Not My Hero

I want more of this.

I want to be a part of a family that loves each other.COLTONBrie is much more relaxed than last night, and it eases the worry that’s been gnawing at my insides.

Once we’re all done eating, Mom says, “Colton, will you place one of the chairs in the bathroom?”

“Sure.” While I’m busy setting up everything for the haircut, Brie clears the table.

When we’re done, I walk over to Brie, and I take hold of her elbow. Worried about the cuts on her head, I lean down and whisper, “How do the gashes feel?”

She lifts a hand to her head and pats over it. “Better.”

“Let’s make your hair beautiful again. Don’t want you to be late for school,” Mom says.

Brie hesitates before she answers, “Okay.”

“Want me to come with?” I ask.

Brie nods and knowing she wants me there makes the same weird sensation from the night before ripple through my chest. I attribute it to just feeling protective of her.

I go sit on the closed toilet lid, so I’m out of the way.

“Can you wet your hair?” Mom asks while she reaches for a towel.

Brie wets it in the sink, and then Mom presses most of the water out before draping the towel around Brie’s shoulders.

“Take a seat.” Mom reaches for the scissors on the counter, and I watch as Brie’s eyes widen when she notices.

I lean forward and place my hand over Brie’s. “I’m here.”

She turns her hand over, and grips tightly hold of mine.

Her eyes lock on my face, and when I see the fear in them, I say, “Wait a second, Mom.” I reach forward and pull the chair with Brie closer until her knees are between mine.

“Just keep looking at me,” I say to her.

Brie nods, and the moment I reach for her hand, her fingers wrap tightly around my palm.

I nod for Mom to proceed.

My eyes stay locked with Brie’s as Mom begins to cut the remaining long strands. With every snip, Brie flinches. Tension hangs thick in the air, and I force a smile to my face, hoping it will make Brie feel better.

By the time Mom sets the scissors down, my stomach feels like a hard knot of nerves.

Letting out a tense breath, I ask, “Are you done?”

“Yes.” Mom moves the towel from around Brie’s shoulders and drops it in the basin. “Now, for the fun part. Let’s go to my room so I can blowdry it.”

When we get up, my eyes go over the new hairstyle, and seeing how good it looks, pride swells in my chest for the incredible job my mom did. “It looks good.”

“Really?” Brie asks.

She turns to look at the mirror, but I stop her. “Let’s finish first. I want you to see it once my mom’s dried it.”

Walking into Mom’s room, I go sit on the unmade bed and watch as Mom styles Brie’s hair. When Mom’s done, she pulls at a couple of strands with her fingers, saying, “You can look.”

Brie’s eyes lift to the mirror in front of her, and then her lips part. A smile begins to waver around her lips before it stretches into a full-blown happy grin. “Gosh, thank you so much.”

Mom cut it short like mine at the back, and at the front, the bangs are longer.

I stare at Brie’s face, and then the realization hits – she’s actually pretty with the long hair not hanging in her face. You can now see her eyes clearly.

Damn, she’s really pretty.

There’s a tightening feeling in my chest, and I swallow hard.

Holy shit, Brie’s beautiful.

My eyes meet hers in the mirror’s reflection, and then she asks, “Do you like it?”

“A lot,” I admit before I’m able to deal with the new emotions. “You look good.”

Her cheeks flush, and she quickly gets up. Turning to my mom, there’s a grateful smile on Brie’s face. “Thank you.”

“Maybe we can play around with some make-up next time,” Mom offers.

“O-okay.”

Brie’s obviously still cautious with my mother, but at least she doesn’t look downright terrified anymore. It makes me smile, but then it fades when I remember we still have to go by her house for her uniform.

“I’m just going to get dressed. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

I dart out of the room and rush through my morning routine. It’s the quickest I’ve ever taken to get ready for school.

“I’ll wash the clothes before I return them,” I hear Brie say as I come down the stairs.

“Don’t worry about it,” Mom replies.

I find them standing by the front door and stop to press a kiss to Mom’s cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

“Have a good day,” she calls after us.Chapter 11BRIEDuring the short ride to my house, all the good feelings I experienced at Colton’s home fade, and in their place, familiar apprehension sets in.

I stop by the front door and suck in a deep breath. Before I reach for the knob, Colton’s fingers wrap around mine.