wasn’t like she’d questioned his feelings for her or anything, but Trent had been an integral piece of the happiest moments of Jared’s life too, and being told Trent had been faking it, was not only something he refused to accept, but something he knew could never be the truth.
 
Jared was fully aware that his words would do very little to heal the pain Chloe would be going through right now. All he needed to do was imagine how he’d feel if Chloe suddenly snapped at his one day, telling him she’d never liked him and he was nothing but a nuisance that buzzed around her and Trent. Jared wasn’t technically Chloe’s brother, but his relationship with her was probably closer than what normal siblings had, and to make things worse, she was his first and only crush for well over a decade now. And like Chloe, Jared was in love with someone he knew he couldn’t have, knowing that her heart well and truly already belonged to someone else.

He’d spoken about Trent plenty of times with Chloe, and as much as he liked Trent as a friend, he always felt uncomfortable talking about the red head. Jealousy stirring inside him each time Chloe mentioned her brother’s name, it was almost as if her entire world revolved around Trent, and Jared was nothing more than a distant star which would get a few bored glances every once in a while. Despite his jealousy though, he remained her friend, the unrelated brother he’d always pretended to be. Shaking his head and trying to offer a reassuring smile.
“If you don’t want to believe it, don’t.” he stated bluntly, “You don’t want to believe it, and I’m telling you it’s a misunderstanding, two against one right? He was probably a bit upset and wasn’t thinking before he spoke” Jared offered, trying to use Chloe’s own story against her views. “If he really hated you, he wouldn’t have let you live with him Chloe…. You of all people should know that he’s the type of guy who’ll say ‘no’ to anything he doesn’t like. I don’t know why he left... but if he left to get away from you, he wouldn’t let you live with him now.”

Jared paused, thinking her response to his invitation over once more, noting how she didn’t seem to give any reasons for her personally not wanting to live with him. “And if he really didn’t want you living with him, he’d have asked me to take care of you. And if he did, I’d take the offer in a heartbeat”

Saying things he knew he shouldn’t be saying, he could feel the nervousness starting to catch up with him, his jealousy towards Trent slowly getting overpowered, he’d already come this far though, so it couldn’t hurt to push the idea a bit more. It wasn’t like he was forcing her into making a choice, as the choice was completely up to Chloe.
“You can live with me for the rest of your life if you want… assuming you can deal with my mother.” Jared smiled, trying to imagine Chloe and his mother getting along, the latter had always been a bit of a handful, and Jared’s childhood had mainly been spent looking after the friendless old woman, occasionally sneaking out and spending time with Trent and Chloe, Chloe seemed to think Jared was some super patient friend, but reality was quite the opposite. It’d been Trent who’d called him over when he’d been sulking alone , and it’d been Trent who’d given him a childhood which he could look back with fondness. It was also Trent who had introduced him to the love of his life, but he couldn’t quite credit Trent for the last one seeing as how Trent was the one keeping him from experiencing his long-time dream.

“And I won’t lose my job for looking after you silly, a few of the teachers already know we’re childhood friends, and you’ve got a perfectly legitimate reason for not living at home this year. It’s not like we’re doing something inappropriate, and if I explain what’s going on, I’m sure everyone would understand.”
Closing the distance between his hands and Chloe’s, Jared wrapped his hand easily around Chloe’s. A small smirk, much like Trent’s playing on his lips when he heard the last part, Jared wasn’t usually a mean person, but he couldn’t resist pointing out something to Chloe this time-round. “And just in case you’re forgetting, I’ve never had a girlfriend either because of you and I don’t think you’re a pest. The time I spent with you… and Trent was far more valuable than any girlfriend could ever give me… though if you’re willing to take responsibility you’re welcome to fill the vacancy.” He stopped. His green eyes staring at Chloe seriously, only to grin a second later, laughing quietly so that only Chloe would be able to hear him. “Just kidding” he lied, his own cowardice clawing at his heart as he tried to pass off the closest thing to a confession off as a joke.
 
Jared could feel his own heart beating faster when he saw the blush on Chloe’s face. A mixture of excitement and hope building up inside of him as he watched her cute reaction to his words. It was clear she wasn’t upset at him, but it was difficult to discern if she was flattered or simply embarrassed by his remarks. But he supposed what mattered most was that his suggestions hadn’t disgusted Chloe or upset her in a way to make her dislike him. He wasn’t sure if Chloe believed him when he was said he was joking. Despite having made the remark voluntarily, he personally didn’t want Chloe to believe him. Accepting the fact that he had feelings for her would definitely be a huge step towards what he ultimately had hoped for. But at the same time, he was afraid he’d have his feelings knocked back, and even the friendship they had going would suffer from the backlash of such a rejection. It might not get destroyed completely, but there’d undoubtedly be a uncomfortable tension between them.

Jared couldn’t care less about what other people thought. People could look at him however they wanted… in fact he actually wanted them to see him and Chloe as something more than teacher & student. Though what would please him the most if Chloe started seeing him in a way that could potentially destroy his teaching career. In his mind it was a small price to pay, and it wasn’t like he had any real passion for his job. His mother had wanted him to become one, and it gave him a reason to be near Chloe while she was in highschool. But Chloe would be graduating in the near future, and then he had no real reason to stick around. The idea of raising his children at home and at school was an appealing one, but without Chloe he doubted he’d even get to the point of holding a child of his own in his arms, never mind actually raising them.

