Chapter 1: Memory

12:30

He told me to meet him here at 11:30. I've been here for an hour. At best, its 10 degrees out, and I'm trapped in a thin, short dress. Why? Because he told me we were going 'out' tonight, so I dressed up. His order. My obedience. Bad choice. Seriously though. Why couldn't he just show up on time? Was it so hard? Apparently. At times like this, I like to imagine myself strangling him. Actually, I'm always imagining that.

The cold breeze easily slips under and up my dress, chilling my entire body. I turn to face away from the wind and hold my dress down taut, when I come eye to eye with a particular red head. Although I wouldn't call his hair red, it has a strong brownish hue to it. Total reverse of my hair, which is burgundy with deep red running through.

I have to take a small step back to comfortably meet his eyes. He towers a full head over me and makes it obvious. "You're late."

He shrugs, then his gaze dips over my figure. "That's the best you've got?"

I follow his stare to my dress and suddenly feel self conscious. "We're not going to Vegas."

His eyes flash with amusement. "No, but we are going to the best club in town."

My face falls. "But you know I don't drink and-"

"You do now." He states simply, already taking off to the sky.

I follow his moonlit figure. "I don't want to get drunk. What if someone-?"

He shakes his head. "You really think I'd let anyone touch you?"

Crossing my arms, I mutter back, "Only because you want me to yourself."

Unfortunately, he catches this. "So what if I do?"

I snap back, "I'm not your property!"

He chuckles. "Actually, Red, as long as you want your sisters alive, you're anything I want you to be." His eyes find mine. "Tonight, you're gonna be the opposite of a good little school girl."

My mouth opens and I'm about to retort back when sudden bright lights blind me. I stop and stare at the giant building below that can most likely be seen from space. It's bedazzled in lights and signs and the music is super loud even from out here. I land beside my counterpart in front of the club.

The people standing around the exterior look familiar. Possibly past villains I threw in the slammer. They all have some form of cigar or alcohol and most of them are underage and doing illegal drugs. I could easily put them in their place; jail, but I know my counterpart wouldn't let me.

I cross my arms. "Brick."

"What."

"I don't even know how to order a drink."


"Glass of Captain Morgan please." I say to the bartender for the third time tonight. As I wait for him to bring me my drink, I search the crowd for any sign of my counterpart. I don't know when, where, or how I lost him...I just sorta did. I think one drink should've been enough for me but my adrenaline is so high right now and the excitement is rushing through my veins like a drug and I can't seem to get enough. The alcohol is kind of calming me down, I think. Really, I don't know. I have no knowledge on the concept of alcohol or drugs. They say the point is to get some sort of 'high' feeling. I don't feel high, I can fly for Christ's sake, but I do feel dizzy. Which means I should probably stop, right?

"Here you go." The glass of golden liquid slides across the table and into my awaiting hand. I hurry it to my lips and drink to the last drop. When empty, I place it back down and the bartender takes it. I give him the money then make my way towards the bathrooms.

I believe I lost Brick at the bathrooms. I had went in to do my business, he was waiting at the door, I came out, and he was gone. Or did I just not notice him and walked straight into the crowd? Can't remember.

"Hey!" I call to a guy with a red shirt. He turns around and reveals his face. I furrow my brows and walk away. I continue through the crowd, checking faces, calling out to strangers, but Brick isn't amongst the dancing freaks. Just when I'm heading back to the bar, I spot a sign with the word VIP engraved in gold. I tilt my head to the side. It's the only place I haven't checked. Why not try it?

It takes squeezing through a lot of sweaty, moving bodies before I make it to the door but when I do, I'm met with a tall, thick man.

He looks down at me, then at his clipboard, then back at me. "Got a name?"

My thoughts drift away as he speaks and I don't immediately respond. He snaps his fingers in my face and repeats himself. Quickly, I answer the first thing that comes to mind, "Red."

He stares at the paper in his hands again, marks something, then removes the chain blocking my entrance. I stride through and open the door, hoping and praying that Brick is behind it.

When I step through, it's dark and I can't see anything. Then, a light flashes on above me and I nearly walk into a metal pole. I blink and stumble back. A person sits before me, I can just barely see them in the glow of the light. I glance up, then down, and realize I'm on some sort of mini stage with a pole in the center. What the hell is the point of that?

