Taking Chances

I pressed the 'send' button on my phone, biting my bottom lip as I fidgeted in my seat. There was a inaudible vibration from my phone, and I sighed, slipping it back into my jean pocket. I was in class, but Micah was nowhere to be seen. I was worried- beyond worried- because he was never one to skip school. There was definitely something wrong to make him do this...

It was the last minutes of the last period, which meant everyone was pretty riled up. It was pretty stuffy in the classroom, and smelled like sweaty hormonal teenagers who hadn't showered after their lunchtime football practise. It was sickening, and made me want to escape the room even more.

But Micah came first.

I pulled out my phone again, touching the sleep button, the screen lighting up. My eyes raped the screen, looking for the little 'New Message' box to be blaring, but I got nothing. The screen just stared back at me, taunting me. Before I could throw it onto the ground and stomp on it, the bell miraculously rung, and everyone jumped up from their seats, the mad crowd rushing for the door. I silently thanked the bell, and grabbed my books, briskly walking to me locker to drop off my shit.

"Micah, where the hell are you?" I muttered to myself, and spotted a bright blue and blonde head. Declan. He should know.

"Hey! Declan!" I yelled, and he turned, shifting a little as his back slipped off his shoulder. He sent me a stormy glare, flipping me off as he walked away, grabbing onto a very distraught Maybelle who just looked at me emotionlessly. I honestly didn't know what I preferred- Maybelle plotting to murder me in my sleep, or Maybelle to sick of me to even care. If I were to be one-hundred percent truthful, I'd have to say that I'd prefer her hating on me.

I ran my fingers through my hair, pulling out my phone again as I walked to my car. As I slid in, I pulled up another new message, typing in Micah's number. It was already 4:25, since I had an extra period. Micah would definitely be at home right now, but I knew he was missing before lunch, since he didn't turn up at all. It was like he had dropped off from the face of the earth. I hastily typed in some words into the message box, my fingers flying all over the keys.

Sweet heart, where are you?
I'm worried. Reply to this text, okay?
I've called you but you haven't picked up.
Is your phone dead?
Micah, why aren't you replying? :/
I love you. Please call me.

I pressed the sent button, and the successful 'Message Sent' beeped, and I threw my phone onto the passenger's seat, pulling out of the school. I drove home, my ears on alert for any kind of sound from my phone. Why wasn't he answering any of my calls or texts? Don't tell me he was kidnapped... or worse. I felt something churn in my gut when I thought of the millions- billions- of things that could have happened to a beautiful, gentle boy like him.

But Declan and Maybelle seemed to know what happened, and they weren't freaking out and rushing to the police station, so he was obviously some-what fine. Well, safety wise, anyway.

I arrived home, running past mum and into my room, again reaching for my phone. It was getting some rough treatment today, but I needed to get through to Micah.

Micah, I'm really worried.
I'm coming over to your place after school.
Call me, text me, just tell me what's happening.
I miss you. Please call me.
Love you, sweet heart.

It was already well into the afternoon, so 'after school' might not have been the best choice of words, but he should get what I meant. I was already getting ready to go over to his place, and was more than ready to break a few road rules to get there in five minutes flat.

It was about thirty seconds before my phone went off, and I basically screamed, jumping up and down but regretting it as I knocked my shin against my bed post. Stifling a groan, I opened the message.

It's over.

I choked on nothing, my heart thumping once before going dead silent. The only thing I could hear was my own head, the words "It's over" spinning around and around, stuck like a broken record player.

"It's... over?" I whispered, my voice cracking as I collapsed onto the ground, my legs feeling weak. I probably looked like one of those female lovers from a television drama, and I had always made fun of how they collapsed when they found out the man they loved had been cheating. I always thought that was completely over-rated and messed up, but now I knew how they felt. I just couldn't... do anything.

"Micah... why?" I asked, reading the message over and over, even though it was made up of two words I had known since I could talk. "Why are you saying this?"

After staring at my phone, the screen flicked off into sleep mode, and I let if slip through my fingers, the cursed device thumping softly on the ground. My head dropped into my hands, as I did something I hadn't done in a while.

I cried.

Byron

He had done it. Again. And even though I tried to stop it, he had found a way around my wall and shattered everything once again. The self-satisfied smirk on his face was proof, as well as the image of a crying Micah fleeing the school, that Nick had succeeded in breaking the boy I liked.

"Fucking asshole!" I screamed, my face contorted in fury, as his grew dark, but the emotion was washed away with his smirk. "How could you do that?! Not to him, not to them!" My voice rose with every word, basically a sonic boom by the last sound. Nick only watched in amusement, chuckling, and that just made me go over the edge. "FUCK YOU!"

