All That Glitters

"Alright, I actually have plans tonight, so I'm letting you all out early- not a word of this gets out, okay?" The teacher sighed loudly, everyone shuffled their belongings to leave as soon as possible, Braylen being the quickest one. John seemed to be in a close seconds as they walked down the steps of the lecture hall.

"So, you're going to Sterling's right?" He asked, shoving his backpack straps on, Braylen was about to answer him as she crossed the threshold of the door.

"O'Callaghan, come here for a second," The teacher called out in an this-is-not-optional tone. Braylen gave a smug smile as John rolled his eyes and dragged his feet over to the old wooden desk prepared for a verbal lashing. Braylen simply chuckled making her way out to the parking lot and pulling out her phone. Sirens began echoing in the concrete valley, but all Braylen could think about was sirens swarming her front yard.

"Mr. and Mrs. Huntington?" A redneck rookie officer asked while Braylen sat in the backseat with a hot chocolate his older partner bought for her to get her to open up. "We found your daughter at the bus stop with a couple of bags and single picture- do you know who this is? Is she familiar?" The officer flashed a picture of a blonde.

"Oh my goodness," Mrs. Huntington exclaimed before clutching her heart and burying her face into her husband's chest.

"That's Audrianna, our daughter, she went missing three months ago. It's been really hard on Bray," Mr. Huntington explained, patting her back trying to soothe them and Braylen stayed with her head down at her failed attempt. She was trying to find her little sister, she tried to do something after the police searches had dwindled and the buzz died.

"Oh I'm sorry for your circumstances," The officer said awkwardly, he tried to handle the emotions of a couple that lost a child. His older partner came up the walk holding Braylen's tiny hand, her face flustered that she had been caught again.

"Hey sugar! Where've you been?" Mr. Huntington came running down the patio, scooping Braylen up in his arms and just then all the frustrations in Braylen's mind disappeared. She was safe in her daddy's arms and there was nothing in the world was wrong. He stiffened up to the senior, well-respected officer and extended his hand, "Henry."

"Luke, this is the fifth time this month. Little Bray's gone run clear cross the Mississippi soon you don't keep a bettah eye on her," He said with his aviators over his eyes. Handing over the makeshift runaway luggage Braylen had packed.

"Darling girl, why don't you go inside with your brothers," Mr. Huntington said ushering her into the house in her mother's arm as she stared through the foggy window. Underneath a pile of blankets and the curtain she was hidden away from the world. "I know Henry, Lord knows, I know. Her heart's still broken, I don't know how much I can do about it," Mr. Huntington sighed letting his anguish be heard finally.

"I'm just an old man, but I think you should let 'er get a way for a while, away from the memories and the pain. Got anyone she can stay with for a while?" Henry smiled, with a tip of his hat.

"I got a brother out west, he's got a daughter Bray's age she adores," Mr. Huntington thought out loud as Mrs. Huntington appeared at the door. "I don't know, her and Ethan are as close as two spokes on a fence," He retracted and Henry stopped.

"Call your brother, Luke, she's gotta get out of here. Well, we gotta go and see about old man Lincoln, he's tryin' to drive again, but the man's as blind as a bat!" Henry chuckled giving him a handshake and kissing Mrs. Huntington's cheek before walking down the drive to the trooper.

"Thanks Henry, we'll think about it!" Mr. Huntington called out and followed his wife into their hundred-year-old house. An old plantation house that despite being huge, still seemed homely. As soon as the door closed Mrs. Huntington slapped his hand away.

"Arizona, Luke? Arizona's on the other side of the country!" Mrs. Huntington yelled, pushing him as he tried to hold his wife.

"Elise, I'll not stand by my last daughter is drownin' in misery and guilt cause you can't even look at her without thinking of our dead one!" Mr. Huntington yelled right back.

"Lucas Huntington! How dare you? Audrianna is out there! I know it! A mother knows!" She screamed right back in his face. Braylen felt tears in her eyes, this is all that her parents did since Audrianna disappeared, she felt a figure next to her and jumped until she saw Ethan's identical blue eyes.

