I'll Protect You (Original Version)

You can't offer revenge--that's playing dirty!

Dedicated to that sweetheart above for the trailer. I don't think she understands how happy she made me because of the trailer. It's the first time anyone's done that for little ol' me, so thank you, love!

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Normal people on a lovely Christmas morning would be sleeping peacefully with sugar plums dancing around their head (courtesy of the sugar plum fairy) whilst their young children dashed downstairs in hopes to see what Santa had brought them.

As you can all clearly say without a trace of doubt: Park Sparrow is not normal.

Which was why, at 5:30 a.m. on December 25th, I was eighteen years old and already awake. I was out of my pajamas and in a pair of dark blue jeans with a white sweater on top, Rudolph and Santa printed in a glossy form on the front. I pulled on a pair of woolly brown boots before wrapping my arms around a portable speaker.

I crept downstairs, my footsteps not even making a single  noise. There were no workers in the castle today--my father had given them all a holiday leave to spend time with their families. But, the night before, Alfred stayed behind a little late to help me set up for a little surprise.

In the Grand Hall, there was a multistrip outlet plugged into a system that controlled the stereos that I set up through my iPhone. Stereos positioned outside sleeping chambers.
         People may say this was childish. I called it tradition. I have done this every year since I turned eleven. My parents and Jasper learned to just ignore it and sleep in. But Archer, Logan, and Alec?
I even had cameras set outside their door just for their reactions.

I scrolled through my phone to find my Christmas playlist. I set the volume to its highest limit and connected my iPhone to the system. Then I pressed PLAY.
          Miley Cyrus' version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" began blasting throughout the castle. I leaned against the wall, sharing a smile with a portrait of Alexandra Sparrow. Then came the howling and furious yelling.

Doors slammed open and footsteps came pounding towards the Great Hall. Someone was screaming in pure agony. For fun as well, I had speakers set up along the path that would take them to the Grand Hall. Then I changed the song to Selena Gomez's version of "Winter Wonderland."
           Notice I didn't choose the old, classy and jazzy versions. I chose the "rock" and upbeat, pop versions. Because they were louder.

Alec was the first to arrive on scene. He looked positively murderous as he stumbled out from behind a corner, his pale eyes scrunched in confusion and anger.
             Archer then showed up, his hands clenched in marble white fists. He made Alec look slightly upset with the predicament. My brother resembled a very pissed off dragon, and I swore in that moment, he would've been able to breathe flames and smoke could've risen from his ears.
                      Logan showed up next, still looking half-asleep. His entire hair was spiked up, some rising limply, some sticking up like he had been electrocuted. He leaned against the wall, and closed his droopy golden eyes, not even bothering to seem angry.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Archer snarled. He walked over to me and attempted to grab the iPhone out from my hands. I dodged out of the way but slammed straight into Alec's chest. The two boys began to corner me, backing me up against the wall.

"This is unfair! Two against one?" I protested as Archer and Alec blocked me from escaping. "Logan? A little help here?"

Logan blinked lethargically before standing upright and dragging his feet over to Archer and Alec. He took place next to me, and for a second, I truly believed he was on my side. Then, he plucked the iPhone out of my hands and handed it to Archer, who grinned triumphantly at me.