A screech leaves my lips, deconstructing his arrogant demeanour - the credence in his aura evaporating. The realisation of the situation hits him like a stampede of bulls, weighing his gaze down. His eyes surrender to mine, dropping weakly - unable to maintain his previously roaring courage.

"Please. Don't." My words gain physical traction, his pace slowing to a halt.

"Look Sunshine I was just joking around...I would never do tha-"

"Don't." With a singular word, I silence his dialogue - regret flooding through his crystal blue eyes - the colour perfect in emoting his inner guilt, capturing the internal turmoil . I hold my glare as I shuffle against the wall, moving out of his constricting grasp; turning the tables and now constricting him.

"Look..I have a thing with someone else..." The lie flies out of my mouth, weaponised by my tone as it attacks his ears - unsuccessfully deterring him; his confidence able to see through my bluff.

"Don't say that Sunshine; please; don't say that!" He leads with his arm, attempting to caress my wrist in comfort - I pull away, his eyes personifying the hurt in his eyes as I dodge his hand. "I understand that you want to hurt me, because I hurt you, but don't say that!" His tone picks up, urgency unravelling his suave demeanour. Our conversation attracts the attention of his friends; their eyes flick up, devastated at the destruction of their weed-tinged daze.

"Or, are you being serious?" His eyes quiver as I ponder the thought in my head - either path deliciously seductive: Casey or Elliot. Do I have someone else?

Casey dedicates his entire being to others: putting their happiness before his own. He maintains his image for them, for them to love him and to accept him - always for their comfort. Even if their comfort causes him so much discomfort, confusion and hurt. However, he chose them over me - in fact, he never really chose me at all.

Elliot is the embodiment of confidence - pushing boundaries Casey doesn't even dare to look at; and, best of all, he does it all publicly as well. However, he has just pushed the boundaries too far - a raging desire that has intersected every point of our relationship; an underlying sexual hunger for me...for anyone really.

"Yeah, you're right. I was just joking." A hefty sigh leaves his lips, reassured by my answer; the familiar buoyancy filling his crystal eyes. "Let's just chill yeah?" I take his hand and lead him back to the beanbag, his hands and movements cautiously floating around me - the comfort gone. We lay in unease, casual conversation filling the void whilst simultaneously burying the discomfort, his arm slowly taking its place back around my shoulder.

The fire casts an orange haze over his face, replicating the warmth as laughter liberates itself from between his lips - igniting the mood in the air.

"Hey guys!" My eyes flick behind us, my view impaired by Elliot's arm snaked around my neck. But I don't really need to turn my neck to know that the whiny yelling belongs to Harvey Evans, my older, oldest and only brother - also, the biggest pain in the ass to ever exist.

He confidently sways over, his stumbling walk aided by Casey's shoulder holding his weight - a bottle in his hand - typical.

"Are you drunk? I thought you were sober driving tonight? You were supposed to take me home." I try to hold a firm tone, my anger undone by his bubbling giggles. I purposely furrow my brows in an attempt to reinforce my reprimanding - once again combatted by his glowing personality.

"I tried to say no. I did. I promise. But alcohol is so pretty. I was just listening to it. Then talking to it. And then I blinked...and I was drinking it hahaha!" Elliot giggles beside me as my brother tips backwards, Casey's quick reaction holding him up steadfast.

"Hey. It's alright. I'll take you home, you can stay at mine." Elliot whispers into my ear, attracting the curious gaze of Harvey - a dumb grin smothering across his lips. The thought of staying at Elliot's alone sends a shiver down my spine, this time not triggered by sexual exploration.

I snap to Casey, his blurred emotions hidden behind his darkened emerald eyes.

"Danté. Is this your boyfriend?" Harvey asks. I blush as his swaying eyes bounce between us, his mouth failing to repress the rising tittering. "Hey bro, did you know that my brother's gay? Which is good, so that we don't bang the same chick. Love is love. Woohoo" He directs the question to Casey, his brows furrowing as he stammers for words - nothing coming out.

Elliot pushes up off the beanbag, standing to full height - his arm outstretched as he plasters his familiarly confident smile on his face. "Hey, I'm Elliot." Harvey responds in the most Harvey way possible, swatting his hand away and pulling him in to a tight embrace - Elliot somewhat taken aback before relaxing into the hug.

I look over to Casey, his gaze somewhere else - anywhere else - vanishing anyplace other than here. I smile, a feeble attempt to eradicate his frown - failing tremendously.

"Well...Imma take this one home...he decided it was a good idea to drink 2 whole bottles of Malibu...my Malibu by the way...I didn't even get a drop...yay..." I snigger at Casey's sarcasm, his eyes rolling as he continues holding up my brother. I scream internally as they turn their backs and head back to the party, disappearing as they merge amongst the crowd.

"Just let me know when you want to go back to mine Sunshine - I'll take care of you, I promise." Elliot whispers, snapping my attention back to him.

"Um...I really wanna make sure my brother gets home alright...so imma just catch a ride with them! Bye!" I spew the words out quickly, ensuring he has no time to respond. His mouth moves to form a sentence, but is stopped by my quick peck on the lips - silencing him as he dumbfoundedly watches my back as I walk away from him.

I push my way to the front door, just as Casey is sinking Harvey inside the car - his eyes pausing on me as I near.

"What do you want? To taunt me that you have a boyfriend? I get it...you have one." His tone is direct - cold.

"Um...I just wanted a ride home. If that's all right?" Why am I asking if I can get a ride to my own house, in my own brother's car?

"Why don't you want to stay at Elliot's house?" He ponders - shutting the door; separating our conversation from Harvey and his prying ears.

"I just feel safer with you guys. That's all." My answer eradicates his anger, his eyes refilling with curiosity - ferocity. He pushes off of the car, nearing closer - his eyes finally looking at me for the first time in what's felt like forever; finally acknowledging my existence again.

"Did he do something to you? What happened?" Casey's quiet tone destroys the mental walls I built up; I crash into his arms - his strong grasp wrapping around me. I want to cry, I want to scream, I want to wail; but, instead, I silently dig my head into Casey's chest, avoiding a scene. Harvey sits in the passenger seat, oblivious to his surroundings as I finally release a breath I didn't realise I was holding in.

A/N

Yay! Elliot isn't a rapist! I did not introduce, and develop, a character just for him to turn out as a disgustingly vile human being! Elliot deserves more in his arc - he was essentially plunged into the deep end with parental responsibility and has been struggling his way through his late youth since. Don't worry, his character arc isn't done, and I have more for his future! :)

If you were wondering why he's acting the way he did in the last chapter, it's because he has essentially been robbed of love, his only comfort being alcohol and drugs - to mask the pain of abandonment. He never learnt it from his parents, so he never learnt it at all - which is poetically depressing in a sense.

Also: CONSENT IS IMPORTANT!

Rant over about my imaginary character! xD

- YOP