an accident, her fault ?? simone wasn’t believing that for a second, even if she knew her sister could go way over her head sometimes & be a diva. her eyes began to FILL WITH TEARS as she looked at the noticeable bruise on star’s head, not believing someone dared to place a head on her ; it angered her. ‘ how can you let him do this to you ?!  i knew he was going to hurt you, star !!  ’ the brunette spoke with rage in her voice.  hunter always gave simone a vibe she didn’t like, just the way HE LOOKED AT HER while they were doing the photo shoot with the group, how she was all over eva for social media - he didn’t like her following her dreams, she assumed. ‘ yo, i’m about to go KILL HIS STUPID ASS !!  ’ she shouted, tears now rolling down her cheeks as she stormed out of the bathroom & proceeded to head downstairs.  

      emotions press to the blonde , jaw setting as words wander. mulled over if only for a second. her state had been WEAK. the encounter brought an element of surprise. one which had not been welcome. things with hunter had been chaotic. they were over. & if he was lucky , AVOIDANCE would be his only punishment for the obvious crime. full sentences proved difficult – as if she’d CHOSEN to be hurt. as if she’d asked for THIS to happen.

      as immediate as she’d appeared , the younger STORMED OUT – only to be grabbed by her sibling. grip firm to keep her from leaving to the lower level of the home.

           ❝ NO ! you’re not! he’s not worth it, SIMONE. okay ? ❞

                there’s a pause , hands cupping the GENTLE FEATURES.

               immediately  thereafter  ,    he  let    out  a  real  loud  guffaw  ,    as  though  the  elder  just  let  him  in  on  one  of  the  greatest  jokes  he  had  ever  heard    ;      clear  exaggeration  aside  ,    he  did  find  his  brother’s  words  amusing    &    quite  unbelievable  at  that  .            ❝     oh  yeah  ,    real  fuckin’  smart  .     ❞            thomas  scrunched  his  nose  up  at  the  thought  ,    there  was  no  such  chance  of  the  other  winning      —      none  at  all  .            ❝     i’m  just  givin’  ya’  a  head  start  ‘cause  i  feel  bad  for  ya’  ,    dude  .     ❞

      there’s a roll of the eyes , words capable of brightening methodically perpetual stone features. despite the constant BICKERING the brothers could certainly play a game without so much as striking the other. & even with the occasional argument , one’s protective instinct would not be DENIED. murder was no stranger to the elder TELLER.

      a shoulder is used to NUDGE the younger , digits busy with the controls at hand. he wouldn’t win. video games had nothing to do with wit. something the youngest excelled with. games were all -- LUCK.

❛       STARVING   ,   huh   ?    ❜    she questions   ,  venturing of her own accord towards the fridge and pulling the door open.   she bends at the waist  ,   scrutinizing gaze directed at the barren shelves within.   hand plants on her hip  ,  disapproval clear upon pursed lips and narrowed eyes.     ❛    doesn’t your father feed  you   ?   ❜    

she shakes her head again  ,  moving towards her grandson , both hands planted upon the back of the chair he was seated in  ,   leaning down to press gentle kiss against the top of his head.  ❛    burgers  ?   ❜     gemma wasn’t one to eat out much  ,  she preferred the comfort of a home-cooked meal  ,  almost as much as she enjoyed actually   COOKING  the meal.  

❛   is that what you want to have  ?   we can head down to the diner…    what are GRANDMAS  for if not to spoil  ,  right  ?  ❜              @brilliantlyxstupid·  (  x  )

      azure irises FOLLOW the woman through the kitchen. as if the boy would lie about such a thing. the man had mumbled something about leaving town. a change of SCENARY perhaps. nonetheless, it left the boys to fend for themselves. the younger wouldn’t be home for a couple of hours yet. school. one of them had to have BRAINS. it surely wasn’t the elder. intelligence had skipped a generation – that’s what people said, right? BIKERS didn’t need smarts. & that was his only aim in life.

      lower lip juts between teeth, GAZE focused as the chair is moved in reverse to lean. burgers sounded great. but – as the ( less than brilliant ) mind roared over the question, other options presented themselves. a trip to the grandmother’s home. HOMECOOKED always trumped eating out – well, there were certain circumstances that would disagree . . .

      words BARELY above a whisper. there’s pain lingering over pale skin, red staining. he can’t remember DETAILS. too much movement. too quick of a reaction. the man had said something. he’d always been one to talk. attitude drew stronger than most. that’s what always got the blonde into trouble. still, this had been unexpected. since their father’s death, the young boys had taken residence with the ’ M O T H E R ’. she was kind. something the boys had been in desperate need of. nurturing.

      so, naturally, when they moved AWAY from the bikers – there would be others. men that would come in & out of the home. boyfriends. all nice enough, though none could truly replace their FATHER. the memory of him played deep within the young mind. barely even present. but he was – strong. & caring. at least, to his children & wife.

      the current boyfriend, he’d always been nice. never hurt the boys. or their mother. perhaps that’s why the STRIKE had come as a surprise. he’d run off. the action had happened hardly an hour prior. & now he stood before his mother. the wonderful, caring woman. sporting a split LIP.

