Bad Girl. by E Z (classic novels to read .TXT) 📕

"Libia, your brother is severely sick, right?" She nodded.

"Then I'm not going to let you take him to the hospital alone."

She hesitated, but eventually her need to go and take care of her brother won out, and she let him pull her up, leading her to the car and opening the door for her.

The ride to the grocery store was silent. Libia refused to look at him, although she knew he was glancing at her from time to time. She immediately threw open the door when they got there, stumbling out of the car and racing for the entrance. The doors slid open, and the first thing she saw was her brother sitting against the wall, grimacing. When he looked up and saw Libia, his worn eyes brightened.

"Libs!" He mumbled.

Libia rushed to his side, pushing all of her emotions to the side as she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. He was hotter than fire, and his face was pale and sweaty. "How are you feeling?" She asked softly.

"I've been better," He shrugged slightly.

Vivi, who caught site of Libia while she was grabbing some water for Ben, jogged to where they were. "Hey, Hon. I'm glad you could get here."

Libia nodded in greeting to Vivi. "Thank you for calling me."

"Honey, it's the least I could do. This boy looked like he was 'gonna collapse." Vivi waved her off.

Libia nodded in agreement, and then pulled his arm around her shoulders, hauling him up. "Come on, big guy."

"You be careful out in that weather," Vivi told her, and Libia nodded, smiling slightly at Vivi.

"We will."

Ben stumbled a little, and Libia put her hand on his chest as she pulled them both to go a little slower. He was terribly sick.

Ben and Libia had always been close. Since they were young, they'd been attatched by the hip. Libia knew things that no one else in the world knew, and vise versa. She was also the only person he ever wanted near him when he was sick. Libia took care of him through all of his sicknesses. Severe flu, stomach bugs, common colds, Libia was always there to make him eat when he refused to, or to keep his covers on him when he'd try to push them off. That's why, when he got sick this time, he went looking for her. She had told him she might have been working that morning.

Damon waited by the car, his expression serious, but Libia saw something hidden behind his eyes that she couldn't quite discern. He opened the back door so she could put him in. She slid into the back seat with him, instructing him to lie down.

He cuddled his head in her lap, his arm wrapped around his stomach, and he closed his eyes. "Don't open them, alright? I know how sick you get in cars," Libia said, as Damon began driving.

He grunted in agreement, clutching his stomach a little tighter.

Damon watched through the rear view mirror as Libia stared down at her brother with tender concern, his heart throbbed as he remembered that same look on her face as she held him, but he pushed those thoughts away.

"Libia...," Ben mumbled, curling a little tighter as his stomach lurched. 

"What is it? Do we need to pull over?" She rushed out worriedly.

A smile tugged at Ben's mouth. "No...just wondering why you look like that."

Libia tilted her head. "Hmm?"

"Your hair is dripping...and your eyes are still red. Have you been crying...since this morning?" He asked her.

She bit her lip, avoiding Damon's gaze in the mirror. "My hair is wet because I didn't have a car. I was running to the store," Libia told him.

Ben noticed that she didn't answer his second question, as he opened his eyes to peer up at her. He wasn't too sick to notice the hidden hurt deep in her eyes. Left over from something that happened. It confused him, but he knew not to ask her about it - she'd tell him when she wanted to.

"You shouldn't have done that, Libia," He muttered.

"What did you expect me to do, Ben - leave you at the store?" Libia rolled her eyes. "Close your eyes before you get sick."

He thought about arguing with his sister, but he decided against it, and obediantly closed his eyes.

When they arrived at the hospital, Libia helped Ben out of the car, and he leaned his weight partially on her, as his world began to spin. "Whoa," He muttered, disoriented.

Libia watched him closely, as his eyes followed the spinning of the earth. Her eyebrows were furrowed with worry. Cold fear spread through her limbs at how sick he became in just a short time.

They entered the lobby of the hospital, the woman behind the counter looked up, just as Ben let out a sick gag and fell forward onto his hands and knees. "Ben!" Libia cried, as he began choking up.

"I'll get a doctor!" The woman said in alarm.

Damon stood behind them, unable to move as Libia watched her brother vomit all over the floor. He was struck by the sight of it. Was that...blood?

"Oh, God. Ben...you're throwing up blood!" Libia was close to crying now, her voice shaking and thick.

The doctor came rushing in, the nurse by his side. "Get him into emergency care, we've got to put him on antibiotics immediately!" He told her, kneeling down beside the boy on the other side of Libia.

Libia pushed herself out of the way, as the nurse leaned down in her place, looping her arm under his. The doctor and she hauled him up, helping him walk - or stumble - down the hall. Libia was trembling in fear for her brother. The cold feeling settling like a sheet over her heart. She took a step forward, to follow them, and her knees buckled.

"Libia!" Damon grunted, lurching forward and wrapping his arms around her from the back, catching her.

"Don't touch me!" She shrilled, breaking from his grasp.

