My father had just frightened the hell out of me so much to the extent that I could literally hear my heart thumping through my ears.

I'm a hundred percent aware that my mother and I aren't always the hunky-dory type but if anything was to happen to her, that'll be the end of me.

Not literally, chill.

It took every cell in me to run as fast as I could to the school gate only to be welcomed by the unfriendly expression of two security guards.

Since I had already called myself a car, I didn't see the reason to waste time and pay more for nothing.

Who would have known a simple trip could cost $50+ ?

"I need to get through." I told them holding onto the gate bars.

"Miss Manor isn't it?" one of the asked making me roll my eyes.

"Yes! Now can I please get through, it's important!" I told him.

"You know we're not allowed to permit students to go out right?"

"What?! You think I'm stupid enough to not know?" I practically shouted at this moment but quickly lowered my voice considering school hours were not over.

"Five hundred dollars each." I finally huffed at them making them look at each other's face.

"Five fifty." One of them tried to debate.

"Whatever! Six hundred, just let me get through." and with that, they opened up the grand gates and I rushed out running down the path over to the black car that had been waiting over five minutes for my arrival.

It had been over thirty minutes since we took off when the car finally stopped at the hospital.

From there, I knew it was now or never. It was like playing a game of fire. Like touching electricity with wet hands. This was a dangerous moment for me and for my mother as well.

"Amber Chloette Manor?" I asked the lady at the front desk.

In my opinion, she didn't look a day over fifty. With black hair put up in a messy bun, large cat glasses and long nails hitting each key on the keyboard so quickly leaving a deafening sound behind.

And it got me wondering if it's just her or all other receptionists do that?

Hello? Someone's life is on the line!

"Good afternoon Miss." I said again trying to be more polite this time. "-I'm looking for my mum, Amber Chloette Manor?" I told her.

For a moment, she looked up from her monitor and our eyes met.

"Last floor, private section."

Now let me tell y'all something. If looks could kill, I'd be six feet down by now. Probably even ten but that was a minor problem for now.

I run to the elevator tapping the up button viciously until it finally opened and I stood in.

At that point, so many scenarios were going through my mind. What if she was already gone? I never said my goodbye. I never got the chance to tell her how much I loved her.

It was at the moment like this that a realised how important everyone in my family is.

Before the elevator door could finally open, I rushed past it racing for the section that 'PRIVATE' boldy written on the wall.

The moment I entered, that's when I saw it.

I saw my family and unfortunately, my annoying big brother.

Dad sitting at the side of the bed stroking his wife's hair, Mathew staring at the window looking out into...whatever there was to look at and Liam casully sitting on a chair near the bed holding his phone up to his face.

Then mum, dear dear mum, on a freaking computer laying in the hospital bed looking somewhat calm.

"Excuse me fam!" I shouted through the room grasping their attention.

"Was it just me or the call I received from dad a few minutes ago was a call of distress?" I shouted again.

"Well, it was at the point." Mum started "-but as you can see my love, I'm fine,totally fine."

I just rolled my eyes at her comment then walked closer to her bedside to sit on the beside her.

"No kidding mum, dad frightened the hell of of me."

"So that's why he went outside." She muttered rubbing her temples.

"And you?" I asked Liam nudging him on the shoulder.

"Same sh*t. Dad called up up from the office and could you believe- he sat up straight putting his phone on a nearby table. "-I payed almost $100 dollars to get here."

I call bullsh*t. I always knew Liam could be stingy, but not that stingy. I mean he's practically one of America's billionaires.

And I know what you're thinking...doesn't he have a driver?

He does, but they don't make their mind up to stay too long since all they do is take a picture of him through the rareview mirror, post it on a site and ditch the job.

I have offered to be his personal drivers but he says he values his life.

I don't blame him though, even though I could drive, I think we'd both prefer to stay on the safe side.

"So what happened." I asked them with my hands on my hips and for some reason staring at Matthew's back as he faced the window.

"There was a break in. " My dad finally said. "Seems the culprit was looking for something. Or someone should I say."

"And mum? What happened to her."

He brushed her hair with his hands before saying "As a little too clumsy and hit her head a bit bad."

"So let me get this straight-" I started. "I left my bestfriend in a middle of her mental crisis, have to give a thousand and two hundred dollars as bribe money to the security guards-

"-A thousand and two hundred." Liam asked cutting me off.

"-minor issue." I brushed him off. "-and to top it off, I thought my mother was dying!"

I looked over to her direction as I saw a smile creep up her face still looking st the computer screen.

Now let's get something straight, I for one don't condone violence but me and that laptop have on hell of a problem if it things it's going to tear me from my birth giver.

