[unedited]

S O R E N

I walked down the stairs and trotted into the kitchen to receive a gasp from my mother. She dropped her platter full of pancakes to cover her mouth. I wasn't wearing a shirt which meant my bruised chest was on full display, and the bruises had turned a dark mud colour of deep purple.

"Don't ask," I huffed, looking at a maid with an expecting glance which she responded to by running over and picking up the pancakes.

"Soren... What happened to you?" She removed her hands from her mouth and proceeded to walk towards me, arms out stretched.

"Nothin'. I just fell down the stairs." I grunted, pushing her hand away as she went to touch my black and blue chest.

"You don't need to lie to me—" I walked out of her way, heading into the dining room where my brothers sat eating. Their glances were ones of shock as they took in my image.

"Damn, is sex that rough for you?" Colin joked weakly, while I sat down wincing.

"Say another fucking word and I will, kill you." I growled, taking a pancake off the stack and placing it on my plate.

"Did you watch the game?" Robin asked happily, dribbling sugar and lemon onto his pancake.

I grunted, looking up at his disappointed expression before adding , "That'll do, that'll do."

Before Robin could respond the doors bursted open and Albert himself strode through, his face was stone as he sat down at the head on the table.

Colin stood up silently, grabbing his plate but my father's voice boomed across the room, "Sit down."

He sighed and took his seat, we sat in silence wondering why the fuck he'd come to eat with us. I couldn't remember the last time we sat down and had breakfast together, so obviously we'd done something wrong.

"How did the game go?" He asked Robin and Colin while putting his fork into a pancake, sliding it on his plate.

"We won." Robin and Colin said in sync, I closed my eyes waiting for the criticism and sure enough it came.

"You boys need to bloody use your own brains, you are not conjoined." He put a pancake in his mouth before turning to me, looking at my chest and bruised face, "And this is my son?"

He was shaking his head slightly before putting his head down and began eating.

"I have to go, I have an early exam." Red stated, rising as he handed his plate to the maid who was cleaning the table.

Albert said nothing, but Robin grinned and Red walked out of the room. Colin stood up and left out without a word, but Robin wished Dad a good day before leaving. I was starving, and there was no way I missing out on food because of him.

"So, you going to tell me what happened?" His knife scraped the china plates. He swallowed and looked up.

"Nope." I stood up, grabbed about five pancakes from the stack, and held them in my arms as I walked towards the door.

"You have no fucking respect for anything. We've given you a good home and roof over your head." He dropped his knife and fork which clashed against the china, "And what have you done to repay me? You go out and get into fights, you're failing school, you show no respect to anyone and you have no fucking goals for your life."

I faced the door, "I'll be gone soon."

"Good, don't go around saying you belong to this family."

My hand reached the doorknob, "Where I'm going, no one gives a shit who I am." I turned around and spat, "I'd trade all this worthless shit to have a real father, not a shitty excuse for a man."

Albert didn't pick up on my comment. I never said I'd be moving out, I just said I'd be leaving.

J A Y

Soren didn't come to school today, lucky for him. Neena was on a full rampage of spreading rumours about him, saying he attacked her, that he was dangerous, and she even said he'd forced her to sleep with him.

Soren was a senior, one year ahead of Neena and I. Of course the senior boys just seemed all the more desirable to a girl like her. Colin and Robin were in my grade as well, but when the twins pinned me in the an empty classroom, they acted a lot older than they were.

"Who the fuck is spreading the rumours about Soren?" Colin asked furiously, his eyes filled with anger and confidence.

Robin added, "It can't be someone a grade younger than us—"

Colin finished his sentence, "—meaning it's coming from ours."

"I don't know," I held up my hands defensively but Colin wasn't satisfied with that answer. He leaned closer to me and hissed, "You must suspect someone, anyone."

Robin put a hand in his twin shoulder, "Colin, stop it. She doesn't—"

"Neena was screaming at him. I believe he shut her down, I don't know." Colin's face relaxed, he leaned in and kissed my forehead, causing my cheeks to flush automatically.

"That bitch has had her last manicure," he whispered into my forehead and then he was gone, slamming the door behind him.
Robin looked at me and grinned cheekily, "I have to go make sure he doesn't murder someone."

I didn't see the twins again until that afternoon when I went to the front desk to hand in my English essay draft. Robin, Colin, Neena and another boy walked out of the Principal's Office.

The boy huddled next to Neena had a tooth missing and a purple eye. Neena herself had gravel rashes all down her arms and legs, her hair was a mess and her fake nails were torn off.

My eyes moved to Colin, his lip was split and he limped as he walked, holding his ribcage. Robin had a few scratches but he seemed to be the less hurt out of the group.

The group went their separate ways and I followed the twins out into the school grounds.

"Colin, what happened?" I touched his shoulder and he turned around, his split eyebrow dripping blood.

"Well, you'll finally be able to tell us apart..." he joked before wincing then cursing, "The cut should turn into an epic scar."

