The following is a work of fiction. The story may contain profanity and references to gay sex. Any relation to similar events or persons, fiction or real, is completely fortuitous. If such content offends you please leave now. The author retains all rights to the story. Do not copy or use without written authority from the author. Write Bobby at brokendreamboi@yahoo.com with your comments.


Have you forgotten all I know, and all we had?
You saw me mourning my love for you
And touched my hand
I knew you loved me then

I believe in you
I'll give up everything just to find you
I have to be with you, to live, to breathe
You're taking over me

Taking Over Me © by Evanescence, 2003

Control. It's extraordinary the tactics people employ to obtain it. Some rely on deception while others engage in outright trickery. Then there are those who resort to extortion. Why do we fight so hard for control? Because we know to lose it is to put our fate in the hands of others. And what could be more dangerous?

© by Marc Cherry, 2005

Customers were lined up out the door and many more were already waiting for their drinks. The one's outside looked none too pleased with the wait, mostly because of the deteriorating state of the weather, I'm sure. The manager's idea of advertising all drinks sixty percent off was a huge hit. Unfortunately, he had no idea it would be this huge of a hit and I'm the only person working. Only a few minutes ago he said he called someone to come help me and he'd be here shortly. I was hoping it wouldn't be Ben, but with my luck who else could it be? Sure, we parted on friendly terms, but I'm afraid of any residual awkwardness in the workplace.

Taking a quick glance out the door, it seemed the line of thirsty customers was dwindling down, but there were still plenty waiting for their orders. Cappuccinos and lattes and iced coffees, oh my! One person just can't do this alone. Whoever is coming to help me had better hurry the hell up. I'm drowning in a sea of orders.

Another fifteen minutes passed by before the cavalry arrived. And I'm sure it doesn't take a genius to figure out who my idiot boss called.

"I haven't seen it this busy ever!" Ben excitedly said, running into the back to clock in. He hurried back out and began making the drinks that were far beyond backordered. The waiting customers seemed to let out a collective, relieved sigh. Ben was quick to make the drinks. I was impressed.

The manager came out and said he had to run a couple of quick errands. What a complete moron. Leaving two employees—one mostly familiar with how things are run and another who is almost entirely new—all alone in a discount frenzy. How the owner of this café still has the guy around is beyond me. It just doesn't seem like good business. What if something were to go wrong? I sure as hell have good instincts, but I'm no expert in anything.

Ben had caught up with the drink orders in about twenty minutes. The line of customers had shrunken enough so that everyone at least was able to stand inside. A man walked into the café and came right up to the register.

"Is," he looked down at a small notepad, "Anthony here?"

"No, he had to run out for a moment. Anything I can help you with?" I said, trying not to stare at his solid, delicious looking arms.

"I'm Daniel with Dan's Fence. He called me yesterday to have a look at a wrought iron fence."

Dumb fuck manager didn't even mention a fencing guy might show up. Idiot!

"If you can give me just a few minutes I can show you the section that needs fixing."

He bore a small grin. "Sure,"

I continued taking orders. A few customers later, I walked out back with Dan and showed him the portion of wrought iron that needed to be replaced.

"Well, this is the piece. Anthony never did mention how it was damaged." I said. The section, like most of the others, was dotted in rust. This panel in particular though had a missing bar and several dents in the other bars.

Dan took notice of the condition of the entire fence.

"It's his lucky day. This wrought iron is ornamental, meaning more expensive than plain old wrought iron, but I happen to have an oversupply of this exact type. I wonder if he'd be willing to just replace the entire fence, which is in pretty poor condition." Dan explained.

"I have no idea what he has in mind, but replacing the entire fence would probably be up to the owner, not Anthony."

"Anthony isn't the owner?" He looked down at his notepad again.

"Did he tell you that?" I wouldn't be surprised.

Dan shook his head. "No, but the way he was talking made it seem like it was his decision that mattered."

"Of course,"

"Well, this panel or the entire fence doesn't matter to me. I'll give him a call later then. Thanks for the help. What was your name?" Dan stuck out his hand.

I grasped it and shook. "Travers."

He smiled. "Well, thanks for the help, Travers. I'll see you around."

I walked him around to the front and we parted ways. Not bad looking, that's for sure. I'd give him a solid seven, maybe seven and a half. I'm probably just horny. The line inside the café was gone. Ben was scurrying around behind the counter trying to keep up with the orders. I quickly helped him out and in no time at all every single customer had their coffee. We stared at each other and smiled.

