A/N: For those wondering, Marco and Jason are the same age. They are five years older than Seb and Elena.

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She wasn't doing anything wrong.

She wasn't.

She just wanted to see the fireworks and Jason said she couldn't go. Their parents were away for a few days, so it should be okay for her to go.

Jason was just being difficult.

At least that's what Elena tried to tell herself as she pulled multiple bedsheets out to try and tie them together to make an escape rope. She was all dressed and ready. The only thing she needed to do was get out of here without being noticed and go outside where Chris was waiting for her.

Chris was an upperclassman from school. She didn't have her license. And he was nice enough to take her to see the fireworks. She would just go see them and then she would be back before Jason or Sebastian noticed anything.

She dropped the sheets when she heard footsteps approaching her bedroom door and quickly ran to her bed before getting under the covers. She pulled them over her head just as she heard the knock on her bedroom door.

"Yes?"

The door opened and closed. Only a few seconds passed before she felt someone sitting on her bed. The sigh she heard told that it was Jason.

"Why are you in bed so early?" Jason asked placing a hand on her over the covers.

She shrugged slightly. "Nothing. I'm just tired."

"Are you mad about the fireworks?" He asked and she felt nervousness kick her with full force.

"No." She said feeling exposed, though he couldn't even see her.

"You know I can't let you go alone. I would have gone with you if I didn't have so much work."

"I know." She shifted nervously under the covers. "I'm not upset."

"Okay." He said lifting his hand up. "I'll give you money to go to the mall tomorrow."

He could be really nice when he wanted to be, though they were very rare occasion.

Maybe I should stay.

She knew she should stay, but she also really wanted to go tonight.

"Stop moping around. You'll only get uglier."

And there it is.

She left her bed as soon as he closed her bedroom door. She stared at it for a moment, once again wondering if this was a good idea.

It took way longer than expected to tie all the bed sheets together. She pulled at the knots hard multiple times to make sure it stayed in place. The last thing she wanted was to die because she didn't listen to her brother.

A knock on her door made her head snap toward it as she jumped placing a hand over her mouth to cover the gasp of surprise that left her.

"Elena?" Sebastian's voice came from the other.

She quickly hid the sheets under her bed and tried her best to take off her shoes with shaking hands. She managed that before jumping back to pull and pulling her covers up to her neck and tried to calm down before closing her eyes as her twin brother knocked once more.

When she didn't answer, he slowly opened her door.

"Are you asleep?" He whispered as her hold slightly tightened on the bed sheets. Her heart clenching, not liking the fast that she was purposely ignoring him.

She was two seconds away from talking when she heard her bedroom close as he left.

Pulling the covers from her face to glance at the door, she got out of bed to put her shoes back on and pulled her escape rope from under her bed. She slowly opened her balcony door glancing at her bedroom door once in a while.

She tied her escape rope multiple times around the rail, again pulling on it with all her strength. There was no way she going to die because she tried to sneak out.

Staring downstairs, she chewed onto her lower lips nervously. She threw one of her legs over the rail, followed by the other as she held onto the tied sheets tightly. She took a deep breath twirling one of her legs around her escape rope and started climbing down.

Her heartbeat increased with each passing moment as she forced herself not to look down.

This is not worth it anymore.

She let out a sigh of relief as her feet touched the glass before running around her house without waiting for another second. She ran toward the back gate debating with herself with each step. A big part of her telling her to go back home because this was not going to end well, but another part of just wanted to do this.

You still have the chance to go back without anyone noticing, Elena.

You don't get to see firework every day.

She slowly typed in the code and heard the small click of the back-gate opening.

"Shhh." She buried her face in her hands as if it would make the gate any quieter.

She walked through the gate and looked around for a few moments before spotting Chris' red car. She practically ran to it and opened the passenger car door before getting in.

"Hi Chris." She smiled turning to the boy. "Thank you so much for taking me. I owe you a lot."

He smiled widely turning his face to look at her with a hiccup. "Hi. Always so beautiful."

He stretched his arms out for a hug but she placed a hand on his face to push him away.

"I already said hi. No need for a hug."

"Oh, come on." He chuckled trying to hug her again but she grabbed his nose pinching it as she pushed him away once more. "Beautiful, but always so cold."

She finally looked closely at him when he slurred his words and hiccupped once more. Furrowing her eyebrows, she grabbed his face and turned it so she can look at him.

"Are you drunk?" She asked unsurely, having never seen what a drunk person is like in real life but still knowing that the reason for his behavior could only be that.

"Not really." He slurred his words once more before leaning against his seat. "Maybe." He added as his hand moved to the ignition.

Her eyes widened as he said that like he didn't have a care in the world. She broke one rule already, but this is completely different. This is just her sneaking out anymore.

"Wait." She said placing a hand on his to push it away from the ignition. "Let's get out."

"What? Why?" He groaned moving his hand away. "To go where?"

"To my house." She said pointing toward the window. "You're drunk and you can't drive. My brother will take you home."

And I might die tonight.

"Why would I let him do that?" He said starting the car causing her to look at him with wide eyes.

"Because you're drunk and you should know better." She snapped louder than she would have liked.

