My Girlfriend's Brother

Chapter 4

Mitch's POV

Ahh life, art thou a heartless b***h?

When Mitch expected to wake up the morning after the exam he had completely and most definitely failed. He didn't expect to see his best friend making out with his girlfriend and both of them making some . . . disturbing noises.

What about the morning breath they both had? Because Kiera had some funky morning breath and how the actual hell was Noah able to make out with her?

"Can you both not try to tongue f**k in the bed we're all sharing?" Ell groaned out as she sat up, blinking the sleep away.

"Get the f**k up," Cameron deadpanned as he walked into the room. He was also f*****g shirtless. Noah pulled away from Kiera, both of them scowling.

"We're awake. Can you please leave? And also put on some clothes," Noah said dryly.

Cameron rolled his eyes and looked over at Mitch. Mitch simply looked away. He didn't want anything to do with him. Well, no, that was a lie, but he could believe whatever he wanted.

"I can't believe how f****d our weather is. Look it, look at how f*****g sunny it is now. Yesterday it was like hell," Ell said as she looked out the window.

She was right, it was sunny outside now and if everyone shut the f**k up, you could hear the birds, chillin' in the trees.

Ella stood up but got caught in the covers and fell flat on her face.

Ah, gravity, art thou a heartless b***h?

Mitch made no move to help her, so Kiera did it instead.

Mitch stared at his friends as the trio talked amongst themselves. To say he had complicated relationships with everyone was an understatement. Yes, Noah was his best friend and his heart would be screaming at him for him to be able to trust Noah. He had never shown any signs of not. But, his brain always got the best of him and told him that if he made one wrong move he would lose everything he had. He had already done that once and he wasn’t about to do it again.

"Mitch?!"

He blinked a couple of times, looking around. It turned out they all ditched him and Cameron and he was the only two left.

"What?" he said, running a hand through his hair to try and subdue his awful bed hair.

"Get the f**k dressed and come and f*****g eat," he snapped, and he stared blankly at the boy.

"Why?"

Cameron stared at him and sighed before he turned on his heel and left.

Over the years, Mitch had noticed how much Cameron had changed. He wasn’t a prick like that when they were younger, he used to have more to say than that. He used to come and talk Mitch’s ear off about anything and everything. But now, Mitch was lucky if he managed to get more than four-five sentences out of him.

Mitch knew why Cameron avoided him, and no matter how much the younger him had told him that it was fine and that he was okay, that they both were okay, Cameron never believed him. And just when Mitch had believed they could go back to how it was before, Cameron kissed him and when he went to see him the next day, according to Noah, he and their dad had moved across the country.

Mitch sighed, he had to stop thinking about it all. Cameron was back but he would leave again and he would not let himself be thrown down that s**t show again. He threw the duvet back and stretched, groaning a little. He opened the window, airing out Noah’s room.

Scratching his head he went to the bathroom and freshened up. He walked downstairs when he was done and heard them before he saw everyone.

He rolled his eyes at having to deal with so many people so early in the morning, he grabbed a piece of toast and took the empty seat beside Ella.

"You have five minutes, then you all need to leave or you'll be late. I can't give you a ride, so find a different way and Noah, you're still grounded. I expect you to be home straight after school . . . Home alone," his mother said as she eyed Noah’s friends.

Mitch stared at the sheriff blankly. God, even if she was Noahs mother, she was such a b***h, disrespectfully too, and he meant that in the nicest way possible. At the very least, she could have tried to play nice when they were there.

"It's fine,” Kiera said, forcing a smile as she bit into her apple. “I'll see if I can get Reece to give us a ride to school.”

At the mention of Reece’s name, she seemed to eye Noah, who was too busy eyeing a stack of cards to pay attention to what his mother was saying.

"Is he even awake?" Ell asked from beside Mitch, her mouth half full of toast.

Mitch ignored everyone and put his head down on the table, enjoying the darkness in front of his eyes.

"Don't put your head down. It's rude," Cameron said as he smacked the back of Mitch’s head. Mitch looked up to scowl at him.

Fucking asshole. Who gave him the right to hit his head? Who did he think he was?

Mitch didn't reply, instead, he stared out the window.

Five minutes later, Ell was dragging him to the front door.

"No touchy, touch touch," he said, shrugging her off.

