FIRE ALONE.

          ❛   come   one  .  i   have   stuff   in   my   bag  .   ❜     something   about   her   weaponry   major   had   her   learn   to   carry   a   ‘ light   wounds   aid   kit ’   at   all   times  .  soft   embrace   around   one   of   his   arms   ,  the   goal   to   lead   them   towards   an   empty   classroom   a   few   feet   away  .  privacy   is   better   than   a   spectacle   down   to   the   nurse’s   office  .

        things were different with her younger brother  ,   always had been  ,   considering she modeled everything she  WAS  after everything he  WASN’T  .      “  and from what i learned  ,   little brothers are for running to  mommy  every time something goes wrong  ,   and never wanting to stop doing that  .   it’s okay cece  ,   you were always mommy’s boy  .  ”    amelia knew exactly what her family thought of her  ,   and she was fine with the results  .      “  no  ,   instead you’re just a wannabe  ,  ”     the blonde deadpans  .   she blinks  ,   almost innocently  .     “  well  OF COURSE  i do  ,   baby brother  .   this is just tough love  .   dad told me to take care of you  ,   and  we’re  going to the infirmary  .  ”     a quirk of her lips  .      “  lucky for me  ,   most of my classmates don’t press me enough to act out like you have a  special talent  at  ,   cece  .  ”  

       “  so  you’re  the  stupid  man  -  whore  in  love  with  my  sister  ?  “  he  looks  as  unimpressed  as  he’s  ever  been  ,  eyeing  the  other  over  with  a  roll  of  his  eyes  ,  leaning  against  the  CRUTCHES   ,  before  giving  up  ,  and  ends  up  leaning  against  the  wall  .  “  wow  .  you’re  a  fuckin’  idiot  .  have  fun  with  that  fuckin’  robot  of  a  human  being  .  “

           AH  SHIT  —  it’s  the  one  from  before  .   there’s  a  small  flash  of  pink  across  his  cheeks  ,  maybe  out  of  embarrassment  ,  or  the  idea  that  he  might   find  him  —  just  —  just  the  slightest  bit  attractive  .   “  what  the  fuck  do  you  want  NOW  ?  i  don’t  always  look  like  i  got  the  shit  beaten  out  of  ME  ,  “  callahan  mumbles  ,  picking  lightly  at  candy  wrapper  he  holds  in  his  hands  .  “  —  thanks  for  the  ....  uh  ,  other  day  ,  by  the  way  .  “

       “  i  don’t  —  i  don’t  know  how  to  fuckin’  approach  girls  ,  and  i  don’t  fuckin’  care  to  ,  “  cal  grumbles  ,  poking  at  the  food  on  his  plate  gently  , “  just  ‘cause  i  don’t  have  a   GIRLFRIEND  doesn’t  mean  i’m  fuckin’  gay  !  “  he  stabs  the  cauliflower  with  a  certain  kind  of  aggression  as  he  grumbles  ,  looking  up  at  the  other  ,  “  i  should  sock  the  loser  in  the  fuckin’  jaw  the  next  time  he  says  it  .  “

           “  stop  SMILING  so  much  ,  fuckin’  irritatin  ass  ,  “  cal  scowls  ,  but  lacks  a  certain  kind  of  harshness  as  he  swings  his  bag  of  snacks  next  to  him  ,  limping  ever  so  slightly  as  they  make  their  way  towards  the  cafeteria  .  “  you  look  like  a  fuckin’  dork  .  “

“crutches? wheelchair? even one of those stupid hoverboards would have been preferable to walking.” this is why the medical classes should be required for all students, at least the introductory ones. people who are prone to injury should know more about dealing with them. “uh, no offense, but are you qualified to be doing that?” gracia doesn’t even think she’s qualified. sure she used to hang out with nurses and she has a year at gallagher under her belt, but it’s not the same as being certified. “i won’t force you to let me help, but…i think i can.”