"I hope this isn't a bad time, but I'm catching up with Soren and well, he told me get a lift with you. He said he texted you but—" I stopped stumbling over my words when Robin smiled kindly.

I carried both Colin's and my bags as he shuffled towards the car, he hopped in the front seat and I climbed into the backseat. The car was probably more expensive than my house.

"I'm guessing you want know what happened?" Robin asked as Colin lent his against the window, his eyes closed as he swallowed the pain of his aching ribs.

"If you'd like to tell me."

"Well, Colin being the idiot he is, realised that he couldn't punch a girl the moment he drew back his fist. So instead he shoved her," Colin groaned and Robin paused his story to laugh, "she practically went flying, scraped herself against the gravel like cheese on a grater. Neena's boyfriend or brother, I don't know which punched him straight in the stomach. From there it just got out of hand, I ending up pulling them apart."

"Oh god..." I breathed, looking at Robin in the rearview mirror, "I wish I had brothers to look out for me."

Colin grinned painfully feeling the warm blood drip down the side of his face, "We'd do the same for you."

The surrounding of pine trees flew past us, I pulled my bag onto my lap and smiled.

"Thank you."

S O R E N

We sat on the roof together, the marshmallows placed in the middle of us. The city could be seen for miles from the top of the three story mansion. Lights flickered, cars zoomed past but when I sat with Jay everything slowed down, everything was silent.

"It's beautiful." She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on her kneecaps, "you must come up here all the time."

I shrugged, "Not actually, really not to best place to be when you're suicidal."

She looked at me with a pained expression, "Have you told anyone? It's just, if somehow, something happened... I just want to know that I wasn't the only one that knew."

"Of course." I lied, taking a marshmallow out of the bag and pulling out my lighter, burning the edges.

She watched the flame as did I. It was a peaceful silence. One that didn't feel awkward, just a place I could sit and exist.

"Your brother punched a guy's tooth out for you today." She said conversationally, rubbing her arms gently.

The flame flicked back off and I threw the marshmallows into the night losing my appetite, "Don't talk about them."

We sat in silence before I sighed, "They do so much shit for me, I don't need reminding on how fucked up I am." I took a breath, shaking my head and looking up at the moonless sky, "You know what it's like never being able to repay someone, never having something good enough to give them."

My eyes met Jay's, "It feels like fucking shit."
She nodded and looked down at the roof tiles, her breath forming a smoky mist as she breathed out.

"You want my hoodie?" I asked, watching her eyes snap to mine.

I took off my jumper and watched as she slipped it on, but leaned over to pull the hood up, "most of the heat leaves through your head."

She honestly looked like a Dementor, the sleeves had swallowed her hands and the hoodie hung almost over her eyes.

"You still want to do it?" The girl with chocolate doe eyes asked, putting her sleeves in her lap.

"Kill myself?" I asked bluntly and looked over the houses, all dressed in glittering Christmas lights, "In this moment, not as much."

Jay smiled and lent against my shoulder, "Everything is as beautiful as this moment if you just take a step back, if you just look for the light."

"There's a lot of fucking light with stupid Christmas around the corner," I joked, feeling Jay's body move silently beside me as she chuckled.

"Hey Soren?" She murmured, and it was in that moment I realised how small Jay really was. Her body frame seemed childish next to my broad chest, I couldn't help but feel like a lion next to a lamb.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

I passed her the marshmallows packet and my lighter, "For what?"

She flicked the lighter on and placed it under
the to pink marshmallow, "For staying... And for the hoodie."

"One; you aren't keeping it." She laughed and I put down a finger, "Two; thanks for making me want to stay another day."

We climbed off the roof when it started to snow. I walked her down the stairs and forced her to take off my hoodie. She reluctantly gave it me before giving me an award whining grin, running her hands through her hair.

"Tomorrow, my mother is setting up the horrific Christmas for our house. Yes, it'll look like a dying reindeer sneezed on our house but," I took a breath as Jay pulled on her coat which the butler had brought to her, "you'll like it."

Her dark golden brown hair disappeared as the cab door shut and then she gone. I walked up the path and swallowed the lump in my throat, wondering whether I should ignore or accept it.

Whether I should ignore the fact that she was spending time to me with me as I payed her, or accept the fact and see it as business.

Red walked past me before grabbing my shoulder, "Tell dad I'm out studying with my study club."

I turned around and watched as Sandra climbed out of the car, Red picked her up, swung her around, and planted a kiss on her forehead. He climbed into the driver's seat. She waved at me before hopping into the passenger seat.

Snowflakes dusted my black hair like pieces of icing sugar. I pulled my hood up and sat in the middle of the path, watching the snow fall. Knowing one day, Soren McKinin would fall too.

-

Wee bit of a surprise for you!

[How To Punch Soren McKinin] is he first book of the Flammable Hearts series!

Here's a sneak peak of the second book, [How To Break Red Mckinin]

Update; this is actually going to be the LAST book and the second shall be Colin's!