A safer place

chapter six

„Billy!" Max shouted, getting slightly angry now.
But the boy lit the cigarette, ignoring her and after taking a long drag, sticking his tongue out at her.

Max sighed, taking a moment to calm down. There was no use in getting mad at him as it would only get him to disobey the rules more and eventually cry.

„Fine, if you want to play that game, then I guess you're big enough to play alone?" she asked, and Billy whined.
He shook his head quickly, pressing out the cigarette in his ashtray and falling to the ground.
Max sat next to him, now smiling again.
„Good boy, there we go" she said, reaching out to pat his hair but he smacked her hand away.

„Billy! It's not nice to hit people!" Max exclaimed, sending a disappointed look over at her brother, who's bottom lip started to quiver as tears formed in his eyes.
Max sighed, taking a deep breath.
„I'm sorry for getting loud sweetheart, but it's not nice. I'd like you to apologise" she said, calmer now but still upset over how bratty Billy seemed to be today.

„Am sorry sissy" the boy whined, single tears escaping his eyes.
„It's okay sweetheart, I'm not mad at you" Max smiled, scooting closer to her brother, who flopped down in her lap.

„What's got you so upset today, Bills?" Max asked, stroking through his curls now that he let her.
„Dunno, eve'ythin' 's upsettin' todays" Billy whined, desperately leaning into the affection from his sister.

„Awh, poor baby. Did something happen in class?" she asked, and Billy nodded, taking a minute before talking again.
„Tommy called me a bad word" he whispered, and Max's free hand clenched into a fist.
The other guy from her brothers class had a habit of switching sides between Steve and Billy, always insulting whoever wasn't his friend at the moment.
Even after Billy and Steve settled their rivalry and were now somewhat friends, Tommy never missed a chance to try to make them fight.

„I'm so sorry baby, he's a meanie" Max cooed, hugging the boy on her lap.
Billy nodded against her chest, wrapping his arms around her waist.

„Can we play cars please, sissy?" he asked, and Max smiled at the question.
„Sure we can, sweetheart, but first I want you to have something to eat, okay? I know you don't like the school lunch."

Billy nodded, slowly getting up and walking after the girl.
Max quickly prepared a PB&J, since Billy had told her he had loved them when he was little.
Next to the sandwich, Max cut up some cucumber sticks, in hopes Billy would eat them.

When the girl brought over the plate, Billy immediately grabbed the PB&J, already being halfway done when Max sat down, pushing a glass of milk over to him.

„T'ank you sissy" Billy said, giving her a big toothy smile.
„You're welcome sweetheart, but please also eat the veggies" she said, sighing as Billy shook his head, grabbing the glass and quickly downing it.

„Billy, I want you to eat the cucumber as well" she said, once again getting more stern at his brattiness.
Max had put up with Billy when he was big before she started taking care of him, this was no problem for her, she told herself.

Billy pushed the plate towards her, not having touched a single cucumber stick.
„Billy" Max sighed, pushing the plate in his direction again.

„No!" the blond shouted, hitting the table in anger, a pout forming on his face.
„We're not playing until you have at least eaten half of them" Max said, crossing her arms.

Billy tried imitating a sob, but his sister wasn't having it.
„Don't even think about it, young man. You need to eat something healthy as well, and I'm not going to change my mind" she said.

The boy softly started to actually cry now, shaking his head now, but Max knew if she allowed it now, there was no way she'd ever get him to follow the rules ever again.

„Would you prefer if I fed you, babyboy?" Max tried, and sure enough, Billy stopped crying and nodded at her with teary eyes.
The redhead grabbed one of the vegetables, putting it in front of Billy's mouth, who opened up wide and let her place the stick between his lips.

When Billy started chewing on the cucumber, he didn't mind it as much anymore, finishing up all of it as well, with Max's help.

„There we go, I'm so proud of you sweetheart" she smiled, chuckling at Billy's giggles.
The boy got up and jumped around the dining room a bit.

„Can we go play now please sissy?" he asked, already having forgotten about the small breakdown he had before.

„Of course kiddo, just let me clean up your plate real fast. You can go in your room already, I'll be right there" Max said, getting up as well and bringing the plate in the kitchen, watching Billy already run to his room.

„Slow down sweetheart!" she shouted, but it was too late, as Billy tripped and fell, starting to cry.
Max put the plate down and came after him, crouching down next to her brother.

„Awh baby, you know you're not supposed to run in the house" Max cooed while pulling him into a hug.
The boy cried into her chest softly, while she was stroking his back.
„Sorry sissy" Billy whined, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

Max sighed, kissing his forehead.
„It's okay sweetheart, I'm not mad. The reason you're not allowed to run in the house is that I don't want you to get hurt, you know?" she explained, and Billy nodded slowly.

Eyes still a little teary, he got up again with the girls help, now walking into his room and sitting on the bed.
„Do you want to play cars now, Bills?" Max asked, while grabbing his box of little stuff from under his bed.

„Yes p'ease sissy" Billy giggled, grabbing the carton from Max's hands as she held it in front of him, getting out his favourite toys.
They played for a little while, until Billy got visibly bored and chucked his car across the room with a pout.

„Sweetheart, don't throw your stuff-" Max started, but the boy just huffed and stuck his tongue out to her once again.
She sighed, shaking her head at her brother.

„Why are you being so grumpy today" the redhead muttered, but when the boy tried to stifle a yawn, she smiled.
„Do you need a nap, darling?" she asked, expecting Billy to say yes.

„Nu-uh, no nap!" he shouted, slamming his hands down next to himself, almost hitting Max again.
The girl sighed, looking at her brother.

„Okay, message received" she muttered, scooting away from Billy a little to avoid getting hit.
„What do you want to do then, sweetheart?" she asked, trying to calm her brother down a little.

„Dunno" he whined, crawling towards her and climbing onto her lap.
„Am sorry sissy, am mean today, didn't mean to" he admitted, and Max cooed at him.
„It's okay sweetheart, everyone has bad days sometimes. I'm not mad at you" she smiled, drawing a heart on Billy's back.
The boy giggled, but it was cut off by another yawn.

„Maybe it's naptime" he admitted, and Max chuckled, nodding at the boy in her lap.
„I think so too. Let me read you a story until you fall asleep, okay sweetheart? And when you wake up we can watch cartoons or something" she smiled, helping her brother into bed and tugging him in before grabbing his story book.