        “  is that not what big sisters are for ?  ”    she asks  ,   no menace in her voice as blue eyes oh so  CLEARLY  scan the hall for anyone watching them  .   there’s not  ,   it’s empty  ,   and she can relax her shoulders and act like  herself  .      “  gallagher is smaller than the town we came from  ,   especially in gossip  -  not to mention  ,   all eyes are on you  .   me by relation  .  ”    words are short  ,   eyes narrowed in on him  .      “  what you do reflects on  me  if i don’t take care of it  .  ”    and by god does she hate it  .  

           harsh   words   don’t   even   phases   her   when   they   come   out   of   the   younger   taylor  .  she   knows   better   than   to   take   offense   in   her   best   friend’s   typical   speech  .  what   gets   to   her   and   forces   a   worried   frown   isn’t   the   tone   he   uses  ,  but   the   state   he’s   in  .     ❛  you’re   going   to   let   me   take   you   to   the   infirmary   or   do   you   want   me   to   patch   you   up   myself  ?  ❜     either   way  ,  she’s   not   letting   him   go   anywhere   that   isn’t   going   to   get   him   some   medical   attendance  .       ❛  i’ll   let   you   curse   me   the   whole   time  ?  ❜     caring   voice   delivers   small   bribe  .

she knew, and she understood, but she didn’t appreciate anyone speaking to her that way. she found there was usually no getting through to anyone when they were riled up. so they trudged towards the building. “okay, and they didn’t stop when you were injured? what the fuck?” she paused, trying to not get mad herself, but there was a quiet rage beginning at the thought of a professor allowing for whatever to happen to get that far. “i’d offer to rip the professor a new one, but i think you’d probably hate that, right? was it professor o’leary? that guy’s a dickhead.”

         “  no need  ,   little brother  .   i have my own resources  ,   i can find out whatever i need to know  .  ”    not many would describe amelia taylor as  sinister  ,   but her brother knew her in a different way than the rest of the student body  -  she didn’t have to act  ,   as much  .   she pities him  ,   but this is on him  .   amelia was able to  easily  start a new life here  ,   one where she was  adored  by the rest of the student body  .   he’s been given the same chances as her  ,   she doesn’t understand why he doesn’t take action  .   he was always so  …  docile  compared to her  .     “  that’s sure as hell how you’re acting  .   how are you supposed to be in threat elimination if you can’t even  defend  yourself  ?  ”  

– HE TAKES A STEP TOWARD THE BOY, able to obviously tell that he’s shaken up. louis’ heart immediately clenches, yes, a bit grossed out at the blood, but more inclined to help than run away. “no, um, i’m sorry, i just meant –” he instinctively reaches for the other boy’s arm to stop him before he pulls away. “i mean, you can hardly walk. let me at least help you to the infirmary? or, um, i have a first aid kit?” he doesn’t know WHY he’s so inclined to help someone who’s being so rude, but…call it understanding. after all, he’d taken some increasingly harsh beatings at blackthorne trying to keep up with the other boys and no one had ever stepped up to help him. 

            “  dearest brother  ,   you should know better than to lie to me  .  ”    brows raise to him and arms are propped against her hips  ,  and she doesn’t particularly  ADORE  her brother  ,   would certainly sell his soul for a good hair day  .   but  …  amelia supposes she has a sort of responsibility to him  .   she’d end up hearing from their father if she  didn’t  keep an eye out on him  .     “  if you’re going to go into threat elimination  ,   you need to be  better  .  ”   no one besides callahan would know  ,   but she almost sounds exactly like her father when the two of them were younger  .   baby blues roll  ,   but she quickly maneuvers herself so that her shoulders are his support and he can take weight off of his foot  .      “  you can’t keep doing this  .  ”    words are short  ,   she’s leading him to the infirmary  .  

“I may need glasses, but I think I know what’s on the menu at Gallagher,” she said with a little shrug. “I don’t have a problem admitting it. I’m picky– hell, maybe you should be pickier.”

her attention is immediately drawn to the boy’s fat lip and she doesn’t even ask before reaching out and cradling his chin between her pointer finger and thumb. “actually, yeah,” gracia says, immediately stooping down to examine his ankle. “you’ve just been walking around on this?” gingerly, she holds the leg down, feeling around his ankle for swelling. “this would work a whole lot better if you were lying down – and not wearing shoes. i want to do an anterior drawer test for your ankle.” she shoots straight back up, barely making sure not to head butt him in the process. “have you already put a cold compress on that lip?” the bleeding had already stopped, but he’d probably want to reduce swelling.