The Harper Boys

The Harper boys

Tori

"Get off my head!" Deacon said.

I sat on his head and smacked it. "You shouldn't have squirted me with a hose." I whacked his head again.

You're wondering why I'm sitting on Deacon's head. Let me backtrack and explain what happened.

I was in my bedroom, searching for a book, when Deacon yelled. I ignored him because he always yells.

"Tori! If you don't answer me, I'll take your bras and use them as a slingshot!"

I moaned and poked my head out of my bedroom window as water sprayed me in the face. I drew my head inside, sprinting out of my room and out of the house. I tackled Deacon to the ground, sat on his head, and smacked the shit out of him. It brings us to our current situation.

"Get off my head!"

I whacked him in the head a few good times before getting off him.

Deacon stood and rubbed the back of his head. "Damn, Tori. Why must you hit so hard?"

"Hopefully, it'll knock some smarts into you."

"You love me, and you know it." Deacon gave me a cheesy grin.

"More like I love to hate you."

"Deacon! Mom needs help!" Nate said.

"With what?"

"She wants to rearrange the furniture again!"

Deacon rolled his eyes.

"How many times does your mom rearrange the furniture?"

I didn't understand why Nora rearranged her furniture.

"Beats the hell out of me. I learned not to question it." Deacon shrugged. He pivoted and walked home.

I shook my head as Mom opened the door and handed me a bag. "What's this?" I peeked into the bag.

"Romance novels."

"Ugh, why?"

"Because Nora and I like to read them. Take them over to her house."

"You need a hobby."

"I have a hobby." Mom smiled.

I shook my head, then strolled over to Harper's house and knocked on the front door. Nora answered as I handed her the bag. She gave one back to me as I opened it and laughed.

“Shh. Don't tell your dad."

"Why don't you and my mom come clean about your Girl Scout addiction?"

"We can't help it. Greg and Matt don't understand why we hide our guilty pleasures." Nora grinned.

My mom and Nora are crazy. They use romance novels to hide an addiction to Girl Scout cookies. I find it disturbing. When I turned to return to my house, something clanged on the cement. I leaned under a car to see a wrench on the ground. A hand grabbed it. I didn't think Matt was home.

When I stood up, Elias stood on the opposite side of the car, staring at me. I moved towards the car as he stood with the wrench in his hand.

"I didn't know you were home."

"I returned home a few days ago. I had to take care of a few things after graduation."

I placed my palms on the car and leaned on it. "How does it feel to be a big, bad college guy?"

Elias leaned on his forearms. "It had its moments. You learn a lot about people."

"Do you now?"

Elias smirked. A car beeped its horn as Bradley's car was out front.

"Yo! Babe! Let's go!" Bradley said.

I rolled my eyes because I hated when Bradley called me babe. The Wilson brothers have this habit of walking around like they owned the world.

"You better run along before Bradley thinks you're doing something you shouldn't," Elias said.

"Bradley doesn't own me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." I walked over to my house, took the bag inside, dropped it off, then left. I walked out to Bradley's car and got in. I didn't understand Elias. While growing up, he would watch out for me. Now it seems like he couldn't care less. I guess college changes people.

* * * * *

Elias

I grabbed a rag and cleaned the tools as Tori walked away. She has changed a lot since the last time I saw her. I didn't know what she saw in Bradley Wilson, since he's an asshole and treats her like arm candy.

Dad pulled into the driveway, then got out of the car. He walked towards me. "Car problems?" He glimpsed the vehicle.

"I was changing spark plugs."

I put the tools away and moved the prop, dropping the hood.

"Why do you seem irritated?"

"Tori came by with romance novels for Mom. Then Bradley Wilson showed up."

"Yeah, Nate and Deacon bitched about Tori dating Bradley."

"When did they start dating?"

"After Tori turned sixteen. Bradley put on a good show, but Greg didn't buy it."

"Then why let Tori date a tool?"

"Because Greg told Tori she could date at sixteen. Sometimes, it's not worth the argument."

"Sometimes, it is."

My dad tilted his head. I carried the toolbox into the garage, put it back, then went in and washed up. I'll work in construction next week since I enjoy working with my hands and building things.

I kissed Mom's cheek, then washed up, scrubbing my hands and changing my shirt. Mom would kill me since I got grease on my shirt. Dad told her it comes with the territory.

I still couldn't understand why Tori dated Bradley Wilson. The guy is a weasel. So are his brothers. They treat women like shit and deserve their asses kicked.

* * * * *

Tori

I sat in Bradley's car, staring out of the window while he beat off.

"I'm almost there." Bradley groaned.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Why?

"Much better." Bradley fixed his pants. "You know you could help me. I'm tired of doing this myself."

"I'm not giving you a hand job."

"You suck as a girlfriend."

"You suck, period."

A hand connected against my mouth, shocking me.

"Listen, you stupid bitch. You'll respect me."

I hauled off and decked Bradley, then got out of the car. I slammed the car door and leaned into the window as Bradley held his nose.

"Fuck off! We're done!"

I turned and walked home. Bradley peeled away as I pulled out my phone. I was so angry that tears fell down my cheeks. I called Deacon. If I called Gabe, he would give me a lecture about making a stupid decision.

I stood there as a car pulled up. I opened the door, got in, and buckled my seatbelt. "Thanks for picking me up. I didn't want to call Gabe and get a lecture."

“It’s no problem."

That wasn't Deacon's voice. I turned and came face to face with Elias. My brown eyes met his blue eyes. My heart sped as he drove me home.