“It’s because-“ Jared started, cut off by the sound of the bell. The loud ringing sound crippling the brief surge of courage he’d felt. He’d been fully intending to tell Chloe exactly how he felt without being vague. When her hands left his, he couldn’t say anything more, suddenly feeling cold and empty, it wasn’t like she’d rejected him or anything, but the fact she’d pulled away had drained whatever courage he had left. Disappointment was evident in his green eyes, but he didn’t stop her as she hurried off. He didn’t chase after her or make a move to leave the classroom, staring longingly at Chloe’s dark hair swishing from side to side, and wishing he could run his hands through them affectionately every morning. He lost himself in fantasy for a few minutes, picturing how happy it’d make him to be in Trent’s place right now. As a child he’d always wanted to move in with his best friend, and his favorite girl, but that had obviously not been possible, but now… if he could convince Chloe to leave Trent he could….

“What am I thinking?” he grumbled to himself, falling on the wall and banging his head against the concrete wall. With Chloe now long gone, he could feel the excitement sinking away inside. His mind now questioning why he’d said the things he had. For four years… actually for most of his life he’d been content with watching Chloe from afar. His life filling full and meaningful whenever he saw her smile. He’d been happy with his relationship with Chloe until yesterday, hoping for something more, but knowing it wasn’t possible. It wasn’t like him to be so reckless, gambling his current relationship for something more, or nothing at all. He cursed himself quietly, hoping he hadn’t made Chloe think any less of him. He didn’t know why, but he’d felt an overpowering sense of possessiveness when he’d seen Chloe in the morning. Wanting to be there for her, and wanting her to rely on him more than anyone else. He’d felt so jealous about everything it didn’t make sense. He’d felt jealous about the guy she’d been sitting infront of in class, he felt jealous of the teacher who’d be teaching her instead of him. And he’d felt jealousy towards Trent who had it all, and refused to accept it, simply because of some stupid blood tie. It was the only advantage he had over Trent, but while their blood was a reason they couldn’t be together, it was also a bond which couldn’t be broken no matter how hard either tried. A bond which Jared never had, and never would.

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The bell had just gone for indicating the start of lunch when Chloe was making her way down the hall. The flow of students all heading for the school cafeteria, the school didn’t exactly serve the best tasting stuff out there, but it was cheap, and it took out the hassle of making your own lunch. Though that didn’t stop a lot of girls from making their own lunch, some enjoyed cooking, while others competed with their friends, while others pampered their boyfriends. Guys on the other hand mainly used the cafeteria, not really caring about a few extra calories, nor their own cooking ability. There were a few that preferred homemade sandwiches, and craftily decorated lunchboxes, but having their mothers make them lunch at this age was more embarrassing than flattering.

Chris was no exception to the general rule, making his way down with his friends towards the cafeteria, he was probably the oldest student in the school, having dropped out of school once, but re-entering the education system at the start of the year with the principals backing. Chris was neither an academic or an athlete. If anything he wasn’t really liked by most of his peers or the teachers. A nuisance in class, and a guy that wouldn’t hesitate to make fun of someone for his own entertainment. Even as he walked down the hallway there was a good amount of space around him and his cronies. People bumping shoulders and stepping away from the infamous group, not wanting to be anywhere near the group as it’d increase their likelihood of being picked on. It was even rumored that Chris had ties with a local gang, dealing firearms and drugs.

“Hmm?” the blonde murmured, suddenly taking notice of Chloe walking alone ahead of him. She wasn’t as gloomy as she’d been earlier that day, but Chris had taken an interest in Chloe ever since he’d first seen her at the start of the year. Watching her from afar, at first it wasn’t intentional, his eyes trailing after her as she walked past him. He’d spoken to her a few times in the past, but like most others Chloe didn’t seem to want anything to do with his kind. He was well known for being a bit flirty with other girls, and there were even rumors that he’d drugged and raped a few girls, threatening to kill them if they spoke to police or told anyone else.

Splitting off from his friends, he quietly made his way over towards Chloe, casually walking up beside her with a cocky confident grin that almost looked seductive. “Walking alone again? Don’t tell me you don’t have any friends?” Chris asked, his voice immediately causing the tide of people to draw away from Chloe. Uneasy eyes glancing her way, accompanied by several hushed whispers. It was partly Chris’s fault that many of Chloe’s peers avoided her. Some rumors said that Chloe was actually Chris’s girlfriend, while others had her being the daughter/sister of a gang member Chris respected. Whatever the case, people had noticed pretty quickly how Chris treated Chloe differently to others, but being the jerk he was, no one even began to consider how Chris could actually be attracted to her in a one-sided way. This wasn’t the first time Chris had approached her though, and usually he made a few quick comments, made a few passes and then left. But today he seemed different, his golden eyes gleaming with mischievous intent.
 
Unsurprised, and not at all offended by the response Chloe gave him, Chris simply shrugged her unfriendly remark off. Having long grown used to people trying to avoid the conversation with him and move along as soon as possible. Chloe however was a special case to him for two major reasons. For starters she didn’t seem all that afraid of him, nor did she seem like one of those cheap little slutty girls that squealed happily thinking that they’d get a taste of the bad boy thing his reputation had going. The second thing that drew him in was the way she always seemed alone whenever he saw her. A curious phenomena in highschool when most girls tended to gather in their little friendship groups and talk about the most idiotic things.

“Your friends wouldn’t happen to be old smelly men in their 40’s waving cash in your face would they?” Chris laughed, ignoring the subtle suggestion Chloe had made. His friends were nearby anyway, and if he needed them he could easily call them over. But the last time he’d done so, Chloe had seemed even more in a hurry to get away from him. Hence it didn’t seem like a good idea, not at the moment at least anyway. “Either way you’re much better company anyway, physically at least anyway” Chris smirked, looking over her body in a rather perverted manner. Chris had always been a bit of a bother, poking fun at her, and making her seem like less of a person. There’d even been times like now when he’d make sexual comments to make her look filthy. But for the first time ever, he seemed to be checking her out. Literally licking his lips sexually as his eyes fell to her thighs. Imagining just how tight she’d be, she could be overused and loose, but Chloe didn’t seem like the type to whore herself out for cash. In fact Chris was pretty sure she was a virgin. He’d never seen any of the male students approach her in a casual or friendly way, and the rumor that Chloe belonged to him kept anyone with half a brain away from ‘his woman.’

