"Alright everybody; I am going to go visit the mall with Harper. I won't be back till eleven. Don't wait up. See you!" Alex twirled out of the hall. She was wearing a pretty skirt that ended a few inches above her knees, and a daisy yellow top. Her hair was let down; the shiny locks caressing her face gently.
"Alright honey, but don't be later than that. You have school tomorrow, remember? Enjoy!" Theresa, Alex's mother, said to her only daughter's back as it escaped her view point out their main door. She sighed and shook her head, her attention going back to the television show.
Meanwhile, Jerry, Alex's father, was in the subway station, serving the last few customers. Max, Alex's younger brother, was in his room, experimenting with popcorn and sandwiches. That boy had his own reasons for doing whatever he did. No one bothered to question him. Justin, Alex's older brother, was in his own room, studying as usual.
As she walked down the street, Alex smiled to herself; it had been a long time since she had been able to get out of the house for a recreational trip. School work was bogging her down, though she would refuse to admit that she was actually paying attention to her studies. She did want to go to college after all; it was only for so long that she could bear the trauma of sharing a house with her parents.
It was not very late in the evening, though the streets were clear of pedestrians. Alex didn't let that trouble her. She was a bold girl, with an intrepid personality that could scare even the big bullies at high school. She remembered that incident when she had protected Justin from a dunce excuse for a senior. Which reminded her, Justin had been avoiding her a lot lately. Or maybe, they just didn't have the time to talk anymore. She suspected it was the latter. After all, he would be going off to college in a year.
Though Alex would never admit it even if held at sword point, she would actually miss Justin. His awkwardness, his obsession with aliens, his geek instincts - all of these. And obviously, she would miss the constant attention he showered her with: whether it was by making fun of her by insulting her IQ and using outlandish words (he had been preparing for his SATs, but then he had always been too smart for his own good), or by looking out for her and helping her when she really needed it. If you ask her though, she will never admit out loud that she loved being petted by him, being looked after as though she was the one that mattered the most. He really was a cool elder brother, though he could have his moments of disarray. Especially when it came to Alex being hurt or wronged in any way.
She remembered that one particular moment when they were children.
She had gone to her friend's home for a toy-party. When she came back, she was crying. Her parents were not at home; they had an appointment with the doctor. Max had swallowed a bug again. Justin was the only one present, and as much as she wanted someone to hold her in his or her arms, she could not bring herself to go to Justin. They had recently had an enormous fight. She thought he would just turn his back on her; or worse, laugh at her expense.
So she went to the patio and sat staring at the stars. She stared and thought of all that had happened. The laughter still rang in her ears. The insults refused to leave her mind. Her 'friends' had derided her: they had made fun of her hair, her eyes and her slight lisp. Of course, Alex had made some biting retorts as well, and that had effectively shut the girls up. Then she had stormed out of the house, Harper hurrying behind her. Harper's mother gave Alex a lift back home. Only when she was in the safe confines of her house's doorstep did she let her will crumble. She had pretended not to be affected by the scathing remarks, but she was just a young girl; and it hurt. The tears started falling.
Before she could regain her composure, she heard footsteps behind her. She quickly wiped her face and hid it with her hair. The footsteps got closer.
"Alex?" Justin called out. Alex thought of a quick way to cover up her vulnerability. The last thing she needed was him to burst out in laughter at her tear-stained face. She snorted. "Only you would think of questioning something this obvious, Captain Obvious. Or maybe, even that is too obvious a name for you, don't you think?"
Justin narrowed his eyes: he did not like being made fun of. So, seeing this as an opportunity to get a rise out of Alex, he came and sat next to her. A little too close for comfort. Discreetly, Alex wiped at her face some more.
"Well, you know what they say about people rubbing off on you. Especially those with whom you spend a lot of time. Or, in my case, with whom you are forced to spend a lot of time. Having to share a house with you is a cross I have to bear."
Justin looked over at Alex, expecting to get a bitter reply of how he was delusional or just plain ridiculous. However, he did not expect silence. Alex was not the kind to give up competition; especially not when it concerned fighting him. Silence was what he got anyway. Alex seemed to have tuned him out; she was staring at the sky above with an expression akin to - wistfulness? longing? - oh God, it was sadness.
His features softened as he took in hers. He was not used to seeing his baby sister like this - broken and unsure. In fact, he was pretty sure this was the first time these features had ever struck her face. And she had already lived eight years. He was not sure what to do. He first considered just letting her be, but something tugged at his heart (Justin would never admit it later, but he was actually concerned for her; and willing to hurt anyone who hurt his sister. Oh God - his eyes widened in realization. He had just accepted her as his sister without any qualms or tantrums). Instead, he reached out for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Then he withdrew his hand just as quickly and looked around.
