Tabby

Guilt was beginning to just settle in as I watched the flailing boy. I groaned and stood then, trying to keep my steps even as I approached my brother, his friends, and their burning victim. The kid was obviously panicked, I could see him struggling to swipe the fire off of his shirt, but his arms were being held tightly behind his back.

There were five of them, Corey and three of his friends I recognized, plus another standing off on the side watching. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he shook his head, a slight smirk gracing his pouty lips. I would have bet anything he was the leader of them all, the mastermind behind this awful trick.

“Corey! What are you doing?” I shouted, still a few yards from the group. The panic in the scrawny boy’s eyes was taunting me and the guilt was too much to bear. I wrung my hands nervously, not caring if someone called me out on my babyish ways. This was serious and Corey didn't seem to understand that someone's life was at stake. If he did, he wasn't showing concern.

“It’s called an initiation, Tabitha. Go back inside,” Corey growled. He never bothered to hide his annoyance with me, and while I appreciated it on some levels, it irked me on others. Sometimes I wished that I could be that sister that everyone loved, or that was whispered about. But in a good way, like maybe about how much of a babe I was. Just like I heard Corey mention MILFS. I still had no idea what that really meant, but I knew it had something to do with someone’s mom.

“Seriously, Tabitha, go inside,” Steven interjected. I glanced over at him, frowning slightly at his expression. Steven had always been the nicer one. I knew all of these boys, aside from the one being burnt and the one who seemed to be the instigator, but none of them really liked me. Steven had been somewhat cordial, though it seemed that Corey had converted him to hating me as well.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. It was something I was certainly used to, but it’s not like the fact that no one liked me didn’t sting. “Corey, knock it off,” I tried once again, my attempt feeble

Corey sighed, flicking off the lighter before turning to me. The glare in his eyes was one I had seen before. He was about to either start yelling, or threatening. “Or what, Tabitha? You'll go and tell Mom?” I only managed to swallow before someone answered for me.

“Put him out.” Corey and I both glanced toward the voice. I realized it belonged to the boy who had been standing on the sidelines, the one with the cigarette. Steven and the two other boys stared at him questioningly, their grip on the kid loosening ever so slightly. I watched as his expression turned from one of terror to relief.

“Are you going to put him out or am I going to have to do it?”

Steven quickly cleared his throat before releasing the kid’s arms, who quickly patted down his shirt until he was standing in charred clothing. He looked at me thankfully coughing and backing away awkwardly. I could tell he didn’t know whether to run or just chill as if nothing had happened.

“Lance, what the hell?” Corey said, crossing his arms. Lance had scuffed out his cigarette by then and was walking toward Corey and I. I noticed he had a black skateboard under one arm, a pack of Marlboro Lights in his pocket. His eyes flashed to mine, and then away.

“What? If you’d kept him on fire any longer he would’ve gotten burnt. And honestly, I don’t feel like being arrested. Come on, let’s go to the park,” he said, ushering the rest of the boys, including the one who had been ‘initiated’. They all followed like a bunch of lapdogs. I swallowed back the bile that had been rising in my throat, glancing toward my brother.

"I -"

“Go home, Tabitha,” Corey muttered before turning and following after Lance. I turned and watched silently. I'd been left on the sidelines yet again, and the only one who'd seemed to take my pleas into consideration this time was Lance.

A complete stranger.