"Oh, come on. Don't be a goodie goodie." He chuckled.

"'I said stop the car!" She said and he suddenly hits the brakes causing her to practically fly toward the windshield.

Her eyes were wide as she looked at him in surprise and slight annoyance at the rate her heart was beating at. She thought that he listened to her and that's why he stopped until she looked ahead to find Jason standing there.

This is really the day I'm going to die. She thought looking at her brother's furious face.

Jason didn't waste a moment before storming toward the driver's seat and angrily opened the door. He grabbed Chris by the back of his neck to pull him out of the car.

She quickly jumped out of the car and ran around the car just as her brother angrily shoved Chris against the car causing a gasp to leave her mouth. She placed a hand over it as Jason turned toward her.

"J...Jason." She practically stuttered as his furious eyes met hers.

Now, she really wished she had taken time to think this through before climbing down the balcony. And she really wished she had been smart enough to stay at home, and just let him take her shopping like he said he would.

"Get inside the house."

"I-I'm sorry, Jas-"

"Get inside!"

She turned to her feet and practically ran back toward the gates she came from. Not only did her heartbeat increase but breathing also became harder as she saw another figure standing there.

Marco.

This just keeps getting better and better. Why didn't I stay home? Why didn't I just listen? Why did I put myself in this situation?"

She clenched her fists in nervousness as she slowed her pace down the closer she got to him. She stopped once she was close enough and looked back at Jason and Chris to find the boy sitting on the ground against the car with Jason standing in front of him.

She turned back to Marco forcing her permanent shyness around him to take a seat back as she pointed toward her brother's direction looking at him almost pleadingly, asking him to do something about her lunatic brother before he hurts the boy.

"What are you looking at me for?" He said, with his usual neutral face. "Get inside."

Her hoping face turned into a small frown as he made no move to help. She jumped slightly as she heard Jason's loud voice asking the boy if he had been drinking.

Oh no.

She turned toward Marco who was already making his way through the gate before turning to look at her.

"Let's go."

She didn't waste a moment to follow him, as she felt her nails digging into her palms. She stared at his back as she loosened her fists a little.

This is the last thing she needed.

Where did he even get here? Because he wasn't here when she went up to her room. She keeps putting herself in embarrassing situation when he's here.

She opened and closed her mouth multiple times wondering if she should say something, and what she could possibly say right now.

She swallowed hard briefly glancing back. "W-What will Jason do with Chris?"

"Before or after his funeral?"

She rubbed her shaking hands together staring at her feet. "Can you p-please bring him in?"

"No."

Her head snapped up toward him as she stared at his back. "What if he hurts Chris?"

"Let him."

"M-Marco, it wasn't his fault, I got out on my own."

"Did you get him drunk?"

She looked down again in shame really wishing he wasn't around right now. It's funny how she's just now realizing the stupidity of what she's done.

They walked by the pool and she bit her lips to hold her annoyance in as her moved landed on her balcony, precisely at her escape rope that was still hanging there.

They got into the house and she made her way straight to the living room, without looking up. The more time passes, the worst she feels about this whole thing. How could she even forget to take her escape rope down.

She stopped walking when she stood at the center of the room before wrapping her arms around herself. She glanced at Marco briefly to find taking a seat on one of the couches without even glancing her way.

She played with her fingers looking down at them as she shifted in her spot. "M-Marco?"

"Mhm?" He looked up at her waiting for her to continue.

"When did you get here?"

"Your brother asked me to take you and Sebastian."

She dejectedly sat down on the couch, feeling even more ashamed of herself. "H-He did?"

She jumped slightly when she heard Jason's heavy footsteps as he walked in the house. He slammed the door loudly and her heartbeat only increased with each step he took toward the living-room.

"Are you crazy!?" He snapped angrily as his eyes landed on her. "Do you even know what you were doing?"

"You wouldn't let me go." She quickly tried to defend herself, instantly regretting it.

"So, you sneak out in the middle of the night!? You're sixteen!" He yelled moving closer to her.

She bit the inside of her cheek as she felt her eyes watering from both shame and hating being yelled at. She would rather get beaten up than get yelled at.

She tried to think of a way to talk to him without making him angrier. Her brother had a quick temper, but she also knew that choosing the right words could make a difference. The last thing she wanted right was to get yelled at, and especially in front of Marco.

"I'm sorry." She said finally looking up at him.

"You weren't sorry when you were climbing down the balcony. And you had the audacity to fail gym class?"

"I swear I only needed a ride." She said balling her fists when it became harder for her to hold her tears in.

"You don't know the guy well enough to get in his car in the middle of the night." He snapped.

"I can defend myself Jason." She tried pleading her case and hopefully calm him down.

"That's not the point. You're sixteen! Anything can happen!"

She tapped her feet agitatedly when the tear left her eye and rolled down her cheek. "Jason please. I said I was sorry."

"You will be."

Her eyes widened as she straightened up looking at pleadingly. "Please don't tell the parents."

"Why shouldn't I tell them?"

"Please. I swear this is the last time."

"Is this the kind of thing you do when I'm away?"

He thinks that she just sneaks out of the house when he's away for college?

