Flashback- Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except for Chloe and anyone else not seen or mentioned in the show.

Rated: PG-13

Summary: Dustin is supposed to be the goofy one, the one that just doesn't have problems. But guess what? He does.

Author's Note: This is my first PR fic, bear with me here!

            Things got really bad when Chloe started school with us. I thought that maybe my friends would tolerate her and be nice. Boy was I wrong. It was like they all decided to turn against me all of the sudden. I knew they didn't like my sister much, but I hoped that they wouldn't rag on her for my sake. I guess I didn't know them that well.

*~*

            "Okay so…where's my first period class again?" Chloe asked in exasperation. I sighed. She was already lost and we hadn't even gotten to her locker yet.

            "You have first period with Hunter and Tori, okay? They'll show you where it is," I told her stopping at her locker, "Here it is. Mine is right down the hall so I'll be right back. Don't move." I slowly backed away and winked at her before turning and opening my locker quickly. I was glad that Tori and Hunter also had Home Economics, a class with combined grades, first period. After that, I didn't know what she'd do.

            "You never told me she was coming to school here," Shane hissed in my ear. I jumped in surprise.

            "Dude, don't do that to me! I thought you were someone else!"

            "Sorry man. But seriously what the hell is she doing here?"

            "Uh…going to school?" And they said I was the dumb one.

            "But…but…"

            "Look," I said impatiently, "Just because she got into some trouble before doesn't mean that she hasn't changed. She's still my little sister and she's a great person. So deal." I stalked away from my so-called best friend and approached Chloe, hoping she didn't hear any of it. Luckily Hunter had found her and was talking to her. At least he was being nice.

            "Don't worry Dustin, I'll be fine," Chloe promised, reading my mind. But I did worry. I worried that she would be judged by the whole school. I worried that she'd get lost. I worried that she wouldn't be okay. We didn't even have the same lunch period. I worried for the whole day, even when I got to Storm Chargers after school and was fixing bikes. I hadn't seen Chloe since that morning and I was worried. I was absent mindedly fixing up a bike that was brought in when the bells jangled and a bunch of kids from school walked in. I was half-scared of them, but there wasn't much I could do. Kelly had run out to pick up a new order with Blake and Hunter so I was the only one in the store.

            "Are you Dustin Brooks?" one of the guys asked. I think he was a football player or something.

            "Yeah, can I help you?" I tried to keep my cool. What these guys wanted, I had no idea. All I knew was that I was not looking for any trouble.

            "I guess you can."

            "What?" I was getting confused.

            "Man, what's your problem? Our school has a great reputation and suddenly you bring that whore of a sister of yours into the school and you know what? It's not so great anymore."

            "Yeah? One day of school and you know her so well already?" I yelled in his face.

            He snorted a laugh and his little cronies laughed along, "Everyone knows what her type is like. They're all the same."

            "Her type? What the fuck are you talking about, her type? You don't even know her!"

            "Yes, her type," he yelled back in my face, "She has a fucking record and she's a fucking druggie!" Oh, now he was just asking for it. I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, trying my best not to lunge at him and knock his brains out. He had no idea what she'd been through and there was no way in fucking hell I'd let him diss her like that.

            "Take it back," I said, my voice shaking with anger.

            He just laughed, "I don't think so, genius. You ride motocross like you rule the world. Let's see if you can fight like it too."

            "I don't need to fight to prove myself to you assholes."

            "I knew it! You're a fucking pansy; all motocross guys are." Boxes dropped. I looked up and saw Hunter and Blake standing in the doorway, looking royally pissed. Before I knew what happened, a fist connected with my face. I reeled back against the counter. Oh that was it. This was war. I lunged at the guy, my fists flying all over the place. He didn't exactly stand there and let me hit him either. Hunter and Blake came to my aid, taking on his friends. I pinned the asshole to the ground.

            "You think I'm a pansy?! You think it's some easy feat going up there and risking your neck?" It wasn't even about Chloe anymore; it was personal. These guys just wanted to spite me. And well, it worked.

            "It doesn't take any guts to ride a damn bike!"