She rolled her eyes and muttered something and the four of them waited outside the house, glad to be away from Melinda.

"So," Ell says as she stared at the couple. "When were you going to tell us that your dad was coming back?"

Noah looked away uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I swear I meant to tell you but it just slipped my mind."

He was lying.

Mitch eyed his best friend. Why would he lie about something like that? See, when people lied they had little tells they would do subconsciously.

When Ell lied, she would shift her weight from her left foot to her right.

When Kiera lied, she would always cross her arms.

With Noah, it was a little harder. He seemed to have a few giveaways. The most obvious he would always look at your nose and not your eyes.

Ella dropped the topic and believed Noah, but Mitch eyed his best friend. He would have to interrogate him later. But what he didn't understand was why they had to go to school. They were in exam season, you only had to come to school when your exam was going on or you wanted to study at school in the library.

They loitered around the porch and waited for Reece to eventually turn up. A whole fifteen minutes later, he did. He pulled up in his car. The quartet said their hellos, well everyone but Mitch did. No, he had his eyes narrowed on Clark, Reece’s best friend, who had his eyes glued to his phone furiously texting someone.

Since there was an extra person, Kiera was currently sitting on Noah’s lap, playing a game that he had gotten her addicted to.

"Hello, boys," Kiera said, as she jumped a little on Noah’s lap. He smiled as his grip on her tightened a little and he left a small kiss on the back of his neck.

"Can someone explain to me why the f**k I am awake?" Reece grumbled.

"Because you love us and don't want us to be late for school? And because you care about our education?" Noah asked.

"Well, that's bullshit. I don't like Mitchell, he's just an asshole. You're always stealing my food and Ella is always glaring at me," Reece deadpanned as he stopped at traffic lights.

When Kiera jumped again, Noah groaned. “Kiera, you just elbowed me.”

"Sorry. Playing a game, if I die, then we won't win and I need the points.”

"You always complain that I play too many games, but when you play, it's fine?" Noah whined. Kiera pecked his lips quickly but then focused on her game. This caused Reece to scoff.

"That's because she doesn't let it distract her from her daily life," Ella said, and Noah's eyes widened.

"Honestly, I just came to have a good time and I'm feeling so attacked right now," he replied as he placed a hand on his chest and had a smug look on his pretty face.

"Tell me she's wrong," Clark said. "Last time you were so absorbed in a game you didn't eat or sleep and ended up fainting."

"Would it be bad if I said that's dedication?" Mich mumbled and to answer his question Ella and Kiera whacked him on the arm. So, that was a yes.

"Well, go big or go home," Noah replied, smiling.

"Yea, go big or go home. Not exhaust yourself and end up in bed with a motherfucking fever," Reece deadpanned, he kept his eyes glued on the road ahead.

But Mitch didn’t miss the look Clark gave to the older boy, Reece subsequently ignored him.

"Yes, but I wanted to unlock the Seer. And to unlock him, I needed more money and to get more money, I needed to play more matches. After I unlocked him, I was aiming to get the black and white guard."

"Oh nice, I wanna get the photographer and the priestess," Kiera said and Reece glared at Noah.

"I swear if she becomes addicted to that game, Noah, I'll murder your ass."

"My ass is too cute for you to handle."

"Please, no more," Clark mumbled.

"Clark?” Mitch asked.

Lark peeled his eyes off of his phone to look at the boy, between the two front seats. “Do you know you look like s**t?"

Clark raised his eyebrow before leaning a little forward and pinching his cheek.

“Yes, I know. Reece has told me, what? Six times now." He let go and Mitch rubbed his now sore cheek.

"Well, that's bright red," Ella said as she eyed Mitch’s stinging cheek. She took off one of her metal bangles and gave it to him. "It's cold. Put it against your face, it should stop it from going red and it won't hurt."

"Thanks," he grumbled as he placed the cool metal on his face.

Ella then chewed Clark out, who didn’t seem to care as he was too invested in his phone to notice anyone talking to him.

"Get out," Reece deadpanned when they arrived at school. Mitch rolled his eyes but happily obliged as he pushed Ella out.