Letting Chloe walk off, and hanging back as he waited for his goons. Chloe had disappeared in the wave of people within seconds. The crowded space making him smile slyly, getting an idea, he stood near the checkout, waiting for Chloe on the other side. Sure enough she came out, clueless to how Chris had been waiting for him. The blond kept quiet for a bit longer, waiting to see where she’d sit before making his move. Only moments after Chloe had taken her seat, two guys suddenly sat on either side of her, sitting close enough to make it hard for Chloe to get up, but not close enough to bump into her, it only took a split second longer before a hand fell on her shoulder, someone’s head leaning over her and preventing her from turning around. Nuzzling her hair in the middle of the cafeteria, Chris inhaled deeply, his finger caressing her shoulder in sexually suggestive way as he chuckled at the reaction Chloe gave him. “No friends here huh? That’s no way to spend your highschool years” Chris laughed, the two guys beside her also sniggering as Chris continued. “No need to get worried, I won’t hurt you… as long as you cooperate Chloe, I’m just one of those nice guys that doesn’t enjoy seeing one of his peers eating alone.”

“If you’ve got no friends, I’m happy to change that for you, half the school already thinks you belong to me anyway” he smirked, glancing around, every single pair of eyes he glanced at looking away, not wanting to get involved.
 
Chris pulled himself away slowly, looking at her with a look of pure confusion, he’d been prepared for a good slap, or at least had expected Chloe to try and squirm away from his lips. Chris knew full well about his reputation and how a girl like Chloe could never express interest in him, but that had been exactly why her reaction had surprised him. The calm matter-of-fact tone of her voice as she explained that it was his fault she didn’t have any friends. The explanation however only served to irritate him a bit, his lips twitching unpleasantly into a matching scowl as he looked down at her coldly. It wasn’t like this was Chloe’s first year here, and she’d had plenty of opportunities to make friends last year if what she said was true. Yet Chris had never heard of anyone befriending her or even speaking fondly of Chloe.

People like Chris often did a lot of bad stuff, but it was also people like him that got extremely angry when they were accused of something they didn’t believe they were responsible for. Golden eyes flashed angrily as Chris simply stood behind her, unmoving and silent. A few of the students nearby actually picked up their lunch and moved away, predicting that a fight would break out at any moment. It wouldn’t have been the first time Chris had done something against the school rules, but for some reason, he remained an enrolled student. In fact he’d never even been suspended for his actions, the school always taking his side for some mysterious reason.

Before Chris could do anything to her though, the table infront of her was suddenly flipped over, several trays, alongs with Chloe’s apple pie flying through the air momentarily before landing face down on the floor a few feet away. Unfortunately for her, that wasn’t the biggest problem she’d be faced with right now, as a fist literally was flung through the air, aimed straight for her face, apparently Chris hadn’t been the only one Chloe had annoyed, and one of the two thugs beside her had had enough of her. In his eyes Chloe was a skinny little runt who was rude, arrogant, and undeserving of any attention, He’d never understood why Chris had taken an interest in such a puny flat-chested brat like Chloe, but enough was enough.

The fist almost traveled in slow motion as it got closer and closer. A unreserved punch direct right between Chloe’s eyes. She simply couldn’t react fast enough, and even if she could, she had nowhere to move to. It was likely she’d be spending the rest of her day at the nurses office, or even at the local hospital seeing as how the guy throwing the punch was easily twice or even three times her weight. Just as the punch was about to collide with her skin though, the hand suddenly halted, trembling less than an inch away from the bridge of her nose. Upon closer inspection another hand had zipped out of nowhere, grabbing the much thicker wrist of Chloe’s assailant and squeezing so hard, that violent man suddenly let out a pathetic whimper. His both red with anger, but also pale with fear, his eyes were already damp from the unbearable pain.
“….I didn’t ask you to do that” A freezing cold voice whispered from behind Chloe, the anger Chloe had built up suddenly being redirected at one of the thugs, if Chloe had calculated this far, she’d have been praised as a tactical genius, but it was more likely she’d failed to realize the possibility that Chris and his goons would get violent towards her once she became a subject of disinterest.

Just as Chloe had mentioned, the entire cafeteria now had their eyes glued to the sudden crash. The deafening silence being the most uncomfortable feeling Chloe would experience. There were a few sympathetic glances, but for the most part people seemed to be thinking Chloe was part of the commotion in a voluntary way, a lovers quarrel, or a disagreement between friends. The predominant mood in the room seemed to be that people wanted both Chloe and Chris gone, so that they could enjoy their own meals in peace.

The immediate danger however seemed to pass as the hand lifelessly fell back beside the thugs side, and Chris’s own hand pulled away. The bully shooting one last hateful look at Chloe before storming off towards the exit. It was probably the wise thing to do seeing as how they’d made quite the racket, and a teacher was bound to arrive on the scene soon. Something Chris immediately noted, pulling his body away from Chloe, but whispering quietly in her ear before stepping away. “Don’t flatter yourself, I couldn’t care less who you’re interested in, you know what I’m after, and willing or unwilling I’ll be taking it from you sooner or later….”

Uncoiling himself off Chloe and jerking his head towards the other thug, the two swiftly made their retreat, leaving Chloe to sit in the eye of the storm, the sound of murmuring voice gradually returning to the room.
 
