Someone on Mark's Side
by Tie-B
Chapter IV
Disclaimer: Aside from the fictional character Dylan, I don't own anything in this fic.
I apologize for the lack of updates. I had an art contest entry to finish and a test to study for.
---
Mark woke up the next day feeling a bit dazed. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to recall last night's events.
He remembered writing about his whole problem to the Net Angels website as he sat up on his bed. For a moment, he wondered if it really was such a good idea.
If his problem was posted online, there was no doubt that Brad and Randy would know it was he who sent it even though the Net Angels changed names to protect the privacy of the students. That would make Mark look really desperate. That would mean more verbal torture.
Big mistake.
Regret coursed through Mark for sending that entry. He can't do anything about it now. He could only hope that his submission wouldn't be posted online or that Brad and Randy wouldn't care to drop by the site.
Mark paused his worrying and looked at his wall clock and got up to get ready for school.
Maybe he could catch a chat with the guy who beat up Jason later.
---
Downstairs, Brad was already having a breakfast prepared by Jill. The meal wasn't so bad this time. The tofu actually tasted like tofu. Too bad Randy wasn't around. He would have loved it.
Tim wasn't there either. He went off early to look for some more parts for another one of his Tool Time gadgets.
Brad usually left early too; just to avoid his mom's cooking. That wasn't the case this time. He was waiting for Mark. After what Lauren told him and Randy yesterday, Brad wanted to have a talk with his brother, to patch things up, while giving him a ride to school.
Brad could hear the shower running upstairs. It won't be long until Mark comes down.
Over the counter, Jill saw that Brad was actually eating. "So, do you like my new and improved Tuna Surprise?"
Brad froze like a statue in shock.
"TUNA?!"
Jill gave him a puzzled look.
"Mom, I actually thought it was tofu!"
Jill couldn't decide whether that was a compliment or not so she just decided to laugh at the remark. "Well, that's why it's called Tuna Surprise."
Brad laughed as well. Then he heard the shower stop. Mark would be coming down soon. He quickly grabbed a table napkin and to wipe his mouth and got up.
Jill saw him get up and reminded him of Randy's request. "Oh, Brad, before you leave, could you get the laptop and Randy's box of diskettes from downstairs and bring it over to him on your way back? He says he needs it to write his article."
"Well, the laptop's already in the car. I'm going to go get the disks right now. If Mark comes down, tell him to stay put. I'm going to give him a ride to school."
Brad rushed down into the basement to get Randy's box of disks. As he opened the door to Randy's room, he realized he had to find them first. It wasn't going to be easy considering that he rarely visits the place. It almost felt like he entered a hidden door to a part of the house he'd never seen before.
Brad pulled open younger brother's desk drawer. Aside from a lot of pictures of Randy and Lauren, there was nothing. Brad sighed. This was definitely going to take some time.
---
"Good morning Mark," Jill tried to greet as Mark came down the stairs.
No reply. He didn't even try to look at her. Jill concluded he was still upset about those karate lessons.
Sure Brad and Randy were jerks when it comes to treating Mark, but that's no reason for him to try and beat them up. Mark was supposed to use his karate only to defend himself, not to exact revenge on his brothers. If he wasn't going to use the skill properly, then it was Jill's responsibility as Mark's mother to make sure Mark realizes his mistake.
And as Brad's mother, she had to relay a message. "Look, Mark, Brad told me to tell you to wait for him. He's going to drive you to school today."
Mark stopped, but didn't turn around. "Forget it. I still remember that time I was still upstairs and they told you I was already in the school bus. Heck, Randy even took my allowance from you saying he was going to give it to me." There was a short pause as the memory sparked more hatred within Mark. "I'm outta here. Why don't you tell him I'm still upstairs so he'll know how it feels?"
Mark walked out the front door before Jill could say anything in response.
As Jill went over to hey study, she remembered her conversation with Mark yesterday, if you can even call that a conversation...
"How could you say that? He's your brother!"
"Well, he never really acted like one to me!"
Jill could remember the scorn in Mark's voice. It was the kind found only in the painful truth.
