Not My Hero

No one asked him to interfere, and then he makes me feel like I’m an annoyance?

His comment actually hurt. It reminds me of all the times my mother has told me to grow a spine and stop being a zombie.

If only they knew how hard it is because whenever I stood up for myself in the past, it only made them all more aggressive.

“Damn, Brie,” Lindy, one of the cheerleaders, calls out, “looks like your mother tried to drown you.”

Her friends snicker as I rush past them. Stopping at my locker, I quickly open it and pull the bag with dry clothes out. When I shut the door and turn to walk away, Lindy blocks my way.

Her eyes scan over me with a look of disdain. “If you ask my opinion, the likes of you shouldn’t be allowed to attend Black Mountain Academy.”

I didn’t ask.

“I noticed a couple of new outcasts joined this year, but it doesn’t look like any of them wants to be your friend. Doesn’t it suck being so unpopular?”

I keep my eyes trained on the floor, and taking a step to the side, I walk around her.

Then she calls out, “I hear your mom crawled back to your grandfather to beg for more money.”

“Yeah, my mom works at the bank. She said your mom is broke,” one of her friends joins in.

Pin prickles of shame break out over my skin, and I walk faster to get away from the taunting.

“Once a murdering leech, always a murdering leech, I guess,” Lindy continues. “Ooooh, wait,” she chuckles behind me, “she tried to drown you because you’re so damn morbid, right?” Laughter echoes behind me. “Can’t blame her.”

I dart into the restroom, and when I’m safely in a stall, I stand frozen for a moment, sucking in desperate breaths of air.

They’re just words, Brie.

Yeah? But it still hurts.COLTONInstead of picking fights with me, Sully and Michael have turned their focus back on Brie, and it aggravates the ever-loving shit out of me.

I wish she would tell them to back off, but instead, she lets them do whatever they want.

Somehow they caught onto the fact that I’m protective of Brie, and I think they’re back to targeting her to get a reaction from me. It’s either that or they’ve given up with getting me all riled up because I don’t give a fuck. I’m still trying to figure out which it is.

The reason actually doesn’t make a difference because watching Brie take hit after hit only to cower away brings back a shit-ton of memories from the past.

“You fucking idiot! Why are you always in the way?” Dad hollers, and a slap echoes through the house.

Shit.

I shoot up from where I was sitting on the bed, putting on my shoes, and rush out of the room. Brady’s cowering in the bathroom doorway with Dad all up in his face.

“I’m tired of your shit,” Dad rages and delivers another slap to the side of Brady’s head.

I dart between then, pushing my brother into the bathroom. “That’s enough. We’re going to be late for school,” the words rush from me.

Dad’s eyes narrow on me, and a dark frown makes him look murderous as he hisses, “What did you say?”

“Jonah, please,” Mom whimpers from the side.

She reaches a trembling hand out to him, and he shoves her so hard she falls backward. “Don’t fucking ‘Jonah please’ me! It’s because you baby them that I have two gutless cowards for sons.”

When he grabs hold of Mom’s arm, I pull the bathroom door shut behind me so Brady will be safe, and then grab hold of Dad’s shoulder. “Let go of her.”

Dad swings around, and the slap to my ear stuns me for a moment. “Oh, you think you’re man enough to take me on?”

I glance at Mom. “Go to your bedroom.”

There’s a pained look mixing with the fear in her eyes, and she hesitates.

“Go, Mom!” I shout.

Dad lets out a bark of laughter. He shakes his head, a shit-eating grin on his face as he watches Mom do as I say, then he turns his crazed eyes back on me. “Let’s see if you actually have a set of balls on you because right now, I’m sure all I’ll find is a pussy.”

I clench my jaw while holding his gaze.

He lets out another bark of laughter. “See, all talk and no action. You’re a fucking disgrace.” He waves a fist in the air. “All of you are. I fucking bust my ass at the office for this family, and what thanks do I get?” He takes a threatening step closer to me. “Fucking disrespect. That’s what.”

In the past, I used to be scared shitless whenever he was like this, but after growing used to it, I hardly feel any emotion now.

The impassive expression I give Dad turns his face red with rage, and he lunges at me. Grabbing hold of my shirt, he shoves me against the wall while spitting, “Don’t give me that look. You’re nothing but human waste.”