Chapter 31

The next morning, I was rudely awakened by Elijah shaking my shoulder.

"Wake up, Bunny."

I groaned, burying my face deeper into my pillow. "No."

Elijah sighed. "I have work, Easton has work, and Diana can't come over today. You're not staying home alone, so I had to find you a babysitter."

That definitely woke me up.

I shot up, eyes wide. "A babysitter?! I'm fifteen!"

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "And? You're still suspended, and you're not staying here by yourself."

I gawked at him. "You do realize I'm fully capable of being alone for a few hours, right?"

"Sure," Elijah said flatly. "That's why I caught you trying to cook by yourself last time and nearly setting the kitchen on fire."

I scowled. "That was one time."

"And I'd rather it not be two."

I crossed my arms. "Fine. Who is it?"

Elijah looked far too smug. "A friend of mine."

I immediately narrowed my eyes. "What friend?"

Elijah just grinned. "You'll see."

I hated that answer.

"No, seriously—who?"

"Relax, you'll like him."

I highly doubted that.

He just ruffled my hair. "Just trust me, alright? He'll be here soon."

I groaned, already dreading whatever idiot Elijah had roped into this.

This was going to be the worst day ever.

Adrian groaned, lying back on the couch, arms flung out in frustration. "I don't need a babysitter," he grumbled.

Elijah, who was standing by the door with his keys in hand, shot him an amused look. "Yes you do, Adrian. You can't be left alone all day."

"I'm not a baby," Adrian snapped, his voice muffled by the cushion beneath his face.

"Tell me again when you're not grounded and aren't throwing punches in school," Elijah said, voice light but firm. "Diana can't look after you today, so we have to get someone else."

Adrian huffed and slumped back down. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm not a kid."

"Well, too bad," Elijah said, already dialing on his phone. "I've got a friend who can come by."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm sure he'll be great. I'm sure it's going to be so fun with your 'friend' here."

Elijah shot him a smile, knowing exactly what Adrian was thinking. "You'll like him, trust me."

Adrian crossed his arms, sinking further into the couch. "The only friend of yours I like is Oscar, and he's not available."

Elijah chuckled. "Oscar's busy, but this guy's cool. You won't mind him. He's laid back."

Adrian raised an eyebrow. "If he's so laid back, why do we need him at all?"

Elijah gave him a pointed look. "Because, unlike you, I don't want the house burned down while I'm gone."

Adrian muttered something under his breath but didn't argue further. Elijah had made up his mind, and there was no changing it.

"Fine," Adrian said, though he didn't look particularly pleased. "But if he's lame, I'm locking myself in my room."

Elijah smirked. "You'll be fine. Besides, it's only for a few hours."

Adrian sighed, but there was no way around it. He didn't want to deal with a stranger today, but he also didn't want to get in more trouble with Elijah. It was a lose-lose situation.

The doorbell rang a few minutes later, and Adrian shot up from the couch, groaning inwardly. Elijah smiled at him. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Adrian rolled his eyes as Elijah walked over to answer the door. When the door opened, a guy with dark hair and a warm smile stood there.

"Hey, man," the guy said, offering a handshake to Elijah. "You need me to look after the little troublemaker?"

Adrian froze, immediately recognizing the voice.

"Elijah, this is your friend?" Adrian blurted, eyes wide.

The guy, who was about twenty, turned to Adrian with an amused grin. "Well, aren't you a lively one?"

"Why him?" Adrian asked, pointing at Elijah. "You really couldn't find someone else?"

Elijah grinned at Adrian's grumpy tone. "This is Dan. He's a good guy. I promised he'd get you under control, but if you're not nice, you'll be stuck doing your chores all afternoon."

Dan raised his eyebrows. "Oh, you're the kid who punched someone at school, huh? Don't worry, I'll make sure you stay out of trouble."

Adrian snorted. "Yeah, right."

Elijah clapped him on the shoulder. "Okay, Adrian. Be nice. I'll be back soon, alright? Try not to kill anyone."

Adrian didn't reply. He just rolled his eyes.

As soon as Elijah left, Adrian slumped onto the couch, his arms crossed. "So, you're the babysitter?"

Dan laughed, sitting on the armrest of the couch. "For today, yeah. But I'm more of a chill guy than a 'sit and watch you' type."

Adrian glanced at him suspiciously. "I'm not doing anything you want me to do."

"I didn't think you would." Dan grinned. "But if you want, I'm happy to chill. You like gaming?"

Adrian hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"Alright, then. Let's game," Dan said, sitting back and picking up a controller. "We'll make it fun."

Adrian couldn't help but crack a small smile. Maybe this wouldn't be the worst thing after all. But he was still not looking forward to the fact that he had to spend the rest of the day with a stranger in his house.

Adrian didn't expect to have fun with Dan, but as they sat on the couch and started playing video games, he found himself loosening up. Dan was pretty easygoing, and they ended up getting into a competitive but friendly match. Adrian's initial grumpiness faded as he got more absorbed in the game, laughing when Dan beat him by a landslide in the first round, then managing to come back for a close second round win.