Alex seemed to have suddenly gotten aware of his presence. She could still feel that burning warmth his hand had left on hers, even if for a second. It made her feel safe, strangely enough. Little did she know how she would be used to this touch later on in life. Her eyes went wide, and then a smile was beginning to grace her features when her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. Justin had gotten up and left. This was the last straw. She finally succumbed fully to her tears. Thoughts ran through her mind - how even her family did not want her presence, how she had been deserted by the only person in the world who had come close to comforting her, the person whom she trusted the most, though she loathed to admit it.
She had been crying for a good five minutes when a hand rested lightly on her shoulder. A glass of chocolate milkshake floated enticingly in front of her. She looked up and saw Justin offering it to her, his eyes shy and his face sheepish. "Drink up. You will feel better."
She looked at him suspiciously. He chuckled. "I swear I did not poison this. Though I admit I was tempted to." A smile lit up her face. She gave him a toothy grin and patted the side beside her, signaling him to join. He took up the spot and turned halfway towards her.
"So, do you care to tell me what happened?" he asked, lightly rubbing circles over her palm in the comforting way their mother always used to. Alex sniffed; she was just too overwhelmed by all the emotions. Was an eight year old even supposed to have these - these things?
"I was just upset. Those people (she spit out the word like it were venom) said a lot of things. I was just too well-mannered to insult them in their own house. Why invite me if I was not welcome at all?"
"What did they say?"
"Why do you want to know? So that you too can use it against me and make fun of me?"
Hurt flashed across Justin's face. He had never meant to intentionally hurt Alex; and here she was, saying all these inane things.
"I would never do that to you Princess."
It was the tone of his voice, the way it softened when he called her by his (and hers, though she would look at you as if you had grown two antlers if you ever mentioned this to her) favorite nickname for her, that made her look into his eyes. All she saw there was concern for her. And a little tinge of hurt for what she had just said and all that it implied. She swallowed, and amended, "I am sorry. I did not mean to snap at you. They made fun of me, and it just hurt so bad." Tears started filling the corners of her eyes again.
"Hey kiddo. There is no need to cry. Those kids are a bunch of fools if they think you can be made fun of. You are annoying, I'll admit, but you are definitely better than that lot." He hesitantly put an arm around her and rubbed her back. She started taking in deep gasps of air, trying to regain her composure.
After some time, when she was much better, she slid out from under his hold and smiled at him. "They said that my lisp was funny and that my hair made me look like a scarecrow. But then they said they were 'confused', because my eyes made me look like a zombie. So I gave them a piece of my mind. And I might have been a bit brash. I am not sorry, however."
Justin felt relieved - he had expected something much worse. However, it was clear that his sister needed some support from him.
"You did just right. And I think your hair is very pretty. And you inherited our mother's eyes; the same doe eyes. Don't worry, they were just jealous. You do not look like a zombie or a scarecrow at all. And you might want to have that milkshake before I drink it."
He knew it was a weak attempt to lighten her mood. Nevertheless, it worked. Her tinkling laughter reached his ears; he smirked as he saw her raise the glass to her lips, leaning as far away from him as possible.
"I know I did right. And you go make your own milkshake."
And so they spent the rest of the night there, waiting for their parents. All animosities forgotten, they actually got along as friends.
Before going to bed, however, they resolved never to bring up the matter again. To let it remain a 'sibling secret'. And both got into their respective beds, feeling slightly light-headed with happiness and peace.
A smile lit up her face again as she reminisced back to that incident. That had been the first time she had actually thanked God that she had an elder brother; that too, one like Justin. Sure, he teased her like any other brother would, but he also let her know he was there to support her whenever she needed it. Then again, she irritated him relentlessly too. She toed all the rules and broke all curfews, only because she knew he would come through for her in the end. Theirs was a constant ebb and flow relationship; it was difficult to understand and yet it was too straightforward. They worked like a perfect team, with Max providing the occasional oiling required. She knew she would never trade her brothers for all the riches or power in the world. She hoped they knew that too.
As she was walking by a particularly dark alley, she heard a noise behind her. Looking from the corner of her eyes, she saw a man following her. She gripped her cell phone harder. The mall was still two miles away. Her walk became the tiniest bit faster. She quickly unlocked her phone, her hand poised ready to type a message.
She could not inform Harper; her friend would only freak out and have a nervous breakdown wherever she was. Her mother was out of the question; Alex was in no mood to hear her hour-long admonishes on how she should always have a chaperone by her side. Her father was out of the question too, for similar reasons. Max would just be too oblivious to notice his phone buzzing at all. Justin though, Justin would be perfect.