By the time Jared arrived with a few other teachers, the entire group of troublemakers had disappeared, leaving behind a rather chatty chaotic group of students behind. There’d been two young female teachers on the other side of the cafeteria when the whole thing had happened, but neither had dared to approach Chris and his group. Knowing full well that involvement would only lead to the situation exploding and becoming even more uncontrollable, the best they could do was call the staff room and ask for a few of the male teachers to come along. Jared hadn’t exactly been invited, but when one of the teachers identified the girl as dark hair, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was Chloe…. It was a silly thought really, he knew Chloe wasn’t dumb enough to associate with the wrong sorts of people, and there were hundreds of girls with dark hair in the school. But it was better safe than sorry. And in the end, the only thing that had ended up hurt was the school budget as one of the legs had been broken.

----

As Chloe pushed the call button, the phone was immediately picked up by a young woman, the mechanical droning voice of an operator telling her that the mobile number she’d attempted to call was either incorrect or turned off. Her hopes of reaching Trent ending the moment she’d tried. It was unlikely Trent would turn his phone off just to avoid her, but then again, considering how angry he seemed to be, it wouldn’t be that surprising if that turned out to be the reason. She’d barely hit the end-call button on her mobile when her phone suddenly vibrated, the phone ringing for her, the display revealing the caller to be one of the few people actually in her address book.

“Chloe?” the voice called out louder than necessary, “Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?” the voice asked sounding awfully urgent and worried, it was pretty rare for Jared to express such raw concern for her. Always having spoken to her as an older friend she could depend on. The way he was speaking now however sounded more like a concerned parent than anything, a sigh being heard on the other side as Jared started to express himself. “Sorry, I was supposed to walk you home today, but the principal wanted to talk to me about….” He trailed off until there was complete silence coming from the other side.

“You’re not…?” he started, trying to find the courage to confirm what he’d just been told about Chloe. The principal had approached him personally after school, telling him that Chloe had provoked one of the male students and caused the ruckus from lunch time. Jared had denied it immediately, certain that Chloe would never pick up a fight, and if she had, he was sure the fault in the matter lay with the other student. Unfortunately though, the principal had already made up his mind on the matter. And seeing as how Chloe had already left the school, Jared was tasked with dishing out the punishment, that even he didn’t agree with. There was another little detail that worried him, but asking her about it was out of the question, at least over the phone.

“Anyway, I need to talk to you, I’ll be at Trent’s place in ten… no, five minutes.” he stated, his voice reverting back to the stern voice of a teacher. The tone of his voice alone was enough to reveal that whatever it was Jared had to say, it was official business and not just a casual invitation. And judging from how things had gone for Chloe that day, it was likely the news he had for her would be nothing pleasant.
 
“He’s at work?” Jared asked sounding more surprised than he should have. A few moments of silence passing on the other end of the phone as Jared seemed to be thinking it over. He eventually seemed to get over his strange reaction, shaking his head to clear his thoughts, “Either way I’ll be there in a bit” he finished, hanging up the phone so that he could focus on shortening the travel time.

What Chloe probably hadn’t expected though was for the door to open, “Chloe?” Trent asked looking her over carefully as if to make sure that it really was her. He waited a few seconds before holding the door open for her, stepping aside and motioning for her to come in. His flaming hair was untidy and messed up, making him look like he’d just gotten out of bed, but the dark circles under his eyes gave off a completely different interpretation. What’s worse, he seemed to be wearing the same white top he’d been wearing yesterday, the top three buttons left undone to show off the upper half of his smooth chest. One hand instinctively reached out to his little sister, his hand falling casually ontop of Chloe’s dark head, and affectionately running through her hair. His fingers entwining with her hair playfully as he seemed to be lost in a trance, a strangely relieved, yet saddened look in his blue eyes.

The moment lasted for only a few seconds before Trent suddenly pulled his hand away, scowling and glancing the other way. He hadn’t intended to do that, but after the ridiculous day he had, he couldn’t help it if he sought some sort of comfort from someone who recognized him as an individual person. Several times he’d been on the verge of lashing out at his surrounding today. “You look a bit tired… don’t tell me you’re still moping about what I said last night” he grumbled, turning his head, but not turning his back on Chloe like he’d done the night prior. Something seemed different about him, but it was hard to determine what exactly it was. He still wasn’t the kind caring brother Chloe had grown up with, but he had a certain aura about him that made Chloe feel a bit more welcome in her new home. At the very least, he wasn’t acting hostile and grumpy like last night.

“That aside though, here” stuffing his hand in his pocket, the sound of metal clinking together sounded briefly before he procured a small heart shaped key-ring with two different keys attached to it. “The silver one’s for the front door, and the golden on is for your room, try not to lose them”
 
Indeed Trent had felt like he’d gone a bit too far last night with his comments, and had even started to regret it countless times during the previous night. His emotional mind pleading with him to head on over towards Chloe’s bedroom to offer a brief apology or even just an admission that he might have exaggerated things a bit. But each time the thought rose up inside him, he cut the idea down, locking it away in the deepest parts of his mind in hopes that he’d just get over and forget about it. Of course, his plan didn’t work. His mind thinking more about Chloe the more he tried to push her away.

Chloe’s remark made the red head go tense, his eyes refusing to meet hers, looking away coldly as a sign of rejection towards her. “I’ve got no intentions of explaining myself to you, and I never will, I stand by what I said last night, and I still prefer you move out as soon as possible… but you’re welcome to stay… at least until we can organize something else” he admitted, not looking too happy about what he was saying, the brief glimpse of kindness he’d shown upon seeing her quickly seeping away, almost seeming like a dream. Despite his harsh words though, he made no move to push her accusatory finger away, letting her poke him quietly, it didn’t exactly hurt, on the contrary it sort of felt nice feeling her hands touching him, even if it was just her fingertips. But there was no way in hell he’d ever tell Chloe that.

