My Sweet Bully

We’re staring at each other. The fear I see in her eyes is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. The girl’s arms dangle at her sides, and I can tell instantly she’s young, probably my age. Her chest rises and falls, taking in quick gulps of air.

Run. Get the fuck out of here!

I want to scream at her to go before my brother gets back. Maybe I want to protect her, maybe I want to protect him, I’m not really sure.

Opening my mouth, I try to yell, but my throat is too dry, and I can’t form the words on my tongue.

She studies my face, her gaze shifting all around me, and I can see her taking note of every feature.

My legs itch to take off, eager to burst out from underneath me. Yet I stay, standing still, halfheartedly trying to convince myself she still hasn’t actually noticed me.

The musty smell of smoke trickles between the trees, making its way out to the street. I can hear crackling and popping as the tree tops ignite from whatever the hell blew up.

Harlow comes flying out of the woods, his face lit up with joy, putting an end to the staring match between the girl and myself.

He smiles, lips pulling back to expose stained teeth, and his chipped front tooth.

Thank fucking God.

I breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing him settles my nerves. At least I know he’s alright, and not waiting for my help. Sirens start to blare in the distance, the blue and red lights reflect off the sky.

Harlow ignores the impending trucks and first responders on the way to put out the blaze. “Did you fucking see that?” he asks, slowing down as he reaches my side. Harlow grins, leaning over for a second to catch his breath.

I’m about to speak, when the sirens scream louder, causing my brother to cut me off. “Come on, we got to get out of here.” He jerks his body upright, oblivious to the fact we’re not alone.

“Harlow.” My eyes move back to her. I can only say his name. I can’t look at him. We’re caught, she sees us, she’s watching us, she knows what we look like.

“Wh—” he starts to say until he follows my eyes, and they land on the girl across the street. Harlow frowns, growling under his breath. “Go, go, go,” he demands, his voice thick and grainy.

Giving me a shove, it’s the boost I need to get my legs working, and my brain up and running. We both take off at full speed, crossing lines that have obvious borders. Cutting through yards, and down alley’s, jumping fences, and crushing gardens.

When we finally come to a stop, we’re on Ginger Hill, about a half mile away. The fire engines roar as the sky lights up like a burning Christmas tree. The long arms of the flames whip between the treetops, nipping at leaves.

“Fuck!” Harlow calls out, raking his fingers through his hair and down his face. “Who the fuck was that? Did you recognize her?”

“I don’t know,” I say between breaths. Bending over, I rest my palms on my knees, trying to slow down my lungs.

“Damn! God fucking damn it!” My brother paces in a small circle, scrubbing his jaw. “She saw us, the bitch saw us.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know who she is, so she can’t know us.” I’m trying to calm him down because he looks like he’s about to lose his shit. “Harlow, I’m sure we’re good, don’t worry about her.”

He lets out a slow breath, dropping his arms to his sides, and peering at me. He’s quiet, thinking about what I said.

“You’re right.” Shaking his head in agreement, he turns to face the treeline. “Pretty, isn’t it?” Harlow crosses his arms over his chest as a smile runs from ear to ear, and his eyes elude this sense of proudness.

But I don’t feel happy. I don’t feel excited and pleased with myself. I hate what I’m feeling. I’m not sure what just happened, and I have no idea what my brother did. But I can see the result burning in the distance.

“The fire?” I ask.

“Yeah, I mean it was an accident. That wasn’t how I meant it to go,” he says, holding up his palm as he looks at me quickly, feigning an apologetic frown. Turning back to the fire, his smile thickens. “But you got to admit, fire is a beautiful thing.”

I cock a brow, my mouth hanging open slightly. Is he really serious?

It’s not that I disagree with him, fire is an incredible, destructive force.

But how do you enjoy an accidental burn that big?

Is anyone hurt? What did he do exactly?

All of a sudden a bright light shines on us, and the static of a speaker catches us off guard.

“Don’t move! Put your hands in the air!”