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⠀⠀𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐙𝐈𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 than to pinky promise Barry she wouldn't leave the safety behind the shadows of the oakwood tree when he'd narrowed his eyes at the sight of Tony Heywood and his friend group picking on three others who were a few years younger than Barry, seven or six maybe. He'd told her he was just going to make sure that Tony or his friends didn't hurt them, ever the hero her older brother, he'd also held ou his pinky and made her promise she wouldn't move from behind the tree unless he asked her to. That was an easy promise, right? She'd agreed immediately, but now, however as she watched him trying to outrun Tony and his friends, she wished she hadn't.
⠀⠀"Run, Barry, run!" She yelled instead, she wanted to run and help her brother, but if she left without him telling her to — which he made very clear he didn't when he violently shook his head and told her to stay where she was — he would be upset. Lizzie didn't want to make Barry sad. But watching him get hurt . . . . . It made her sad.
⠀⠀Tony caught up with Barry and dragged him to the group, beating him while Lizzie cried for help. When desperate pleas remained unanswered, her eyes searched the surroundings and fell on the rocks lying around as an idea struck her. Her mom would not be happy, her dad would probably say nothing but warn her not to get in trouble again, Serenity would very obviously encourage her bad behavior as she always did (or tried to, at least, it was hard to do any encouraging at all when her little siblings were such goody two shoes).
⠀⠀With all the strength her three-year-old arms could muster, Lizzie chucked the rock across the street, hitting the back of Tony Heywood, causing the boy in question to turn around with a glare as he searched his surroundings for the assaulter. He didn't seem hurt badly, just annoyed, which calmed Lizzie to a degree. She didn't want to hurt anyone just as much as she didn't want anyone to get hurt.
⠀⠀Barry's legs moved by themselves as Tony and goons found a distraction in searching for who they might have made their next target, before the older kids could get a chance to get back at the Allen boy, he'd already grabbed his sister's hand and ran towards the direction of home.
⠀⠀When the door of the Allen House opened, Nora Allen was waiting on the couch with a book in hand —Little Women, Lizzie recognized the cover immediately, it was one of her favorite stories that her mom read to her after all — and a smile to greet her children. But that smile immediately turned into a frown when she saw her son's forehead bleeding and Lizzie looking red-eyed and tired. Without a word both were welcomed in the warm embrace of their mother before she brought back the first aid kit from the bathroom and bandaged Barry's head.
⠀⠀"Tell me what happened," She finally asked. Lizzie had disappeared a moment ago, no doubt looking for Serenity. It was almost second nature for the younger Allens to run to their older sister whenever something happened. Serenity was quite protective of her younger siblings, actually scratch that, she was very protective of her younger siblings.