The quartet walked to Noah’s locket. Noah had to navigate Kiera as she refused to look up from her phone and Noah, being the good boyfriend he was, didn’t want anyone to bump into his boyfriend. Along the way, whoever noticed Noah said their hellos, and whenever he got asked about how he did on the test yesterday, he only replied with ‘fine’.

"What do you think, Mitch?" Kiera asked him and he stared at her blankly. He really needed to listen to what she was saying. Well, he would start tomorrow. Kiera sighed dramatically. "Do you even know what the hell we're talking about?"

When he didn't reply and she looked like she was about to kill him, Noah spoke up laughing lightly. "She wants to know your opinions on Reece's birthday present. And yes, before you even ask, you are coming."

Mitch glowered.

"I'm sorry. But she's making us all and I don't think it's going to be that bad."

"Oh, yes,” Kiera said, turning to whack Noah on the arm, who winced. “My mother said to invite Cameron too.”

"Okay, maybe I was wrong. Maybe it will be bad.”

"The Noah said he was wrong, someone call Fox News," Ell said, grinning.

Her dark hair was in a weird style and her oversized plaid shirt was hanging off her shoulders. She had on a bunch of necklaces and this very weird satanic-looking crop top and dark jeans with very big scary-looking biker shoes. It was definitely a weird combination of clothes but they suited her. She looked hot.

"Adios, motherfuckers," Kiera said. “Ella and I are going to our lockers, w’ll meet you in the library.”

"Do I absolutely have to go?" Mitch asked, turning to whine at his best friend.

"'Fraid so, Mitch. Apparently, Reece is turning twenty-two, so we need to go gift shopping."

"I don't know the first thing about him! The bastard scares the s**t out of me!" Mitch protested and Noah let out a giggle as he closed his locker.

Noah forced Mitch to go to his own locker and grab some of his textbooks. Along the way, more people said hello to Noah.

Mitch wasn’t sure how he did it, being so social. Did his social battery ever die? Was that what it was like to be normal? For your battery to never die?

"He scares me too,” Noah said, as Mitch grabbed a few random textbooks from his own locker. “ He scares everyone, but that's not the point. We have to go. And get him a present.”

The duo walked to the library, and although the library was normally a quiet place, the whispered chatter was loud enough. Mitch turned to look at Noah, a look of confusion on his face.

“What’s happening?” he muttered.

Noah shrugged.

"We're happening," Reece deadpanned as he walked over to the receptionist who stared blankly up at him.

"I'm so confused!" Noah said and Mitch shrugged.

He, too, was confused. Why were Reece and Clark at school? They finished four years ago.

"So, we got community service. And we have to be teaching assistants, which I find f*****g ridiculous,” Reece said as he leaned against the receptionist's desk. “School isn’t on properly now, it’s only exam students and half of them aren't even in, so we got sent here.”

"God. Reece, you have no idea how much I'm hating you right now. I have places to be!" Clark hissed at his best friend.

"Where do you have to be, Clark?" Mitch asked, c*****g his head a little and Clark glared at him.

"Don't you start with me, Mitchel," he snapped, and the boy shrugged.

He walked over to where Reece was standing and put his head down on the desk. He hadn’t gotten much sleep because of Cameron’s surprise visit yesterday.

"Head up, Mitchel!" the receptionist hissed and he continued to ignore her and kept his eyes shut.

"Mitch, head. Now,” Reece hissed, kicking his leg a little and he still didn’t move.

Then he felt the ever so gentle fingers of his best friend on his arm. He peeked over his arms to see Noah’s brown eyes staring at him.

“Head up,” he whispered.

An odd wave of guilt rushed over him as he nodded, stood up straight and then kicked Reece back. “Don’t hit me, idiot.”

The receptionist called Reece and Clark over and she talked to them. She was so small compared to the taller boys. They also looked like they belonged in jail and not a school library. They both handed her the same yellow slip and she muttered something before they both groaned and slipped said yellow sheet back into their pockets.

Mitch and Noah watched as she showed them a few things before leaving them to handle the desk situation.

“Why are you both standing there? Go revise,” Clark deadpanned.

“We’re waiting for the girls,” Noah said, smiling.

“Wait over there then,” Reece said, motioning to the small sitting area.

Mitch nodded and dragged Noah and they both took a seat. Both boys watched as girls and boys began crowding around the desk, asking for the simplest things.

