At thirteen years old, Dallas Genoard decided to run away from home.
He kneeled on the plush carpet of his bedroom floor, stuffing his belongings into a small suitcase, shoving down on the pile of clothes to try and make it all fit. He had trouble choosing what to bring along - after all, he had so many possessions to choose from, and he didn't want to give any of it up. But Dallas figured he'd be making plenty of money on his own soon. How hard could it be? Especially for someone as smart as him. He had so many ideas for money-making schemes, and he just knew they'd all catch on. And if times got rough - so what? He'd just hit up his parents and guilt trip them into handing over some money. For the time being, though, he stashed wads of cash in the lining of his suitcase. Some of it came from his allowance, but he tended to blow that within days, so most of the cash he'd filched from around the house. No one would miss it anyway.
Just like no one would miss him.
Not his older brother Jeffrey, the prodigal son who was too busy basking in his position as heir to spare any attention for Dallas. He had too many responsibilities to entertain the middle child, though Dallas thought the excuse was bunk. How hard could it be, getting to be the center of family attention all the time? If Dallas was the heir, he'd be living it up. Jeffrey was just too stupid to know what to do with his fortune.
His father wouldn't miss him either. The man was always working, and when he was home, spent most of his time teaching Jeffrey the family business. That, or doting over Eve, who was at the age where she apparently needed a lot of guidance. Sure, he was nice to them. But when he talked to Dallas, it was always to yell at him for being rude or inattentive or 'blemishing the family name' or something equally ridiculous.
'The family name.' Dallas scoffed at the thought. His father thought the younger son didn't know how the Genoards made their fortune, but Dallas did. He'd heard his father talking about it, had seen the evidence. He wasn't stupid, not like his dad and brother thought. He knew what his father did, knew that his family's reputation was built on illegal deals and underhanded means. His father could pretend the Genoards were some spotless, prestigious lineage, but Dallas knew the truth, and he wasn't going to pretend to be someone he wasn't. Not for the sake of this family that didn't even pay him his proper dues.
In his heart, Dallas believed he was meant to be somebody. Someone important. Still, no one else seemed to possess any faith in him, nor did they pay his opinions any attention. He had all the money he could need at hand, a name that instilled respect, and yet no one listened to him. Everyone waved him away when he spoke, or laughed in his face. What did they know anyway? Bunch of idiots, all of them, thinking they were so superior. Well, he'd show them. He'd run off and make a name for himself, and they'd all be sorry. He'd walk over anyone who stood in his way, just like his dear old dad, and he'd show them all that he was worth something.
At least his friends listened to him. They respected him, just like everyone should. He bought them booze from a back-alley distributer and beat to hell anyone who insulted him, and they followed him like sheep. They didn't like him, but who needed that anyway? Better to be in charge than loved. He'd probably hook up with one of them and crash at their place for a while before finding somewhere to stay permanently. He hadn't told any of them this plan yet, but he was sure they'd go along with it. Dallas grinned, proud of how well he'd thought this over.
With a click, he locked the suitcase shut. He ran his hand over the smooth leather fabric, admiring the high quality of the case. He's stolen it from Jeffrey's room earlier that evening, figuring his brother didn't need it anyway. Dallas hefted up the suitcase and slipped out the door of his room. His father and older brother had gone out for the night, forgetting to tell Dallas their destination as usual, which left only Eve and the servants. And none of the workers ever questioned his coming and going. He spent most nights hanging out on the streets with his friends these days.
Dallas made it halfway to the stairs when he heard a door creak open. Expecting one of the maids, he glanced to the side, only to see Eve peeking out of her room. His little sister hugged the wooden doorframe, dressed in a long pink nightgown. One of the servants must have put her to bed earlier, since Dallas sure as hell didn't play babysitter.
"You want something?" He asked.
When she'd first been born, Dallas had no idea what to make of Eve. In fact, he'd been resentful for the first couple years, since the new sibling stole even more attention away from him. That was, until he noticed the girl looked at him like he'd hung the stars in the sky, like he was exactly the hero he always thought of himself as. She wasn't disrespectful or stupid like Jeffrey or his dad - Eve was different. She was the only member of the family he could tolerate. Didn't mean she wasn't annoying sometimes, though. He gave her a stern expression, not wanting to deal with her childishness tonight.
Eve pointed at his suitcase. "Where are you going?"
Dallas glared at her. "Nowhere. Don't worry about it."
"Dad carries one of them when he goes away for a long time. Are you going away, Dallas?" She looked up at him with large eyes, which sparkled with an innocent worry. Dallas hated when she looked at him that way, as if he needed her concern.
