The Little Of Oz Series

#Chapter8-03

#Chapter8-03

"What if I have a bad dream?" I asked, voice small and weak. "And I can't get back to sleep?"

He looked more like my mom than my dad, but the considering expression that tapered his face, the way his brow buckled as he thought on an answer, he reminded me a lot of my dad in that moment. "Then call me," he said at last. "I don't care about the time, or sleep in my bed and see if it helps."

I could only stare. He really had no idea how much those little things meant to me. And as if to prove my point, his attention had already strayed, his eyes flickering over to the posters on the walls. They were icky. They were of girls with very little clothes on.

"You won't be mad?"

"Nope." He shook his head, ramming another shirt into the bag. "It's my job to look out for you. I got you. Besides, I asked Blake to check in on you every now and again while I'm gone. I don't trust you not to do something dumb like try and climb into the fridge again."

Cheeks flaming, I tried not to react. It had been super hot, and I had been a little bit younger. I hadn't been able to think of any other way to cool down, so I had emptied the shelves out and came up with that genius idea.

It had failed. Badly.

"You asked Blake to check on me?" I repeated. It was hard to keep a neutral tone. I hadn't spoken to Blake since he had dropped the bombshell on me that he knew that I was a Little, two days ago. With how things had been left between us, I had figured that I had nothing to worry about, but the thought of seeing him now had my whole belly cramping.

"Yeah." Isaac nodded. "He might have a job though, so it will probably only be a phone call to make sure you're okay and not trying to stick your finger down a light socket, but I'll feel better knowing that you have somebody close by."

"Thanks, Eyes." I smothered him in a hug, bouncing forward onto my knees so that I could reach him. He held me back so tightly that I was afraid I was going to break. He held me so tight, I wondered if maybe he didn't want to go any more than I didn't want him to go.

"Just look after yourself, okay? Don't try and cook, either. Promise me you won't touch the oven?"

Flushing, I nodded. "Sowwy. I promise." The last time I had cooked, I had forgotten about the food, set the temperature too high, and set off the smoke alarms. "Mom says I need to grow up, too."

Softening, he shook his head, pausing as he pushed me back so he could inspect another item of clothing off the floor. "You're special, Oz, and you don't need to grow up if you don't want to. She just worried about you. We both get worried. You do things and then forget, like with cooking, and that's dangerous, or you do things where you don't think them through and you end up getting hurt." His face darkened for a moment. "You're different, and that's okay. I love you, but not everyone will understand you. I heard about what Jake Ceoss did to you on the last day of school. Blake and I sorted him out. He won't be bothering you again, but there will be others like him, and that bothers me so much."

I had hoped that Isaac wouldn't find out about Jake. On the last day, he had apologized for being mean to me all year, and had asked if I had wanted to be friends with him. He had tricked me. He had led me out to the courtyard where his friends had been waiting with water balloons.

"He had said that he wanted to be friends," I said weakly.

"People lie, OzzyPop."

That made the world an even scarier place. If anybody could be lying, then maybe nobody at all could be trusted to tell the truth.

"I expect a phone call every day. And texts," Isaac said, lightening the mood and ruffling my hair in that annoying way he was so fond of. "No exceptions. And I promise I'll bring you something cool back, kay?"

"Okay." Texting wasn't going to be the same. And phone calls were great, but I was already counting down the days until my brother returned.

...

There was a reason I hated public places, and the overcrowded, sardine-packed train station was a perfect example of why. It made an already hot day seem blistering, and it was hard to breathe as bodies knocked into me, sending me spiralling off balance. Blake's hand on my shoulder kept me steady and in place.

"You look after him, okay?" Isaac almost had to shout to be heard. His bag was slung over his shoulder and his train had just pulled in behind him. Eyes glossy and a big smile that looked a little too forced, he seemed less at ease than he had before Blake had picked us up to drop him off.

"You know I will," Blake responded. They both shared a grin, bumping fists the way they always did, their weird little 'bro' ritual, before he replaced the hand on my shoulder with an arm, pulling me closer to him when somebody almost bumped into me again. "By the time you get back, Oz will have replaced you as my best friend. We're gonna have a great time."

And though the action was friendly and without thought, and his words just teasing banter, they had my heart doing odd little cartwheels. It had always been an easy thing, getting flustered around Blake, but with the newfound information living between us, I could barely even look at him without blushing.

Thankfully, Isaac was used to my odd behaviour, and if he noticed it being anymore off than usual, he must have put it down to being in such a crowded place, which he knew I hated. "Don't you hog him, Oz," Isaac warned with a playful wink. "I expect him back when I get home.

"Fine, But you have to come home real fast then."

Isaac nodded. "As soon as this thing's done, I'm on the first train back. I promise."

His arms were the ones I had always ran to feel safe, and as they wrapped around me, crushing me against his chest, I knew that I would make sure I kept myself safe. Just for his sake. Just because I owed him that much.

"I'ma miss you, Eyes," I whispered.

"You too, Ozzypop."

As Isaac boarded, I felt like he had taken part of me with him. He waved as the train pulled out and I waved back maniacally.

"Now what?" Blake asked when the train had finally disappeared from sight, swallowed by the tunnel ahead. "Do you feel like grabbing something to eat before I drop you back home? My dad's still out of town, and your mom's got work so she can't eat with you. Saves us both being alone."

Glancing one last time in the direction my brother had disappeared into, I nodded. "Yup."