"Oooh, red head...my favorite." A man's voice purrs. I can hear ice moving around in a glass and see him take a drink. My mouth begs for beer...or water, I'm not sure.

"Me?" I dumbly ask. Suddenly, everything becomes fuzzy and I shuffle forward, grabbing onto the pole for balance. My mind turns to a jumble of words and becomes useless.

"Who else? It's just me and you." He spreads his arms across the back of the couch. "So don't be afraid to get wild."

I raise an eyebrow. "Wild with what?"

"What the hell?" I slowly sit up and fall back down. My head is pounding like someone just drilled a screw into it. My stomach growls, wanting food, yet my mind tells me one bite and I'll puke my guts out. I try to get back up, swinging my legs out from under the covers, but upon standing, everything sways to the side and I fall with it. Fortunately, I grasp the bed on my way down and pull myself back onto the mattress. Then I see it's not pink sheets and I panic.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" I shout and the door bursts open. Brick appears at my side.

His face is a mix of anger and humor. "How'd you feel, Red?"

I narrow my eyes. "Like shit. Complete shit. Now tell me, what the hell happened and why am I not at home?"

He adjusts his cap. "Well, you got dead ass drunk last night." He states, meeting my eyes. "I was looking all over for you, thought you left, looked outside, didn't see you, went back in, found you wandering out of the VIP room with your dress slid up to your ass." He narrows his eyes. "Brought you here because I didn't feel like seeing your bitch sisters. You passed out soon as you got here."

I rub my temples. "I what?!"

He shrugs, "It's normal for a rookie."

I think back to last night and a very faint memory of the guy in the room appears. My eyes widen. "The VIP room is for strippers...isn't it?"

He nods.

I groan. "God damn it!"

He crosses his arms. "What'd you do in there?"

I pull a face. "Nothing."

"Bullshit."

My face flushes red and I shake my head. "I was looking for you, thats all."

He lowers his voice. "What did you do in there?"

"I don't know." I say. Upon his face reddening I throw my arms up. "Honestly I don't remember! But I think it might've been ya know..." I pull a face. "That."

Brick's eyes flash with rage and he looks ready to murder someone, then it flickers away and is replaced with amusement. "Nerdy little Blossom got drunk and turned into a stripper in one night?"

I slam my fist down. "I am not a nerd! Does it look like I'm at school right now? Or stuck at home doing homework? Does it look like I'm even worried about school!?"

Brick grins. "No. But I have some news for you." He takes my chin and pulls me close. "Your perfect attendance is about to be ruined."

I roll my eyes. At this point, I'm not even concerned about school. I'm too concerned that I have STDs or AIDS or that I went further then a lap dance with that guy. School is the least of my concerns. "I need to get home."

He nods. "You can go home. Tell your sisters you're skipping school today to hang out with the Rowdyruff leader and that you probably won't be back in a month." My eyes widen. "Or...you can stay here and worry about them later."

I cross my arms and look away. "Not like I have a choice."

He chuckles. "Pinky, as long as you're with me...you don't have a say in anything other than whether you wanna get on birth control or not."

My stomach drops. "Wha-?!"

"We're going to grab something to eat downtown. Grab one of my hoodies if you want and be ready in 5." With that, he turns and leaves. It takes me a minute to process what he said before I jump out of bed and start getting ready.

I feel like an idiot as we walk into the cafe. I look horrible, not only because I'm wearing a black hoodie that's WAY too big, but also because I have the absolute worst dark circles under my eyes and my hair is a tangled mess of curls.

"Would you stop bitching?" Brick snaps at me.

I glare. "This isn't exactly how I was planning on spending my afternoon."

He snorts. "Right, you were gonna have a helluva time at school, I forgot."

His sarcasm is beyond annoying but I have to agree, school isn't fun. I suppose this is better than listening to Arsenaul teach Calculus.

We find a small table by the windows and sit there. We order something to eat and the waitress leaves. My eyes follow after her. She's clearly trying to get attention in her short little pencil skirt and low-plunge blouse. But to my surprise, Brick doesn't even glance her way. Unfortunately, he's too busy staring at me.

"What?" I ask and take a sip of my water.

He raises an eyebrow. "You should wear black more often."

"I thought you liked red."

He nods. "Yeah, but you already got red hair. The black makes it stand out."