May the internet buffer. I said, but only in my head so no one could hear it but me.

"If everything is fine, I'll be heading back to school." I said as I began to walk toward the door.

"Madeleine." A voice called out to me making me pause in my tracks and turn around.

Mathew slowly walked over to me and cupped my tiny hands in his.

After everything he's done to me, the last things I want is to feel his mafia bleeding hands.

Please note: I'm not too sure if he's a mafia boss or not, but it's just fun to assume that.

"I'm so sorry sis." He said with tears in his eyes and I closed mine.

After all Mathew had done to me, he was still my brother. He was still my eldest brother and that'll never change.

He was stupid, yes. He cut my wounds even deeper than what they were, he wasn't there for me when I needed a brother, he never cared enough to check up on me, Mathew didn't love me.

But what could I do? I was abused and he did nothing. I was tortured in his presence and he watched.

Everything then came flashing into my mind like a torch light.

(Flashback)

"Please." I whispered loud enough so he could hear me causing him to kneel down to my level.

"I told you what to do Lilac, and you disobeyed so you'll have to suffer the consequences." was the last thing I heard before I was engulfed in my own screaming and shouting from all the whips I was receiving.

(Back to story)

Mathew didn't care for me. He harded his heart making mine vulnerable and jello-like.
I looked up to him and when I lost what I would have called mine, I lost him too.

"Mathew-" I started as I began to open my eyes but was cut off by him.

"I swear Lilac, I never meant to hurt you. You mean too much to me. You're my only baby sister. My most prized processi-

But just as he was about to finish, Liam objected. "Hey!" earning him a slap on the head from mum before he retired to minding his own business.

Mathew looked into me...searching for a hint of forgiveness which he found when I let a single tear roll down my cheek.

"I love you Lilac, even though I've been a shitty brother, I really do."

That was it. All my walls broken.

I fell into my big brothers embrace as he held me closely and we hugged for what seemed like forever but in reality, was only a few seconds.

"I should get going." I said to him gently backing away.

"Need a car?" He asked. "I got it bro." I said playfully nudging him in the stomach.

"Tell Louis I said hi and please keep mum in check." I told him as I walked over to the door.

"Love you lot." I shouted loud enough for my dad, mum and Liam to hear before holding the handle to the door.

"Thank you Madeline." I hear Mathew whisper before I walked out with a small smile plastered across my face.

As I walked out of the elevator, I bumped into a tall, hard structure causing me to wince.

"I'm so sorry." The person said, making me look up.

"Malachi?!" I gasped. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" I asked him lowering my voice this time.

"Yeah...I suppose, but my sister being the know-it-all she is decided to eat gone off food saying it has more nutrients. Food poisoning."

Before he could finish I started laughing. "Sorry." I stated between giggles. "Gone off food?" I asked just to be sure I wasn't impaired.

"Yep." Malachi said popping the 'p'. "Hey, I'm supposed to be heading back, want to join?"

Without hesitation I agreed.

𓆉︎𓆉︎𓆉︎𓆉︎

The ride back to school was somewhat...weird? Yh, weird would be a good word to describe the tension that uncomfortably sat between Malachi and I.

Even though he tried to tell me about his little sister and their relationship, I couldn't actually understand anything so I just kept nodding my head and giggling like a fool.

And I kept thinking... why open up to me?

If I'm being honest, the only things I heard was her name which was Mikayla Washington, her age, which is probably ten or eleven...I'm not too sure as I said but he didn't hit on the reason why she wasn't known to the public.

There were only a few inches between us and with every breath that I took, his cologne was all I would exhale and something about it made me want to bottle it up.

It was a sweet mixture of mint and honey. Expensive for sure.

He was a very calm person in my opinion. I could tell from the way he talked to me and expressed himself in the most funniest ways possible.

The media makes him out to be this stuck up playboy but in reality...he's just like all of us.

As we drove closer to the school, I decided I needed to start a conversation already since I've made him look like a complete.chatter box.

"What's it like being the president's son?"

He turned his gaze from the window then started at me. Was my question that stupid?

"It's fine if you don't want to answer. I didn't mean to pry." I told him looking back to the view outside.

"No, no, it's fine. I just don't get asked a lot."

"I see."

"It's pretty stressful." He said and just like that we went back to silence until he placed his hand on mine and my body was literally on fire.

We looked at each other for a split second then blushed.

"Thanks for the ride."

"Wait!" He shouted from the other side of the car making his was around to where I stood.

"Hm?"

"Well- he started as he fidgeted with with pockets and rubbed the back of his neck. "-I know we haven't been friends for long and it's kind of weird we get along and I'm really perculiar but I think I like you Lilac."

A/N: Thanks for reading!
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