Things just seemed to go from bad to worse as Chloe mentioned fangirls, his cold blue eyes narrowing in distaste at the thought, it was immediately obvious Chloe had chosen a bad topic, but what had been said, couldn’t be unsaid. “Jared’s coming over… is he?” Trent asked, a ugly scowl marking his lips as they slowly breathed out unfriendliness. Trent didn’t have a problem with Jared coming over as it would be nowhere near the first time his friend visited. But his attempts to change the topic were slightly hampered by the emotional irritation that had been bothering him all day. “Not that it matters or anything, but he wasn’t saying anything strange was he?” Trent asked, finally turning his head enough so that he could see Chloe out of the corner of his eye.

“Actually never mind, it’s no big deal.” He shook his head, defying Chloe’s pushy hands and standing his ground, looking down at her with a slight scoff while she tried to push him towards his bedroom, he doubted Chloe would follow him in, but Chloe had already invaded his living, and there was no way Trent would let her trespass into the last little bit of privacy he still had. “If it’s just Jared I’m sure this’ll be fine, don’t exactly feel like playing dress up with y-….” Halting his words he shook his head, the image of Chloe helping him dress being one that was far from welcome, he quickly continued his words, acting as if he’d said nothing prior.

Moving back over to the couch and throwing himself over it, pressing his back deep into the cushions while he stretched out over the leather fabric. “I’m fine the way I look now, not exactly in the mood to be dealing with visitors today, and the sooner he gets that, the sooner I can go to sleep.” Trent grumbled, he was a bit curious as to what was so important that Jared simply wouldn’t wait a day, or tell Chloe or himself over the phone. But in all honesty he was far too busy worrying about something else. He knew it’d be something concerning judging from the way Chloe had spoken to him, but he couldn’t really imagine Chloe doing anything to cause that much trouble in the first place.
 
Relieved that Chloe didn’t seem to be in the mood to argue, Trent sighed softly leaning his head back into cushy sofa, his eyes closing slowly and shutting out the world around him, at first it almost seemed as if he’d ignored Chloe and fallen asleep, but a moment later he spoke out, his voice a bit slurred with fatigue but very much awake. “That… won’t be necessary, having some ‘other’ company might actually be better” Trent grumbled, the latter half directed more towards himself than thought. “But since you’re offering I guess I’ll take you up on that offer… If you need me, get ‘Jared’ to wake me up” he stated, emphasizing who was, or more importantly who wasn’t supposed to approach him while he slept. He didn’t even bother to glance Chloe’s way before plopping the back of his arm over his eyes, breathing quietly for a few seconds before quickly falling into a light snooze, it wasn’t all that surprising that he’d fallen asleep so easily considering the way he’d looked earlier. But it was clear Trent had no intentions of resting up in his room, of course, he was well aware that Jared and Chloe would be conversing nearby, and that their voices could potentially disrupt his sleep. But while he’d pretended to be disinterested in what Jared had to say, he was secretly interested and a bit worried about what could be so urgent.

---

It didn’t take more than a few minutes before the back of Jared’s hand knocked politely on the door, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, he hadn’t exactly sprinted the whole way, but he’d definitely not wasted any time getting here despite not wanting to break the news to Chloe about what would happen to her for her involvement in the commotion she’d forcefully been dragged into earlier that day. He didn’t quite know how he’d break the news to Chloe, but since the penalty that awaited her wouldn’t change no matter how gently Jared put it, he figured it was best to be direct and upfront with her… the only problem was that he felt like he was betraying her, giving someone he not only cared for, but someone he deeply loved the death sentence, or at least what felt like a close equivalent to Jared.
 
Jared’s green eyes immediately lit up into a lime green sparkle the moment he saw Chloe, his breathing a bit rugged, there really hadn’t been much point in hurrying, and normally Jared would have dragged his feet unwillingly, not wanting to part the terrible news. But a certain rumor regarding Chris had caught Jared’s attention for the first time, and the moment he heard that Chloe was possibly intimately in a relationship with Chris, Jared simply couldn’t sit still. Forcing a smile and trying to seem as calm as possible despite wanting to grab Chloe and shake the truth out of her. Before he could even touch her though, he was suddenly greeted by a hushed sound, his eyes being guided to her lips as she made a heart stoppingly adorable gesture, Jared actually lifted his own hand to cover his mouth along with his rapidly reddening cheeks. The blood rushing to his head and making him feel all hot and embarrassed. If he hadn’t had feeling for Chloe already, he was dead certain that her little action would have made him fall for her twice over.

Nodding his and glancing around, it didn’t take much to notice Trent slumped on the couch, his hand covering his face, and seemingly asleep, Jared couldn’t help but smile a bit at the sight, knowing that Trent was either fully awake, or had forced himself to sleep to make things easier for Chloe. If it’d been something simple like a little prank or something Jared himself would have had no qualms telling Trent, knowing full well that the red head wouldn’t be upset in the slightest, Trent himself had been rather well known back in middle school for causing the teachers constant headaches. And while Chloe following in his footsteps would surprise him, it certainly wouldn’t have been any major concern for him.