I pause and pinch a burgundy curl between my fingers. I never considered wearing black. My sisters and I have always worn bright colors, the ones we were born with. I release a quiet sigh at the thought of my sisters. They're probably worried about me right now and don't know what to do. I'm the leader, I'm the one who always knows what to do, but when I'm not around...they get lost. Right now, I feel lost. I made my decision a week ago and I still don't know if it was the right choice. When I return home, I always feel like I chose Brick over my sisters but thats not what happened. I know the truth is that I saved their lives, but when they look at me with mistrust clear in their eyes...I feel like a traitor.

"Here you go." I snap out of my thoughts as the waitress returns with our dishes. She slides a salad over to me then Brick. Her eyes stay on his as she pushes the plate as close to him as possible, letting her hand linger for a second. She turns to leave and I just catch a subtle wink. My eyes narrow as she walks away, swaying her hips dramatically. Well, she has to, she has no hips otherwise. I smirk at my joke.

"Bitch." Brick scoffs.

I eye him. "What?"

He meets my gaze. "The waitress. She's obviously flirting with me even though it's apparent that I'm taken."

I cock my head to the side. "Taken? By who?" This actually comes as a surprise to me. Brick has eyes for another girl, besides me? That would be awesome. Then I wouldn't have to worry so much and be his constant target.

He snickers. "I thought you were the smart one."

"The hell does that mean?" I sneer.

With a roll of his eyes he answers me, "You."

"Me what?"

He groans. "I'm taken by you, dumbass."

I clench my fists at the insult then realize what he said and stiffen. He's taken by me? "NO!" I suddenly shout.

Brick slaps a hand over my mouth. "Shut up!" He hisses.

I slap his hand away and cross my arms. "We are not a thing, dipshit."

He shrugs. "Fine."

I furrow my brows as he pulls out his phone and dials a number. "Who are you calling?"

He stares back, emotionless. "My brothers. They'll head over to your house and kill your sisters. Do you want it to be fast...or slow? They're real good at making torture fun."

A gasp escapes my lips and I reach for his phone. He snatches my wrist in a solid grip and I growl. "Alright."

He smirks and puts his phone away, releasing my arm. "You should really get this through your head, Red. You can't disobey me, period."

I retract back into my seat and glance away. "Whatever."


"Fucking asshole." I mutter as I sneak into my house through the upstairs window. Brick, once again, screwed me over. I spent the whole day with him even though I knew my sisters were beyond worried and then he had the decency to bring me back to the club, where I practically got forced into stripping, and make jokes about how sluttish I looked. He said things like, "You probably did get screwed. You came out looking like you had stripped everything off then fucked then thrown it back on in a rush because your 10 minutes were over." He doesn't even care that I nearly lost my virginity to a random guy in the club. He probably doesn't even know that I'm still a virgin, I hope he doesn't. Knowing Brick, he'll make jokes about that too.

I land on the soft carpet of my bedroom and silently creep to the door. The sound of snoring reassures me that my sisters are here and safe. I make my way to my closet to switch into pajamas when I realize how comfy Brick's hoodie is.

"You should wear black more often."

Maybe I will.

I slip into bed and stare through my window. The moon is covered by clouds and it's not long before it begins to rain, but I've always liked the rain, especially at night. It's relaxing and dark. Bubbles used to watch a show that I can't remember the name of and it had two characters who were in love. They would sneak out and meet at the park every night. But that was whatever. The finale was when the real action kicked in. The boy showed up to the meeting place and waited, but it wasn't until midnight that the girl showed up. It had begun to pour and the boy couldn't immediately tell that she was crying, until her sobs split the air. Her parents had died in a car crash. He comforted her and stayed with her the entire night, sleeping at the park. When he awoke in the small glow of the morning sun, she was gone. A few minutes later, he arrived at her house and found her dead. She had overdosed and he blamed himself. Turning into a Romeo and Juliet sort of tale, he followed her in death and the cops found both their bodies. I think the actors sucked and the script was cheesy, but the theme itself was beautiful. I've never been one for romance, though.

"Blossom?" I sit up from the sudden intrusion and sigh in relief as I find Bubbles standing in my doorway. She bites her cheek. "I think we should talk."

She flicks my lights on and comes to sit beside me on my bed. We talk in small voices, as to not wake Buttercup, but she's a deep sleeper so it's fine.

"What about?" I ask.

