"Is this everything?"

"Yeah that's it. Thank you."

It was a very hot summer day. I was wearing an orange sundress with pink and yellow flowers along with clog sandals. Summer vacation was almost over, and I had to prepare for school, as well as packing up with my cousin, who was wearing a grey tank top, black cargo pants, and a towel around his head.

I watched my cousin Tybalt place the last taped up box in the trunk of my aunt's van. He was always helpful when it came to me and caring as well, and I never realized how strong he was until he started lifting the really big boxes without an aid. I was glad to have him as my cousin.

It goes like this... My two parents were killed in a car crash about a month ago. And it was because my dad started to lose himself and his mind. He started hallucinating; acting strange from cancer. He even thought once I was mom and tried to sleep with me, but I was able to get out of his grasp, since Dad was never forceful. I was just starting to get comfortable around him when Mom made the stupid decision to let him drive the car. He suddenly got a seizure from the brain tumor, causing us to crash. My parents died, while I survived with a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder.

Today I was moving to my Step Aunt Portia's house. She's Tybalt's father's wife and they were going through the process of a divorce. I don't know anything about Tybalt's father, and all I do know is that he had an affair with my aunt, who also recently died of an illness 3 months ago. Tybalt used to live with her, but after her death, he refused to live with Aunt Portia, and moved in with his dad. I even tried asking Tybalt about his father but he always interrupted me and changed the subject... I wonder what kind of father he has.

I do know one thing, though. Even though he was difficult at times, he always defended me and protected me whenever I was in danger. Whether it was blocking me from getting hurt, comforting me when I was sad, fought for when I was harassed, or just looking out for me from afar, he was always there for me. Even when we were kids. We even lived together for awhile with my family; but he decided he needed to be with his mom. He's hopped a lot from house to house... I even heard some rumors when I was only 13 that he had run away from home, but came back long after.
-
"-Are you sure you're okay?" Tybalt asked with concern, taking off the towel tied around his head. It was always hard to tell how he was feeling, since he always had a tough exterior. Probably from his life experiences.

"Huh-? Yeah why do you ask?" Juliet looked up at him. She must have started daydreaming about her family again. And whenever she did, she always looked gloomy.

"You spaced out for a second there..."

"Oh, yes I was just thinking."

Tybalt leaned against the van as if to say 'step into my office' and crossed his arms. "About?"

"Uhm-" She searched for an answer to give him. "About how you're always so considerate and helpful towards me." She nodded convincingly. "You didn't let me lift one single box; you only let me carry the little things."

"That's because you think that after a month of rest your shoulder and wrist are completely healed." He retorted playfully. "But I know that wasn't what you were thinking about."

Juliet put her hands together and looked down at her brown clog sandals solemnly. It was obvious gloom was draped around her shoulders like a wet shaul. She flinched when a tear leaked and began to wipe her eyes quickly with her wrists and arms. "I'm sorry-" She tried to laugh it off and smile. "I don't know what's gotten into me I shouldn't be upset about this anymore."

Tybalt sighed and threw his towel over his shoulder, pulling Juliet to his chest as he continued to lean on the back of the van. He caressed her hair lovingly and made sure he wasn't pressuring her shoulder. "The death of a parent you're attached to will never be something that could be healed. Don't expect to get over it in a month, idiot."

Juliet sniffed as she clinged to his chest. "Must you insult me while I'm going through a breakdown?"

"But even so..." He continued. "I promise I'll be there for you every step of the way." He ran his fingers through her long red hair one more time before letting go of her. "We better get going. Portia's waiting for you."

"Yeah just... Give me a minute." Juliet turned around and stared up at her house. She started thinking back to when she was little and all of the things her and her family did together. All of her families riches were inherited to her, but she was only 16. She wasn't ready to support herself. So she decided to sell off the house and all of the furniture, but she kept all of the things she found important to her parents. But it wasn't like she was going through that much of a change. She lived in a massive home, and now she was moving into another massive home with her step Aunt.

Tybalt sighed and grabbed Juliet's arm, dragging her to the passenger seat. "C'mon. If you stare any longer, you'll never leave." He closed the door for her and hopped in the drivers seat.

Juliet sighed. "I suppose you're right..."

It was silent as they drove towards Juliet's new life. She was honestly scared to live with someone she never met before. She even tried to convince Tybalt if she could live with him and his dad but he was absolutely against it. He even snapped after a while, so Juliet was even more frightened to live with them. Tybalt made it out to be like his father was some grizzly bear, or a monster that tears into people. So maybe moving in with Portia was the better option anyway. Juliet was getting Tybalt's old room, and she was hoping to find some old photos of him or maybe even a little item that he left behind. As long as it was dirt.

"I didn't think you'd actually wear it." Tybalt said as he drove dangerously relaxed with one hand on the wheel. The way he drove always made Juliet queasy. Quick and rugged.

"What?" Juliet looked up at him nauseated slightly.

"The dress I got you for your sweet sixteen. I didn't think you'd wear it."

"Why? It's really nice and I love it." She giggled, noticing his driving was getting a little more rugged. Possibly from the slight blush he was holding back on the inside in order to keep his manly incognito. Even though he was good at hiding it on the inside, it almost always came back out through his driving.

"I'm glad you approve."

"Pfft. That's it? You're so stiff."

It was quiet once again. So quiet that Juliet dare ask Tybalt a question that shouldn't be asked.

"So uhh... Does your dad have any other kids?"

Tybalt almost drove off the road.

"WOAH!" Juliet grabbed onto the clothes rack that pulled out from the ceiling of the van. "Are you crazy!?"

"Just leave it."

Juliet furrowed her eyebrows. She was just curious about his life. If his father was that bad, why shouldn't she worry about him like he worries for her? If she had a really mean dad, then she knew that Tybalt would have dragged her out of that home. And now that she thought about it, she didn't know anything about his life.

"What is your problem? You always change the subject when I ask. You know everything about my family, why can't I know about yours?"

Tybalt gared into the rearview mirror. "The fact that he had an affair with your aunt says everything about him. Need I say more?"

"Yeah but..." Juliet brought her legs up on her seat and curled up as she leaned against the window. "I'm just worried about you... You make it out to be like you're tracking through Hell."

Tybalt gave a long sigh. "Look, I promise you'll know everything about me soon enough. You're going to start going to my high school anyway. It's not like I can hide it from you. I just don't feel like I should talk about it." He reached an arm out to her and ruffled her hair. "So don't worry about it. We're here."

Tybalt pulled into Portia's driveway without slowing down until he needed to slam the breaks. He pulled the key out and hopped out of the car, leaving Juliet's hairs on the back of her neck standing up from the sudden jerk of the car. When she finally snapped out of it and got out, she put a hand on her chest from extreme breath intake.

"Do you always have to do that?"

"Do what?" Tybalt said, not wanting to hear another lecture about how he breaks almost every road law from Juliet.

"Don't make me explain again." Juliet froze when she saw a beautiful woman step out of the front door of the mansion. Juliet was almost jealous at how beautiful she was.

It was Portia. She approached the two and curtsied, being from a rich family and all. "I'm so happy that you're finally here, Juliet. I haven't seen you in ages."