Free Resistance by Allana Kephart, Melissa Simmons Page A

brother.
    Then to Sean he says, “You’d best remember who’s in
charge here, lad, and be glad I stopped her from giving you the
whooping you deserve. I’m not sure I will if there is a next
time.”
    Sean seems to shrink a bit under my uncle’s scrutiny
and nods silently. His face is puce-colored from the effort of
holding in his temper. I find that for once, I don’t care. I look
at him. “When you’re ready to apologize, you know where to find
me.” I turn to Flint and motion towards the exit. “Let’s go,
please. I want to try and speak to my brother before he goes to
sleep, and I think it would be best if you stuck with me or a guard
for the foreseeable future.”
    “If you say so, but just for future reference I
really can handle myself,” Flint says with that irritating smirk of
his firmly in place.
    I smirk right back at him. “I didn’t say I was
concerned for your safety, did I? I might be pissed at him, but he
is family, and my aunt wouldn’t be too thrilled if you charbroiled
his stupid ass.”

 
    Chapter 6—Eirnin
    April 2102
     
    I let the door to the school cafeteria slam shut
behind me and just start walking, not paying any attention to where
I’m heading. It’s fully dark now and there is a slight bite in the
air. I really don’t care, though. I am so angry I can’t think
straight, and I don’t do angry normally. Once again, Sean has
managed to make me feel like I’m useless. He keeps taking more
aggressive stances against Fi out in public, and it’s making me
more and more nervous. He never would have pulled a stunt like that
if my father was still here. I have a bad feeling where he’s
concerned, and I don’t know how to tell my sister to be on her
guard against someone she considers to be her friend.
    Speaking of my sister, I know she’s most likely
freaking out back at the school, worrying about me being out all by
myself. I want to yell at the sky that I’m not a little kid – I’m
sixteen and I’m not exactly physically unimpressive. I tower over
almost everyone at six feet-seven inches tall, and while I’m trim,
I’m certainly not overly skinny. I am also armed, which she knows.
I don’t leave home without an assortment of throwing knives that my
father taught me to use. I am completely capable of holding my own
in a fight. For the umpteen-millionth time, I wonder when, or maybe
I should say if Fi will remember I am more than just one more
responsibility hanging around her neck. I miss her, which sucks
because she’s still right here in front of me. She’s just become
this unreachable, sad girl who tries to keep all of her emotions in
a little box locked away inside herself. I want my sister back,
plain and simple.
    I look around and finally let myself take in my
surroundings. I know I should head home so I don’t make Fi worry
about me all night. I hear approaching footsteps behind me and my
cousin, Aodhan’s voice yelling, “Come on man, I know you hear me!
Your legs are way longer than mine.”
    I stop walking and grin despite the anger still
simmering in my gut. “Get the lead out, A. You know patience isn’t
one of my many virtues.” I hear him chuckle as he jogs closer. I
actually don’t mind too much that he’s the one who found me. It’s
not like he’s really a guard. He’s only a year and a half older
than me, so it’s not quite the glaring insult as one of the older
guys coming after me would be. At least with him I can tell myself
that he came after me on his own, even though I’m sure his father
sent him to pacify my sister.
    He catches up and glances at me for a moment, looking
pensive. “You okay?” he asks finally, and I raise an eyebrow at him
in response. He holds his hands up in a surrendering gesture and
says, “Okay. Just checking.” He pauses for a moment, weighing his
words. “You know you shouldn’t let that dick get to you, though,
right?”
    I shrug. “He just has a talent for getting under my
skin,” I say; trying to