Chapter Eight: A Phase

I sat on my bed, panties and bra, and looked through my phone. Scrolling through instagram, my brother and Sammy have both been trying to contact me since yesterday. Since its Saturday, I took salvage to my room and abused my gender status to avoid having my brother barge in.

'C'mon sis, talk to me,' he knocked at my door again. He's come back every once in awhile to see if I'd decide to talk, but I choose not to.

Normal circumstances my parents would've came in, but I had told them it was nothing and they knew not to pry, smart of them. Bored, I placed my phone down and went into my closet.

'Maybe I should go to the mall today,' I scanned my wardrobe, 'Skirt and t-shirt? Or jeans and sweater? Or,' I walked out my room and barged into my brothers room.

Other than him, one of his band friends were over, the two playing a game.

'Hey bro-'

'What the hell sis! Put some damn clothes on!'

Looking at his friend, he definitely checking me out, 'That's why I'm here, let me take one of your leather jackets.'

'No.'

'Jean jacket?'

'No.'

'Dude, I know it's rude to say this but, your sisters smoking hot,' his friend raised his eyebrow to me.

'DUDE! MY SISTER!'

Walking towards his friend, I touched his crouch, 'You want me,' I let my hair spill off the right of me from my shoulder, looking him in his eyes, crossing my legs slightly.

'Actually?'

'No,' going into my brothers closet, I took his jean jacket and left, 'Thankss.'

'Oh, we got band practice tonight,' his friend announced to my brother as I closed the door.

In my room, I opened my closet and grabbed me an outfit.

Locking up my bike to the bike rack, I approached the mall. With black lipstick, black skirt barely above my knees, handbag to hold my phone, and in my favorite pair of black slip-ons, I straightened my jean jacket. I questioned if I should've wore a less revealing shirt, as it had a heart at my breast.

'Well hellooo beautiful.'

Looking over, a older man had approached me.

'Um, excuse me sir, I'm only-'

'Age doesn't matter to me,' he winked at me.

'I'm disgusted and wish for you to go away,' scurrying away, the grabbed my shoulder.

'C'mon, let loose,' his voice was holding a disgusting tone to it. Like a fail seduction.

Stuck in an awkward place. A pedophile had approached me and I was alone. Looking around, everyone seemed to ignore my situation. So much for a caring society. Everyone's so brave online and they all preach their ideas, but they never try and live those ideals-well, never the morally "good" ideals.

Seeing as no one was gonna help me, 'Sorry, but you have this coming,' raising my foot up high behind my butt, I looked at his crouch.

'What?'

With much force, I brought my foot back and continuing with the momentum, I had kicked him right in the balls.

The man then hollered in pain as he clutched his balls, 'My balls!!'

With him preoccupied, I made a run for it into the mall. 'Weirdo.'

Walking around the mall for sometime, I was uninterested in clothes like most girls my age, games like stinky, and major makeup-to much work. Then I stumbled on a bookstore. Going inside, I looked around. I didn't own many books, really just books needed for class reading. In the fantasy section, I saw a particular title that caught my eye, 'Vita Viridi,' I mumbled. Pulling it out, someone touched my shoulder, so I faced them.

'You like that author too?'

'Uh, sorry, I don't read books really.'

'Well either way, I enjoy his books.'

'What's this one about?'

He checked his phone, then put it back away, 'Sorry, making sure I wasn't needed. That one is his first in the series.'

'Theres more,' I inquired.

'Of course. That one tells the story of half-elf doing his best to survive. Because of certain actions he takes, he ends up being enslaved. Not long though, a girl changes his life, giving him a new purpose in life.'

'What about the others?'

'Unfortunately, this author isn't fond of rainbows and sunshines, so the other titles follow his son and daughter, in attempt to understand the world they live in.'

'Woah,' looking at the book, I released something as well, 'Oh! Sorry, my names Sarah,' I gave him my hand.

In return, the man shook it, 'Names Julius Edwards.'

'Interesting. You look rather young, in school?'

'Perhaps.'

We continued to talk. I further found out he was my upperclassmen. A sophomore. Purchasing the book, we exchange numbers and I headed out and home. Today wasn't as bad as I thought it would've been.

Riding my bike up into my garage, both my parents were standing there.

'Oh, hey guys. How's it going,' I awkwardly said as I put my bicycle behind my brothers along the wall.

'Great,' my dad said sarcastically.

'That's wonderful. So I'm assu-'

'What the hell were you think,' my mom's voice boomed as she exploded in anger.

'I jus-'

'Walking in on another man practically naked! Have you no shame? or do you just wish to become a prostitute?'

'Wait honey, maybe that's jus-'

'No! Our daughter can't just do that and think she's off free!'

'Guys, I was just-'

'Just what,' my moms brows furrowed at me.

Now that I thought of it, maybe it wasn't wise to sexual provoke my brothers friend. Other than that, I still didn't think my mom needed to come at me like that.

'I'll go to my room,' I gave and just walked sluggishly away.

'Grounded until further notice,' my dad added as I disappeared inside.

Laying on my bed, I pulled aside my bag with the book I bought. Pulling it out and casting the plastic bag aside, it felt rough, yet smooth. Opening it, it made a certain noise that sounded weird yet wonderful all at once. Opening to the first chapter, it read "Father Escobar."

'I thought books went from "Chapter 1" to higher numbers on numerical order? Maybe not all I guess,' I mumbled to myself as I began to read. After and hour had gone, I read four chapters. Eager to read more, I grown hungry and it neared dinner time. My stomach growled and I rolled on my side, 'Shuushh.'

'Dinners ready!'

I heard my mom shout.

Going out my room, emerging from the darkness, I was in track shorts and a t-shirt with a unicorn on it, 'Whatcha make mom?'

'Lasagna.'

'My favorite.'

With everyone sat down at the table, it grew awkward. Normally we'd all be talking about what we've seen on the news, school, work, anything really, yet due to my recent behavior, I feel like I changed that.