Taking a seat at the table he sighed heavily, still not quite decided on how he should break the news to Chloe. He wanted to know a few things, but if the rumors were true, he didn’t want to seem like a nosy parent denying his little girl the right to choose her own boyfriend.
“First off, I’m sorry” he apologized, keeping his voice down, though his eyes showed his sincerity and the guilt swirling behind them. “I tried, but the principal wouldn’t hear me out, everything I said was just ignored….” Stalling as long as he could, he took another deep breath pressing his fingers against his temples and rubbing them a bit before looking Chloe in the eye, irritation evident in his eyes as he spoke.
“You’ve got detention for the rest of the week… with Chris... you know who that is right?” Jared asked, hoping that Chloe would shake her head and tell him she’d never heard of the guy, or at the very least never interacted with him. The way she’d addressed the issue had already told him Chloe did have some idea of what was going on. But how she’d take the news would determine Jared’s next words. If she seemed excited by the news, or apathetic…. He didn’t know how he’d react. This was the only way he could figure out Chris and Chloe’s relationship without touching the matter directly.
 
Jared knew it wasn’t his fault, but it was for times like this that he’d prioritized being by Chloe’s side. Helping her along whenever she needed it had always been his job, and being unable to fulfill something he so desperately wanted to do was eating him up from the inside out with guilt. Her expression of gratitude did bring a brief smile to his face, knowing and feeling that there was no better feeling in life than being appreciated for you own efforts, unfortunately, Jared didn’t really feel like he deserved it at the moment, and ended up feeling more ashamed of himself for being unable to do anything to lessen the severity of the situation.

Watching Chloe’s reaction carefully, though he was a bit surprised when Chloe’s face paled, a look of disbelief and disapproval immediately showing as the facts were conveyed to her. Jared himself had considered Chloe’s point, wondering why the school had suddenly man’ed up enough to dish out some cowardly delayed punishment, and when Chloe was involved no less. Even a few of the other teachers had sided with Jared, suggesting that Chloe and Chris be punished separately, while others questioned Chloe’s involvement altogether. But the Principal dismissed it all, declaring the punishment as an officially cemented plan that couldn’t be changed. While Jared might not have been aware of the rumor between Chloe and Chris, as a teacher he was well aware of Chris and his little cronies, it was practically impossible to be in the school and not know of him. “I honestly wish I could tell you, but I’ve got no idea what’s going on myself. I even volunteered to watch over you during detention, but apparently he won’t even let me do that.” Jared complained, biting his lip and looking annoyed at the mere thought of what had happened in the staff room after school.

Chloe reaction wasn’t what Jared had feared, but he couldn’t exactly be glad considering how much Chloe seemed to be against the idea, even asking to spare Chris from the punishment. What alarmed Jared the most though was when Chloe mumbled something about changing schools, his blood running cold when he considered the possibility that Chloe would transfer and leave him behind. Like Chloe said, if this wasn’t the last year of her education it might not have been so bad since he could apply for her school next year. But quitting his current job and chasing after Chloe would definitely raise some eyebrows, and the chances of him getting the job would be slim even with his reputation.

Before he could launch into an explanation on why it’d be a bad idea though, Chloe had dismissed the though, continuing the explain her prioritize. “You’ve…. Caught his attention?” Jared repeated, not looking happy at all about the fact, it didn’t take much to realize what Chris was capable of, and if he had feelings for Chloe…. Well, Jared wasn’t about to sit around and let the love of his life have her life ruined by some bratty highschool kid who couldn’t even begin to understand why Chloe was so perfect. He would have launched in an explanation too if Chloe hadn’t silenced him by telling him there was no need to be alarmed. Perhaps he was over thinking things? Sure, there were some shady areas to this whole dilemma, but the principal surely wouldn’t be ignorant enough to put Chris and Chloe together if he found out about there being some attraction between the two students?

“I haven’t done anything yet” he grudgingly admitted, moving off the chair and back towards the door. “I’m going back to school to negotiate with that dumb piece- …. Err the Principal.” He corrected himself, calming his temper. Even if Chloe wasn’t his girlfriend, she was still like a sister to him, and there was no way he was just going to sit idly by.
 
Jared hadn’t really planned on discreet about his plans anyway, but what he hadn’t really planned on was Chloe stopping him. A rather annoyed look on his face as his spun around questioning her actions. He didn’t really need to wait that long before he was given a strange and to him, incomprehensible explanation. What he did understand though, was that Chloe was probably right about it not making a difference. The Principal seemed to have been pretty determined to dish out this specific punishment, and Jared doubted attempting to convince him otherwise would yield any more fruitful results than the first.

His annoyed expression was quickly wiped away, but the discontent was stronger than ever, feeling more useless each moment. He wasn’t even sure if he was doing things to help Chloe, or simply trying to work out something he could do so that he wouldn’t feel as guilty in the event that something did happen. “Whether it’s your fault or not, you’re not cutting Trent or myself out of the picture and taking on the burden all by yourself Chloe. I know you’re a strong girl, and that you’re perfectly capable taking care of yourself, but if a more desirable result can be attained with a little sacrifice on my side, I’ve got no problems giving it up.” he stated, green eyes glowing with a kind but serious look.

“A job is a job, It can’t be that hard finding work elsewhere, but there’s only one Chloe, and if anything happened to her….” His lips twitched a bit as his mind cruelly pictured Chloe hurt and upset. “Imagine Trent getting in trouble, and the only chance you have in saving him is by quitting school, would you do it? Or would you actually be able to walk off, hoping for the best, but not doing anything to lessen the chance of a disaster. That’s how special you are to me Chloe, Trent’s a great friend and I probably won’t ever be able to repay him for what he’s done. But no matter what he does, you’ll always mean more to me….”

