(RJ's POV)
It had only been about a week since I last saw her, so I was shocked when Tana arrived at my door again, without Aluma and with some old woman instead.
"What do you want?" I asked coldly, mainly because she was so beautiful now that it irritated me.
"I kept trying to figure out a way to get back to Afaria but I can't bring her with me, this is your friend, right? Can she stay with you?" I frowned,
"What? There's no way I know this old..." Then the lady looked up at me with eyes filled with tears.
"Jey?!.... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry you were right!" She then ran to me and hugged me... {Jey has gotten older, I missed him so much} the woman thought, and then I picked up on Tana's thoughts and from context, I realized that this girl... is Innoccence.
"She... was at Markis's house... he'd been feeding off of her. When I first took her out of that place she couldn't talk and I felt like I needed to do more before leaving her with you... so again I ask, can she stay here until I return?" I looked down at the weak woman in front of me... the last time I saw her she was screaming at me, saying she didn't need me.
"Yeah... I'll watch over her." Tana sighed with relief then,
"Thank you, because I was in a hurry and I didn't know what else to do!" She bowed to me before running off to do whatever task she had decided to do next... So I took Innoccence inside, ordered soup for her, since it would be easy to eat, and gave her clothes to change into after taking a shower. When she finished changing and washing off, she sat quietly with me on the couch as I watched basketball... I glanced at her through the corner of my eye... it's uncomfortable seeing her like this... I should kill Markis.
10 years Ago-
Months had passed. Innoccence and I had become friendly with each other, it even got to the point that she stopped hesitating to approach me, would wave and yell my name, and even hug me out of the blue. There was a rumor that we were dating and I think she wished it was true but... I can't get over Aluma that fast, it feels wrong to move on right away when there's no telling what she's going through right now.
"Jey, let's study at your house!" Innoccence one day out of nowhere,
"Why?" I asked, I read her thoughts before she even got the words out so I said, "Nothing's going to happen even if we go to my house, so we might as well go to the library." She frowned.
"I wasn't hoping for anything to happen." Was her lie of choice.
"Right," I replied, with an eye roll then went to the library as usual. She relented and studied with me there but asked again for the next 3 days to come to my house, on Friday I got tired of her begging so I said,
"Fine... but my guardian will definitely be home," I said this to dissuade her but it failed,
"We'll be studying in your room anyway! I'm sure they won't mind! I'll be the best guest ever." ... If she sees the state of my home she'll never ask to come over again, but I wonder if she'll even keep being my friend.
The yard was full of trash, as usual, contrasting with all the beautiful houses surrounding us. She seemed perturbed and I knew exactly what she was feeling even though she tried to reassure me that she wasn't bothered. When we came in Markis was sitting on the couch laughing loudly with a liquor bottle in his hand, he had a friend on each side, one was a woman who was smoking and staring at him fondly. The other was a man in wrinkled clothes; he was sleeping across the arm of the couch. Markis turned to me when I entered and waved,
"Hey, little bro! You're early today!" I'm surprised he even noticed what time I usually get home. He left his spot on the couch to get a better look at me and my guest. "I see you brought a friend." After noting this he pulled out a vape from his pocket and took a hit while scanning Innoccence over.
"Oh! Hi.." She said sheepishly. {Wow he's like a grownup Jey! ♥} Markis and I have the same parents so of course we look alike... the only distinct difference is he's older and has reddish-brown eyes.
"We're going to my room," I stated while grabbing her wrist and pulling her along.
"Wait! Aren't you going to say Hey back or something? Don't be an asshole." I glanced back at him and said,
"Hi." Then I pulled Innoccence to my room and closed the door behind us. I had a pile of clothes in the corner and a few empty plates on my dresser but compared to the rest of the house my room was the cleanest. "You said you were having trouble in social studies, right? I made flashcards about the main topics which would be on the test."
"How old is your brother?" She asked, clearly lost in her own world and gazing at the door affectionately,
"He's 26..."
"What's his name?" She added,
"Markis... now are we going over Social Studies or do you want to go home?" She gasped, then hurriedly pulled her textbooks from her book bag. We went over different subjects for 2 hours before she said she had to go so I walked her home. When we got there I began saying,
"Let's just do this at school from now on, sorry you had to see all that," She waved her hands dismissively,
"No, it's fine really! I had a good time and I'd like to come again on Monday if that's okay." Her words shocked me until I read what she was thinking {Markis is so cute... maybe next time I come over we can talk} My only reply was a half-hearted wave as I left and returned to the home I hated, living with one of the people who annoyed me the most.
"Jey! Come here!" Markis called as soon as I came in, I stood in the entryway and instead of coming said,
"What do you want?" He laughed at my tone,
"Jessica here thinks you're cute, could you spend some time with her for me while I show Lily the new curtains in my room?" As soon as he said this Lily giggled and her face flushed, I didn't need mind-reading powers to understand his innuendo.
"I'm sure she'll be fine alone," I answered that's when he glared at me.
"You're on an unfamiliar planet, I'm paying for your g*oddamn tuition and feeding you! The least you could do is listen to me, I don't even make you do any chores around here, so what's your problem?!" If I couldn't read his mind, maybe life would be easier, but 70% of what he says are lies and his brain was so full of depravity it made me sick.
"Fine... I'll sit with her." As soon as the words left my lips, Markis got up with Lily and walked off. I sat next to Jessica who began by asking me mundane things like how I was and what I ate today, then she revealed her true character and said,
"... Do you have curtains in your room too? I'd love to see them."