The sound of footsteps thundered up the staircase and Brad emerged from the basement holding Randy's disk box.
"Brad, you're too late. Mark already left," Jill informed him.
"What? I was supposed to give him a ride to school."
Jill sat down on her chair. "Well, he left only a couple of minutes ago. You should be able to catch up to him."
"Alright. Thanks mom." With that, Brad bolted for the garage.
Jill slumped down in her chair. Brad was planning to give Mark a ride to school. Who was Mark to say that his brothers didn't care about him? In the corner of her eye, Jill saw the teen psychology book she bought for school sometime back. She never did get to use it much on Brad or Randy. Maybe it would prove useful for Mark's case. Jill reached for it and pulled it out from underneath two other books and opened it to the table of contents.
---
Mark walked down the sidewalk to school again. He was pretty sure Brad wanted to drive him to school so he could talk to him, maybe even apologize. Mark's head was denying any idea why he decided to spit Brad's offer right back into his mom's face. His heart on the other hand, knew that Mark was enjoying his retribution and he wanted to make it last as long as possible.
Yes, that was it. As Mark continued to hate, his guilt continued to fade away. The less his guilt, the better he felt.
In the distance behind him, Mark heard the familiar purring of a car. He reached the end of the block and made a turn. Mark dismissed the car as unimportant until he recognized the engine's sound. Mark's heart skipped a beat.
It was the Nomad! Brad was about to come around the corner!
There was no outrunning a car. Desperate to escape a talk with his older brother, Mark's eyes darted around, searching for a place to hide.
Tree. Dumpster. Lamppost. Seven Eleven?
Perfect!
Mark made a dash for the store, swinging the glass doors wide open as he went in.
Mark put on a face that made him look like he had to go bad. "I need to use the restroom," he hastily told the clerk, who just nodded and pointed to door at the back. Wasting no time, Mark made his path behind a shelf, just in case Brad would pass by, and to the restroom.
He didn't really need to take a leak. The truth was, Mark forgot to take a drink before going to bed and he was very thirsty. He was very impressed by his acting when he told the clerk that he had to go. For a moment, Mark considered forgetting about directing and just concentrate on acting, but decided against it.
He wanted a position that had control of the camera, just like the position he was in now.
Mom and Dad could cancel his karate, but in time, he could learn more from Jason's little nemesis. Brad and Randy could make fun of him, but he'd just beat them up and make them regret it. The ability of defiance made Mark feel powerful, in control and free.
Mark smiled at himself in the bathroom mirror.
He didn't notice that his soul was slowly turning as black as his clothes.
---
"Hey, Ronnie. Have you seen Mark?"
Ronnie turned his head to the voice. It was Brad. If Ronnie was surprised, he didn't show it through his impenetrable poker face.
"No."
Ronnie had a certain buzz to him that made Brad feel a bit uneasy. Brad decided to cut this interrogation really short. As turned he to walk away, he was still able to hear Ronnie mention a few words.
"Since when did you care about him?"
The first words to form in Brad's head were "I" and "don't". He managed to stop his tongue before saying them out loud. And that's when he realized Lauren was right.
Brad had been picking on Mark for so long that it was already something automatic.
Did he really not care about his youngest brother? He cared about Randy. Despite their differences, he and Brad get along pretty well. But what about Mark the annoying dork?
Of course Brad cared. He was his brother too.
But did it show?
No. It didn't.
Maybe it had something to do with their age gap?
No. It had more to do with Brad protecting his own image by trying not to be seen in public with his dorky little bro.
Ronnie's words started to hurt like a soccer ball in the gut.
Brad looked at his watch and found only fifteen more minutes before the first bell. Mark had lots of time to get to school.
---
School was still three blocks away. Mark gulped down the last drop of the cherry Gatorade he bought just before leaving the Seven Eleven. Gatorade, walking to school, beating up his brothers, not apologizing, hiding from Brad and lying to Seven Eleven clerks; Mark never had this much fun in his life before. It felt as good as the adrenaline rush of sparring in karate or even the excitement of flying a plane.
