Page 34 of Fighting the Odds

When she comes back to school, I’m going to be by her side making sure no one hurts her again or calls her any more horrible names.

I’m going to let Wes know he’s a fucking jerk and get him to realize that how he’s treating her is wrong. Then I’m going to make him call child protective services and tell them he lied so Sam and Sierra can be placed together.

They don’t deserve to be punished. They’ve already had plenty of that.

I keep looking at my phone, but nothing. She hasn’t even read my messages yet.

Sighing, I drop the phone on the bed. I need to stay busy, keep my mind off whether she’ll forgive me or not. Maybe Sam wants to watch a movie. I haven’t taken the time to sit and talk to her, so that’s what I’m going to do.

Getting up from my bed, I head out of my room and down to hers. Just as I step up to it, I see her door is open, and she’s sitting on the floor, along with Braxton and Zander, starting a game of Monopoly.

“Care for another player?” I ask nervously, not sure if any of them want me around.

“Okay, but you’re the shoe.” Sam laughs, her happy voice hits me like a boulder. It’s the first time she’s sounded happy since she's been here with us. “Did you send Ci Ci my video?”

“I sure did. She hasn’t messaged back yet, but as soon as she does, you’ll be the first person I come to.” I move across the room and sit down in between her and Braxton with my legs crossed.

She glances back and forth between us and giggles.

“What’s so funny, pipsqueak?” Braxton asks, as he leans over me and begins tickling her.

“Stop, stop,” she squeals.

“Fine, but only if you tell me what's funny.”

“O…kay, o…kay… I promise, Brax,” she stutters through her cute high-pitched laughs, her face turning red from her lack of oxygen.

Braxton lets go of her and she sits up, breathing deeply as she calms down.

“Sammie,” Braxton sing-songs.

“Fine. The two of you are the same, but not. Like real life sour patch kids. One’s grumpy and the other one’s silly. It makes me laugh. Did you make Ci Ci laugh too? ”

“My brothers did. But, I didn’t,” I confess. She quirks her eyebrow up, but Zander jumps in to distract her from what I said.

“Okay, let’s play some Monopoly. Who knows, maybe someone will get a message back from their big sister tonight.” He winks and starts handing out the money.

“You think she will?” Sam’s soft voice cuts into the silence, pulling me from my pity party.

“If she sees it, yeah. Sierra will fight the world to get to you. Just know that,” I remind her, trying to give her the hope she needs.

I’m caught off guard when she leaps on me, wrapping her arms around my neck, and hugging me tightly.

A part of me prays that when I see Sierra, she does the same.

Chapter 17

Sierra

Stepping back into the apartment, I smile. Cyrus is sitting on the couch, laptop on the table with his books lying around him. He’s even wearing glasses and fuck, he’s hot.

Total sexy professor vibes.

My core clenches around nothing and I have to squeeze my thighs together.

It’s one of the reasons I left to go see Mrs. Butler earlier. We both needed to cool off, and I really wanted to see her.

When she broke down in tears, it broke my heart. She felt responsible. But when I told her the lies Wesley told CPS, you could see murder in her eyes.

---