No Fair Ch.6 +boys love+

Chapter six

-Derek’s P.O.V.-

*flashback, eight years ago*

There’s a difference between discipline and down-right abuse. Lines like that should be never crossed. They are lines that should have huge, neon warning labels and when they are crossed, a loud siren should go off. Maybe that’s why I was leaving Colorado with my little brother in the passenger seat of my car. Maybe that’s why I was so disgusted with my parents, the one people I admired with my whole being.

It was night and rain was pounding against the windshield. The windshield wipers were groaning in protest. The only light was the occasionally streak of lightning and my dim headlights.

Edward slept quietly in his seat, curled up in the old blanket. Bruises were visible on his exhausted face. My grip on the steering wheel turned into a death grip. I wanted to kill our parents.

We lived in a poor reservation, with other poor people. Our parents, unfortunately, were very strict. Not the good kind of strict, the kind that kept you out of death row; but the kind of strict that for each wrong move, you got the shit beat out of you. Not only that, Mother was indeed good with Mental abuse.

I sighed and chased the dark thoughts to the back of my mind. I tried to think only about the good things, like going to a new city and starting a good life, but I could help but wonder. Was Edward going to be permanently scarred? Were his bruises going to stay on his soul, the one place that you couldn’t put a Band-Aid on? I hoped for the best.

I pulled off the highway and turned into a small town. I parked the car in the parking lot of a little diner, after ten hours of driving I was tired and hungry. But more hungry.

“Hey, Posh, get up. We’re at a diner.” I couldn’t help but use Edward’s nickname. He stirred and sat up, yawning. At least he remembered to put on clean clothes before we left. I opened the glove box and took out some patches. I peeled the clear plastic off of them. “Hold still.” He did, and I carefully placed a big patch on the worst bruise and smaller Band-Aids on the cuts.

I smiled. For a kid just beaten half out of his own brain, he’s sure held together pretty well.

“Come on, Pish, I’m hungry.” Edward pouted, pulling at the locked car door.

“Oh, sorry.” I laughed, unlocking the doors so we could get out.

We sat down at the counter, Edward starting to spin on the stools, and the waitress getting our drinks. I looked around. The diner was beautiful, in the homey kind of sense. The people that filled it looked like they were at home, eating food that their parents made for them. After a couple minutes, people started leaving. We just made it before closing time. The waitress took our orders and I apologized for coming in so late. She laughed and said it was fine, that last minute orders didn’t change anything.

I chatted briefly with the chef, giving him some tips that I picked up in my years. The Waitress played go fish with Edward.

“Excuse me, miss, but what’s your name?” I asked off topic, after giving the chef a tip about putting a pinch of garlic in potatoes to give them a better flavor.  

She looked up, her brown curls pulled back in a short ponytail. Her pink lips made a smile. “My name is Lily Jones.”

“That’s a lovely name.” A smiled. Ah, crap, I’m flirting again. I mentally kicked myself. There was a reason for all my misfortune, and it was probably because I flirted with anything that had boobs. Well could you blame me? Another kick.

“Thank you.” She put down her cards to get our meals for us. “Here you go. Who has which?”

“Pish has the eggs benedict.”  Edward pointed at me.

I pointed at him. “Posh has the waffle covered in whipped cream and bananas.” We both smiled at Lily.

She laughed. It was a soft sound that made my face warm. Oh boy. “Pish and Posh, eh?” She set down our plates and cleaned up the cards. “Nice names.”

Edward started inhaling his waffle, and I continued talking with Lily, occasionally eating some of my own meal. The Cook had made her something to eat too. She explained that the last meal he made everyday was for her and himself. The Cook came out of the kitchen, carrying his own plate, and sat down at a table.

He was Native American like me and Edward, but his black hair was braided. Mine was tied up in a ponytail. He was at least in his fifties, white starting to stain his black hair. His face was aged and stern.

Edward flicked the paper wrapping that came on his straw at the Cook. I sweat dropped, even though the man was older, he was huge! He had to be at least six feet tall and some inches! His arms were muscled, and toned from obvious years of exercise and cooking. I was sure he was going to get angry.

But he laughed, flicking it back at Edward.

Lily laughed too.

We spent another hour talking and laughing, but Lily had to leave to go home so she could get up early for her other job. Cook said that he had to go too. Didn’t say why, though. Edward piled back into my car and we drove around town for awhile. The rain had cleared, revealing the star-filled night sky. Edward fell asleep in the passenger seat again.

A year passed, and we continued going to that little diner. Cook became a father figure to me and Edward, and he gave me a job as assistant cook. I learned the ways of business too. Another year passed, and I became the head cook of the diner. Cook was getting on in years, and said he needed a vacation.

But after his vacation was over, he didn’t come back. His wife came to the apartment I had rented, and after I shooed Edward into the other room, she told me everything. Cook died of a extreme heart attack. I apologized over and over again, but the tears were streaming down my face. Not hers.

She told me not to be sad, that Cook would lightly karate chop my head and tell me that everything was okay. That I was a worrywart.