She spun around to face him, her breathing slowly turning into hyperventilation. "Libia...," Damon mumbled, surprise.

"I'm...fine! Why are you here, anyway? Why are you helping me? You got what you want, you don't have to pretend anymore!" She cried.

"Libia-" He was cut off as she lunged forward and her hand whipped out, smacking him.

She had to admit, her hand stung.

He rubbed his jaw, looking at her in surprise, and pain. 

"You had no right to do the things you did, Damon! You...you protected me, made me feel like...like I was finally able to trust someone and then...and then I find out it's all just a ploy. A stupid game you played on an innocent...stupid girl who doesn't know any better!" She ranted, her fists beating his chest, trying to cause him pain.

"Libia, that wasn't-"

"A-and to top it all off, you kissed me! You kissed me like...like it meant something to you! Like I meant something to you! It's so goddamn confusing! What do you want from me, Damon?" She cried.

Damon's fingers wrapped around her wrists, knowing that most of this was caused by the stress of her brother's condition. She would never admit any of this out loud unless she'd been holding it in too long. But also, it was his fault. He'd hurt her, just a short time after she'd been humiliated in assentially the same way. But it was for the best, he decided. She didn't deserve a guy like him. 

But right now, he couldn't leave her like this. If he left her alone, he'd feel like the biggest ass to ever walk the earth, so he pulled her close, and he held her tight against him.

She struggled for a few seconds, wanting to smack him again, but soon her struggles died, and she melted into his arms, crying into his chest. He let his fingers stroke her wet hair, as he buried his face into the top of her head. 

"I'm so sorry," He whispered under his breath, too low for Libia to hear.

"Why, Damon? You can't just...leave like that without telling me why!" She mumbled.

His arm tightened a little. She was right, of course. He owed her an explanation. He'd been planning on telling her anyway, but his stupid self chickened out. 

He opened his mouth to speak, but the shrill ring of his cellphone cut him off. He sighed and reluctantly released her, digging in his pocket and slipping his phone out. He grimaced when he saw the number.

Answering it, he carefully wiped the tears away from Libia's cheeks as he spoke. "Yeah."

"Where the hell are you?" His mother growled at him.

Libia watched his expression darken. Immediately she knew it wasn't someone he wanted to talk to at the moment. 

"A friend of mine needed a ride," He replied vaguley.

She watched his expression as his mother said something else to him. It was strangely cold. Unfamiliar.

"Yeah, I'll be there." He said, and then muttered, "Bitch."

Libia blinked in surprise. She wondered who he was speaking to, that he would be so cold to. He shot her an apologetic look, seeing her surprise.

"No, I didn't say anything. Yeah. Bye."

He stuffed his phone back in his pocket, and unnexpectedly pulled her back into a tight hug. He pressed his lips to her forehead, before he let her go. He turned and strode away from her without a word, and she was stuck watching him go, unable to form a single protest.

She had no idea her mother had been watching the scene, until she turned to follow the hallway where her brother was taken, and found her, shoulder leaning on the wall, eyes narrowed, with an accusing smile that said, 'I knew it!'

Libia's cheeks heated up to melting degrees, as she ducked her head and attempted to walk past her mother.

"Oh no you don't, Libia!" Her mother exclaimed, promptly grasping her arm and dragging her back.

Libia suppressed the urge to groan. "Do you have to be party to all of my drama?" Libia asked her.

"Of course I do - I'm your mother. Now tell me what happened," She demanded.

Libia crossed her arms. "I think we should go check up on Ben-"

"Nonsense. He's fine. I came from there to see where you dissapeared to. Now spill," Her mother told her, leaning on the wall again.

Libia looked around at the open halls, and then groaned. "Can we at least sit down?"

***

 Her mother set down a steaming, foam cup of coffee in front of her, as they sat in the waiting room near Ben's. He was sleeping now, after having thrown up the contents of everything he'd eaten since he was born.

Sitting down across from her in the comfortable, leather chair, her mother gave her a pointed look.

Libia looked into her mother's eyes, those familiar, warm, sometimes-childish eyes, and suddenly her own filled with tears, and she threw her face into her hands, crying.

She spilled what she could about their strange relationship - never telling her mother about Johnson or Damon's offer to "change her." But the more important things. When he would smile at her, and butterflies would suddenly flutter like crazy in her stomach. The fact that he never seemed to not be touching her when they were together - his arm around her shoulders, his hand grasping hers, brushing the hair from her face. And all the kisses that they shared - her forehead, her cheeks...her lips. Finally, she told her about the night that they had spent together. He'd stumbled into the door, and straight into her arms, drunk. He'd told her about his parents. He'd kissed her like his life depended on it, begging her not to question it. And then...he left her, his words cold, and his face one of stone.

When she was done, sniffling and hiccuping as she wiped her nose, her mother let out a tired laugh, shaking her head. 

Libia looked up with blurry eyes, sniffling. "What?"

"That boy--you know what? He has to tell you on his own. Let me just say, that you mean a lot more to