"Sixty percent off," Ben commented sarcastically.

"Anthony's idea," I replied. "Thanks for coming in. There's no way I could've done all this by myself." I wiped down the counter and started to clean up the mess that was made.

Ben put some items back into the refrigerator. "Not a problem. He should've anticipated the rush. Who can resist sixty percent off of food?"

So far there hasn't been any awkwardness between us. Then again, we've been so focused on making drinks there hasn't been any time to be awkward. Now that everything has calmed down I fear a bit of discomfort may still be possible.

"Not me," I laughed. "I love a bargain."

"We probably lost more money than we made, though. Such a huge discount doesn't leave much room for profit. But if it attracts more customers, in the long run it'll probably be worth it."

"I guess," I shrugged my shoulders and finished wiping the countertops.

A few more customers came in, but they were easy to handle. A line as long as a 747 didn't form again so that was good for us. Anthony made it back and I informed him the fence guy stopped by. I asked him if Dan was the guy that blew us off last week. He said no, and that's why he phoned him. I'm stunned that a business actually blew a job off. No phone call, no email, no nothing. Just plain didn't show up. How irresponsible, especially for a local company to do. Hopefully Dan won't be the same way, not that it's any skin off my back if he does.

The time came for me and Ben to clock out and head home. After a crazy day like today I was more than thrilled to take a hot shower and eat something hearty. Who knows what Tyler made for dinner, but whatever it is I'm sure as hell going to eat it. Health be damned tonight. I'm starving.

Ben said good bye and got in his truck. The diesel engine roared to life. I got in my car and watched him drive away. I felt a bit nostalgic about him. Like, what could have been. He's so sexy and we seemed so compatible, especially sexually. Perhaps that's the only compatibility we had, though. I'm just a lonely creature. This weather sure isn't helping the mood.

Upon arriving home, rain had begun coming down in rogue waves. The droplets—actually, they were more like torpedoes—were relentless. I wouldn't be surprised to wake up in the morning and see tiny little dents all over my poor car. Dashing inside, I shook off what water I could at the front door. Tyler was coming down the stairway as I entered. He greeted me joyfully, heading into the kitchen asking if I was hungry.

"Hell yes," I sighed, shivering. "Today was a killer. It got so busy."

"Yeah? Well that's good then. You've said how slow it's been there." he said, taking out a couple of Tupperware containers from the fridge.

Shaking my head, I replied, "It was hectic because the idiot of a manager decided to advertise all drinks sixty percent off. I swear that guy has no sense of business."

"Yeah, that is quite a bit of a mark down. I doubt they made much of a profit out of that move, though it did shake things up a bit."

My stomach growled hungrily. "So, what'd you make for dinner?"

"Enchiladas and, as Keegan calls it, orange rice." Tyler chuckled in reference to Keegan's naming of Spanish rice. For some reason he just refuses to accept that Spanish rice is the actual name.

"Well, I'm gonna shower really quick."

Instead of taking a long, steamy shower as originally planned, I hastily washed my hair and then got out. I was back in the kitchen staring at a plate of hot food in about five minutes. Ordinarily, I'd take my time eating, but tonight I was so hungry that I didn't care about anything else other than filling the void in my stomach. The food was devoured in minutes. Tyler heated me up some more and it didn't take long for me to finish that serving, either.

"If only Jared were here to witness your devouring," Tyler joked. "He'd be so proud."

"Where is the blocked artery? Work?"

"Yeah, another all-nighter,"

"Well that's too bad," I said.

"I was thinking this weekend we could maybe go hiking, just you and me. It's been a while since last time and I could sure use the distraction." Tyler seemed sad all of a sudden. Work must be draining him. And I'm sure his and Jared's apparent financial situation isn't aiding in any way.

I smiled, trying to infect him. "Yeah, I'm game. Hopefully the weather is nice."

"Yeah, the news said this storm is going to be fierce the next couple of days. Hurricane style weather, apparently. I'll believe it when I see it." He peeked out of the kitchen window into the darkened backyard. "The weather should start warming up just a hair. It's that time of year."

"I like this type of weather,"

"So do I," Tyler agreed, "but I'm just saying it's about time for it to start warming up. Spring is in the air."

"Sort of," I rolled my eyes.

A rolling bout of thunder shook the house, rattling dishes and making the two of us look up. From upstairs, Keegan yelled, "Holy shit!" This storm is picking up strength fast. Hopefully it does let up by this weekend.