Mark came upon the garbage can he kicked down yesterday. It was set neatly upright again, but it was still the same grime-covered can. A horrible odor assaulted Mark's nostrils as he lifted the lid with the tips of his fingers. He hurled the empty Gatorade bottle inside as quickly as he could and slammed the lid shut.
As Mark turned away, he felt his backpack rub against the filthy trashcan.
"Gross!" was his description as he got a closer look on the stain it left on his bag. It had the same rancid stench as the can's contents.
Mark sent the can tumbling to the ground with another sidekick. The clanging sound echoed through the morning streets. It wasn't going to go unnoticed this time.
"Hey you!" came an unfamiliar voice from behind Mark.
"So, you're the one who's been knocking our can down!"
Mark turned around to see who it was and regretted it immediately. The voice came from a tall man in his early twenties, with messy, sprawling hair and bags under his eyes. He had a really pissed off expression on his face and was carrying a lead pipe.
Behind him were two other guys. Mark estimated one to be about Brad's age, only this was a probably juvenile delinquent. His hair was in spikes and tattoos were all over his arms and even his face.
The other guy was no less intimidating. He reminded Mark a lot of Jason, yet this guy was bald. A cigarette was in his mouth, or at least Mark thought it was a cigarette.
The man with the lead pipe spoke again, "What do you have to say for yourself young man?"
"I...I'm sorry?" Mark managed to stammer, even though he knocked the can over on purpose.
The man wasn't convinced. "I don't think that's good enough kiddo. We're going to have to make you pay for the damages!"
As the man in front took a few steps forward swinging his pipe around, Mark noticed him slightly swaying from side to side. He wasn't sober. The other two were probably the same. That gave Mark a small glimmer of hope that with the right moves, he could come out of this mess alive.
Mark tried to fight his shivering and assumed his fighting stance. This was just like the time Randy got in trouble in the shoe store, only this time, Mark didn't have the element of surprise with him.
Mark continued shivering. He never thought that would make such a huge difference.
by Tie-B
Chapter IV
Disclaimer: Aside from the fictional character Dylan, I don't own anything in this fic.
I apologize for the lack of updates. I had an art contest entry to finish and a test to study for.
---
Mark woke up the next day feeling a bit dazed. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to recall last night's events.
He remembered writing about his whole problem to the Net Angels website as he sat up on his bed. For a moment, he wondered if it really was such a good idea.
If his problem was posted online, there was no doubt that Brad and Randy would know it was he who sent it even though the Net Angels changed names to protect the privacy of the students. That would make Mark look really desperate. That would mean more verbal torture.
Big mistake.
Regret coursed through Mark for sending that entry. He can't do anything about it now. He could only hope that his submission wouldn't be posted online or that Brad and Randy wouldn't care to drop by the site.
Mark paused his worrying and looked at his wall clock and got up to get ready for school.
Maybe he could catch a chat with the guy who beat up Jason later.
---
Downstairs, Brad was already having a breakfast prepared by Jill. The meal wasn't so bad this time. The tofu actually tasted like tofu. Too bad Randy wasn't around. He would have loved it.
Tim wasn't there either. He went off early to look for some more parts for another one of his Tool Time gadgets.
Brad usually left early too; just to avoid his mom's cooking. That wasn't the case this time. He was waiting for Mark. After what Lauren told him and Randy yesterday, Brad wanted to have a talk with his brother, to patch things up, while giving him a ride to school.
Brad could hear the shower running upstairs. It won't be long until Mark comes down.
Over the counter, Jill saw that Brad was actually eating. "So, do you like my new and improved Tuna Surprise?"
Brad froze like a statue in shock.
"TUNA?!"
Jill gave him a puzzled look.
"Mom, I actually thought it was tofu!"
Jill couldn't decide whether that was a compliment or not so she just decided to laugh at the remark. "Well, that's why it's called Tuna Surprise."
Brad laughed as well. Then he heard the shower stop. Mark would be coming down soon. He quickly grabbed a table napkin and to wipe his mouth and got up.