She sniffs. "I know you've been sneaking out in the night."

'Oh shit.' I internally panic and try to think of an excuse.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"Um...the library...to study." Lame!

She narrows her eyes ever so slightly, not buying it.

I put on a guilty facade and drop my head. "I've been going to parties."

Bubbles' eyes widen. "Parties? Why?"

I run my fingers through my hair. "It helps take my mind off things. My way of getting away from the stress."

"But when do you sleep? Sleep is supposed to help with getting rid of stress you know." She's worried now, like a strict mother.

I really don't get much sleep. What with Brick having me see him every night and usually stay for three hours or more. Last night was the first time I ever stayed until morning. It is draining me and I need to talk with him about it, but right now I have to focus on Bubbles and ridding of her worry.

"I don't stay out too long." I say. "Plus, I can last off of only four hours of sleep."

She hums sadly. "I guess, if you're being safe." She stands up.

"But don't tell Buttercup." I say.

She gives me a small smile. "I won't." She yawns, then leaves.

I sigh heavily and collapse onto my bed. Eventually, I'm going to have to lie to Buttercup too...that's going to be the hard part.

When I wake up in the morning, I glance at my clock to see it's an hour passed 6 and I'm late. I jump out of bed and quickly get ready. I brush my teeth and hair, grab an apple on my way out, and zip to school. For the first time in my entire life, I have to grab a tardy slip from the office.

I walk into class and take a seat, trying to ignore the weird looks I'm receiving. I grab my notebook and follow the teacher's instructions as best I can. But it's not long before I find myself drifting to sleep and then snapping my eyes open to the sound of the bell. I go through all of my classes and don't have anymore problems until lunch.

"What's with the outfit?" Buttercup scoffs as we find a seat.

I glance down and hold back a gasp. I'm still wearing Brick's hoodie.

"Hey it's a new style! Let her be." Bubbles snaps.

Buttercup eyes me and I nod. "Yeah, I didn't have much time to get ready."

She furrows her brows. "Well when the hell did you even get that?"

I bite my lip. "Yesterday, while I was at the mall."

"You mean instead of going to school?" Buttercup states. Her eyes are narrowed, she can totally see right through me.

"You skip too. What's wrong with it?" I ask, my face heating up.

Bubbles, remembering our talk from last night, sticks up for me. "Buttercup, would you leave her alone!"

Thankfully, Buttercup backs down and we return to eating our lunch. But that doesn't push aside my worries because I still have to see Brick again tonight...and every night, and I'm already falling behind. What am I going to do?

I stand in our meeting spot, still wearing his hoodie, and wait for his appearance. I have to talk to him about sleep interference and keeping a low profile from my sisters, but I don't know how. I'm still not comfortable being around him like this. If I'm with him, it should be to fight. Not hanging out. But then again, he teases and taunts me so much and clearly the exhaustion is getting to me so maybe he has some sort of sinister plan. I need to find out.

A light breeze brushes my back and I sigh. "I can't keep this up."

I turn to face him and his crimson eyes are furious. "The hell does that mean?"

I cross my arms. "I need sleep!"

He snorts. "Sleep at my place."

I shake my head. "I have school in the morning."

"Then skip school."

"I can't!"

His eyes narrow warningly. "Do you want your sisters to die?"

My stomach drops. "No-"

"Then stop being a bitch and skip school." He growls.

I clench my fists and glare at him. "Fine. But trust me when I say I will find a way around this. You won't control me for long, Brick." I spit out his name like a curse.

He grins. "Actually, Red, there's no way around your own feelings."

I frown. "What does that mean?"

He shrugs, "You'll find out eventually." He takes my hand. "Tonight, we're hanging at my place."

He pulls me through the air and across town, to the suburbs. I've been here many times before because this is where all the criminals go. It's not a surprise that Brick lives here.

"What about your brothers?" I ask as we land in front of his house.

He shoves the door open. "What about them?"

I cautiously follow him in and find that it's actually an abandoned, redesigned building. I was just here yesterday but I was rushed to get out so I didn't see much. Of course, Brick has tons of brand new, beautiful furnishings and decorations. All sorts of expensive things that he stole. I want to beat him up for it, tell my sisters, do something...but I can't. Which sucks.

"I thought you didn't want anyone to know about us." I say.

He grabs a video game off the couch and goes upstairs. "I'm the leader. My brothers don't get to question what I do. This is none of their business. Got it?"