His voice started trembling near the end, an obvious look of nervousness starting to peep out of his calm exterior as he reached out and wrapped his hand around Chloe’s, Gently trying to get her to let him go. Perhaps Chloe was right and he was simply overreacting, or being stupid. But if there was one thing he couldn’t approach with a level head, it was the possibility of Chloe being in danger. It wasn’t like he could get fired from his job that easily anyway. Questioning the principal certain wouldn’t win him any favors within the school, but there were laws in place against unfair dismissals. And something told Jared that the Principal was just as keen as he was to not want the situation to grow out of control.
 
Jared wasn’t entirely sure if it was cowardice that made him bring Trent up as an example, or a subtle suggestion to Chloe that he felt exactly like Chloe. The owner of a heart that couldn’t possibly get what it wanted. He’d been on the verge of putting himself in Trent’s place. Telling Chloe that she’d do the same thing for him if he were in trouble. He’d always been pretty sure that Chloe valued him as well, but the possibility that she would frown or hesitate when Jared suggested he meant that to her was not only scary but also a bit arrogant and unlike him. A small smile made its way onto his face when Chloe finally let go of him. Feeling a bit disappointed despite getting what he’d wanted. It’d been the perfect excuse to hold her hand with his, squeezing tightly enough without seeming suspicious, but once she pulled away, there really wasn’t much he could do to close the gap.

“Good to see you know me enough to know” he smiled as Chloe finally gave in, realizing there really wasn’t much she could do to stop him. Jared intended to try a direct approach with the Principal first, but if that didn’t work, he wasn’t dumb enough to keep going forever. If the Principal wouldn’t see it his way, maybe the head of the district would? And if not… there was always the option of isolating the Principal from the other staff members subtly, and building up the discontent amongst his fellow colleagues until the man’s position became untenable. Of course, that option came with risks, and would probably take awhile, so ideally, it was best if the damn bastard finally acknowledged that his idea was rubbish, and needed to be scrapped.

What surprised him though was when Chloe said he’d repay him for his kindness. His mind suddenly working overtime to pick out a time he’d done something that Chloe would be grateful for. As far as Jared was concerned he wasn’t really helping Chloe as much as he was taking advantage of her problems. Using them as an excuse to get closer to her, the last four years had been the best years of his life. He’d literally spent hours lying in bed with a grin on his face when Chloe had first come to him for help. It was obvious she wanted Trent at first, but as Chloe opened up more and more to him, he couldn’t deny that he wanted things to be the way they were between Trent and Chloe… even if that was a horrible thing to wish for.

“You don’t need to pay me anything silly” he chuckled, placing a hand on her head and ruffling her silky flowing hair. Careful to keep his action brotherly instead of loverly. He didn’t know where he’d grabbed the courage from this time, or the time earlier when he’d embraced her in the empty classroom. He’d always wanted Chloe to accept him as something more, but over the past day or two the feeling seemed to be getting stronger. A dark wicked voice whispering to him and asking him if he really was okay with being ‘second best’ to Trent. The answer had always been ‘Yes’. But his decision was wavering now. Wondering if he should just tell her how he felt right up. If it wasn’t for the fact he was a teacher, and Chloe his student he probably would have, but he’d waited this long, an extra year couldn’t hurt. There current roles wouldn’t matter once Chloe graduated right?

Despite his conclusion though, his body did the complete opposite, looking down at her and frowning a bit. “Though if you want to repay me….” He started hesitantly, looking at her with a serious look, his cheeks reddening a bit at the thought. “Actually nevermind, it was a silly idea anyway” he finished, shaking his head and looking away, deciding that he’d screwed up big time, he decided it’d be best for him to leave as soon as possible.
 
Giving thought to what Chloe had just said, green eyes peered into her bright blue eyes suspiciously, almost cautiously probing them to see if Chloe really would give him what he wanted, the idea had only seemed like a good one for a flash of a second before Jared had dismissed it as inappropriate. As much as he’d love for his wish to come true, he wasn’t desperate enough to try and force Chloe into something emotionless and pointless. But even then… could it really hurt to ask? He didn’t know how Chloe would see him, but even if his request was rejected he doubted his feelings for her would change in the slightest… though he probably would be a bit hurt, Jared was sure he could get over it, and continue the same way he had these past four years.

“All day? Isn’t that a bit harsh?” he smirked, raising a mocking eyebrow at Chloe to clearly show he was joking. Beneath the surface though, Jared’s heart was beating a million miles an hour, the light blush on his cheeks getting deeper with each passing moment, it was a silly request… but one he’d been craving desperately all day. He briefly pushed away the thought that he didn’t deserve a reward. Firmly believing that Chloe would one day reward him when he actually was worthy of receiving one, he’d gone for four years, but as patient as he was, and as much as he enjoyed spending time with Chloe, there was no denying that he wanted more physical contact with her. Even the eight graders were strutting around the school holding hands, so surely it wouldn’t be that big a deal…? Taking a deep breath, Jared looked Chloe in the eye, his face nearly a perfect look of determination. It almost looked like someone’s life was at stake, and in a sense, it was.

“C-can I hold you?” he stuttered, the mask shattering instantly after a flicker of irritation, it was by far the most important question he’d asked in his life, and he’d screwed it up with a stutter. The sense of panic that swelled inside him was tremendous, immediately feeling overwhelmed and in need to explain himself. He didn’t know how Chloe would interpret his words at first, but it was quite possible she’d take it in a way he didn’t want her to. “I mean- earlier today, classroom… it probably felt creepy to you, but I just can’t forget how good it felt” he explained.