"Damn," Tyler muttered. "Guess we're in for one hell of a storm tonight."

"Sounds like it," I replied. "Well, I have homework to do so . . ."

"Get on it,"

Claire sat on my left, Olivia on my right. We were at the very top of the lecture hall. Our normal seating arrangement in oceanography. Few people were in class yet.

"I'm not looking forward to today. We're getting our quizzes back and . . . yeah." Claire grumbled.

"I think I did pretty well," I said with high hopes.

Olivia nodded. "Same here, even though it was pretty tough. Chemistry isn't my strong point."

"Science in general isn't my strong point." Claire said. "I much prefer math or English. Or Spanish for that matter. Anything but science."

"I love it," I grinned.

Someone opened the door and walked into the room. The rain outside hadn't relented in the slightest overnight. As the door closed it did little to drown out the thunder roaring across the angry looking sky.

"This storm is absolutely insane," Trevor said, walking past us. He was drenched from head to toe. Looks like someone forgot their umbrella today. I couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for him. The tug at my heart strings began. I quickly began to talk about something in order to distract myself.

"I'm glad I don't work tonight." I had nothing better to say.

"Heard it was pretty crazy last night." Olivia said.

"Worst night ever," I chuckled. "Sixty percent off. What an idea."

"Sixty percent off? Why didn't you text me!?" Claire demanded.

I scoffed. "Well sorry, Claire. I was a little busy, you know."

The professor rushed into the room carrying his coffee mug. He commented on the weather and mentioned he'd have to cancel his geology's field trip. We're supposed to take one as well. The syllabus says we have a choice of three trips: a visit to an aquarium, a tide pool location a little ways south, and/or a self-guided field trip to an approved location of a student's choice. Me, Olivia, and Claire decided we wanted to go to the aquarium trip, which happens to be in another month. I've never actually been to an aquarium so it's the perfect opportunity. I get to have fun and try something new while earning a grade.

"So, I have your quizzes from last week. I, uh, was pretty impressed with most of you. There were only a few D's." the professor casually said while fishing for the papers from his shirt. I imagine the only reason they were in his shirt was to protect them, unless he has some sort of weird paper cut fetish. Ouch. "The only F's were those who didn't show up to take the quiz, so good job to you all. You know the drill. I call, you come down."

He started to name off names. I was called and I quickly snatched up my quiz. On the Scantron in bright pink ink was the number twenty-one. There were only twenty-five questions total. Excellent. A solid B. Claire was almost as fortunate. She got a seventeen, and Olivia got a twenty-three.

"Not bad," I whispered, encouraging Claire.

She shrugged her shoulders. From the way Trevor was sitting I could tell his quiz results weren't as positive as ours. When he's upset he always sits in a reclined position with his head resting against his fist. One could mistake this position for being bored, but no. I know Trevor, or at least I used to. He has an entirely different position for when he's bored. I know he's upset. I've also noticed he's thinning out, and definitely adding a bit of muscle. I wonder what that's about.

Ocean went by pretty fast. We finished up the chemistry chapter. The professor mentioned that we'd be jumping ahead a few chapters to study marine life. I had been waiting since the beginning of class to study ocean life, which is by far the most interesting part of oceanography. Let's be honest here. Even Claire seemed mildly enthusiastic, which was a very good sign.

"Holy shit," Olivia groaned. "The rain hasn't died down at all."

The three of us were standing underneath the covering just outside of the lecture hall. My English class was just a little ways away, but poor Claire and Olivia had to go all the way across campus. Each had an umbrella, but the strong gusts would make them nearly useless. I wished them luck and took off sprinting towards my next class.

English went by just a bit slower than ocean. Lizzie wasn't in class, though. I texted her and she had a bad cold, I guess. We went over our next essay and were re-taught how to do MLA formatting because apparently several people did very poorly in that aspect on the last paper. I don't see how, though. It's very easy. Citing can get tricky, but still. After class, it was a relief to witness the rain ease up however little. As I slid into my car I was only slightly dampened.

Arriving home, I was delighted in the fact that I'd be home alone for a few hours. That's how it normally is, but somehow today it feels extra comforting. Perhaps it's the weather. After changing into dry clothes and making hot chocolate, I curled up on the couch and browsed through Netflix. Just as I started a movie, my cell phone rang. Ben's name flashed on the screen.

"Travers, can I ask you a huge favor?" he said in a rush. He sounded panicked.

