My Brothers Best Friend [Complete]

I slipped on my brown sandals that had a little bit of a heel on them because short girls will take any height they can get. I was only 5'0" and that made me think I was adopted because everyone else in my family is normal height or taller. My brother, being 6'2 towers over me and he convinced me when I was younger that I was adopted from elves. So every Christmas 9-year-old Grace would wake up and wait for Santa and his elves to come down so I could meet my real parents. My mother found out about my plan and my brother was grounded for a month. 8 years ago "S'not my fault she's gullible as s**t," My brother argued and my mother gasped as she covered her mouth in disbelief of what crude words came out of my brother's mouth. "Jackson Sky Paterson you march right up to that room of yours and sit your butt down, I will not tolerate that kind of language in my house. You're 16 for crying out loud you should know better!" My mother scolded and rubbed her eyes as my moody brother stomped upstairs. As he passed me he glared at me through his sandy blonde hair that fell into his sky blue eyes. "I hate you," He said low enough for mom not to hear but I heard him loud and clear and tears welled up in my eyes as my brother continued up the stairs. I jumped in my skin when he slammed his door shut. My mother mumbled to herself as she folded the dish towels. "Why can't he be more like that Theo James boy?" She asked herself that a lot because Theo James was every mother's dream child. He was sweet as sugar to parents, but they were all blinded by his pearly whites to see he was even worse than my brother. Theo James was a bad kid, even my 9-year-old self could see that clearly, but my mother was unaware of the bad boy because he always brought her flowers when he came over and she would smile at him and thank him for such a lovely gift. Then he would go upstairs and give my brother a gift but it was a different kind of flower and it smelled like a skunk. When Theo James got in trouble he could charm his way out of it in an instant which is why he was so carefree because he lived on top of the world in his mind. 9 year old me admired his confidence even though he scared her because she knew what he was really capable of. Though despite all that was Theo James he seemed to have a bit of a soft spot for young me and that made him seem a little less scary. "Mommy I'm going outside to play," I said behind a veil of sorrow from the words my brother said to me. She nodded absentmindedly and I took off running to our tree house my dad built on his week off from work. He worked a lot so this was a special thing to have. I climbed the ladder and opened the floor door and climbed my small frame into the small room that sat secured on the branches of the tree. I sat down and let the tears fall, I hated people seeing me cry. I didn't want to make their life sad as well so I always hid my tears. I heard a throat clear and I shot my head up and saw Theo James himself sitting on the window sill smoking something that smelled like a skunk. He looked over at me with furrowed brows and he dabbed out whatever he was smoking and he swung his long legs over the ledge to face me. "You know what I love about sunshine?" He asked and I looked up at him through tear-filled lashes. "Rain never falls in the sunshine," He said as he hopped to the ground and came and sat next to me. "Why is rain falling, sunshine?" He asked and I looked up to him and for some reason, It felt okay to cry in front of him so I let my lip tremble and I looked up at him. "Jack s-said h-he hated me," I said and I fell apart like a bad game of Jenga. I loved my brother and I couldn't think of a world without him, he couldn't hate me. Theo frowned and then wrapped me up in his arms and he cradled my small body in a comforting embrace. He wiped my tears away and he pushed my blond curls behind my ears and waited for me to calm down,"How could someone hate you?" He asked as he searched my face. "Jack must be crazy, should I punch some sense into him?" He asked and my eyes widened when he held up a scarred fist from fights long ago. I shook my head quickly and pushed his fist aside. "N-No My mom says people shouldn't fight!" I explained and he looked down at me with amused eyes. "Well some people are dumb and don't follow that rule," He said and I looked down at his knuckles and pointed to the fists that caused someone else pain and he chuckled softly,"I'm as dumb as they come, sunshine." He said and the smile he sported didn't quite meet his eyes as he laid lazily against the wall of the tree house. "You're not dumb," I said and I wrapped my arms around him because he looked like he needed a hug,"You're just not that bright," I joked and he pulled away with a shocked expression. "Grace Sunshine Patterson that wasn't very nice!" He scolded but the humor was on his tongue and I bit my lip to keep back my laughs. He soon had me caged and his scarred hands moved on my ribs and his hands played a furious song on the piano and they tickled me to tears. "S-Stop!" I howled with laughter and he stopped for a second and looked at me with a wicked grin. "Never," Present Day "Grace!" My mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs,"We're going to be late, come one!" She said and I picked up my brown purse and rushed down the steps to meet her with a smile. My straight white teeth shined thanks to braces and it always made my mom less mad when I smiled. "Ready, Ma'am" I joked with a salute and she rolled her eyes and shook her head but I could see the smile poking through. "You're father's in the car," She said as she picked up her own purse and we both got into the car. My brother was coming home from college and we had to go pick him up from the airport. We visited him 2 months ago to watch his graduation ceremony, but he said he had some serious partying to do before he came home. Jackson Sky Paterson was 24 now and he had a degree in business just like my father. He claimed he planned on joining my Father's company so he could get a higher position quickly. That's Jackson for you always taking the easy way out. I, on the other hand, preferred achieving my goals on my own. Jack said he was going to be bringing his girlfriend home as well and I was really excited to meet her. When we heard the news that he finally settled for one girlfriend my mother cried tears of joy because her manwhore of a son was finally settling down. We all sat on a bench and waited for Jackson. I fiddled with the ends of my floral romper that I slipped on today because Florida's weather was humid and hot and everything Alaska was not. My tan legs swung under the bench and I thanked God that I remembered to shave because that would have been embarrassing. This dress was a little short but made my legs seem longer than they actually were and like I said short girls will do anything for the extra inches. "Oh, there he is, John!" My mother pointed out excitedly to my father as she saw my brother walking with a gorgeous girl beside him. I observed that while my brother was in college he figured out how to style his natural platinum blonde hair that matched mine. Thanks to our mother we all had the same locks. His sky blue eyes widened when he saw us and a smile that made all the girls swoon broke out as he saw my mom run up to him and latch on to her oldest child. His girlfriend watched with a warm smile and that made me like her. Most girls would get annoyed at a mommas boy, but this one seemed to find it endearing. I took in her looks and her hair was a dirty blonde color that was in messy waves down her back. I grinned at how cute her outfit was. I know my hippy mother will appreciate it. Her striped navy and white cropped shirt with short bell bottoms and brown booties that I just adored and she didn't seem to be caked in makeup like all the other girls Jack surrounds himself with. She seemed like a good girl. "Jacky!" I said the childhood name he hated once my mother let him go and I wrapped my arms around his lanky body and he picked me up with ease and spun me around. "How's it goin' short stuff?" He asked with a cheeky grin and I narrowed my eyes at him playfully. "It's goin'" I answered casually and my father hugged my brother as well and when we all said Hello he motioned to the girl next to him. "Guys this is my girlfriend Maddie Len; Maddie this is my Mother Willow and My father John," He said and Maddie grinned and hugged them which gave her some major brownie points because my family were huggers,"And this is my sister Grace," He said and she wrapped me into a tight hug and it felt so natural. I really liked this girl and I think she'll be good for him. "It's so nice to meet you guys, Jackson talks about you guys a lot. Especially you Grace," She said and Jack groaned which caused everyone to laugh. "See I told you you would miss me!" I said as I pushed his shoulder playfully. "Whatever where's-" He looked around and gave himself a pat down and this turned around," There you are!" He said to someone in front of him but I couldn't see over the giraffe I called a brother. "Family, I brought your pride and joy home all the way from NYU," He said as he turned to the side and my mother squealed and rushed passed my brother and hugged none other than Theo James. Man have the years been kind to him!