Fight By My Side

Friday, the day after Vic decided to embarrass my in front of Austin. I waited on the porch, Jack staring out the window awkwardly. When I had woken up, Jack decided to follow me out to the porch.

"Jack, please don't make things awkward." I had sighed to him. Jack pouted, slumping his shoulders. Okay, he was trying to guilt trip me by being extra adorable with a deep frown. I ruffled his hot mess of morning hair as he stared me down, still not saying a word.

Jack Barakat: Master of pouting and getting his way through wide, brown eyes.

"Pwease?" He begged. I shook my head. Telling him no.

"I'll be really quiet!" Jack pleaded. Once more I refused him, but my will was beginning to crumble. I had to stay strong!

"No, Jacky. You can go inside and make coffee, though." I told him with a smile and a teasing nickname. Jack slunk back inside, turning to me before he closed the door.

"You owe me!" He stuck his tongue out. I returned the gesture.

"I do not!" I argued. The older boy nodded, making it for sure.

"You owe me for not letting me sit in on your conversation!" Jack argued before closing the door on our conversation-literally. As I turned around, I spotted Austin walking up the path. He wore all black, from his shirt to his long skinny jeans. The day may have been mildly warm, but I didn't think that Austin was feeling very cold right now. Instead of the usual spark in his eyes that he met me with, they were downcast and dull.

I met him as he stopped among the broken stone path, eyes refusing to meet mine. My stomach twisted into gut wrenching knots, as I feared he was here to tell me he called the Guardians.

"Austin, what is it?" I asked him softly. Austin took a breath before turning up to look at me. His hands were shoved tightly into the far corners of his jean pockets. Dark circles underlined his eyes, showing that sleep evaded him for the past night.

"Rough day yesterday." He mumbled. I could almost feel the cold stare of Jack's eyes burn into my back, straight through my shirt into my heart. Taking small steps, I brushed around him, gently giving him the signal to follow me. Austin took it and walked along behind me and out of the sights of the window. It was if Jack's frustrating sigh carried through the wind.

Aus and I sat down on the edge of a hill with a steep slope. The warm sun heated the top of my head under the thick layers of blonde hair. We sat, looking off to the west. The Barrier was fain in the distance, but stood out against the huge mountains. Snow capped the peaks like sugar sprinkled over a cake.

"What happened?" I repeated my question. Crossing my legs, I hunched over in a more relaxing position. When I looked to Austin, he had his head in his hands.

"Mom's funeral." He choked out between sniffles of sobs. The entire sky seemed to darken at the sadness of one boy. The sun escaped behind a cloud and shadows soaked the landscape.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to him, feeling the old emotions tug at my heart. I understood what it was like.

"It hurts so much." He wailed. Wrapping one arm around his broad shoulder, I pulled him closer to me. Austin may have been taller, but he rested his head against my shoulder.

When you lose a parent, sometimes all you need is a shoulder and some time to cry it out. Austin was lucky he wasn't alone. He always had me to turn to. When my parent's died, I had no one. There was nobody for me to turn to. The other Shifters in the neighborhood refused to meet my eye, for fear of being discovered. It had been two long, lonely, and tear filled months. I mourned for my parents, and I needed someone to be with. Not necessarily talk to, but I craved for the presence of another human, another Shapeshifter.

That's when I met Vic and Mike. They were my shoulders, my brothers. Now I had to be here for Austin. The boy was currently sobbing into my sleeve, but I didn't care. I rubbed his shoulder soothingly. His hiccups of sorrow started up, signalling the end of his bout of sadness.

"I wish Alan was here." He murmured. Aus had told me plenty about his best friend, who he admired.

"Is he still gone?" I questioned. Austin nodded, eyes closed. The ginger boy had been missing for about two weeks, no contact to the outside world from where he disappeared to.

"What about your dad?" I asked again. Austin shook his head once more.

"He refuses to talk to me. He never leaves his room. I feel so alone." He murmured in pain. I know the feeling.

"Can I please see my cat?" Austin looked up. Although he had just bawled over his dead mother, the puffy red eyes seemed beautiful. The cat was still downstairs, probably sleeping. Okay, he was really depressed and Austin needed something to cheer him up. Quickly weighing the pros and cons of bringing the cat up to meet Austin in the living room, I decided I could take the risk.

Standing up, I took the large hands of the despondent friend. We stood up and went to the house. Trying to jiggle the door knob, it was locked. Sighing, I knew who was behind the door.

"Jack! Open the door!" I yelled to him. Shuffling followed my call.

"Jack, let her in!" Mike's voice hissed. That window looked awfully tempting to climb through.

"She has Austin with here!" Vic clucked to his brother. The three boys fell silent. Three stooges, I tell you!

"Jack, I swear, if you don't let me in..." I growled angrily. Austin scuffled his feet quietly behind me.

"Wynter can come in, but Austin can't!" Vic spat back. I rolled my eyes with my frustration growing.

"Victor Vincent Fuentes, you be nice!" I scolded. They knew it was serious when I called them by their full name. Whispers ensued.

"NO!" Vic back talked. Oh no he didn't! I was tired of their games and I felt bad for poor Aus. He had to watch his mother be buried, and then he was now dealing with people who hated him.

Taking Austin's hand in my own, I quietly led him around the house to the back door. It would lead into the deserted back sun room, where a hole ridden couch lay in behind an empty wooden table. Swinging it open, I led Austin inside, closing it with a slam behind my back. I heard them mutter. "We don't need that worthless-" Their voices cut off as the door closed with a loud crack. From this room, I had a direct view through the hall way to the front door. Three boys jumped and turned around. Their faces paled at the sight of my boiling anger.

"Victor, we do NOT treat guests like that!" I bellowed. Vic stared at his feet uncomfortably, like a five year old caught with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Jack and Mike edged away from him.

"Jack Barakat, don't think you're off the hook either, mister! You shouldn't lock the door just to keep Austin out! That is rude, and I don't think you need a lesson in manners!" I softened my tone a bit, but the edge in the anger wasn't dulled. Austin stood quietly behind me. Mike pursed his lips, eyes fluttering between the two scolded boys on either side of him.

"Mike, can you please go get the cat?" I asked him politely. Without question, he wandered off to the trap door. It was safely hidden out of view in a few rooms over. Vic and Jack were silent as they stood at the front door. The sun seemed to heat the room another twenty degrees-or was that just the tension? Jack and Vic stared at me oddly as I asked Mike to go get the cat, but with a hard glare, they stared back at the floor without moving a muscle.

"Here, Austin. You can sit over on the chair." I offered to him, pointing to a chair in the corner of the room. It was the only piece of furniture that we hadn't scavenged and was left in tact. He thanked me for the seat as I excused myself.

Oh, I had a bone to pick with Vic and Jack.

Notes

O.O

Vic and Jack are in for it now!

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