"I don't even know why you're defending her. She's a loser," said Jacob, the school bully. He was a jock at Winterville high. Everyone hated him. Excluding his other jerk friends that is... but I was pretty sure they didn't like him that much too.

I couldn't tell him the real reason why I was defending Anabelle. He would just laugh and call me a loser as well, saying it "runs in the family". Anabelle White, my half-sister, is always being bullied. No one really likes her. She does have one good friend though, Crystal, who always stands up for her. But no one knows she's my half-sister in the entire Winterville. No one would suspect it either. Anabelle never talks to me, she mostly keeps to herself.

From her blonde hair and pale skin and my dark hair and olive skin, we don't look like each other either. Only our eyes are the same. An ice-cold, vibrant blue. I also may or may not have told her to stay away from me in my junior year of high school. I hated that my dad left my mom and one year old me, to go be with her mom. I felt like I was being rejected. Of course, I don't remember anything, but my mom does. "Your dad adored you, Noah," she used to say. It felt so real, it was like I was creating memories of something that never existed. But when I come back to reality, I feel deeply hurt.

I was getting over the sick feeling because my mom and I thought my dad had gone away to another place. So we thought we were free of him. But we were wrong. It wasn't much later until my dad contacted my mom saying him, his wife and child were coming back. He had asked to come and see us once, but obviously, my mom denied him. I found out his child was a girl, two years younger than me, and would go to the same school. It angered me. I had made a promise to myself that for all eternity, I would hate her. For what she is to my family.

So why am I defending her now, after school when I should be going home? I don't know.

"I'm defending her because it's the right thing to do," I said confidently. I looked behind me. An afraid and confused Anabelle was standing before me. I smiled. I must have looked like an idiot.

"What are you doing?" she whispered. "I thought you hated me!" Anabelle almost seemed afraid of me. Immediately, a surge of thoughts invaded my brain. It's not her fault my dad left us. She wasn't even born then. She probably had problems of her own, worse than mine being bullied every day. I felt a sudden pang of guilt that when she needed a friend the most, I was the one to push her away. Sure she had Crystal, but that wasn't the same thing.

"I don't hate you," I whispered back. "Let me handle this." I nodded for reassurance. I looked back at Jacob and his gang.

"You idiot. Don't you dare try to hurt my sister." I snarled. I prayed they wouldn't try to harass me in any kind of way.

"If you want to have if that way then. Just remember, you asked for it." Jacob said shrugging. He then threw a punch square in my jaw. I hoped I didn't break a bone there. I knew I had no chance. It was five against one. So I took Anabelle's hand and ran. They were fast, but we were faster. Then, Anabelle and I quickly hid behind a corner. I desperately hoped they wouldn't see us. Thank the gods they didn't I noticed as I heard Tim, one of Jacob's friends say, "C'mon, it's useless. They're probably gone by now." Then I saw them jog back to their little hangout place where they bully people.

"It's safe now," I told Anabelle. I was hoping she would forgive me. She probably thought of me like those other jerk kids in our school. At the time I didn't even care that she was getting bullied. I almost thought she deserved it.

Anabelle stepped up to me. I was expecting a hug, but instead, she slapped me. "Ow! What was that fo𑁋" but I was stopped as she hugged me.

"Thank you," she said softly. I smiled. "And don't ever do that again!" she said much more firmly this time. "I don't want to be responsible if you get hurt."

I chuckled and she pulled away shaking a finger at me pointedly. "Want me to take you home? I have a car." I offered.

"It's fine, I can walk," she said shrugging.

"I order you to come with me. I don't want any of those rodents catching up with you." I said smirking.

She held her hands up as if in surrender. "Alright, alright. If you insist."

Then we made our way to my car. As I dropped her home, I felt as if I had done the right thing. I have a new friend and am finally being a good brother. I wonder what Dad would say...