Trent had always been a good friend, but if there was one thing that Jared had always gotten annoyed over, it was the times he’d openly show his affection for Chloe, the gentle hugs, kind meaningful glances, and the sweet little kisses he planted on Chloe’s forehead whenever she got upset. Each and every time, Jared had been tempted to step in, dragging his best friend, off his best friend’s sister. Jared had spent years trying to convince himself that it meant nothing, and that the two were just expressing themselves as siblings, but for a teenage boy experiencing puberty at the time, it’d been difficult to see Chloe’s close relationship with her brother as anything other than taboo love.

“I-I told you it was silly” he added, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders and making it seem like it was no big deal.
 
Despite having admitted to his wish being silly, the way Chloe grinned at him was both attractive and annoying. Here he was making the biggest gamble of his life, and Chloe was treating it like he’d asked for the simplest of things, indeed, being able to hold Chloe for even a few seconds would be worth than the moon to Jared any day. After all, what did the moon ever do beside light up the night sky? Compared to Chloe and Trent who’d lit up his entire life with things he couldn’t have experienced alone, even the sun was garbage. And that sentiment was even before he considered the special type of attraction he felt towards Chloe.

“Of course, It took me nearly two decades before I deserved the first one… though I guess I’d prefer it if the next one didn’t take another twenty” he chuckled, picturing how they’d look quite different in twenty years. Of course, in twenty years time, Chloe would probably not have only had a boyfriend, but also a loving husband and adorable children of her own. Or maybe she’d just have Trent?.... Either way it probably wouldn’t be appropriate to hug her unless she belonged to him. The thought made him blush even deeper, and to conceal his embarrassing thoughts, he took a step forward. Awkwardly spreading his arms open, looking awfully rigid before he slowly brought his arms around her. His body trembling a bit with excitement and fear as his hands finally touched her back, his entire body tingling with the most amazing sensation he’d ever experienced. He was starting to envy Trent more now, knowing that Chloe would willingly jump into his arms at a moment’s notice. But for the time being he’d focus on the good, and deal with the bad later.

His hold became a bit more confident after a few seconds, relaxing slowly as his mind registered that Chloe wouldn’t shatter, or express her disapproval towards him. He actually dared to caress her cheek with one hand, brushing her hair out of her face and over her ear before trailing his fingers upwards to play with her long dark hair once more. For the first time ever Jared was forced to wonder if he had a hair fetish. Blissful happiness being absorbed into his fingers and throughout his body as he felt the smooth silky strands, wondering if she took special care of it, or if it was naturally this beautiful.

Jared didn’t even stop to think that Chloe was referring to his actual feelings towards her. Figuring that the ‘conclusions’ she’d reached were unfavorable, and most likely a complaint against him dragging her out of class and suddenly holding her without asking for permission. Hadn’t Chloe even asked him about it? He couldn’t remember, nor did he care. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this” he whispered softly, entranced by her beauty and the smoothness of her skin. Even the fabric of her clothes felt special and pleasant in their own special way.
 
Jared didn’t know how, but somehow he felt as if he could read Chloe’s mind as she let him embrace her petite body. If the awkwardness of the situation wasn’t enough, the fact she kept glancing over at Trent was a dead give away. Of course, it stung to know that Chloe would be thinking about Trent even when he was the one holding her, but at the same time it was a wonderful feeling to finally be able to touch the prize that had been dangled before his eyes for as long as he could remember. It was probably a rude comparison to make, but it’s accuracy couldn’t be faulted, and prize or life-long crush, the possibility of Jared getting what he wanted seemed slim… assuming there was even a sliver of chance for Chloe to redirect her attraction from Trent towards him.

Despite figuring out Chloe’s intentions immediately, Jared’s hands resisted a bit as they were pushed away gently, the fleeting pleasure way too sure and no where near enough for Jared to consider himself satisfied, he had a good mind to just shake her hands off and grab her for himself. Holding her so close to himself so that she’d know unmistakably that the only feelings Jared had for her were absolute affection. Unfortunately it was all fiction; a conjured up possibility by his mind that would never likely happen. Jared might have been braver than Chloe to ask for what he wanted, but he wasn’t brave enough to insist on getting what he wanted when Chloe was clearly refusing him. “Haha, yeah…. It wouldn’t be good if he saw us like this” Jared muttered, tearing his eyes off Chloe and looking away. Hoping that Chloe hadn’t noticed the way his eyes had moistened up. He didn’t care if Trent laughed at him later and called him a little-girl for getting all emotional over something so small. But what he did care about was Chloe thinking less of him for it. The only importance he felt he had to Chloe was a dependable brotherly figure that was always looking out for her. But the image he’d implanted inside Chloe’s mind could very well shatter into pieces if she saw how pathetic and lonely he was. The only person that mattered in his life beside Chloe was Trent, and of course his own mother… who’d recently started calling him ‘sparkles’ in reference to how he’d never had a girlfriend, and was most likely gay. He couldn’t exactly tell his own mother he’d been head over heels in love with a girl who was not only a fair bit younger, but also a girl he was supposed to protect and lookout for as a friend and a teacher. Telling his mother that he wasn’t interested in relationships would only make his mother worry more, and saying that no one was interested in him would be an outright lie. While his admirers were nowhere near Trent’s, he still had a few of the younger, and some of the older teachers at the school asking him to come over for dinner, and he doubted that they just wanted to have a friendly chat with him.

“You’re right, it was wrong of me to ask…. Sorry” Jared mumbled, trying force a smile as he took a step back. Trying to seem as carefree and understanding as possible. He was pretty sure he’d be able to play it off pretty well, but even a stranger would be able to pick out that something wasn’t quite right about the way he looked. Despite his smile, his eyes didn’t seem happy at all. Dull green eyes seeming a bit lifeless and empty. “I guess I should get going?” Jared asked, turning to look over at Trent who hadn’t moved at all from where he’d been when Jared had arrived.
 
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