He gestures between us and I feel a sinking feeling in my gut. "Still, what if they mention it to my sisters?"

We enter his room and he gives me a look of bewilderment. "Since when did you care who finds out?"

I stuff my hands in the over sized pockets. "Since I realized this is wrong."

He slips the disc into the Xbox console. "What's wrong?"

I throw my arms up. "Us not trying to kill each other right now! I don't like it and I don't know what you're up to but it has to stop."

He stands up and meets my glare. "Red, I don't give a shit if you like it or not."

I grit my teeth. "You're missing the point."

He cocks his head to the side. "Oh really? Please, enlighten me."

I slap my forehead in frustration and regret ever getting myself into this situation. "The point is we're mortal enemies and I hate you. You hate me. We aren't supposed to be 'hanging out' like we are right now. I don't know why you're doing this but it's wrong. You have to hate me."

He chuckles. "I don't got to do anything."

It's useless. He's too egotistical to actually listen to what I'm saying. He never has and never will listen.

I release a sigh and cross my arms. "Am I supposed to just stand here while you play a video game?"

He arches an eyebrow. "Or you can join. I don't really care, pinky."

I decide to find a spot on the ground at the foot of his bed and rest my back against it. This way, he can't sit near me and he can't pull anything.

"I can't skip school everyday." I say.

Brick growls in annoyance. "Whatever!"

I watch the huge, expensive television screen as Brick begins a game. I've never been a huge fan of video games because of how slow they are, but this one isn't at all. I actually find myself getting into it after a while.

Suddenly, the bed shakes and I look over to find Brick's arm extended out to me. In his hand is a controller.

"Wanna play?" He asks, sounding childish.

I look between him and the controller. "No, I'm go-"

He tosses it into my lap. "Too bad."

I pick up the remote and instantly get a flashback from when I played with Buttercup as a kid. I recognize the controls and buttons just as the game starts. We both choose a character, mine being Kitana and his Sub Zero. Then a low voice booms from the speakers telling us to begin. It takes me a few seconds, with some mistakes and taking hard blows, before I figure out my own moves. My character has fans with blades on them...I think, and some sort of blue magic. I dodge a hit and uppercut him with my fan. He flies into the air and I do a magic jump and cut him again. He flies higher up and I use a kick, kick, uppercut, and then a combo to finish him off. He stands there, wobbly and beaten, and I press some controls in the pattern that pops into my mind. The camera zooms in. Kitana takes her folded fans, throws them into Sub Zero's skull and chest, then raises her arms and they magically open, ripping Sub Zero's insides to shreds.

"FATALITY!"

Brick drops his controller onto the bed above my head. "What the hell. Since when did you play?!"

He glares down at me with envy and I smirk. "I dunno. Guess you just really suck." I narrow my eyes. "Oh and may I add...you just lost to a nerd AND a girl."

Once again, amusement flickers in his eyes. Usually, this would anger him to the point that he would attack me and fight me to near death. Instead, he snickers. "Just wait until you see Butch play. Nobody beats him."

He rolls away from the edge of the bed and I glance at my watch. It's only been an hour.

"Wanna get some pizza?" He asks.

I'm reluctant to say no, but remember I missed dinner because I was taking a nap. My stomach growls and I nod. "Yeah."

We go downstairs and the second I turn the corner and see Butch and Boomer, I start backing up. With Brick oblivious, I stay planted on the steps and refuse to go any further. His brothers look at me oddly.

"Ummm...the fuck is a puff doing in our house?" Butch asks.

Brick gives him a hard shove. "We talked about this, it's none of your business."

Boomer stares at me and I hold my breath, scared him and Butch are going to attack me. "Do you like spray painting?"

I glance at Brick and he's busy with Butch, so that means I only have the attention of one ruff now. Good.

"I don't know...never tried it." I say back.

Boomer's blue eyes widen and the physical similarity between him and Bubbles terrifies me. It's so weird. I've never noticed it until now.

"You haven't spray painted before!?" He shouts.

"Boomer shut up and stop talking to the bitch!" Butch punches him and I wince.

Brick's face darkens. "Butch, you're staying here while we grab pizza."

The green ruff throws his arms up. "Why!?"

"Because I said!" Brick roars. Then he and Boomer head to the door. I'm hesitant to follow.

