Page 54 of Her Brother's Keeper

He dropped his eyes to the floor and his shoulders hitched in a silent sob. It was sometimes hard to remember that Sagewasjust a kid, for all tough and proud he acted. I pulled him in and hugged him fiercely, smacking a kiss on the top of his head the way Grind used to do to me or Rush when we’d been pushed too far as kids by him or Arch. I was new to this whole parenting-like gig but was grateful for the sharp lessons in it.

“McDonalds?” I asked ignoring the elephant in the room for now, following the bro-code I’d grown up with which was let ‘em cry it out a second, then move right along to the next thing; ignoring it, like it didn’t happen.

“Yeah,” he said glumly.

“Cool, and Sage?”

“Yeah?”

“Watch your mouth at school and in front of your sister.”

“You swear all the time,” he said as we moved to the door.

“Yeah, and so can you,afteryou’re eighteen. First milestone, that one.”

“Okay,” he said with a little laugh.

We hit the drive-thru, got more food than we probably should have, and I took him to school dropping him off. He leaned in and I rolled down the window.

“Thanks, Nox.”

“No problem, kid. I mean it about the bus, your sister is pretty much done like last night’s dinner and needs a rest. Give it to her for today, yeah?”

Sage looked thoughtful, “Yeah, okay.”

“You’re a good kid when you want to be.”

He gave me a cheeky grin, “Which isn’t very often.”

I rolled my eyes, “Born outlaw troublemaker. I know the type.”

He grinned wider and reached through the open window of my cage. We bumped fists and he ran off and into the building. I watched him go in and when one of the other citizen parents honked their horns behind me, I gave them the good old one fingered salute through my rear window.

Real mature and way to lead by example, I know, but I was out of fucks to give at the moment.

I headed to Maren’s school next, pretty much dreading walking in, and trying to figure out how in the fuck to handle this shit diplomatically by citizen standards; especially after having gone the non-traditional route with Sage.

I pulled into a visitor’s parking space and got out of my cage. I took my cut out of the backseat and ground my teeth as I locked it in the back hatch area of my cage, tucking it carefully under some clean sheets to keep it out of view. It felt like too much disrespect to my colors for my liking, but I knew for a fact that they weren’t going to buy me any favors in a public high school, at least not from the faculty. Tucking them under the sheets was for their safety, being as I didn’t want a window smashed and the colors taken because then I reallywouldhave to go kill somebody. Not to mention face the consequences the club would have to dish out to me – which was likely a fateworsethan death.

I went through the front door of the school to a lot of stares and kids putting their heads together, whispering. My age, plus the biker jacket, which happened to be the only one I owned, drawing a lot of attention. I caught sight of Lucas out of the corner of my eye and he sort of half blanched, staring at me intently and eying my jacket, as if trying to figure out if I were one of the boogey men from that night. I gave him a second glance, before going into the main office, trying to judge if he recognized me, uneasy that I couldn’t be sure he didn’t.

“Can I help you?” the secretary asked from behind her rhinestoned purple granny glasses on their tasteful bead chain. I smiled at her, she looked to be about D’s age. So, late fifties maybe early sixties. Her white hair was in a fringe of bangs over her blue eyes and she was skinny, almost too skinny. She wrapped her purple cardigan tighter around her as I rested my hands on the desk, and I didn’t think it was because she was cold.

“Yeah, that’d be great. I’m Landon Fisher. Maren Tracy isn’t feeling well and I stopped by to get her assignments for her so she could get ‘em done from home.” I laid the manila folder of her last night’s homework on the wrap, up around the secretary’s desk and said, “These are her completed assignments she wanted to turn in.”

The secretary blinked at me and picked up the phone, her eyes never leaving mine. She punched in a three digit code on the keypad, without missing a beat and said into the receiver; “Yes, I believe Maren Tracy’s… boyfriend?” she asked me over the receiver and I felt my lips twist into a wry grin.

Well played old gal, well played.I thought to myself.

“Friend,” I said unequivocally.

“Yes, Maren Tracy’sfriendis here to collect her assignments, it seems she won’t be in school today.” She paused. “Yes, of course.”

“Vice Principal Hunter would like to see you. He’s just through there,” she pointed and I raised my eyebrows, picking up the folder of Maren’s assignments that I’d taken from her backpack.

“Sent to the Vice Principal’s office just for walking through the door, that’s a record even for me,” I said lightly and dryly, trying to inject a little humor into the situation. The secretary didnotlook amused.Okay, then.I gave a nod, and said, “Thank you, Ma’am.”

She reverted her eyes back to her screen, back straight, shoulders back, perfect posture. I tried not to laugh and went to the door she’d indicated, which opened up to a man in a suit, looking me up and down. He stood aside, and let me in, greeting me with a simple, “Mister..?”

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