"Yeah, sure,"

"I have to take my little brother to the hospital. The idiot was climbing in the barn where he knew he wasn't supposed to and broke his arm. My parents are gone and I'm the only one here. I don't know how long it's gonna take and I have work at three."

I didn't even need him to actually ask.

"I'll cover for you until you get back." I don't know what I was thinking. My eyelids were already having trouble staying open. The last thing I felt like doing was going into work for who knows how long.

"Oh, my God, Travers, you are a lifesaver! I totally owe you for this. I'll let Bernice know you're covering for me. Thanks again!"

Ugh, I guess I should take a nap before I go in. At least Bernice is working instead of Anthony. She has much better business sense and is less incompetent than him. I grabbed my cup of cocoa and headed into my room.

Pulling into the parking lot of the café, I noticed there were several cars already parked. Perhaps the stunt Anthony pulled yesterday managed to work. I let out my umbrella and ran inside. The rain had slowed to a steady drizzle, but my weather app warned of high rainfall this evening. By that rate we'll be underwater any time now. I've never seen it rain this heavily before.

I was genuinely surprised so many people were in the building. It's a theory that a lot of people stay indoors when it rains. This proves that theory faulty at best. Lisa, the other barista, was idly replenishing the straw holders.

"Hey, Lisa," I said casually. "How's it going?"

"Not bad. It was busy, but it's been mellow for a while. I don't think anyone wants to go back out into the rain."

"Can you blame them? It's crazy out there." I gave a small laugh.

I went into the back and clocked in, greeting Bernice in the process. She thanked me for covering for Ben and I told her I'd do it any time. The best way to earn a promotion is to be readily available whenever your employer needs you. That shows dedication and willingness to go above and beyond your regular call of duty. At least, that's what I think. I wouldn't mind being manager of this place someday. Hopefully I'll take Anthony's spot because he seriously needs to go.

Lisa clocked out and wished me luck. A few customers came in by five o'clock. Nothing that was too laborious. A little after five Ben came rushing into the store.

"How's your brother?" I asked right off the bat.

"He's fine," he sighed tiredly. "My parents were furious at him, but it's his fault. Thanks again for covering. I so appreciate it."

I smiled. "Any time," We went into the back. I clocked out while he clocked in. Bernie talked to him for a few seconds before we went back to the front. "Well, I'll see you later."

The rain had returned to a torrential downpour. The menacing clouds above were made even more terrifying from the sun nearly disappearing behind the western mountains. White bursts of lightning lit of portions of the sky. I drove home carefully. The roadways were becoming flooded with about half an inch of water, perfect for hydroplaning. My car does fairly well in the rain so my apprehension wasn't as strong as it could have been. I felt safe enough, plus I think I'm a pretty good driver.

Neither Tyler's nor Jared's car was in the driveway when I pulled up. Jared must still be at work, but I have no idea where Tyler could be. The boys probably stayed behind though. I went inside and reveled in the warmth. I climbed the stairs to see what they were doing. Torry's door was shut; I could see that from the stairway. Keegan's was partly open. He's probably jacking off or something. It kind of sounded like it.

I was ill-prepared for what I found.

Trevor was standing in the middle of the room, his pants unbuttoned and his erection sticking out. Actually, sticking in my little brother's mouth, to be more accurate. My heart stopped. I felt numb and rage, sorrow and disbelief. Trevor turned his head in a natural way. His eyes were closed, but when they opened they nearly flew out of their sockets.

"Travers!" Trevor jumped away from Keegan, who looked irritated he was interrupted.

I didn't say anything. I turned around and started down the stairs, not wanting to be in this dreadful environment for another second. Trevor was calling after me, but it's not like I was even considering talking to that scum, that pathetic excuse for a human being. I ran out into the rain, already being drenched before even making it passed the driveway. Trevor was still yelling for me, but I didn't stop running.

Block after block I kept going. My clothes were weighing down heavily making it more and more exhausting to continue. The image of Keegan performing oral on my ex-boyfriend, my ex-soulmate, was haunting. How could my own flesh and blood turn against me so ruthlessly? He's betrayed me beyond any kind of boundary. There will be no forgiveness. The darkness was closing in around me. My legs were starting to burn and my heart was going crazy. After another block I came to a slow stop. I was panting, gasping for breath. Tears or rain stung my eyes; I wasn't sure which. The rain was pounding down on my skin. It felt like a million needles stabbing my body. I didn't even know where I was. The only thing I was completely aware of was the frigid air and my soggy shirt and jeans not making it any warmer.

