𝑩𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝒀𝒐𝒓𝒌 { PREQUEL}

Three

Eighth grade wasn't any better. Aiden constantly received insults about the way he looked. It broke my heart. And I couldn't help but defend him every time. Some of them escalated to fights, which resulted in me being lead to the Dean's office. There were too many times when I was sent home with bruised knuckles and a busted lip. I couldn't help it. It enraged me to see people treat my brother so bad. He was my other half. Never would I sit back and watch someone hurt him.

I knew that Aiden appreciated my support, which was another reason why I would do it again in a heart beat. I was the only person that stood by him, regardless of the situation. My parents, on the other hand, weren't as supportive. They shunned him indirectly, in their own twisted way.

I think that was what drove Aiden over the edge the most. It was one thing to be ridiculed by strangers, but an entirely different situation when your very own parents join in on the vicious act. The people who created him, the ones who shared the same blood and were supposed to love him unconditionally, harped on him the most.

Home was supposed to be Aiden's safe haven. After a long day of enduring bullying, he was supposed to be able to come home and be showered with the love that a true family gives. Instead, it was the complete opposite.

School was simply a warm up for him; the preliminary round before the knockout. Home was when the real fight began, a place filled with two parents that were single handily driving their son into a deadly eating disorder. And no matter what I tried to do to relieve his pain, I knew that it would never be enough.

"And how was school for you, kiddo?" Dad asked, turning towards my brother.

I had just finished rambling about my day, which consisted of irritating boys in gym class who wouldn't leave me alone. In contrast to my rambunctious chatter, Aiden sat silently beside me. He was devouring his plate rapidly, which eased my nerves a bit. He hadn't been eating as much food as he should have the last few nights, and it was starting to worry me. He took a hefty bite of his pasta, chewing quickly before swallowing.

"Good." My brother muttered quietly, keeping his eyes fixed on his plate. I knew that it was lie. I nearly got into another fight today, trying to defend his honor that our peers persistently tried to deteriorate. Despite being a year younger than us, they continuously ganged up on him. It was infuriating.

"What did you do?" Dad pressed.

Besides dodging every student he came in contact with? Absolutely nothing.

But I knew that confession wouldn't please my father. He didn't like the fact that my brother 'couldn't stand up for himself.' It was something Aiden had gotten lectured about a few times now. 'A true man has the guts to put people in their place,' Dad would say.

So instead of confessing about another horrific day, My brother simply shrugged. "Just school work. Nothing new."

The conversation came to a halt. We all finished eating our food. My mother was too engrossed in her laptop to pay us any attention tonight.

"I made desert!" She called as I got up to wash my plate. "Chocolate chip brownies!"

My mouth watered at the sound of it. Once I set my dishes in the sink, I grabbed a handful of the homemade treat. Then I made my way back into the dinning room, where my family still sat.

"Here," I whispered to Aiden, grinning widely at him. I shoved a few brownies in his hand. At first, he was hesitant. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared down at them.

"You deserve brownies, A." I pushed. I had a rough idea of what was going through his mind at that moment, and it made me sick to my stomach. He didn't deserve to punish himself like this.

After a few moments, he brought a pastry up to his mouth and took a small bite.

"Are you sure you want to eat that, kiddo?" Dad spoke up.

Aiden froze, "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. It's just..." He shifted in his seat. "You've gained a few pounds, kid. You've got to make sure you're eating a bit healthier."

Mom looked up from her laptop, eyes narrowing when she saw the brownies
in Aiden's hand. "Put those back, baby. We talked about this already."

My heart dropped in the pit of my stomach. What was wrong with a few brownies?

My brothers eyes glossed over with tears. His face tinted crimson as he handed them back to me underneath the table. "B-But I just thought I could have some this one time, and then-"

"When you lose a few more pounds than you can have some sweets again." Mom sighed. She clasped her hands together, turning her full attention towards us. I could tell she was starting to grow agitated. "Baby, we love you. You know that. We wouldn't be telling you any of this if we didn't. You know we're just looking out for you," It felt like she was talking to a kid instead of the 13 year old teen that Aiden was. "Please don't make me repeat myself."

I blinked, trying to wrap my brain around the situation that was unfolding before me. Why would Mom mention making desert if we couldn't eat it? And why did she sound like the children we went to school with? Despite her claim about 'loving' Aiden, she didn't remind me of a nurturing mother looking out for her child. Instead, it was condescending and degrading-not much different than the students at Thurman White Middle School.

Aiden got up from his seat, leaving the dinning room hastily. Seconds later, the deafening silence was filled with his bedroom door slamming shut. Mom returned back to her computer without a second thought, already forgetting the conversation. Dad sighed wearily, shaking his head before turning to me.

I couldn't help but frown. "I didn't see anything wrong with him eating some brownies."

My dad stared down at me with a gentle smile. "That's because you're young, sweetie."

My gaze shifted down to the chocolate pastry in my hands.

"You better eat those before they get all dried out and gross." He added, making a weird face. It made him look funny, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"But I thought mom said we couldn't..."

At that moment, my mom glanced up. "I was only talking about your brother, baby. Eat as much as you'd like."

In that moment, I knew that there was something about my family that was very...wrong.