She quickly texted him her location and the situation at hand. As she pressed send, she hoped he would not display his usual histrionics about her spelling and grammar usage. She prayed to God that he would come collect her fast. Only five more minutes.
Justin had been immersed in his books when his phone buzzed. He squinted at it. Alex had messaged him, though why she would do that when she clearly had plans for the evening was beyond him. He unlocked his phone and read the message. The expressions on his features changed from curious to alarmed in a matter of seconds. He got up, grabbed his jacket and phone, the car keys, and headed out the door without informing anyone.
He revved up the engine, driving around corners like a maniac. He would never forgive himself if he was too late. He hoped with all his heart he wasn't.
Alex walked as fast as she could. Her feet gave away though, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened at the touch. Her eyes wide with fear, she turned around. She was greeted with the sight of a clearly drunken man, with food stuck in between his teeth. He grinned at her, causing her to crinkle her nose at the foul smell emanating off him.
"Hey babe." he said. His hand slipped from her shoulder to the small of her back, his grip tightening.
Alex squirmed and pushed at his chest, trying to break free, but the man was too strong for her. He only leered more. She was about to kick him in the groin, but he somehow anticipated her movements and caught her legs in between his own. Alex could smell the grime on him. It would take her hours to feel clean again, assuming she got away in the first place. Which reminded her, how long would it be until Justin arrived again?
Just as he was nearing the street Alex had typed, his eyes caught two people entangled together in a dimly lit corner. The female seemed to be resisting. Quickly recognizing her as his sister, Justin scrambled out of the car and charged towards the man who dared get his dirty hands all over his sister.
Alex was whimpering. The man was stronger than she had anticipated. She could already feel her skin bruising at the areas where he had gripped her ruthlessly. She was so consumed in her attempts at escaping that she did not notice the figure running behind the man, targeting them both.
Suddenly, Alex was knocked to the ground and landed unceremoniously on her butt. She heard a grunt and a loud, dull sound. The harasser fell beside her, unconscious from a blow to the back of his head. A pair of hands grabbed him roughly and threw him to the middle of the street.
Alex had never been as relieved to see her brother as she was now. She looked up at him, fully intent on expressing her gratitude, minus the sarcasm. What her eyes saw, though, shocked her. She had never before seen Justin so livid: his nostrils were flaring, his breathing was ragged, his hair was in a mess, his eyes were dilated and his every nerve seemed to express loathing. However, when he turned to look at her, his gaze softened to such a tender expression as Alex would have deemed impossible.
He bent down on his knees and took her hands in his own. He turned her arms over with such tenderness that Alex wanted to cry. She started shaking, the fear and relief overwhelming her. Justin put his jacket around her and rubbed her arms lightly, hoping to give her some strength. He enveloped her in his arms and closed his eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of her hair. He thanked his stars that he had arrived on time. He dreaded to think what could have happened.
After regaining her composure, Alex nodded to let Justin know she was alright. He took one last look at her all over again. After satisfying himself that there were no injuries, he got up to his feet and gave her his hand. Gently, he put his arm around her and drew her closer to himself.
Leading them back to the car, Justin opened the door for Alex and helped her get in. He then called Harper to tell her that Alex could not come to meet her that day. Meanwhile, Alex just kept on staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. He looked over at her, concerned.
"Are you okay?"
The stupidity of the question in a situation as dire as this made Alex want to laugh out loud. This was the Justin she knew; the one who was absolutely intolerable yet adorably obtuse most of the time. The corners of her mouth quirked up; her eyes lit up just a bit in spite of the duress she was experiencing. Justin seemed to have caught on too, for he laughed and looked apologetic.
"Right. Sorry. Stupid question. You can feel free to smack my head with all your might."
"I would not dream of it. Just out of curiosity though, does the offer still hold whenever I feel like taking it up?"
Justin laughed. Alex looked up at him with all the respect and love she had for him. She reached out for his hand and took it in between her own.
"Thank you Justin. I don't know what would have happened without you."
Alex felt Justin tense up and cast one last look of repugnance toward the drunk. She squeezed his hand lightly and felt his attention back on her.
"How about we hit the cafe by the bookstore and order some chocolate milkshake? My treat." Justin said. Alex grinned at the all too familiar question. "Sure", she replied.
They went to the cafe. After satiating themselves, they started for home. At their respective bedroom doors, they both shook hands solemnly.
"We never talk about how I helped you tonight ever again. Got it?"
It was history repeating itself all over. It was all that Alex could do not to hug the living daylights out of him. Instead, she just grinned.
They both went to sleep that night, light-headed, relief washing down all over them. Alex once again thanked her stars for letting her have Justin as a brother. Because honestly, she didn't know what she would do without him.