Jill saw him get up and reminded him of Randy's request. "Oh, Brad, before you leave, could you get the laptop and Randy's box of diskettes from downstairs and bring it over to him on your way back? He says he needs it to write his article."
"Well, the laptop's already in the car. I'm going to go get the disks right now. If Mark comes down, tell him to stay put. I'm going to give him a ride to school."
Brad rushed down into the basement to get Randy's box of disks. As he opened the door to Randy's room, he realized he had to find them first. It wasn't going to be easy considering that he rarely visits the place. It almost felt like he entered a hidden door to a part of the house he'd never seen before.
Brad pulled open younger brother's desk drawer. Aside from a lot of pictures of Randy and Lauren, there was nothing. Brad sighed. This was definitely going to take some time.
---
"Good morning Mark," Jill tried to greet as Mark came down the stairs.
No reply. He didn't even try to look at her. Jill concluded he was still upset about those karate lessons.
Sure Brad and Randy were jerks when it comes to treating Mark, but that's no reason for him to try and beat them up. Mark was supposed to use his karate only to defend himself, not to exact revenge on his brothers. If he wasn't going to use the skill properly, then it was Jill's responsibility as Mark's mother to make sure Mark realizes his mistake.
And as Brad's mother, she had to relay a message. "Look, Mark, Brad told me to tell you to wait for him. He's going to drive you to school today."
Mark stopped, but didn't turn around. "Forget it. I still remember that time I was still upstairs and they told you I was already in the school bus. Heck, Randy even took my allowance from you saying he was going to give it to me." There was a short pause as the memory sparked more hatred within Mark. "I'm outta here. Why don't you tell him I'm still upstairs so he'll know how it feels?"
Mark walked out the front door before Jill could say anything in response.
As Jill went over to hey study, she remembered her conversation with Mark yesterday, if you can even call that a conversation...
"How could you say that? He's your brother!"
"Well, he never really acted like one to me!"
Jill could remember the scorn in Mark's voice. It was the kind found only in the painful truth.
The sound of footsteps thundered up the staircase and Brad emerged from the basement holding Randy's disk box.
"Brad, you're too late. Mark already left," Jill informed him.
"What? I was supposed to give him a ride to school."
Jill sat down on her chair. "Well, he left only a couple of minutes ago. You should be able to catch up to him."
"Alright. Thanks mom." With that, Brad bolted for the garage.
Jill slumped down in her chair. Brad was planning to give Mark a ride to school. Who was Mark to say that his brothers didn't care about him? In the corner of her eye, Jill saw the teen psychology book she bought for school sometime back. She never did get to use it much on Brad or Randy. Maybe it would prove useful for Mark's case. Jill reached for it and pulled it out from underneath two other books and opened it to the table of contents.
---
Mark walked down the sidewalk to school again. He was pretty sure Brad wanted to drive him to school so he could talk to him, maybe even apologize. Mark's head was denying any idea why he decided to spit Brad's offer right back into his mom's face. His heart on the other hand, knew that Mark was enjoying his retribution and he wanted to make it last as long as possible.
Yes, that was it. As Mark continued to hate, his guilt continued to fade away. The less his guilt, the better he felt.
In the distance behind him, Mark heard the familiar purring of a car. He reached the end of the block and made a turn. Mark dismissed the car as unimportant until he recognized the engine's sound. Mark's heart skipped a beat.
It was the Nomad! Brad was about to come around the corner!
There was no outrunning a car. Desperate to escape a talk with his older brother, Mark's eyes darted around, searching for a place to hide.
Tree. Dumpster. Lamppost. Seven Eleven?
Perfect!
Mark made a dash for the store, swinging the glass doors wide open as he went in.
Mark put on a face that made him look like he had to go bad. "I need to use the restroom," he hastily told the clerk, who just nodded and pointed to door at the back. Wasting no time, Mark made his path behind a shelf, just in case Brad would pass by, and to the restroom.