I clenched my fist, lunging forward as I pulled my arm back, releasing my punch as I was within hitting range. Nick's eye just widened, but he dodged to the left, grabbing my feeble arms and pushing me hard against the wall of out living room. I winced as my spine smacked against the plaster, and Nick smirked, restraining my arms above my head as his other rested at my side, preventing me from escaping. Damn it.

"You were never this feisty," he mused, his head tilting to the side a little. "You usually just moped a little. What is different this time?"

"Because... Because... It's not only Micah, this time, you bastard," I growled, the image of Micah and Jaden together in my mind. "Because you hurt both Micah and Jaden! They were meant to be, Nick! You can't... tear apart people who love each other."

"Oh, I can't?" he asked, sarcasm dripping from his lips. "But I'm pretty sure I just did."

"Why can't you be normal?" I asked, my eyes growing a little foggy. Argh, crap. Now I'm fucking crying. Now he has another one of my flaws to point out. Now he can go fucking call me a pussy, but I didn't care. Micah and Jaden were definitely going through deeper shit than this. God, I hoped that they can forgive me for screwing what they had up.

"Normal? Do you want me to be normal?" he asked, his voice softer than usual. Something about his voice like that made a sob escape my gritted teeth, my throat thick and constricted, as if an invisible hand were strangling me. Nick's face showed a little surprise, but that surprise was nothing compared to mine when he kissed me.

On the lips.

"Mmhmph!" I grunted, as his free hand grabbed onto my waist, his fingers rubbing my skin next to the 'V' indent that led down to my nether regions. His lips were soft, really soft, and they were so damn hot. They felt like they were scorching mine, burning mine, but it didn't hurt. It felt so fucking good. It was like kissing an angel with the soul of a demon.

"N-Nick- ngh," I moaned, as his hand squeezed my hips, his tongue taking the chance to slip into my mouth. My mind went white, and then I just stopped thinking, but I knew my body had moved. My fingers knotted in his hair, his body pressing tightly against mine, and his hair was much silkier and thicker than mine. When my nails scraped the back of his neck he let out a growl, and I felt a wave of want and lust wash over me.

My brother was a really good kisser...

And then it clicked. I screamed, and shoved him away, my hands covering my tingling mouth, my eyes wide.

"W-w-what the f-fuck?" I stammered, as Nick just looked at me, his heated gaze unwavering, merciless. "What did you just d-do to m-me?"

"I kissed you," he said simply, and I felt tears slip down the side of my face.

"W-why?" I sobbed, disgust and confusion bubbling in my stomach, making me feel sick. But I wasn't feeling sick because he kissed me, the kiss was... the kiss was something unreal yet amazing. I felt nauseous because I had liked it. Fuck, I had enjoyed it so much I just wanted to be fucked by him then and there. But he was my brother, I shouldn't be having feelings like this...

"Because I love you," he said, his body rigid, as if he expected me to lash out at him. That was what I should have been doing, but I just couldn't. To say I was shocked would have been an understatement. The feeling that were running through me were feelings that I should have never been feeling, and the inner conflict was eating away at me.

"But I'm your brother," I replied, leaning against the wall for support. "We're blood related, we can't do th-"

"WE CAN!" he yelled, storming over to me, and I closed my eyes, waiting for him to do something, either punch me or violate my lips again. But he didn't. Instead, I was wrapped up in a pair of warm, strong arms, my head tucked perfectly against a rock-hard chest.

"N-Nick?" I gasped, as I felt his lips kiss the top of my head.

"We can," he repeated, his voice that same, caressing softness that made my shiver, my heart thumping loudly. "We can, Byron."

"But it's wrong," I pressed, and he grabbed my shoulders, pulling me away from him so he could look into my eyes.

"It's wrong, but when have we ever cared about that?" he asked, his usual smirk gracing his lips. A small laugh rose from the back of my throat, and he smiled, kissing my forehead again. "That's better. Have I ever told you that I loved your laugh?"

"No. You always told me to shut up when I did," I said, and his brow creased. "But I forgive you."

"Good, because every time I said that I was lying," he murmured, his cheeks pinking a little.

"Are you lying now?" I dead-panned, panic taking over. Now that I had tasted those lips and that tongue I didn't know what I could do with out it...

"Do you think I would kiss my own brother if I were lying? I'm twisted, but that's not my style when it comes to you," he said, kissing my cheek.

"You missed," I said, and he frowned again, confused.

"Missed what?"

"These," I said, smiling, as I cupped his face with my hands, pulling his mouth to mine. "My lips are here, dummy."