3 Stepbrothers

Field Day

Tori's POV

Last night when I wanted to leave with Mark I just couldn't do it. Hayden was there with his flashy smile and Mark was beside me with his heartwarming smile. For once I felt trapped. I know part of me should have kept my promise with Mark and gone outside with him to walk around the neighborhood. But then I would have ditched Hayden, or did I ditch Mark by not going with him? No I couldn't have ditched Mark because he was with me. The three of us actually all laughed and had a good time. But I felt like a mouse, searching for cheese in a huge maze. It was different though, like two different kinds of cheeses at either end and I had to figure my way out.

What bothered me was Mark's 'costume.' It wasn't a costume it was his future uniform and it bothered me beyond comparison. It wasn't like Cali's costume that I just highly disliked. No I hated Mark in that uniform. If he left was there a possibility he'd forget me? Why did he have to leave in the first place? I'd rather have him stay here with his friends and family.

Then there was Shawn. I had never seen him lash out like that. In a sense, he didn't look like himself. Like some evil thing inside him decided to come out. I didn't understand the reason for his behavior. Only then after he lashed out on Trent, I knew I should have warned him. I felt guilty for whatever happened. I could have had the chance in preventing it. Whatever it was.

After his little outburst everyone tried to get back to what they were doing but they kept wondering what had happened. So the party was cut short. I was forced to make up another lie to Mark and tell him I wanted to help clean up and see what happened to Shawn, I said Cole would take me home. At least Cole backed me up in saying he would take me home and that he could really use a helping hand. After that Mark left peacefully like he totally understood. A thousands pounds of guilt were left on my shoulders.

I didn't necessarily lie. I did have to help clean up. Plastic cups were everywhere and paper plates polluted the floors. The backyard looked like a tornado had passed through it. A very young, energetic, teenage tornado. Even the tree house was filled with things I didn't want to name. It took us three hours to clean just the house and by that time dad, Lilly, and Suzie had arrived. They had decided to go to sleep while we finished up. I wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to clean up. They looked pretty exhausted.

We didn't finish cleaning though. Cole and I collapsed on the couch and Blake just sat at the sofa. We decided we'd clean the backyard and take the decorations down in the morning. When morning did arrive, I woke up with a slight regret I'd have to clean more. I groaned to myself throwing my pillow at the window wishing the sun could go down and leave me to sleep. Then I realized that was impossibe so I sat up and noticed two things. One, the black trash bags near the door that were filled with trash. And two, I was still in my costume. I was so tired last night I had just fallen in bed and passed out from exhaustion.

I got up changing into some sweat pants and a sweat shirt before grabbing the black bags and moving towards the hall. Everyone seemed to be awake because all doors were opened. Except for Shawn. His door was locked and really loud music kept leaking from under his door. I still wanted to know what happened between him and Trent. The way Shawn hit him and threw him around was scary, if Cole and Mark hadn't intervened then there could be a possibility that Trent would be in the hospital today.

"Hey," I said as I walked into the kitchen. Everyone mumbled a 'good morning' or 'hi' except Blake, who gave me the regular cold shoulder. A part of me wished he'd give me a chance like his brothers did. But I knew it was like asking the wind to move a mountain.

Cole had some toast in his mouth as he was trying to force more paper plates into the trash bag. Blake was grabbing any bag he found and would thrust it over his shoulder taking it to the garage. Suzie, Lilly, and dad all sat around the table watching. Well Suzie looked in a trance. All the left over candy buckets were at her feet and she just stared down at them.