"Honey, she's been gone for a year! The police said-"

"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT... I don't give a shit what the police said! I don't! I know," Mrs. Huntington started yelling until she caught herself and brought her voice down to a whisper. Braylen felt Ethan's hand clutch onto her own and they both closed their eyes.

"Daddy, I wanna go. Momma, just I wanna go," Braylen finally stood up.

"Braylen? Braylen!" Some yelled as she tapped her shoulder causing her to jump. She smiled and tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "You okay? I was calling your name for like ten minutes," John smiled, looking around at a now vacant parking lot.

"Oh yeah, I was just thinking," Braylen dismissed pulling out her phone again.

"About what?" John pressed on further.

"None of your business, I have to call Sterling to pick me. Bye John," Braylen began strolling through the parking lot towards the general area of his house.

"Wait, wait, wait... Why would you call Sterling to interrupt his mid-afternoon jerk-off sesh when you have a capable driving going the same place right here?" John asked with a smirk on his lips, running to block her off from walking any further.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Braylen said smugly before walking around him only to have him block her off again.

"Come on, it's like a two second drive and if it's really that terrible you can drive my car and I'll walk to Sterling's," John pressed on, Braylen let out a sharp breath and stopped, getting frustrated by John's antics.

"Why are you pushing this?" She let her anger get the best of her, and her southern accent slipped out.

"Because you're alluring Braylen Huntington, you have to know that," John smirked with a tiny bit of honesty in his voice. Braylen tried to contain the blush creeping across her cheeks. She didn't know, but he stared at his body.

"Fine, but no funny business though," She sighed hoping it wouldn't be a mistake, she walked towards the only car left in the student parking lot.

"I'm sorry, but what is this funny business of which you speak? I'm over here by the way," John laughed, nodding towards a pickup truck parked in the faculty parking lot and Braylen scoffed, of course he'd do the dumbass thing and risk getting towed for a better spot.

"Shut up." Braylen scoffed.

"Fine, you are so ungrateful. Here I am doing you a favor and you're telling me to shut up. Ah Braylen, Braylen, Braylen..." John spoke in a false condescending tone as he climbed into driver's seat of his pickup and Braylen had time to take a deep breath before she joined him.

"See that is funny business," Braylen let out a tiny giggle, surprising even herself. John laughed an all-knowing laugh, knowing it was exactly what she was talking about.

"So why do you need a ride? I thought your family is loaded," John stated, and Braylen responded with a glare so he knew. "What? Everyone knows it. You live in, like, a multimillion dollar house, don't you?"

"I have a car, I just carpool with Caitlin 'cause it's just easier that way," Braylen explained in a very clear tone that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"And you don't want anyone to know you're loaded," John tagged on as if he had to prove that he was right. Braylen rolled her eyes and turned her body towards the window, watching the buildings pass her by. "Fine, no more talking about Huntington Industrial, the one Lucas Huntington is the CEO of?" John smirked as if he was trying to prove a point.

"What are you stalking me?" Braylen laughed wondering how he could possibly know all of this.

"No, but that's your dad right?" John continued on turning into Sterling's neighborhood. "My dad did some business thing and that's how I know. You'll find I have a skill of remembering completely useless information. Like how when I was five my dad dragged me to an executive conference and all the kids had to hang out with each other. You pushed some ginger kid off the swing because you and Cate were queens of the swings," John smirked in fond nostalgia.

"Wait, that was, like, 12 years ago! How do you remember that? Oh my god! You're Johnny? Our dads made us take a picture together," Braylen started chuckling at the summer she had turned five, her father dragged her along because kids we're a business tactic.

"Yeah," John chuckled, "My parents posted it on their wall of childhood memories. If you must know, I recognized you when you came here, from that picture. Just wondering thought it might be weird," John choked on his words.

"That's so crazy," Braylen let her mind roll back in time, a sadness came into her voice as she remembered the toil that was her family and former life. "You were a little asshole," Braylen chuckled, ripping herself from the train of thought.

"Yeah and you were a mean little queen bee. I still have it, you could come over and come check it out if you... wanted," John cleared his throat clearly uncomfortable as he pulled up to Sterling's house behind Jared's and Caitlin's car. Braylen blushed, wondering if this shy, insecure thing was a line. She smiled and opened her car door and spoke over her shoulder,

"Maybe."