"You look awful, are you sleeping?" Alex asked, watching as his sister slipped her shoes off. Night glanced at him and smiled softly, waving a hand in dismissal.
    "Don't worry, everything is fine. Marching band is just a little tiring, that's all." She told him, grabbing her duffel bag and moving to the stairs. The nineteen-year-old frowned as she disappeared, pausing his movie and standing. Those two had been inseparable since Night's adoption into the family so he can tell when she's lying, his nerves shot after the killer game he had just earlier.
    "Night, seriously, what's going on? You've been avoiding me ever since I graduated, you haven't been to my games since the season started, and now you're lying to me? Did I do something wrong?" The brother asked, clutching his shirt as he walked right into her room.

Time felt like it stopped when his eyes laid upon her small frame, the hoodie she was wearing in her hands after taking it off and showing off each individual bruise.
    "Alex, get out of my room!" Night yelled at him, fumbling with her hoodie to try and hide the marks. The young man walked right up to her, throwing her hoodie to the floor and grabbing her arms gently, looking her over with angry red eyes.
    "What the hell happened to you?" He asked, his voice eerily level as he grabbed the bottom of her shirt.
    "Let me go!" His sister pushed him away in fear, holding the bottom of her shirt down. "I'm fine, okay?! It's from my baton!"
    "No it's not, you're lying! Who the hell is putting their hands on you?!"
    "No one!"
    "Bullshit!"

A little harsh on his part as Night flinched away from him, furrowing his eyebrows in concern.
    "Noche..." He mumbled, reaching out to her slowly. "¿Que está pasando?"
    "You can't tell mamá, hermano..."
    "That depends on what it is..."
    "Please, I'm begging you..." Night looked up at him in tears, her lip quivering. Alex frowned and, against his better judgement, nodded, taking her hands gently.
    "Now tell me what's going on." He told her, the two taking a seat on the girl's bed. The teen took in a deep breath and squeezed his hands tightly, tears pooling in her eyes.
    "Vincent has been hitting me..."

~~~

    "Where is he?!"

Alex stormed his way straight into the high school locker room, each football player watching in awe and fear. He was infuriated, finding his baby sister's "boyfriend" and punching him, shoving him against the lockers.
    "So you think it's funny to hit girls? Does it help you sleep at night?!" The college student yelled, his fists curled into his jersey.
    "Aye, I don't know what you're talking about! What the hell is your problem?!" The Runningback hissed, his cheek throbbing. Alex slammed him back against the metal, his hands tightening.
    "Don't give me that shit, pendajo! You picked the wrong fucking girl to prey on, you chose my sister, thinking I wasn't going to find out!" Another punch sent him to the floor, the Mexican seething. "I have the goddamn proof, asshole. You're lucky I don't kill you right now for abusing my baby sister!"

The Wide Receiver kicked him and went to punch him again, a few of the players he knew rushing him and pulling him away.
    "Bro, chill! This isn't how you handle things!" One yelled, Alex struggling against his old teammate to try and get to Vincent again. The teen spat blood onto the floor, wiping the blood that dripped from his nose.
    "You're fucking crazy, I didn't touch her-"
    "Don't you fucking lie to me, you coward! How dare you lie to me!" Alex yelled, his tanned skin red in anger. He broke free and attacked the Senior, punch after punch laced with fury and justice for his sister as the players struggled to pull him off. When they finally did and tore him from the locker room, the young man was met with the campus police officer, taking him from the football players and dragging him away.
    "Alright, come on son, we're going for a ride." The officer told him sternly, the raven-haired teen taking in a deep breath.

The ride was a trip to the sheriff's office, cuffs slapped on his wrists the moment he stepped out of the car. Alex sighed and did everything he was told, being sat in a chair and handed a phone.
    "You get one phone call, use it wisely." The sheriff told him, taking a seat at his desk. With a deep breath and the realization of knowing he fucked up, he dialed the one number he knew he had to, holding the phone to his ear.

~~~

Alex was charged with assault after his altercation with Vincent.

Despite the evidence and the all-too-late confession from said douchebag, the college football player still ended up with jail time, Night sobbing into her mother's arms as the bailiff took him away after the verdict. The young drum major did get her justice as her now ex-boyfriend was fined and given a restraining order, finally freeing her from his reign of terror and constant beratement.
    "I'll be home soon, baby sis! I love you, take care of mamá and yourself!" Alex called out, smiling softly as tears filled his eyes, finally being taken away from the courtroom.
    "Vamos cariña... Todo estará bien..." Alice told her gently, the mother and daughter walking from the courtroom in disdain.
    "It hurts, mamá..." Night mumbled softly, holding her arms as they walked.
    "Oh, I know, darling... Your brother... Ay, he's as stubborn as his father was. He did what he did because he knew you needed help."
    "I miss him already..." Her sadness made Alice frown, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her daughter's ear.
    "The year sentence will fly by, mi hija. Maybe even sooner if he gets out on parole." She told her, opening the car door for her baby girl.
    "Here's to hoping..."

Being home irked Night's feelings as another round of tears filled her eyes, collapsing on her brother's bed with a sob. She clutched his pillow against her chest and cried, still wishing the outcome was different. All he was doing was protecting her... But he freed her from torment, crying herself to sleep in his bed.

~~~

Without having to worry about the wrath from an angry boyfriend, Night went back to her happy self. Band was fun again though the football games were awkward, always finding herself smiling as she conducted or when she was leading a routine on the field. Though it had only been a couple months after her brother went to jail and she was still recovering from the sadness that came with it, she was healthy. Alex would want her to be...

Night practiced with her baton as she hummed the school's fight song, the sophomore tossing it into the air and catching it with precision. She took in a breath and threw it again, missing this time as it hit the grass at the feet of one of the band members.
    "Oh, hey, I think you dropped this." He said with a chuckle, reaching down and picking it up. Night jogged up to him and smiled, taking the baton back gently.
     "Thank you!" Night waved, running back over to continue practicing.

The saxophone player smiled warmly, two-colored eyes soft as he went back to practicing with his section, receiving a gentle punch on the shoulder from his section leader.
    "Someone has a crush~" She cooed, eliciting a bunch of 'oohh's from the other members.
    "Shut up, let's get back to rehearsing." He laughed, cheeks pink in embarrassment as he got back in his spot.
    "Yeah yeah, whatever Hartz. Just, try to ask her out before someone else beats you to it."
    "Thanks for the advice."

NightBear15 signing off...