"Not bad," Dan said with a grin, handing over the controller. "You're better than I thought."

Adrian smirked. "I'm just getting started."

They played for a while longer, exchanging a few more wins and some light banter. Dan had a way of making Adrian feel more at ease than he had expected. It wasn't exactly like hanging out with Oscar, but it was nice to have someone who wasn't hovering over him constantly, just letting him be.

After a while, Dan stretched and stood up. "Alright, you've been playing for a while. How about a break? I'll make us something to eat."

Adrian glanced up from the screen, mildly surprised. "You're cooking?"

"Yup," Dan said with a wink. "I'm not just here to babysit. I can make a mean cheese toasty."

Adrian's stomach growled just at the mention of food. "Alright, I'm in."

Dan headed to the kitchen, and Adrian followed, still with his controller in hand. He leaned against the counter as Dan rummaged through the fridge.

"Cheese toasty with ham. You good with that?" Dan asked, pulling out the ingredients.

Adrian nodded enthusiastically. "Sounds amazing."

Dan grinned, getting to work on the sandwich. He didn't seem like the type to fuss over things he worked quickly but with ease, slapping the cheese and ham together before popping it on the stove to toast.

"Man, you make this look easy," Adrian remarked, watching him move around the kitchen.

Dan laughed. "It's the little things. Good food doesn't always need to be complicated."

"Yeah, I guess." Adrian stretched, feeling the tension from the day easing. He was hungry, and this was definitely helping.

A few minutes later, Dan slid the toasted sandwich onto a plate, the golden brown crust crisp and perfectly melted inside. He set it down in front of Adrian with a proud smile.

"Here you go. Enjoy."

Adrian wasted no time in taking a huge bite, not caring if it was a little too hot. The combination of gooey cheese and warm ham was exactly what he needed.

"Damn, this is so good," Adrian mumbled, mouth full.

Dan chuckled, sitting down across from him with his own sandwich. "Glad you like it."

They ate in comfortable silence, and Adrian found himself talking more than he had all day. It felt good, just having someone who wasn't judging or overthinking everything.

"So," Dan began after a while, taking a bite of his sandwich. "How are you holding up with everything? I mean, school and all that..."

Adrian hesitated, unsure how to answer. But he figured it wouldn't hurt to talk to Dan, especially since he wasn't as emotionally tied to everything as the rest of his family was.

"It's been... rough," Adrian admitted, poking at the last bit of his sandwich. "I never thought I'd be the kind of kid who got into trouble, you know? It's weird, being suspended. It feels like... everything's changing."

Dan nodded, a sympathetic look on his face. "I get it. It's hard when you don't really know how things got this way. But it's good you've got people who care about you your brothers, Elijah. They're just trying to help, even if it doesn't always feel that way."

Adrian was quiet for a moment. He appreciated Dan's words, but it didn't really solve how he felt about Elijah's tone last night. "Yeah, but sometimes it feels like they're more worried about me than I need. Like I'm some kid they have to babysit."

Dan smiled kindly, setting down his sandwich. "I get that. But they're looking out for you. I think they just want to make sure you're alright, especially after everything that's happened."

Adrian nodded, but there was still a knot in his stomach. He didn't want to feel like a burden.

Before he could say anything more, the sound of the front door opening made him look up.

Easton walked into the kitchen, looking tired but in a good mood. "Hey, guys. How's it going?"

Adrian was about to say something but stopped, his attention shifting to the fact that Easton was alone.

"Where are the others?" Adrian asked, trying to sound casual, but he felt a little odd being home alone with Dan.

"They're at football practice," Easton replied. "Game's coming up, so they're getting in some extra training. I'll pick them up later."

"Ah," Adrian said, sitting back in his chair. That made sense. "So it's just us for now?"

Easton nodded, walking over to the fridge. "Yeah. But I wanted to check in. How are you holding up? I know it's been a lot these last few days."

Adrian wanted to lie, but he just didn't feel like it. "I'm okay... but it's still tough. I feel like I'm messing everything up."

Easton smiled, though there was a hint of concern behind his eyes. "You're not messing anything up, Adrian. Just keep hanging in there. You've got a lot of people rooting for you."

Dan looked up from his sandwich and chimed in. "And you've got me, too. I might not be your big brother, but I'm here to help out if you need anything."

Adrian offered a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Dan."

Easton then turned his attention to Dan. "How's everything been going? You've been a good influence on him?"

Dan chuckled. "I'm doing my best."

Easton smiled, ruffling Adrian's hair playfully. "Good. Keep it up."

After they finished their lunch, Easton told Dan he could go if he wanted to. "I'm good, man. I'll head out, let you guys get back to it."

Adrian nodded, feeling a little relieved that it was just him and Easton now. "Thanks for hanging out," he said, standing up and stretching.

Dan smiled. "Anytime. Take care, Adrian."