Butch glowers at me. "Well? You gonna just stand there like a moron?"

I narrow my eyes back and stride passed him, less scared then I was a few minutes ago.

Brick opens the door and we all fly out, leaving Butch behind while he has his little tantrum.

As we soar over the town towards Main St Pizzeria to steal some food, Brick and Boomer stay ahead of me and talk, I'm silent the entire way. I have a sickening feeling being around two ruffs and not being threatened. I have the thought that Brick and his brothers are playing mind games with me. They're going to get me in a position where they can destroy me, leaving my sisters lost and unsure so they're easier to kill. That would be the end of the Powerpuff girls and humanity itself. That's why I cannot let it happen. But how do I prevent it? How do I know what's going through Brick's head and what he's plotting? There's no way to keep him from tricking me. Even though I don't trust him, I still stick with him because I don't have a choice. Being around him so much could change my way of thinking and be exactly what Brick wants. What do I do? That's the problem! I don't know what to do and I have no one to talk with about it because if I spill the tea, Brick will lay down an unimaginable punishment for sure.

"Are you seriously thinking again?" Brick swivels his head around to look at me.

I search his face. "Why do you care?"

"Because you're a fucking nerd and it's really annoying." He states. I notice his lip twitch.

A very small smile slips across my face. "Oh? I'm annoying you? Gee, I'm sorry. But who's fault is it for having me around?"

His eyebrows raise slightly. "You ain't gonna be a nerd for long, Red."

I nod. "Right, because being around you so much I'm obviously going to change."

This leaves him stumped and his expression shows it. "Fine, we're going to spray paint the school tomorrow. You're coming with."

"Ooh, I'm so scared." I grin. Even though I didn't put myself in the best position, at least I got some valuable information. A few simple words and I already know what Brick has planned. Be it good or bad.


"You're going to cover this entire wall." Brick states and tosses me a can of black paint.

I furrow my brows. "With what?"

He rolls his eyes. "Figure it out, Pinky."

He disappears behind the corner of the school. I glance over my shoulder at the bright, white moon illuminating the atmosphere. I don't want to graffiti the school, but I have to, so I will. It's not a huge deal, no one will get hurt in the process. But what gets to me is my sisters and what they would say if they ever found out. Being the leader, I'm expected to be a good role model. This is so not a good example of that.

I shake up the can and toss the cap aside. Black mist spreads against the brick wall and I quickly start directing it. The whole time, I continue to think about my counterpart. I know what he has planned now, or actually what he doesn't have planned, and I'm not happy about it. He isn't playing me, he's not tricking me, he's being real. He wants to hang out with me. The Rowdyruff leader wants to be friendly with the Powerpuff leader. What the hell!? It's extremely confusing and makes no sense. I know that that's the only answer, has to be, but why? Why does Brick have a change of heart? Why doesn't he hate me? Please don't tell me he likes me.

"Red." I release the can and it crashes to the ground, rolling away. I drop my arms and turn to Brick.

"What?" I snap.

He looks at the wall and smirks. "Not bad for your first time."

I scoff and cross my arms. "When can I go home?"

"When I say."

As always, his words spark annoyance in me quicker than anyone else's. "Can you just give me a solid answer?"

He raises an eyebrow. "No."

"You just did." I say.

He shrugs. "You can go home right now, I was up all last night so I'm tired anyways."

My eyes brighten. "Really?" Then I pause. "Up all night doing what?"

His face flushes. "Video games."

I narrow my eyes. "Why-"

"Bitch!" I spin around to find Butch throwing his arms in the air. He stomps over to me. "You used up my can of black paint!"

I glare. "It's not empty dipshit."

He picks up the can and points an accusing finger at me. "I don't care! You-"

Brick snatches my wrist and looks at Butch. "We're leaving now, save your tantrum for later."

He pulls me into the air and I growl, "I can fly myself asshole!"

He releases me and takes off faster. I quickly catch up and he chuckles. "I can't believe you didn't sock that idiot in the face. You're okay with him calling you a bitch?"

I arch an eyebrow. "You think I didn't want to hit him? The only reason I couldn't is because you'd probably kill my sisters." I look away. "I'm not willing to let that happen."

Brick stops midair, right above my house, and stares at me. "You really care about them, don't you?"

A look of bewilderment crosses my face. "Of course I do!"