He didn't really need to take a leak. The truth was, Mark forgot to take a drink before going to bed and he was very thirsty. He was very impressed by his acting when he told the clerk that he had to go. For a moment, Mark considered forgetting about directing and just concentrate on acting, but decided against it.
He wanted a position that had control of the camera, just like the position he was in now.
Mom and Dad could cancel his karate, but in time, he could learn more from Jason's little nemesis. Brad and Randy could make fun of him, but he'd just beat them up and make them regret it. The ability of defiance made Mark feel powerful, in control and free.
Mark smiled at himself in the bathroom mirror.
He didn't notice that his soul was slowly turning as black as his clothes.
---
"Hey, Ronnie. Have you seen Mark?"
Ronnie turned his head to the voice. It was Brad. If Ronnie was surprised, he didn't show it through his impenetrable poker face.
"No."
Ronnie had a certain buzz to him that made Brad feel a bit uneasy. Brad decided to cut this interrogation really short. As turned he to walk away, he was still able to hear Ronnie mention a few words.
"Since when did you care about him?"
The first words to form in Brad's head were "I" and "don't". He managed to stop his tongue before saying them out loud. And that's when he realized Lauren was right.
Brad had been picking on Mark for so long that it was already something automatic.
Did he really not care about his youngest brother? He cared about Randy. Despite their differences, he and Brad get along pretty well. But what about Mark the annoying dork?
Of course Brad cared. He was his brother too.
But did it show?
No. It didn't.
Maybe it had something to do with their age gap?
No. It had more to do with Brad protecting his own image by trying not to be seen in public with his dorky little bro.
Ronnie's words started to hurt like a soccer ball in the gut.
Brad looked at his watch and found only fifteen more minutes before the first bell. Mark had lots of time to get to school.
---
School was still three blocks away. Mark gulped down the last drop of the cherry Gatorade he bought just before leaving the Seven Eleven. Gatorade, walking to school, beating up his brothers, not apologizing, hiding from Brad and lying to Seven Eleven clerks; Mark never had this much fun in his life before. It felt as good as the adrenaline rush of sparring in karate or even the excitement of flying a plane.
Mark came upon the garbage can he kicked down yesterday. It was set neatly upright again, but it was still the same grime-covered can. A horrible odor assaulted Mark's nostrils as he lifted the lid with the tips of his fingers. He hurled the empty Gatorade bottle inside as quickly as he could and slammed the lid shut.
As Mark turned away, he felt his backpack rub against the filthy trashcan.
"Gross!" was his description as he got a closer look on the stain it left on his bag. It had the same rancid stench as the can's contents.
Mark sent the can tumbling to the ground with another sidekick. The clanging sound echoed through the morning streets. It wasn't going to go unnoticed this time.
"Hey you!" came an unfamiliar voice from behind Mark.
"So, you're the one who's been knocking our can down!"
Mark turned around to see who it was and regretted it immediately. The voice came from a tall man in his early twenties, with messy, sprawling hair and bags under his eyes. He had a really pissed off expression on his face and was carrying a lead pipe.
Behind him were two other guys. Mark estimated one to be about Brad's age, only this was a probably juvenile delinquent. His hair was in spikes and tattoos were all over his arms and even his face.
The other guy was no less intimidating. He reminded Mark a lot of Jason, yet this guy was bald. A cigarette was in his mouth, or at least Mark thought it was a cigarette.
The man with the lead pipe spoke again, "What do you have to say for yourself young man?"
"I...I'm sorry?" Mark managed to stammer, even though he knocked the can over on purpose.
The man wasn't convinced. "I don't think that's good enough kiddo. We're going to have to make you pay for the damages!"
As the man in front took a few steps forward swinging his pipe around, Mark noticed him slightly swaying from side to side. He wasn't sober. The other two were probably the same. That gave Mark a small glimmer of hope that with the right moves, he could come out of this mess alive.
Mark tried to fight his shivering and assumed his fighting stance. This was just like the time Randy got in trouble in the shoe store, only this time, Mark didn't have the element of surprise with him.
Mark continued shivering. He never thought that would make such a huge difference.