Jane's POV
•-•-•-•-•

"Alright class, your exams start Monday. Seeing as we have so little time to prepare for them, we'll have to do revision real soon. Now, open your books to pages 162 and 163," Miss Erikson said, clapping her hands together in delight as the rest of us hold back our groans.

I open my textbook and prepare myself to ask questions, as well as write down notes, when there was a sudden knock at the door. This makes Miss sigh, but she called for them to come in anyhow.

It appeared to be a student of the senior class. She hurries over to the professor and whispers something in her ear.

Miss Erikson's eyes flicked over everyone before locking onto me. She announces, "Miss Jane Winters, Valley High called. It's regarding your younger brother. You are free to leave."

I instantly packed up my books and followed the senior to the front office, her guiding me the whole way. Everything was briefly explained to me once I arrive, and I thank them before rushing to my brother's school, just praying that he's okay.

•-•-•-•-•

"Jane!"

"Hey! Éloïse, is he alright?" I asked, almost frantically, while hugging the girl who we've known since our early years.

"Just a few bruises and a busted lip, but nothing major. I hate to cut this short, but now that you're here I need to head back to class. Just don't be too hard on him, okay?" she said, smiling at me in sympathy as she waved me off.

I nodded to myself and went over to my brother, who was having a heated argument with the vice principal of the school. Both had angered looks on their faces.

"Sir, what happened?" I asked, interrupting their conversation as I stand next to Aaren, not comfortable with how close he was to my brother's face.

The VP took a step back, but he has a scowl on his face as he looks at me.

"Your brother caused a ruckus for his class when he attacked another student. He's to be suspended for a week," he growled out.

"Aar, go wait by the car, please. Take the keys," I handed them to him, not taking my blazing gaze off of the VP.

Aaren mumbled something about the situation under his breath but stayed put. He proceeds to mutter to me before inching towards the doorway, "As if I'm going to leave you alone with this jackass."

I sighed heavily and turned to Kol, the vice principal, as a glare grew on my face. "You listen to me and you listen good. I know how this school treats Aaren. Just because he's different and just because of his parents. You did the exact same thing to me when I attended here.

"If I so much as see or even hear you do anything to my brother and I find out about it, you'll have the police to complain to," I snarled at him and stormed off, taking Aaren with me.

•-•-•-•-•

"Bro, what the heck could've happened to cause you to bug out?" I question my brother as I sit next to him in the car, biting into a ripe apple I had bought from his school's cafeteria.

He brushed me off, saying he's "doing homework," when really he's just glaring at the pages placed on his lap. Shaking my head, I continue, altering my tone as I recall what Éloïse had told me and pull the car to the side of the road.

"I know Isa always annoys the absolute crap out of you, but you never react like this," I gently say, causing him to sigh and glance at me before staring out the window instead, but with a softer look.

I'm getting to him now.

"He was mouthin' off about me and Éloïse again. That didn't bother me too much, I just told him to shut up. That's when he began to talk shit about you, and I lost it," Aaren meets my eyes once more. "You're my sister. I'll always protect you as best as I can, even if that means getting into a damned fight."

I grin at him and pull him into a hug, giving him a playful nuggie, "I'll protect you, too. Always... But c'mon man! You couldn't have at least went for Isa's balls?"

Aaren snorts, and the atmosphere is lighter than it was previously.

"Hey, want to go to Éloïse's?" I ask as we break apart, and he nods with a small smile.

Before I could start driving again, my phone rang in my pocket. I slipped it out and the screen showed our aunt's name.

Well, that was perfect timing.

"Yes, Aunt Linda?" I say nicely, putting the car into drive and pressing on the pedal, holding onto the wheel with one hand.

"I'm going to be home late tonight, Jane. The labs messed something up with one of the experiments. I'll see you and Aaren tomorrow morning," she said and hung up immediately after, not waiting for a response from me.

I let out a breath and relay the information to Aaren as we drove over to Éloïse's house. He just lets out a puff of air in false amusement, having heard this excuse many-a-times before.

•-•-•-•-•
Flashback - Valley High
Aaren's POV
•-•-•-•-•

I twirl my pencil between my fingers, ignoring Isa's constant pestering. He's a prick, always trying so hard to get me to snap at him, knowing it won't end well for me.

What he doesn't know is that it won't end well for him, either. I'm not a force to be reckoned with, and everyone here knows it. Well, everyone but him, apparently.

"I bet your sister is the most pathetic girl on the planet in all aspects," Isa attempts, and I can feel the pencil snap between my fingers.

I slowly turn my gaze to his, eyes deadly as I dare him to repeat that false accusation.

"You mind running that by me again?" I ask slowly, my voice dropping down multiple octaves.

He doesn't seem too fazed by this as he proceeds to say it again, mimicking my tone just to mock me.

Before he could even finish his sentence, I released the pencil pieces, stood up so fast that my chair collided with the desk behind me, and lunged at him.

I tackle him to the floor and he hits his head against the desk beside him. The class goes silent as I straddle Isa to keep him down, then begin to punch him over and over again.

Brave classmates try to pull me away, but I just shove them off of me with a swing of my arm. While that happens, Isa manages to land a hit on my jaw. He found an opening through my distraction.

I fall backwards and he follows, but I kick him away from me. I get on my knees as he staggers a bit, catching himself on his hand before he throws a punch my way.

His knuckles make contact with jaw again, and I can taste the metal from my blood.

A male teacher pulls me away from Isa as I was fighting back, but before he could get me away fully I was able to kick Isa in the face as he tried to stand.

I am then taken to the office and Isa to the nurse, no questions asked. Despite it being him who started the fight and not me.

It was his fault for testing me.

The vice principal of the school starts to grill me about this whole ordeal, and I bite back with as much force as I can muster while we wait for Jane to come pick me up.

Nobody at this fucking school listens to a word I say, all because of my relations and how I am as a person.

It's messed up.

When Jane finally arrived, the VP was in my face for pissing him off. He stands down and speaks with her for a bit.

"Your brother caused a ruckus for his class when he attacked another student. He's to be suspended for a week," he told her.

Jane held his gaze and says something as she hands me the keys, but I barely listen. I just stay in my spot and mumble, "Whatever, man. The only language I'm hearing from you is a whole lot of bullshit anyway."

Then I step backwards and lean against the doorframe, adding on, "As if I'm going to leave you alone with this jackass."

I zone out until Jane nudges past me in a small fit of anger, so I send a swift piercing look to the vice principal before trailing behind her.

•-•-•-•-•

-CastrarWolf & Taegikook224