no name... yet (2)

NOTE: READ MEMO ^ ABOVE ^

'Please just shoot me' I internally begged.

Things were going downhill. Actually they'd hit rock bottom half an hour ago when I should've gotten home. Now they were rolling deeper and deeper into the firery pits of- well, you get it.

"Look kid," the cop said for the milionth time. "All you have to do is tell us something that your dad-

"Brian," I corrected for the million and oneth time.

"All right, what Brain's done to you or something maybe he keeps hidden. You can tell us, son. No one's gonna get hurt."

'Cause you can really control that' i thought, hating how he said the word son. I decided against actually saying that to his face. "That's what a search warrant's for now isn't it?" He was shocked. How old did they honestly think I was?

"We wouldn't need one if you would just take off your jacket." Okay, they knew some stuff, but obviously not enough. Like the fact that God knows what was happening to Ari because I wasn't home yet.

"Yeah, well, I'm not.So if you're not actually holding me here under any charges, I'll be leaving." That stumped them too. even though a ten year old could've caught it from half the shows on tv. I stood up to leave, walking around the interrogation table, when one of them stood up and-

"Wait!" -grabbed my shoulder in exactly the wrong place. The pain made me hiss, and before I could think, I'd spun around and smacked him. If they hadn't known before, that was their confirmation.

'Dammit!' i thought, shoving people out of my path to the door before someone could peg me with 'assaulting an officer'. I ran to the apartment for different reasons, though.

Those idiots! I flew down the road, ignoring the stitch in my side. I finally reached the front door and started fumbling with the knob when I heard something crash.

After forcing the door open and almost immediately slamming it shut, I looked up to take in the scene. Brian had just thrown over a table that looked like it was aimed for Ari. She stumbled over to me, still trembling. I pulled her into a hug, daring anyone to stop me. The terrified child still had tears streaming down her face. God how could I have let this happen! I loked up once again from my crouched position to see a red faced Brian storming toward us. I stood up, edging between the two. She thankfully stood behind me, clinging to my leg.

"I'm the one who was late!" I screamed, Ari's face blinding me from everything else.

"Well you weren't here now, were you!" he yelled back louder.

"The cops took me in for questioning," I shot back, hoping he caught every bit of venom. There was only a second's delay before his anger returned.

"Did you tell them anything?" Ari's shudder told me we both heard the threat in his voice.

"No." I just glared at him, gritting my teeth. It felt like he should implode from the stare I was giving him. He did seem to relax the smallest bit after the reassurance, but he wasn't done yet.

"Why'd you let them catch you in the first place!"

"I didn't exactly let them. They shoved me in the car when I was just out of eyesight." I was seething now. 'Calm.'

"Damn kid. I can't trust you with anything! Can't even walk down a stupid street. What if your aunt had just decided to stop by! What do you expect me to tell her!?"

"You could alway-" I froze. he was pacing the kitchen, still in front of our place at the door. He was looking for something to throw. Before I could absorb what had happened, a knife was swinging back and forth, stuck in the door a foot from my head.

Guess I forgot. Brian's good with knives.

"Clean this place up and get me some food already!" he said, panting and stalked off to his room.

I tore my eyes away from the blade, still vibrating, to look at Ari, checking her over for new cuts and briuses. Yes, new.

"You okay Aster?" she sniffled, attempting, and failing, to hold back a fresh stream of tears. I gave a weak laugh before pulling her into another hug. If only that could protect her forever.

"I'm sorry..."