@brilliantlyxstupid

“Hey shithead, I need you to cover for me with dad.”

      nose CRINKLES at the words, arms crossing over broad chest. elder eyes narrowed upon demand, request once PECULIAR, though common now. a CRUNCH. the sound of chips filling the silence as attention is shifted away from the television & to the young brunette. words are simple as they shift between tight LIPS.

     ❝ Then why not both? ❞   Cheryl leaned her palms against the desk pleasantly and tilted her head to the side. A smile played across her lips; she hadn’t expected him to say yes — for the same reason she never expected people at her birthday parties, or for anyone to ask to pair with her on class projects.

     But Archie had. Maybe just once, and only to apologize for Jason’s tragic death, but he had.

     And now, without much hesitation (because there had been some, and she had noticed — deliberating the pros and cons which, to her, was ridiculous, when plenty of guys would’ve jumped out of their seats just for a chance to be asked, but that was something she’d come to expect from Archie, but nonetheless), he had said yes.

     ❝ Quick bite to eat at Pop’s — you can pay, like the gentleman you are — we’ll take it to go and then you can show me how you write your songs. I can call an order in. ❞

     Cheryl’s eyes looked over him, roaming in that subtle way that they tended to do, dark brown and wanting. Then she curtly smiled and turned; she would meet him after school and walk with him to Pop’s either way; all she’d want is a strawberry shake with extra cherries. Her eyes would travel over him in that same way, and she’d bite her lip.

     ❝ I don’t think I ever thanked you properly. You’ve been so sweet to me and I don’t know what I’d have done this year if you weren’t around. Truly. I’m sure you expect I’ve got some ulterior motive — ❞   She wouldn’t mention the dare that had led her to ask him in the first place.   ❝ — but I just want to say thanks. You were nice to me and you believed me when nobody else did. You’re a good person, you know that? ❞

      a lingering BEAM. one that held no animosity. sincere. KIND.       expressions that were not always WELCOMED by the other       students. ones that would throw inconspicuous glares at her       back. people could be so PETTY. specifically teenage girls.       as the fiery steed had learned through simple chit-chat. the       grudges women could hold was – still a mystery to the naïve       boy. but when it came to CHERYL. it seemed many held a       rather heavy acrimony. popularity would do that.

      focus had moved to FIERY RED lips. watching the movement as vocals       slipped through like a flowing stream. auburn perception could peer upon       such beauty for weeks. MONTHS. yet, attention must also be paid to the       phrases slipping from exquisite features. saccharine tone prompts pause       of movement. chair now poised in place. she wants to hear his MUSICAL       talents. ones that have not been demonstrated often. the request brings       a bright GLEAM to content orbs, chest & arms shifting to reduce the gap       between the two.

           ❝ yeah, i mean, that sounds G R E A T ! ❞

      there was a CHANCE he would write something for the cardinal splendor.       though, that secret was best kept deep within the confines of trivial mind.       it was always better when it came as a SURPRISE. spontaneous.

      the remainder of the school day would hold little excitement. only when the       pair finally met, did the FOOTBALL PLAYER truly hold glee. the walk would       be long enough for the boy to extend an elbow, allowing her to hold on. to       keep her CLOSE. he would wait for her to order before getting something       for himself. & of course, he would pay – taking her hand in case she even       ATTEMPTED to grab her purse. sight would occasionally wander, lasting       just a tad longer than expected. simply to admire her.

                & with the sudden moment of appreciation, there’s a bright SMILE.

           ❝ not at all, i’m sure your intentions are – y’know, good. ❞

                simple – perhaps naively so. a hand moves over hers.

           ❝ hey, it’s fine. really. anyone would’ve done it.            i’m always gonna stand up for you, alright ?            you never gotta worry about ANYONE. i’m            always gonna protect you, i’ve got your back.            now, how about we chow down? ❞