Unexpectedly

DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.   _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 1   "You said you would help me. You promised..." Brandon tried to stifle his cry as he hugged and struggled to keep his human size Iron Man toy from falling. He had broken a part of the toy's leg when he tried to carry and bring it downstairs to the living room. Many times, he had asked Finnegan to help him. The sixteen year old son of his big brother's husband promised him one time out of just 'having had enough’; bordering irritation from the twelve year old's incessant requests. It's late in the evening and Finn was getting dressed for a party he was invited to. At sixteen, he realized he shouldn't be hanging out with his step father's little brother anymore. He's got his own peers to spend time with. He threw a black blazer over his shoulder after he had worn a white t-shirt, back ripped jeans and white high tops for the night. Theodore and Sebastian were out of town for business. Finn didn't always get the chance to sneak out. And he would make sure he won't be stopped tonight, even by the whiny twelve year old Brandon. He needed to be somewhere. "It's just a toy! You've had that for what? Five years? Just let dad buy you another one. Geez! You're twelve already." Finnegan pushed the boy to the side as he passed by to get to his door. Bran had been standing by the doorway of Finn's room, pleading, begging the older one whom he treated like an older brother for over five years now. "I have to go." Finn stopped by the doorway, one hand holding the doorknob. He turned to the other. "If you still want me to drive you to school on Mondays and Fridays, don't tell Dad and P'Seb I left tonight. If you do, forget I even exist. Because I will never talk to you again." Finn pivoted and slammed the door behind him. Bran flinched. He slumped down on the floor and cried out the pain in his chest. Maybe Finn never really cared, he thought. While wallowing in disappointment, the twelve year old suddenly remembered his promise earlier to Teddy and Seb. "Please don't let Finn leave late at night. It's dangerous. Keep an eye on him, okay?" With that, he rushed outside the room, left Iron Man by the hallway and ran outside just in time to see Finn end a phone call and go inside the garage. Bran secretly got to his bicycle, and then then went in pursuit of Finnegan who drove his white sports car out of the property. The twelve year old was thankful that Finn didn't go that far, only a few blocks from their house. Finn was heading to one of the mansions in the exclusive village. Perhaps, it's a house of one of Finn's classmates, Bran thought. Brandon parked his bicycle behind a thick bush, hiding it from anyone entering the property of the Estelles -- the homeowners of the house Finn arrived at. From a distance, Bran saw Finn getting welcomed by a young girl with long brown wavy hair, wearing an above knee red halter dress. She's one of Finn's classmates in high school, rumored to be his girlfriend. Sheila Estelle. The birthday girl. The twelve year old suddenly felt the painful stabbing in his chest when Finn let Sheila give him a kiss on the lips in front of everyone in the front lawn. Whistles were heard as the kiss deepened and both of them didn't care who was watching. Dejectedly, Bran left on his bike. His vision was blurry by his nonstop tears rolling down his cheeks as he pedaled home. He almost got into an accident when he swerved unintentionally into an oncoming car. Arjun, their butler was waiting by the gate when Bran came back. "Bran... Are you alright? Where have you been? Where's Finn?" "P'Jun..." Bran had his head low as he wiped the tears off his cheek with the sleeves of his thin sweater. "...Please don't tell P'Teddy P'Finn left. And me, too." Bran sniffled. "He's just a few houses away. He'll be back soon." With a deep sigh, the butler nodded. "I'll take your bike to the garage. Go inside and wash up. I'll make your favorite cookies then I'll bring some milk." "Thank you." Occasionally, the butler would see the twelve year old cry and even hide it from him and the married couple, Theodore and Sebastian. And many times he knew that it had something to do with Finn. The sixteen year had been uncontrollable lately. Perhaps it's because of his mother, Michelle Rice, who abandoned him when he was eleven and dumped him to his father years ago. Somehow he's rebelling as he reached teenage years. Teddy, Finn's father and his husband Seb, didn't fall on short on giving the boy love and care. Everything had been smooth sailing for the past years in the house until recently. *** The cookies and the milk Arjun brought seemed tasteless to Brandon. They were left untouched. Iron Man and his broken leg was now sitting on the floor next to him. The boy was watching his DVD cartoon collection. "Kids should act their age. We can't force ourselves to grow now, can we?" A baby panda spoke to his friends. "Grow up..." Bran muttered in response to the scene on the portable DVD player. "I can grow up." Bran turned the player off and examined his room. "I'm twelve. What should I get rid of?" He asked himself; his eyes were wandering from one corner to another. The bears scattered in the large room caught his attention first. Copter, his brother's best friend really spoiled him by getting him lots of these stuffed animals. One by one, Bran gathered all the plushies and brought them to another room, one of the guest rooms in the house. After he had taken all his other toys into the other room, Bran tilted his head seeing how many there actually were; from all kinds of plush toys to small action figures to toy cars and trucks to collectible movie items. He sighed and smiled wistfully. "I'm gonna miss you all." He murmured. When he was back in his bedroom, he felt empty seeing his childhood collection gone. Only one remained. Iron Man. It holds a very special place in his heart because it was the first birthday gift he got from his brother's husband, the day Theodore promised him that him and his brother will have a home forever. Bran patted the head of the human sized toy. It's taller than him if it's standing, as tall his brother in law. "Don't worry, I won't get rid of you. You'll just have to stand back in your platform. But I'm afraid I won't be fixing your leg anytime soon. When I learn how to, then I will. Maybe Justin will.” The twelve year old had a sad smile on his face remembering his childhood friend. Justin had to leave the country after his parents suddenly died from a boating accident. His grandparents took him to Korea. He writes and calls Bran now and then. *** The next morning, Brandon woke up to a muffled ruckus in the house. It was by the hallway. "You left without permission, Finn." Teddy's voice rumbled in anger. "So what?! It wasn't even that far!" "That's not the point, Finnegan. You were drinking! You're sixteen for Pete's sake!" "I heard from Uncle Kyle you had your first drink at my age, dad." "You're my son, Finnegan. And when I tell you can drink, you can drink. If I permit you to go then you can go." Bran groggily got up from bed and walked towards his door. When he opened it, he was met by Finn's angry eyes. "You ratted me out, didn't you?!" Finn glared at Bran when the latter couldn't find the words to respond. "That's what you're good at, goody two shoes. I hate you." Finnegan strode to his room, slammed his door behind him even when his father was yelling at him to come back. Bran was left frozen, his lips quivering as tears began to fall on their own. 'He doesn't only not care. He hates me...' ____________________________________ ____________________________________       ______________________________________________________________________ Hello! Thank you for choosing this story. UNEXPECTEDLY is the second book in my POSSESSIVE SERIES. It preceded by YOU'RE MINE. The third and fourth installment will soon be posted here on Dreame. Please follow me for the latest updates. My f*******: Page: https://w**************m/QueenOfTeaseZiaJang/ _______________________________________________________________________