But what made me cry worse was that she said that Cook decided to give the restaurant to me. His other children wanted nothing of him, and in his will it stated that, in the past two years, me and Edward were more like sons to him than his actual sons.

That night, both me and Edward sat on the couch, eating ice cream, and watching movies we just rented.

I kept the restaurant open, for Cook. He would want that. Lily left town the next year, saying that she was going off to college. I wished her farewell. Part of me didn’t want to see her leave, though, I had grown attached to her over the years. Of course I wasn’t brave enough to tell her, though.

I didn’t see her again for another five years.

**

Edward was rushing about the house, trying to get ready for school. Aaron was already dressed and ready. He leaned against the kitchen counter, chewing on a piece of bacon. I noticed his eyes followed Edward everywhere. Those two grew close over the month he had been at our house.

Aaron drove himself to school, and I drove Edward. We had to go see the school nurse. Edward’s doctor gave us a new medicine for his arm, and I wanted to make sure that the nurse had some just incase.

Edward showed me the way to the nurse’s office, and opened the door. I peered at the woman standing in front of the cluttered desk. Soft brown curls touched her shoulders. I felt a strange familiarity.

I choked on my breath when she turned around.

“Oh hello--”

-Edward’s P.O.V.-

What.

The.

Hell.

My brother basically threw himself in front of Ms. Lily, kneeled on one knee, taking her hand, and kissed it.

“My dear Lily, it has been too long!” Another kiss. “Time has not touched you at all!” Another. Her surprise faded into amusement, and she smiled at Derek warmly.

I felt left out, what was going on? Derek knew Ms. Lily? HOW?!

Derek stood back up, taking Ms. Lily’s hands in his own. “Ah, mon amour,” Oh great, French, “how have you been these past five years? You should visit the diner again, for old times sake. I still keep it going, I have made some changes, the space in the back is no longer empty, but all of it is the same.”

I blinked a couple times.

Wait…Lily…

OH.

OH. OH. OH. OH. OH!

I stumbled over to Ms. Lily, hugging her the best I could without hurting my arm. “Lily! How did I not recognize you?” I felt so stupid for not realizing it.

“Took you long enough, Posh.” She smiled, hugging me back. I remembered. Her hugs always felt so welcoming, so loving. I had grown up in the three years in this town with her as a big sister, only to have her leave. My memories of her seemed to fade away like she did those years ago.

We invited Ms. Lily over to our house for dinner on Friday. That was four days away, I couldn’t wait.

School ended early that day because of some holiday. I walked to the park that was about a mile away from the school. Aaron yelled at me for that after he ran to catch up with me. He left his car at the school.

“Sorry.” I smiled at him. I shifted my shoulder, the messenger bag strap was pressing uncomfortably against my arm. Boy, broken bones sure do suck.

He had his guitar case on his back. “Just tell me before you wander off again, I don’t think another broken arm would do you justice.”

I pouted. “Why do you worry about me all the time, anyway?”

Aaron shrugged. “I don’t know.”

I glared at him. “Well aren’t you special, and here I thought you had all the answers.” I tried to cross my arms to look even more fed up, but it didn’t work out so well.

Aaron laughed. “I don’t know, maybe because I’m somehow attracted to you. You know, it might be your gravity. Oh wait! That can’t be it, you’re too small!” He laughed and patted my head. It was true that I was small, Aaron was about 6’0” and I was only 5’6”.

“Meanie!” My tongue stuck out at him unconsciously. “And I was gonna let you have a kiss!”

Aaron’s expression changed dramatically from amused to heartbroken. “Aww, Eddie, don’t be like that!” He leeched onto my good arm and rubbed his cheek on my shoulder. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

“Then…” I tried to think about something I could make him do. “Then tell me why you like me.”

“You just want me to sound cheesy, don’t you?” Aaron walked awkwardly next me, still attached to my arm.

“Yes, I do.” I pursed my lips and furrowed my eyebrows. Even to myself I had to admit, I could be a difficult prick.

I was proud of that, too.

“Well…” Aaron sounded out the one syllable, prolonging the intended dramatic effect. “You’re sweet, you’re funny, you’re easy to talk too…And as an added bonus, you’re freakin’ adorable.” He rubbed against my cheek like a cat. “And your brother is pretty cool, well his huge collection of aprons is sorta weird, but details, details…” He waved his hand in a circle to emphasis his point.

“I’m adorable?” My eyebrow raised in disbelief. “Right, a teenager that can’t control how much his body shakes. I must win the cute award every year.” I drawled sarcastically.

“And you’re sarcastic, I also like that.” He kissed my cheek. “And I bet you could, you know.”

I had led us to a park and without a second thought I pulled Aaron to the dugout in the baseball field. He laughed and sat down on one of the benches, pulling me onto his lap. One leg on either side of him and our chests facing each other. My face flushed.

“What’s wrong?” He smirked at me and I could feel his thumb tracing circles in my left thigh.

I scowled but leaned forward anyway, and pressed my lips lightly to his. The hand stayed on my thigh while the other touched my cheek. My fingers touched the fuzz at the base of Aaron’s Mohawk.

My body was warm.

I wanted more.