Second Chapter is here: this is a flashback. All flashbacks will be in italics, fyi.

I don't own anyone mentioned in this story, but I have control over their actions here. Got it?

Thanks. Happy reading - and reviewing for those ambitious ones out there. (I don't bite!)

"Wait! Shannon! Please, I didn't mean for that to happen! Can't you just listen to me?"

Boone pushed his lithe body between the door jamb and the swinging door. Shannon was running down the hall now, faster than he could keep pace. She was two years younger than him, and their parents had just gotten married a few years ago. But friendship had not come so easily to the two children. Shannon was more than a little spoiled by her father, whereas Boone tended to save the allowance he received each week from his mother, and could manage the money he got from his job.

Yet, as Boone chased the waving blonde hair of his step sister down the hallway, he thought of nothing except the consequences of his actions that day.

He had found out the name of the boy Shannon had a crush on, and had told him to watch his back, because if he hurt Shannon, Boone would smack him into the next year. And although the kid hadn't seemed affected by Boone at that point, apparently he had broken up with Shannon less than an hour later, on the grounds of "Damn, your brother's overprotective. What a loser."

So when Boone got home that day from his job, he was greeted by a teary-eyed Shannon who wanted to rip his guts out. The fight that ensued was not pretty, and concerned Shannon's ideals (a popular boyfriend, lots of money, a big house, etc.), and Boone's attempt to keep her safe from 'those kinds of guys'. Things had not ended well, and Shannon had taken off down the hall, slamming her bedroom door shut so hard that the hinges rattled.

Boone stopped short, his face inches from the painted wood. He sighed, at an utter loss, and pounded a few times on the door.

"Shannon! Look, I'm sorry, okay? I don't want you to get hurt…" He let his hand drop, anxiously awaiting a response, hopefully along the lines of "it's okay, let's talk", or "well, I'm still mad, but…" But what he got back from her side of the door was not helpful at all.

"Jesus Boone! What is your problem? Just go away, I hate you!"

At last Boone broke. He didn't intend to make a big deal, he really didn't. But that was not fair. She wouldn't let him have a chance. If she rejected his apology, then so be it.

"Fine, dammit!" he yelled back, punctuating his retort with a final slam of his fist on her door.

He turned swiftly on his heel and walked stiffly to his own room. The last thing he heard was another scream from his step sister's room.

"Dammit! I hate you Boone!"

Okay, so reviewing is cool, you should do it! And if someone makes a really good suggestion, I might just change the some of my writing! I already have the next few chapters, but I might wait a day or two to put them up. Thanks for reading!

the tangled web