"No!" She exclaimed wiping her tears away. "This is the first time I do something like this, I swear. You can ask Carlos. I never went anywhere without him."

He groaned frustratingly running a hand over his face. "You always want to act all grown up and then behave like a kid."

She shifted nervously in her tears moving another hand to wipe her tear-drenched cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"Jason. I think she gets it." Marco finally said when Jason just stood, angrily looking at her.

Jason let out a deep breath and paced for a few moment before stopping to look at her again. "Just go to your room."

"Jason I-"

"Go to your room." He said shaking his head. "And untie the damn bedsheets from the rail."

She nodded and quickly stood up from her seat and practically ran out of there.

*****

She didn't know where she found the courage, but here she was looking for Jason thirty minutes later to talk. He was angry and that's the last thing she wanted. She couldn't stand neither of brothers not talking to her out of anger. Especially when she knew that she was the one at fault.

She would have to just make him less angry, even if it has only been a few minutes. She walked back out of her room and down the stairs after washing her face and making sure her eyes weren't red from crying.

She stopped dead in her track when she didn't find Jason in the living room but found Marco instead.

The side of his face was resting against his closed hand, with his eyes glued to the book in his hand. He looked up from what he was reading and she walked into the living-room.

"W-Where's Jason?"

"He took the boy home, to talk to his parents." He said moving his eyes back to his book.

She looked at him in surprised, especially because she hadn't even thought about what Jason might have done to the boy since she came. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes. Since you decided to be irresponsible."

"I really just needed a ride."

"Has your brother ever refused you anything without a good reason?" He asked still not looking up at her.

No. He made her suffer a lot and work for it most of the time, but he always gave in.

"For once you didn't get what you wanted, so you snuck out." He continued, which only made her feel much worse about it, since he was basically calling her spoiled.

He was making her feel even worse.

"Are you going to yell at me too?" She asked as her shoulders dropped slightly.

"I don't yell." He said finally looking up from his book to meet her eyes once more. "But I'm sure you do get that what you did was wrong and rash."

"I do."

"Good."

That's it?

Not that she was complaining. She hated getting yelled at. And she had enough of that for tonight. But she would rather have that than have Jason tell their father everything, because that would be the end of her for sure. She would rather deal with her mom.

Her father would just bury her alive and dance on her grave.

She slowly moved closer sitting on the couch she was previously sitting on. "I wish Jason was more like you. He's so hot tempered."

"I never said I wasn't angry." He said briefly looking up at her. "I am just as irascible as your brother is."

"You don't look it."

He actually never does.

"How old is he?" He asked placing his book down.

"Seventeen."

"Did you know he was drunk?"

"Yes. And I tried to get him inside the house." She said clasping her hands together. "But he didn't want to."

"So, you just decided to stay there anyways?" He asked looking at her questioningly.

"No!" She shook her head frantically. "I was trying to get him to stop the car when Jason came."

"What if Jason hadn't been there?"

She bit her lower lip as she furrowed her eyebrows in concentration, thinking about it.

"I... I would have told him to stop the car."

"And if he hadn't stopped?" He asked again pushing her even more.

Her shoulders sagged even more, actually not finding an answer to that question.

What would she have done then?

She didn't know. Chris could have hurt the both of them, or they could have hurt someone else on the way. They could have gotten themselves in trouble.

"Do you see how reckless you have been?" He asked and she nodded slowly.

She silently promised herself that this would the last time she does something like this. All she needed to so right now is make Jason forgive her and beg him not to tell their parents about it. She would do anything he wanted for to make that happen.

She also knew that her brother was going to make her pay for it.

She looked back at Marco placing both her hands on either side of her.

"Do you want some ice cream?" She asked softly, moving to stand up.

"I don't like sweets."

Right. And she knew that!

"M-Maybe I can get you something else?"

He shook his head slowly picking his book back up. "I'm fine. But thanks."

She made her way to the kitchen trying to seem as calm as she possibly could. She had the tendency of embarrassing herself in front of him. She felt like he's only seen only the unflattering sides of her. And she didn't know if it was just her or life just wanted to mess with her.

She opened the freezer to out the ice cream before taking out the biggest spoon she could find. Only this could help her calm her nerves. Especially since Jason wasn't back yet.

It's because of moments like this that almost made her want to make friends. Not that she hadn't tried, but people tend to get on her nerves really quickly. Especially those who tried too hard to be her friends, and for the wrong reasons. Always acting more like suck ups than friends.

She would rather stay with no friends. She had her family anyways. So, she had her fair share of headaches.

She grabbed the whole bucket and went back to the living-room. She sat on the carpet and opened the bucket before looking back at him nervously, with the question she has wanted to ask for a few days hanging at the tip of her tongue.

"Marco?"

He looked up from his book once more with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

"H-How long are you staying in town?" She asked.

"Just for a few more days."

She nodded. "Which place do you like more?"

"I like the people here more." He said with a small smile, those rare smiles she wished would appear more often. "But Rome is my home."

His home.

Italy.

Maybe dad can take us there next summer.

"You should visit." He said causing her head to snap up toward him. "I know you'd love it."

She nodded moving her eyes back to her snack. "I will."