"Noah, what's the powerhouse of a cell?" Reece asked after he managed to scare everyone who found them attractive away.

“What?” Niah asked, blinking a couple of times.

“Powerhouse of a cell?”

"Mitochondria."

"Name a structure that both animal and plant cells have," he then asked.

Noah frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Since you’re sitting there, doing nothing, I’m testing you.”

“We’re waiting for the girls,” he replied.

“Name a structure both an animal and plant cells have,” Reece asked again.

Noah sighed, but he had a small smile on his face. "Cytoplasm."

"Mitch, name another one."

"Another what?"

"A structure both animal and plant cells have."

"Oh. I dunno.”

Mitch did, in fact, know cell membrane and vocule, but he found this whole situation to be ridiculous. Where the hell were the girls?

"Noah! Help your friend out."

"Oh, Vacuole," Noah said, and Reece smiled.

“At least one of you knows your shit.”

“This is why we have Noah helping us out.”

"Tell me it's not true," Kiera whined as she strode into the library.

Her eyes landed on her brother and she pretended to faint into Ella’s arms, who caught her but she stumbled.

"Kiera, that's dangerous!" Ella hissed.

"Yeah,” she said, grinning as she eyed her best friend. “But I knew you'd catch me."

"You're all killing me here," Clark muttered. "You’re all here now. Go and study. Leave us alone.”

The quartet struggled to find an empty table, but after a couple of minutes of walking, they found one towards the back of the library.

Noah handed out the study guides he had made and Mitch stared at him. “What subject is this?”

“We only have one science paper, and an English lit paper left. So, it’s that.”

The group studied in silence, asking Noah questions here and there.

“What I don’t understand,” Mitch whispered for the sixth time, causing the others to groan. “No, hear me out, right? After the two exams, we are done. No more high school because what else are we meant to learn? Our exams are done. But why do we have to come to school for the last f*****g month?”

“It’s the rules,” Noah replied.

After another hour of studying, everyone besides Noah seemed to be getting distracted and so they decided to pack up and leave.

They were waiting by Reece’s car, who still had not appeared, even though they had walked past him fifteen minutes earlier and he said ‘he would be right there’.

“How was revising?” Kiera asked, looking at her boyfriend.

“It was fine. I got a lot done,” he replied, looking at her nose.

Recently, Noah had been lying a lot.

Which was weird considering the fact that he was the golden boy.

"So," Mitch said, looking at them. “I can’t come over to anyone, I need to go home.”

"Tell your family I said hi," Noah said, smiling, and he nodded. Definitely.

Clark and Reece appeared, both looking very pissed off.

"Well, guess who woke up on the wrong side of the bed today,” Kiera said, smiling at the two boys.

"Kiera, I love you, but one more word out of your mouth and I will end you." Clark deadpanned as he scooped his phone out of his pocket and typed away again.

Kiera told her brother to drop Mitch off at his house and Reece nodded. He first dropped the girls off at his house, and after some directions, he parked in front of his ridiculously large house.

"We're coming in," Reece deadpanned as he shut his engine off.

"I'd prefer you drop me off at home, please. I'm still grounded," Noah mumbled.

"We are?" Clark asked as he eyed the house.

"No. You're not,” Mitch said. “Take Noah home.”

Mitch had begun to stay at his uncle’s house when he had turned 17, so sometime last year and they had somehow managed to keep it under wraps that he was living with them. Hell that he was even related to them and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Yes, we are." Reece had already parked and was out of the car. Clark sighed dramatically but followed after his friend and Noah also followed, looking at the time on his phone.

Mitch let out a noise of frustration as he stormed into the house, the rest behind him, looking around in curiosity.

"Hey, Mitch," Major said as he walked past. He walked back and eyed Noah, Reece and Clark. "Boy, you better explain."

"It's complicated?"

"What's complicated?" Noah asked, smiling. "I'm his best friend. Those two are my girlfriend's brother and his best friend."

"Rowan!" Mitch yelled when he saw his uncle. “How-”

Before Mitch could even get a sentence out, Eden came running out in his diaper and hugged his leg.

“Mitch!” he yelled.

Mitch sighed as he leaned down and picked Eden up. “Where are your clothes, Eden?”

He pointed at Major who was holding his clothes. Mitch sighed and handed the child over to Major who nodded at him before he left.

