Free Strung (Seaside) by Rachel van Dyken

you in a few.” I nudged by him and scowled. “Try not to make it worse.”
    “Ass,” Demetri mumbled as he slowly approached the bed. I eavesdropped on their conversation. And waited in the hall. Within seconds Demetri stormed by me and ran down the stairs. I knew what he was thinking. God, I thought it every time someone got sick. It was silly but I always went to that place, what if they died? What if they were never the same. A childhood like ours did that to a person.
    Once the door slammed shut, I walked back into the room. “He doesn’t like sick people.” Actually Demetri wasn’t a fan of sick anything. When our cat got sick on the tour bus he made us stop at a twenty-four hour vet service just to make sure it was okay. He hated illness. Hated it.
    “Clearly,” Nat mumbled and tried to get comfortable.
    “Here.” I chuckled and stuffed some pillows behind her back.
    “So why doesn’t he like sick people? Is he a germaphobe or something?” she asked.
    “No.” I sat on the bed and grabbed a book from the nightstand. “Our mom left us when we were little, and our dad died of cancer a few years afterwards. Most of Demetri’s memories are of the hospital.”
    “What about yours?”
    I laughed at the nice memory. “Playing checkers with dad when he didn’t feel well enough to walk. Holding his hand when they told him there was nothing else they could do. Reading him books even though I was only ten and probably the worst reader on the planet.”
    “I like your memories.” She yawned.
    “Me too.” I offered her an encouraging smile; she needed to sleep. “Demetri just deals with things different than most people. It doesn’t mean he cares for you any less.”
    “Why are you always defending him?” She gasped and then shifted a bit. “Forget I said that, please forget I said that.”
    “Does it seem that way?” I asked carefully.
    She nodded.
    “Hmm, I guess it would. I don’t know, Nat, I’m just protective of him. I’m older by a year, it’s my job to be protective.” Oh and I kind of ruined his life so I feel like I need to make amends by actually being a good brother. Or just an all-around decent human being.
    Her eyebrows scrunched together. “If you’re older by a year, and he’s a senior and you’re a senior.”
    “Good math, Nat.” I kept a teasing tone even though I was a bit panicked.
    “How are you in the same grade?”
    “I live to lear.,” I nudged her and smiled again. Wow I was a really bad actor.
    “High school is like going to hell every day, so why would you willingly choose to go?” Why wouldn’t she let it go?
    “I never finished. We got busy touring and I kept putting it off. It’s as easy as that. Demetri actually likes learning. He likes studying, even though it doesn’t come easy to him. I’d rather do things. I can’t sit and listen to someone drone on for hours without wanting to jump out the window.” At least that was true.
    Her eyes examined me for a minute before she said, “And here I thought you liked to sit and contemplate.”
    “No, it just appears that way.” Because if I actually appear interested, or make a move, everything will be lost.
    Nat covered up her yawn.
    “You’re tired. Go to sleep, Nat.”
    She shook her head.
    “I brought a book.” I held it in the air. “I’ll be right here, okay?”
    “Promise?”
    I felt my control weakening as I took in her innocent form. “Promise.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     
    Demetri
    I DROVE OFF like a complete jackass and then slammed on the brakes. What was I doing? Did I seriously get in my car and leave my girlfriend behind? My sick girlfriend?
    I hit the steering wheel; my hands shook as I gripped until my knuckles turned white. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t know about my dad. The smell of hospitals freaked me out — stuffy noses made me immediately think the person was going to get pneumonia. I mean, when people are terminally ill, they can die from a cold.
    Seeing Nat lying in