            "It doesn't take any brains to play football either. Then again, maybe that's why you play it!" He punched me in the gut and I flew off of him. Snarling he sprang at me, but I kicked him where the sun just don't shine. Usually I have sympathy for guys when that happens. This guy, though, I would gladly do it over again.

            "What the hell…" Kelly ran into the store and tore the three of us off of the stupid jocks, "Get out of my store right now!" she yelled at them. Kelly could be pretty scary when she got mad. The jocks beat it out of there pretty quickly. Then she turned on us.

            "What the hell were you guys thinking? Are you trying to get yourselves killed? Dustin?"

            "Sorry," I muttered, "They were ragging on my sister." It sounded stupid, even to me, when I said it out loud. But she wasn't even there when it happened so she wouldn't understand.

            "And that gives you the right to start a fight with him?"

            "Kelly," Blake came to my defense, "They started it with him, actually." It was silent for a moment before she finally sighed and shook her head.

            "You're lucky I need you around here, Dustin. Go get some ice for that eye and straighten this place out." I nodded and busied myself in the back room with the ice pack. Hunter and Blake followed me in and watched as I carefully placed the pack on my eye.

            "You okay, man?" Hunter finally spoke up.

            I nodded.

            "Dude, you shouldn't let them provoke you like that, especially not for your sister," Blake commented. My temper started to flare up again. I think Hunter saw that because he quickly shot a warning glance at Blake.

            "What the hell do you have against her?" I asked him angrily.

            "Hey, look," he held up his hands in defense, "I hate those assholes just as much as you do, but they have a point. Your sister is definitely bad karma for us."

            I glared at him before muttering under my breath, "I have to get back to work." I left the backroom and headed towards the bike waiting to be fixed.

            "Hey," Hunter said from the doorway.

            "What? Do you have something to say about my sister too?" I didn't even look up at him.

            "Yeah, I do," he said softly, "She's really nice. She's funny and I like her. I don't see why everyone else doesn't."

            I looked up, surprised, "You really think so, man?"

            "Yeah I do! Yesterday when I was walking with her back to Storm Chargers, she said something that totally reminded me of you. Sometimes, you can just tell that you two are related," he smiled, "Don't worry about Blake and the others. Don't let them get to you. They'll come around eventually."

            "I hope so. I don't know if I can stand it if they don't."

            He nodded. It was silent for awhile before he spoke up again, "Can I ask you a question?"

            "You're not going to propose to me, are you dude?" I asked him jokingly.

            Hunter just laughed, "Seriously, man."

            "Yeah, sure…shoot."

            "What happened with your father and Chloe?" I felt my breath catch in my throat.

            "Uh…I'm not really sure," I told him truthfully, "You can ask her. She never really told me."

            "Oh. You guys don't like him much?"

            "That's an understatement," I sighed, putting down the wrench I was holding and jumping up onto the counter next to him, "Look if I tell you something, do you promise you won't tell anyone else?"

            He nodded, "I promise. Not even Blake or anyone."

            "Okay. Well, our father isn't around anymore. He's not allowed to be," I took in a shaky breath before continuing, "He was a drunk, a druggie, anything you could think of he probably did. He abused us. My sister, me, and my mom. When Chloe left for boarding school, things got really out of control. Chloe sent a phone number home in one of her letters and told me to call it. It was a hotline for people who got abused and stuff. I didn't call, though. I was scared because my dad could be really mean. I stayed out of the house a lot, but I think that made it worse than anything. Whenever I actually came home, I got the beating of a lifetime and I expected it every time. I hated going back to the dump that was my house. But I went back every time because I was worried about my mother. He abused her all the time and she couldn't avoid it because she was his wife. He abused her sexually too. It was my birthday last month. When I came home from school, my mom was no where to be found and my father was waiting for me with a belt and a stick in hand. And I…" I trailed off. I couldn't finish.

            Hunter watched me carefully, "You what?"

*~*

            I don't know why it was so hard for me to tell Hunter the rest of the story, maybe it was just the memories haunting me again. Somehow, he got the rest of it out of me though.

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