He releases a heavy sigh and crosses his arms. "Fine."

I glare. "Fine what?"

"Fine I won't kill them." He states. "But if you stop meeting me-"

"You'll kill them, I know." I roll my eyes in annoyance.

He shakes his head. "I'd just be sad to see you go."

I blink. "What does that mean?"

He flashes me one of his signature grins. "Nothing, Pinky. Stop worrying so much and get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow night." With that, he takes off into the air and vanishes. I watch the small bit of red fade away from the sky before going inside. The only thing on my mind being my counterpart.


"Oh my god he's so HOT!"

I turn my head and see a group of girls gushing over Matt Boleski, Senior football captain with a 4.0 GPA and a new girl on his arm every week.

"He's such a bad boy! I love them like that."

Matt? A bad boy? Please, Brick could whoop his ass with his hands tied behind his back. Not only that but Matt hasn't ever killed someone, he's never destroyed buildings, humiliated bad ass gangsters, or become the town's worst nightmare. Then again, that's probably a good thing. Brick is a criminal, of course he's bad. Maybe it's sometimes cool, like when he bitches at Butch, but that doesn't make up for the horrible things he's done.

"Yeah, it's so not fair that Buttercup gets him." My head snaps up.

"SSSH!" One of the girls hisses. "Her sister is right there."

Of course I hear this and my eyes light up with fury. I stare at them and lower my voice. "Where are they?"

All of the girls freeze and none of them are quick to answer. Which only adds to my anger.

I stand up and slam my hand down onto the desk, causing all of them to leap back. "Where are they?"

After one of the girls finally tells me, I throw open the door and hurry down the hallway. I find them at their lockers, the bell having not rung yet, and Buttercup hears me before I can open my mouth. I stand before her and cross my arms. Matt is behind her, a sadistic grin plastered on his face. I look him up and down, underwhelmed by his attire. Bad boy? Because bad boys totally wear khakis and polos, riiight.

"What is it?" She asks.

I glare at Matt. "Can you give us a minute?"

Once he's gone, Buttercup sighs. "If this is about your crush on Matt when we were kids-"

"It's not." I state.

She closes her locker. "Then what is it about?"

I peer down the hallway to make sure no one is around before whispering harshly, "You know how this is going to go. Don't be an idiot. He's an asshole and you're too good for him. I don't want to have to explain this to you. You should know better."

She snorts. "What are you, my mother?"

My eyes narrow.

"He's hot and you know I have a type." She says.

"The mean type, I know."

She nods. "He said he'll take me out if I let him see. That's pretty evil." Her eyes are alight with excitement.

I scrunch up my nose in disgust. "All he wants is to get in your pants."

She shrugs. "Eh, could be worse."

Brick pops into my mind and I bite my lip. She's right, it could be worse. You could have a guy threatening to kill your sisters if you don't hang out with him. But last night he said different. He told me he'd only be sad if I didn't show up, but he wouldn't kill my sisters. Yet, he also said 'see you tomorrow night' as though he was sure I'd show. Why would I? What possible reason could I have to see him again?

"Anyways, my point is I don't care why he's dating me. I like him. He's everything I want." Buttercup's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

I frown. "No, there's someone much badder than Matt who meets all the requirements."

She cocks her head to the side. "Who?"

"Butch."

Her face pales. "He's my enemy. I hate him! Why would I ever-"

"Didn't say you would. He's badder than Matt, that's all." I release a sigh and turn to leave. I hesitate. "Just don't get yourself killed."

As I lay on my bed, in the comfort of my dark, isolated room, I try to hold back the tears that threaten to spill. Buttercup's words got to me. When she said she would never date Butch, he's her enemy and she hates him, that's exactly how I felt towards Brick. But we've grown to have the relationship of mutual acquaintances, which shouldn't be acceptable. And I've tried, I have, to stop it from happening and to bring us back to the hate and fighting. But Brick won't hate me back. He just won't, and I don't know why. I don't want to hang out with him. I don't want to laugh joyfully around him. I don't want my stomach to flip at the thought of him. But nothing I say or do will stop it. Just like tonight, I've decided that I'll meet up with him. The only difference about this time though, is that I'm going willingly. And I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what is pulling me to him, what is keeping me from saying no, from saying that I hate him and don't ever want to see him again unless he tries to kill me. Then and only then, will I want to see him. I also have to wonder about why I have to hate him. I can do as I want, can't I? Who's is getting hurt in the process of me not hating him? I can still stop him from causing crime and- My eyes widen. I haven't even paid enough attention to the crime rate recently to realize how much it's gone down. And that's because theres one group that hasn't done anything in weeks; The Rowdyruff Boys. The last time they caused trouble was before I made the deal with Brick, but not causing crime wasn't a part of the deal. Why did they stop? What in the hell is happening!?