"I said stop badgering me about it. Isn't it late? Go to bed already." He said, jabbing a finger towards her room. Someone should have tucked her in already, at this hour. Did he have to do everything himself? Everyone around there was just so useless.
The young girl looked down at the ground. In a soft voice, she explained, "I couldn't sleep. Can you tell me a story?"
" What? Do I look like I have time for that? Go ask one of the servants or something." Dallas said, turning to leave.
"But I don't like their stories as much as yours, Dallas. You're the best at it."
The best. The words halted the middle child, who never heard those words ascribed to him. It was true, he had a knack for telling tales to his little sister. Dallas even enjoyed it, making up adventures and casting himself as the lead hero. Plus, he liked the look on her face when he finished an exciting story, the closest to admiration he'd ever gotten. Dallas groaned as he realized he'd trapped himself, that he couldn't resist abiding by Eve's request.
"Alright, alright, but it'll be a quick one, okay? Now scram on inside and get in bed." He said.
Grinning, Eve opened the door and turned, scurrying over to her bed, which was much too big for the tiny girl. In fact, the whole room was enormous, though Dallas was used to having a large amount of space. It occurred to him that his next place of residence might not be as roomy, a thought he met with disdain. He followed Eve inside and sat down on her bed as she slipped beneath the covers and made herself comfortable.
"Okay, now see here, this story is about, ah - a knight! Yeah, a knight. And he's on this journey, right? So here's how it starts - "
For the next half-hour, Dallas spun a fairy tale for his little sister. He based it on a story about King Arthur he'd heard in school, knowing Eve wouldn't know the difference, but added many of his own elements. Well, he'd forgotten half of the original story, since school wasn't worth his attention, so he needed to make most of it up. By the time Dallas finished, with the rescue of the damsel in distress and the knight's return home, Eve was half-asleep.
"There you go. Happy? Now go to sleep." He said, leaning over to pick up the suitcase he'd put on the floor. As he started to stand up from the bed, a hand grabbed the fabric of his jacket and tugged.
He looked to see Eve staring up at him with wide eyes and a frown turning her small lips.
"What do you want now?" He asked.
"I don't like being here alone. I'm scared, and Dad and Jeffrey are gone again. Can you stay with me? Please?" She asked.
Dallas grimaced, thinking about his plan to leave that night. If he waited until tomorrow, and his dad and brother came home, he'd have to put off his plans another week at least. He didn't know how much longer he could stand being around those people. But Eve looked at him with such hope, that he didn't know if he could refuse her. No one had ever needed him before. Hell, no one had even really wanted him around before Eve. Thinking it over, Dallas figured he could wait until she fell asleep and then slip out. No harm in sticking around for a couple more hours.
"Fine. Just let me go get the lights, alright?" He said, shaking off her arm and getting up.
Dropping the suitcase again, he crossed the room and turned off the light, and when he turned around, Eve had the blankets clutched to her chest, still watching him. What, was she afraid he'd leave? Dallas didn't get it. He didn't understand a lot of things about Eve. He just knew he liked feeling important to someone. He wanted to be the protector, the knight, she thought he was.
Dallas returned to her bed and positioned himself so that he laid on his back next to her, on top of the blanket. He folded his hands beneath his head and stared at the ceiling, wondering how long he'd have to stay there. To his dismay, Eve rolled over and threw an arm across his waist, clutching his shirt fabric and nuzzling her forehead against his side. He brought one hand down and patted her head, resting it atop her soft tresses.
"Night, Eve." He said.
"Night, Dallas." She whispered, eyes closed.
In only a few minutes, Eve's breathing had slowed to a steady rhythm, her muscles lax against his body. Dallas saw his chance to escape, to flee as he'd planned earlier. But he also knew that if he moved, he risked waking her back up, and then he'd have to explain himself. Not to mention, he'd have to see the look in her eyes when she realized he'd lied to her. In fact, if he left, he'd probably have to see that look often from her. Then he'd be important to nobody again.
Besides that, his own eyes felt heavy, and sleep tugged at his consciousness. The luxurious bed beneath him was comfortable, and he didn't feel like moving. He glanced at Eve, whose face appeared peaceful as she slumbered, before closing his own eyes. Dallas relaxed, surprised to find that he took comfort in the presence of his sister beside him. Not everything was loathsome about this household after all. He thought about the suitcase he'd packed, and realized he had no intention of leaving that night, the next day, or even next week.
For Eve's sake, at least - he'd try to stay a little while longer.
A/N: I wanted to work with the dynamics of the Genoard family, and the result was this set of three companion pieces. Thanks for reading!