With no sunlight I was forced to wander around, shivering like a vibrating mattress, trying to figure out where the hell I was. I tried incredibly hard not to think about the betrayal, but damn it I couldn't stop the images from flashing in my mind. For Keegan to do that to me . . . No, for Trevor to do that to me . . . I'm just numb. What was he thinking? Did he ask Keegan to do it? Or was Keegan the instigator? I know how convincing he can be, but Trevor has always had more restraint than me. He should've been able to resist Keegan's advances—if there even were any. When I find out the truth someone is going to rue the day.

I made it down a street or two before realizing that I had run at least six or seven miles. Funny, it hadn't even felt that far. I came up to Clock Street. My grandparents live on Clock, but there's no way I'm going to them like this. How would I explain myself, "Oh, hey, grandpa. Yeah, I just went out for a run in this mega storm wearing my work clothes. I do it all the time." I think not. So without going to their house, I have to actually go to someone's house, a stranger's house, and ask to use their phone.

Oh! Duh!

I have a fancy cell phone! Thank you, Android! I reached into my pocket, but was instantly disappointed. In none of my pockets was the one thing that could save my life. Dumb shit. I must've left it in the cup holder in my car. Now I really am going to have to ring some random person's doorbell.

God was probably laughing his ass off at me. The rain actually felt like it was coming down harder. Any longer out in this weather, soaking wet, I run the risk of hypothermia and pneumonia. The houses I was passing didn't feel welcoming to me. A random kid asking to use a phone is probably going to raise alarm bells for most people. One house in particular seemed like a good call, though I'm not sure what made it special. The house shared many similarities with the others. Something inside of me, like a magnet, was drawing me towards the entryway. Many lights were on and through the living room window I managed to make out a few people inside. The more the merrier. I went up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

A woman answered, laughing from a previous joke or something. She seemed surprised to see me standing on her porch.

"Hi, um," Think of a lie quick! "My car broke down and I don't have my cell with me. Would it be all right if I called my parents?"

She thought for a second, then timidly said, "Yeah, come in." Her eyes were sizing me up, looking for a possible threat. Trust me, lady, I'm the least of your concerns.

She told me to stay put and then walked away. Moments later, a man followed her back. He seemed a little less tense but still on guard.

"You need some help?" he asked.

"Just a phone call. My car broke down and I need my parents to come pick me up. I'd really appreciate it." I tried to smile, but it was broken due to the fact that I was shivering like crazy.

He looked at his wife(?), and nodded, then disappeared.

"Would you like some hot chocolate or tea?" she asked kindly, seeming to relax just a little. They must realize by now I'm not going to murder and/or rob them.

The thought of either of those molten liquids made me shiver even harder. Hell yes I want some hot chocolate! "I don't want to be a burden. Really, I'll just call my parents and be on my way."

"Nonsense, you're freezing," Before any further objections could be raised she darted away.

The man returned with a phone. I thanked him incessantly for their generosity. I quickly dialed our number and prayed someone answered. If Keegan answers I'll just hang up and walk home.

"Hello?"

"Oh, thank God," I sighed, feeling like crying. "Tyler, I need you to pick me up. I'm at . . ." The man handed me a ripped corner of a piece of paper with their address on it. "31751 Naval Avenue. I'll explain everything later."

Tyler said he'd be here soon. I gave the man back his phone and stood, dripping water all over a rug. At least it seemed like it was supposed to take abuse. I'd feel even more awkward if it was a nice piece. The woman came rushing back with a large Styrofoam cup of hot chocolate.

"So you can take it with you," she smiled. "Did you get a hold of your parents?"

"Yeah, and thank you again. I appreciate this very much," I gushed. I wanted to down the liquid, but instead took a small sip. It felt like I swallowed lava. I could feel it burning all the way down my throat and even into my stomach.

The three of us made small talk until Tyler arrived. He only took ten minutes, which in this weather was pretty fast. When Frannie opened the door, Tyler seemed incredibly confused. I reinforced that I'd explain everything later. He thanked them for their hospitality as did I. The ride home was silent. I felt immense dread having to return home. I only wanted to pound Keegan into the ground and spit on his grave. The ultimate betrayal deserves the ultimate punishment.

"Get changed," Tyler said flatly as we pulled up to the house. "Dinner's on the table. We're eating in the living room tonight."

"I'm not hungry,"

"You are going to eat with us."

"I'm not eating with Keegan! I don't want to see that little punk!" I loudly said, tears welling up in my already drained eyes.