"You were right." My eyes open and I look towards the doorway. Buttercup slumps her shoulders in defeat. "Matt is an asshole and he just wanted to get in my pants. But he's not bad, he's not even cool, he's just a perverted loser."

I reach out and pull her into a hug. I wrap my arms around her and she does the same, shoving her face into my burgundy curls. She begins to sob and I almost join her, but being leader I know I'm here for support. I gingerly brush my hand up and down her back. I can feel her tears on my neck. She cries for hours and I'm there for her the entire time, talking, comforting, and being her shoulder to cry on. When I calm her down and get her to bed, it's already 12 and I have to leave. I take one last look at my sleeping sister, pass by Bubbles room, who's door is slightly open to let the hallway light in and lies in her bed with Octi against one cheek, then take off into the night sky.


I spot his red streak 15 after. He's always late.

He lands behind me and snickers. "You actually came."

I face him. "Why can you never show up on time? Do you not realize how cold out it is?"

He steps closer to me and shrugs. "You never gave me my hoodie back."

My eyes widen. "Well I was busy and-"

To my surprise, he pulls his sweatshirt up over his head and tosses it into my arms. His crimson eyes flicker with amusement. "Now will you stop bitching?"

I yank the red material on. "Depends. Can you be nice to me for one night? I've had a rough day."

He furrows his brows. "Why?"

"Long story short, Matt Boleski played my sister and she broke apart."

His face reddens with rage. "Did this guy fuck with you?"

I blink. "No. I mean he tried a couple months ago but-"

"Where does he live?" Brick interrupts me.

I shake my head. "You're not going to go beat him up, Brick. He's just a loser, not worth the effort."

"If he messes with you again I'll rip his fucking throat out and pin his body up on the flag pole. Got that?" He growls in my face and I wince.

My throat tightens. "That's not the only shit thing that happened today." I say.

He calms down a bit. "What else?"

I dig my nails into my arms. Should I really tell him? Is it even the right thing to say? I stare up at him and feel my stomach flip again. Just seeing his short brown, red hair tucked messily under his red cap with his hidden evil smirk and deep red eyes gives me chills. Whether it's because it scares me, gives me bad memories, or makes me fall further into this unfamiliar feeling...I can't hold it back. I suck in a sharp breath. "I've been thinking about you. About what's happening between us. I don't get it."

His eyes widen. "Don't get what?"

I growl. "Brick!"

He glares. "What!?"

"God damn it!" I shout at him.

"What the hell did I do!?" He shouts back, a look of hurt softening his furious red eyes.

Before I even realize I'm crying, tears slip down my cheeks. "You made me fall in love with my enemy you asshole!"

He's about to curse something at me when what I said hits him and he drops his arms. "What did you say?"

I choke back a sob. "I hate you!" I use the over sized sleeve of his hoodie to wipe away my tears, which of course have now mixed with rain because it has to start pouring at the worst times. "But still, I love you."

The rain falls over both of us and I can hardly see him through it. His glowing red eyes, however, pierce me with an intense glare. "Red, you're a total bitch, and I absolutely hate you." His words slice through me and I have to look away. Suddenly, I feel his radiating body heat and find him towering over me. He stares at me and says, "So why do I love you?"

More tears spill and I shake my head. "I don't know. I really don't know." Then I collapse into his arms and bury my head in his chest. I tangle my arms around his neck and tighten my hold.

He pushes me away after a while, gently. He wipes away my tears and meets my eyes. For the first time, I see Brick as someone who didn't kill innocents, who didn't steal and beat people up, who simply wanted to live and have fun, like any normal teen would. But I know that's not the truth and what he is can never be forgotten. I step back.

"I'm sorry." I say. "I didn't want this to happen."

"Me either." He says. He forms a small grin. "But hey...keep your friends close and your enemies closer?"

I meet his eyes and smile. "Always."