"On a scale of one to ten,” Mitch said, looking at Rowan, who was looking at the boys behind him. “Ignore them,” he said, waving his hand. “But as I was saying, how complicated do you think the s**t I found myself in is?"

Rowan eyed them all, well more specifically Reece and Clark, then Noah, who was smiling, he gave Mitch his sketchbook and held up seven fingers.

"Good boy," he said. Rowan frowned but walked up to the stars and probably back to his room.

"Isn't that Rowan Ripley? Why are you living with Rowan Ripley? Plus, the little kid wasn't that Eden Ripley? Why are there so many Ripley's?" Noah asked, then gasped dramatically. "Scandal!?"

"Why are there a bunch of very scary-looking teenagers with a little smol bean at my door?" Leven asked as he walked down the rather fancy staircase in nothing but an oversized shirt — it was probably Emeric's.

"That's Leven Ripley," Clark deadpanned.

"Yup. Leven, get f*****g dressed,” Mitch hissed.

"Respect me, asshole."

"Not until you dress like you didn't just wake up after s*x and drugs."

"But I did just wake up from s*x and drugs."

"He's not very CEO looking," Clark deadpanned and Mitch rolled his eyes as he turned to look at him.

"What do you think CEO looking is?"

"I don't know. Gucci? Some big ass brands and not a very, very, very thin shirt."

"Leven, for the sake of my f*****g sanity, go and get dressed. Eden is home and he doesn't need to see you like that."

Leven grumbled something and left. "Rowan looks our age, what school does he go to?" Noah asked and he eyed him.

"Not ours," he replied. "Now can you all leave? Noah, aren't you grounded?" his eyes widened as he turned to face Reece and grabbed him by the arms because he couldn't reach his shoulders.

He began to shake him. "I. Am grounded. Oh uh. You have got to take me back now.”.

"If you stop shaking me, I will," Reece replied as he glared at Noah. Noah let go of him and the three of them left.

Mitch watched as they left and he sighed as he went up the stairs and into Rowan’s room. He walked over to his desk where he was sitting and tapped him on the shoulder. Rowan took his headphones off and looked up at him.

Not to be incestuous or anything, but Rowan was pretty. Not hot, not cute, but pretty. He had dark skin and darker eyes, with long lashes and his gold earrings shined as they caught the light.

"Someone was here for you."

"What did you tell him?"

"That you died?" Mitch snorted but nodded.

"That's good. Keep up with that."

"When he sees you he'll know I lied. Who was he?"

"Noah's brother."

"Why was he here?"

" . . . It's complicated."

"I'm raising my number to eight."

"That seems fair,” he mumbled.

Mitch left Rowan’s room and he was going to his when Eden giggled and ran past him in nothing but his diaper, again.

"Mitch, grab the f*****g child!"

Mitch sighed as he ran after Eden and grabbed him around the waist, letting out a squeal. "Put me down, down, uncle Mitch. Put me down!"

"Not until you listen to what Major wants.”

"Rowan," Major whined as he stuck his head in his room. "Help me. He likes you."

"Everyone likes Rowan," Mitch added. Rowan frowned as he came out.

"Not everyone."

Mitch was left a little confused but decided to ignore what came out of Rowan’s mouth as he went to his room, face planted on his bed.

When his door opened, he groaned. “Go away!”

When the door shut, Mitch thought they had listened and he sat up to see Leven staring at him.

"Y'know your mother rang me."

"Uh-huh.”

"She says she misses you."

"Uh-huh,” he replied. Mitch pulled his phone out. He wondered what was trending on Twitter right now. Ateez. Interesting. He didn’t know who they were, but good for them.

"But she can't. Not after what you did."

"Uh-huh."

Mitch wasn’t really paying attention to what Leven was saying. Why was Woosan trending? Genshin impact too, damn. He accidentally clicked on a tag and the tweet was ‘life goes on but not for Kris Wu’ damn. That was, was brutal.

He didn’t even know who Kris Wu was, and from all these jokes and how he was being completely annihilated, whatever he had done to the trend wasn’t a good thing.

"Do you regret it?" he asked and Mitch put his phone down to look up at his uncle.

"No. No, I don’t. And I’d do it again, and again. Without fail. Without hesitation.”

~*~