As Dan left, Adrian found himself feeling a little more at ease than he had in days. Maybe things were starting to feel less overwhelming.

After Dan left, Easton looked over at Adrian and smiled. "Ready to get some work done? You've still got some chores left."

Adrian groaned, but nodded. "I know. Let's get this over with."

Easton smiled. "Good. But don't think you're escaping the ice pack treatment again."

Adrian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get it."

The front door burst open with a loud bang as the twins and Henry came storming inside, still buzzing with energy from football practice.

"First of the month!" Miles yelled, grinning wickedly as he ran straight at Adrian.

Before Adrian could react, a sharp punch landed on his upper arm. Then another. And another.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" Adrian yelped, stumbling back.

Alex and Henry each delivered their own hits, laughing as Adrian flinched. "We didn't see you this morning, so we're making up for it now," Henry said smugly.

Adrian clutched his arm dramatically, his bottom lip trembling as he sucked in a sharp breath. "Ow," he whispered, his voice shaky. "That really hurt."

All three of his brothers immediately froze.

Miles' smug expression faltered. "Wait—"

Adrian sniffled, blinking rapidly. "Why would you guys do that? I was already having a bad day..."

Alex's eyes widened in alarm. "Crap, we didn't mean to actually hurt you!"

Henry groaned, rubbing his face. "Oh, come on, don't cry, dude. We were just messing around!"

"Here, here, you can have my hoodie," Miles offered, already pulling it off.

Alex dug into his pocket. "Want money? I've got five pounds on me!"

Henry, always the quickest to panic, waved his hands frantically. "You can have the last ice cream in the freezer! Just stop crying!"

Adrian bit his lip, holding back a smile. Then, all at once, he lost it.

A burst of laughter escaped him, and he doubled over, shaking as he cackled.

The room fell silent.

The twins and Henry stared at him in realization.

"You little—" Miles growled.

"You were faking?!" Henry gawked.

Before Adrian could escape, Miles lunged forward and grabbed his arms, pulling them behind his back. "Hold him!"

Alex took the opportunity immediately, grinning as he licked his finger. "Payback time."

Adrian's eyes widened. "No, no—Alex, don't you dare!"

But it was too late.

Alex shoved his wet finger straight into Adrian's ear, and Adrian let out a loud, disgusted scream.

"Ew, ew, ew!" He thrashed in Miles' hold, trying to shake Alex off.

All of his brothers were howling with laughter. Even Henry, who had just been bribing him a second ago, was doubled over, laughing so hard he had to hold onto the couch for support.

Easton, who had been standing off to the side watching the chaos unfold, finally sighed. "Alright, alright. That's enough."

Alex pulled his finger away, wiping it on Adrian's sleeve with a smirk. Miles let go, and Adrian stumbled forward, glaring at them.

"You guys suck."

"You deserve it, brat," Alex shot back, grinning.

"You should've taken the hoodie," Miles added.

Adrian crossed his arms, pouting, but before he could respond, Elijah walked in, looking between all of them with an amused expression. "What's going on here?"

"Adrian's a liar and a manipulator," Henry announced.

"And a brat," Alex added.

"And a terrible actor," Miles finished.

Elijah rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I already knew that. Now, Easton, I need to talk to you for a minute."

Easton nodded, and the two of them walked toward the kitchen.

Adrian, still rubbing his ear with a grimace, was about to return to the couch when something in Elijah's tone made him pause.

It wasn't his usual casual voice. It was serious. Almost hesitant.

Adrian narrowed his eyes.

His brothers were still talking and joking, but he slowly backed out of the room, creeping toward the kitchen doorway, keeping out of sight.

Elijah sighed as he leaned against the counter. "I got a call today," he said quietly. "It's about Christmas."

Easton raised an eyebrow. "Okay... what about it?"

Adrian held his breath, pressing himself against the wall.

"Our parents are coming back," Elijah said. "For the whole holiday. They're hosting a party for the company, and they want us all to be there."

Adrian's stomach dropped.

Easton let out a long breath. "Wow," he muttered. "Didn't see that coming."

"Yeah," Elijah said, rubbing his temples. "I didn't either."

Adrian barely heard the rest of the conversation.

His head was spinning, his heart pounding.

They were coming back.

They were actually coming back.

And they wanted him there.

No.

Not because they wanted to see him. Not because they missed him. They had never cared about him.

His father barely acknowledged him, and his mother—

His mother made it clear every time she saw him.

He was a mistake.

He wasn't supposed to exist.

And now he had to sit through Christmas with them, pretending everything was fine?

He felt sick.

His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He didn't want to be there.

He didn't want to see them.

He didn't want to spend the holiday being ignored by his dad and looked down on by his mom.

He had been dreading this possibility for weeks, but now that it was real, it felt even worse.

Adrian swallowed hard, his throat tight.

He needed to get out of here.

.......................................................................................

Word count: 2699

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.

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More chapters will be coming out soon.

*EMMA HETHRON*