"What did he do?"

"I'm not ready to talk about it,"

"What you did tonight was unacceptable. It was absolutely humiliating—"

I jumped out of the car and ran inside, slamming the door behind me. Fuck him. He doesn't know shit. It embarrassed him to pick me up? How the fuck does he think I felt having to ask a stranger for help? It wasn't a merry time, if that's what he's thinking. Jared started to come towards me, looking ready to rip into me, but I quickly secured myself in my room, also slamming that door.

Feelings of rage and sorrow were stifling. I do not want to be here. This house now holds too many bad memories. Fucking sell it. I don't give a shit. I'd rather live anywhere else right now. No, actually, keep the damn house. I'd rather just move out and live on my own. This is such bullshit. And I'm supposed to go out and eat dinner with that miserable twerp I call a brother? I think not. The only way I'll ever be in the same room as Keegan again is if I'm beating the shit out of his cowardly ass. Ugh, I have so much rage right now. I have no idea how to release it. We don't have a punching bag, and if I go crazy on a wall Tyler would kill me. There is the pool. I could swim until I drown. That should be interesting.

Swimming it is.

I changed into my swim trunks and went downstairs, careful to avoid any interaction with anyone. The pool was semi-warm so I dove straight in and began doing laps. It was quite the distraction. The only thing I could think about was swimming. Nothing else was able to cross my mind. I focused on the water flowing over my body and the increasing burn in my arms and legs. Surprisingly, I wasn't sore from my run earlier. I managed thirty laps before the burn became too much, though. I'll sleep soundly tonight, thank God. Between the run and the laps I won't have any energy to stay up and replay the disgusting scene that was witnessed earlier.

After towel drying myself, I went back upstairs and into the kitchen. Just as I was closing the refrigerator door Keegan came in and placed his dishes in the sink. The rage was returning. I could feel my temperature rising.

"Hey," he said. He smiled as though nothing had occurred.

I, on the other hand, was not smiling. A menacing scowl was put on display.

"Don't even think about fucking talking to me. I fucking hate you!" I was grasping the glass of juice so tightly I was shaking.

"You wanna know what the best part was?" He came in closer, lowering his voice to a near whisper. "When he told me it was the best head ever."

I slammed the glass down on the countertop. The glass shattered, juice spilled, crashing out like a tsunami.

"What was that?" Tyler called from the living room.

I stepped right up to Keegan and glowered into his eyes. If he couldn't feel the absolute hatred, then he was a bigger fool than I previously thought. Why is he baiting me?

"I should just knock you the fuck out right now." I tried to say as threateningly as possible.

"You don't have the balls," he said snidely. "Maybe that's why Trevor broke up with you."

Keegan brushed passed me, but I grabbed his arm and spun him around, then landed a very accurate punch right on his nose. He recoiled, clutching at his bleeding appendage, but swung back in the blink of an eye. The punch to my gut caught me by surprise. With a big "oof," I doubled over in pain trying to catch my breath. He grabbed me by the hair and straightened me up, launching a fist into my face.

"Hey!" Jared shouted.

With Keegan distracted, I tackled him into the counter. His back arched incredibly far and he screamed in pain. I slammed down my arm across his chest causing him to scream again. In my peripheral I saw Jared coming towards us, but I wasn't fucking done. I grabbed Keegan's shirt and, with all my strength, flung him across the kitchen. His landing was hard, rolling a few times. I ran and straddled him, punching him without mercy. Blood was staining my knuckles. A white hot murderous sensation was fueling me. I didn't want to stop hitting him.

Jared speared me off of Keegan. He was forcible, strong, making sure that I wouldn't fight him. I went limp and let him restrain me. The cold wooden floor felt refreshing against my flaming cheek. I saw Tyler tending to Keegan, who was curling in the fetal position. Blood dripped onto the floor from his face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" Jared demanded. "What were you thinking? That's your brother!"

"Fuck him," I spat out, tasting blood in my own mouth. He must've got one good hit in.

"Travers!"

"Fuck him!" I screamed. I started to cry.

Tyler helped Keegan stand up when, suddenly, he rushed me. Jared didn't have the cat-like reflexes to protect my ribs from Keegan's size eleven foot.

Feel free to join my group: Shades of Wisteria. By the way, when e-mailing me be sure to create a good subject, as it could be directed to my spam folder, which I hardly ever check before deleting. So, put in "Stories" or the title of one of my stories, something like that, okay? Thanks ahead of time.