Chapter 10

Mondays were the worst.

Not just because it was the start of another long school week, but because it meant one thing: PE.

The entire yard was out for football, which was basically torture for me. Lucas, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. He loved sports, just like all of my brothers. It made me feel even more out of place.

I hated everything about this running around, getting shoved, the way the uniform clung to me, making me feel even smaller than I already was. But worst of all was the locker room.

Changing in front of everyone was always a nightmare. I was too skinny, too pale, too everything. And I knew people noticed. I could feel their eyes, hear their whispered comments.

Lucas must have noticed me hesitating because he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, it's just one period. You'll survive."

Doubt it.

The game started, and I did what I always did and stayed out of the way as much as possible. I wasn't fast, I wasn't strong, and I definitely wasn't aggressive enough to fight for the ball.

But of course, he was here.

Tom.

I'd managed to avoid him all day, but there was no way to avoid him now. He was on the opposite team, and the second he spotted me, I knew I was in trouble.

It happened fast.

One second, I was running, trying to at least pretend I cared about the game. The next, Tom slammed into me, tackling me to the ground like I was nothing.

Pain shot up my side as I hit the grass hard. The impact sent a shock through my ribs, and I barely bit back a groan.

Lucas was there in seconds. "Hey. are you okay?"

Tom was standing over me, watching. Waiting.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to nod. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Lucas frowned, his eyes scanning my face. He didn't believe me. But I could feel Tom still looking at me, so I pushed myself up and walked it off, even though every step sent another wave of pain through my body.

For the rest of the game, I stayed as far from Tom as possible. But the bruises were already forming, and by the time we got back to the locker room, I was limping.

Lucas shot me another worried look. "You're definitely not fine."

"I said I'm fine."

He didn't push it, but I knew he wasn't convinced.

By the time maths rolled around, I wasn't even pretending to pay attention. Not that I cared much anyway I was good at maths, but today I couldn't focus on anything. My body ached, my head was a mess, and all I wanted was to go home and bury myself under my blankets.

But then I remembered.

I wasn't going home. I was going to Lucas's house.

The thought made my chest feel lighter.

Diana had invited me over to bake cookies, and even though I wasn't hungry, I still wanted to go. Being in the Scott house always felt different. Warm. Safe.

I couldn't help but think about how much I wished I had a mother like Diana.

Mine? She didn't care about me. She never had.

I shoved the thought away as the last bell rang.

I wasn't going to think about her.

Not when I had something good to look forward to.

The last bell rang, and I was the first one out of my seat. My whole body ached from PE, and my ribs throbbed with every step, but I ignored it. I just wanted to leave.

Lucas, Chloe, and Sophia were already by the lockers when I got there.

"Well, you survived," Sophia teased, shutting her locker with a grin.

"Barely," I muttered, adjusting the strap of my bag.

Lucas nudged my arm. "You'll be fine. Now come on, we've got cookies to make."

I smiled a little at that. Chloe and Sophia said their goodbyes before heading in the opposite direction, and I followed Lucas out to the parking lot.

Diana's car was already waiting for us, and Leon was leaning against the side, scrolling through his phone.

"Hey," he said, glancing up as we approached.

"Hey," I replied, shifting uncomfortably. Leon wasn't mean or anything, but he wasn't as warm as Lucas. I never really knew what to say to him.

Lucas opened the back door and slid in, and I followed.

"Hi, sweetheart," Diana greeted me with her usual warmth. "Did you have a good day?"

I hesitated. I could still feel the bruises forming under my shirt, and my nerves were shot from worrying about Tom all day. But I wasn't about to tell her that.

"Yeah, it was fine," I said instead.

She smiled and started the car, pulling out of the parking lot.

The ride home was easy. Comfortable.

Diana asked about our classes, and Lucas talked about football practice. Leon complained about an upcoming test he hadn't studied for, and I just sat there, soaking in the normalcy of it all.

It wasn't like this at my house.

When we pulled into the driveway, Diana put the car in park and turned to look at Leon. "Shoes," she reminded him.

Leon sighed dramatically but kicked them off before heading upstairs to his room.

Diana just shook her head with a fond smile before turning to Lucas and me. "Alright, let's get these cookies started."

Lucas grinned and grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward the kitchen.

Baking with Diana and Lucas felt almost like a dream. It was one of those rare moments where everything felt light, where I wasn't thinking about school, or Tom, or the way my ribs ached with every movement.

Lucas and I stood side by side at the counter, sleeves pushed up as we mixed the cookie dough. Diana supervised, giving gentle instructions, but mostly just let us have fun with it.

"Lucas, don't forget the brown sugar," she reminded as he focused way too hard on cracking an egg.

"I know, Mom," he said, rolling his eyes.

I hid a smile as I carefully measured out the vanilla extract. Baking had always seemed kind of nice, but I'd never really done it much at home. Easton was the one who handled all the cooking, and I mostly just tried to stay out of the way.

"You want to mix it up, Adrian?" Diana asked.

I nodded, taking the spoon from her and stirring everything together. The kitchen smelled warm and sweet already, even though the cookies weren't even in the oven yet.

When the dough was finally ready, we started scooping it onto trays. Lucas, of course, made a mess of his, rolling the dough into giant, uneven blobs.

Diana just laughed. "Those are going to bake into one giant cookie."

"That's the plan," he said proudly.

I focused on making mine as neat as possible, pressing a few extra chocolate chips into the top of each one before stepping back.

"Alright, let's get these in the oven," Diana said, sliding the trays in and setting the timer. "Now we wait."

Lucas turned to me with a grin. "TV?"

I hesitated, but then nodded. "Yeah, sure."

We flopped onto the couch in the living room, flipping through channels until we settled on some random sitcom. Lucas stretched out, looking perfectly at ease, while I curled up on the other side, trying not to let the soreness in my body show.

For a little while, everything was peaceful. The smell of cookies filled the house, the TV played softly in the background, and Lucas and I just sat there, not needing to say much.

Just as the timer beeped, Diana walked in and smiled. "Cookies are done," she announced. "And, Adrian, you're more than welcome to stay for dinner if you'd like."

I hesitated, but then shook my head. "Thanks, but Easton's probably already cooking."

Diana nodded in understanding. "Alright, sweetheart. Here take a couple of cookies with you."

She wrapped up two warm cookies in a napkin and handed them to me. They smelled amazing, and even though I wasn't hungry, I appreciated the gesture.

"Thanks," I said softly.

I grabbed my bag, said goodbye to Diana and Lucas, and stepped outside. The walk home was short just five minutes but my ribs ached with every step. The evening air was cool, and I kept my head down, trying not to think too much.

As soon as I stepped inside, I barely had time to close the door before bam! Alex tackled me in a bear hug.

"Hey, baby bunny!" he greeted, squeezing me tight.

I let out a startled squeal, immediately wincing as pain shot through my side.

Alex pulled back instantly, his face going from playful to concerned in a second.

"What was that?" he asked, frowning.

Before I could even think of an excuse, footsteps echoed from the other room, and suddenly, all of my brothers were there Elijah, Easton, Henry, Miles. All of them staring at me with identical worried expressions.

Crap.

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Word count: 1484

Hey Guys Thanks for reading this story so please be nice and kind. I am sorry if there are any spelling mistakes or bad grammar.

Thanks for reading my tenth chapter and please vote and leave a comment.

More chapters will be coming out soon.

*EMMA HETHRON*