"Why not just sleep with Markis when he's done with Lily?" She chuckled lightly,
"I don't want to be just one of the many women he f*cks then forgets... plus you're just as pretty as him and you seem so mature," Jessica noted.
"I'm ... supposedly 16." I made eye contact with this reply then she leaned over and kissed my neck,
"I don't mind... if you don't." She began unbuttoning her top so I sighed and stood up. "Wait... I'm sorry, are you upset?" Her voice was shaky,
"I'm just going to my room... you can come with me if you want,"
I just wanted to use her for a night, to forget my irritation with Innoccence, having to live here with Markis, and irritation with myself for being too weak to save Aluma... Since I knew she didn't want more from me I felt comfortable with touching her... but, I ended up feeling nauseous before going all the way so I stopped and told her to go home.
"Don't be like that... I can do things for you that girls your age wouldn't even dream of." I frowned
"No thanks." That's when she got up and scowled at me,
"I was just doing you a favor! There are loads of people who would kill to f*ck me! It's your loss... f*cking virgin." She spat on my floor before stomping out of the house.
I didn't invite Innoccence over on Monday but she showed up on her own anyway, when Markis opened the door she lied and said I asked her to come over, I was in the kitchen so I heard the whole conversation.
"Did something happen to your parents? I'm sorry if I'm asking something sensitive... I'm just curious. Don't answer if I'm overstepping." Markis had his hand pressed against the wall beside her head, leaning in as she spoke to him.
"No... our parents just live in a different city, he was interested in the schools here so I volunteered to watch over him." Markis came up with such a convenient lie that painted him as benevolent, on the spot. She beamed happily,
"Oh! Thank goodness! I've complained about my family before and I was worried I might have upset Jey."
"Oh no... I'm sure you didn't... you know you can come over anytime right? Even on the weekends." He said with a smirk on his face.
"Okay, I will!" It was at that point when she noticed me and waved. I studied with her because she was here and I didn't want to make her look like a liar. If I did that, Markis would know instantly why she really came here and that would be an issue for me.
"Jey..." Innoccence mumbled while closing her textbook,
"I'm listening."
"Oh... well... um." She cleared her throat, "What would you do if I told you... I want to date you?" Her way of confessing to me was so obvious that it was a little cute,
"I would tell you, I'm not interested in dating right now, I just want to focus on school." She huffed and folded her arms,
"I see..." Innoccence went home soon after that, and she insisted on leaving without me, it was only later I realized she asked Markis to walk her home.
She started coming over every day after school and on the weekends during the day. In response, Markis began inviting his friends over only after 10 PM so he was alone when she arrived. He even started cleaning up the trash and only used his vape when she was in the house. Sometimes he would open the door without telling me who was there, so they could talk. Of course, I knew what was going on but it was too awkward for me to interrupt them.
Every once in a while she would disrupt our study sessions to ask me about Markis, like his birthday, favorite color, shoe size, etc. She used the information well by gifting him expensive tennis shoes on his birthday. I received a gift card for mine.
Another week passed. It was Friday and since she didn't show up at school I assumed she was sick but when U got home I found her and Markis lip locked on the living room couch. His hand was under her shirt grasping her breast and when he heard me enter he turned and smiled saying,
"Welcome home baby brother." She got embarrassed seeing me and tried to push his hand away but he didn't budge. My impulses took control of me, and the next thing I knew I was across the room with my knees pinning Markis's arms down as I punched him over and over. I heard Innoccence screaming for me to stop in the background but... nothing could stop me at that point.
"Jey stop!!! You're scaring me! What are you doing?!" She screamed while grabbing my arm, I pushed her off of me causing her to fall on her butt, and add "Stop hitting my boyfriend!" I managed to regain some control at that point and retract my bloodied fist,
"Boyfriend... You're dating this bastard?! He's 26 what the hell do you think you're doing dating him?!" Markis's breathing was haggard then Innoccence rushed over and tried to push me off of him, I assisted her by standing up on my own and watching with disgust as they embraced.
"That doesn't matter! I love him!" She loves him. My brother snapped his jaw back into place and then chuckled, flashing me his bloodstained teeth.
"Yeah we're in love Jey, haven't you noticed how much better I've been lately?" Better...? does he mean not having strangers in the house all day and only inviting people over after 10 PM... I know for a fact he slept with someone else just last night.
"You're trash, despicable, useless trash," I replied with a scowl. "Innoccence he's just using you... I'm telling you this as a friend,"
"Shut up! He's not using me! Markis is a good boyfriend and you're just jealous! You had your chance, Jeremy, so stop being a creep." Her thoughts repeated the same sentence at me, hoping I'd leave, and sending rage my way. This b*tch thinks I'm jealous?!
"I'm just looking out for you, you don't know what kind of person he is," I corrected that's when she screamed again saying,
"I don't need you to look out for me! Just go!" Innoccence glared at me angrily, with tears in her eyes,
".... Okay... then stay with him. I don't care." I went to my room and packed up my best clothes and the books I cared about, and then I left that place. I walked several blocks away from the house I caught myself crying and it was around that time that Zai found me, the first thing he said was,
"I've been looking all over for you, Markis said you left!" I was already breaking down when I rushed over and hugged him, and he patted my back to console me. That was the last time I saw her and after that, Zai and I both found work and we saved up till we could afford an apartment together.
Present Day-
Innoccence fell asleep so I worked on correcting her aura and healing some of the damage she's taken on over the years... healing isn't my specialty though... I should invite Valin over and ask for his help.