My Brother's Friends

Chapter 1

I held Liam's hand as we watched our parents get lowered into the ground, it was a small ceremony just us, and a few close friends and family. We'd kept it small to draw attention away from any sort of press. My parents were page six people, but I know they would have hated this to become a photo-op. Their death wasn’t something that any of us were particularly fond of being plastered all over the media.

I watched as everyone threw roses into their grave, each flower felt like a knife sinking into my chest, every good-bye felt all too real. Every second that we stood there felt like an eternity. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to them, not when I needed them the most.

My parent’s weren’t supposed to be dead, dad had tickets to see the Yankees this coming week, he and mom had a cruise booked for the summer, we’d been looking into getting a house in the Hamptons, dad was supposed to take me to visit colleges next month.

I felt tears begin to roll down my cheeks, stupid allergies.

Liam's best friends gathered around us each of them shielding us from everyone else. I was thankful that they'd come for this, I figured they'd stay in California but luckily they took the time to come to support Liam on this day. We both needed them at this time.

Liam and his four best friends lived in California, they lived in one of our parent's property in Bel-Air, close to UCLA, where they happened to attend school. Liam and the guys are super close, we've known one another since we were all really little. Growing up in New York it's hard to build close relationships with a lot of friends, it's just hard to hang out when people live scattered around the city, but the guys have always made it work, much to my misfortune.

I don't have anything against the guys, they are all very sweet and caring. Growing up my brother's friends had been like brothers to me. It never mattered what I needed or when I needed it, they had my back. I think my dislike for them began when my brother decided that he wanted to go to California because the guys wanted to live on the west coast. I remember the betrayal I felt, they were all leaving me.

Of course, that was a year ago, much had changed since then and I didn't really hold much of a grudge, well kinda. Now my resentment towards the situation had other roots, most of them involving the move that I had ahead of me.

After the last bit of dirt was put on the grave we headed back to the brownstone. I needed to finish packing and take care of what was going into storage, although Liam insisted on just throwing things out I knew that he'd regret letting go of everything later on.

Our parents had been avid travelers and paint collectors, most of their stuff was valued very highly, since Liam and I were their only kids all of this was left up to us to take care of. Currently it seemed like I was the levelheaded one, although I was only seventeen.

Most of my things were going to have to be shipped later on because there was no way that I could pack it all up in time. I only took what was most essential, my clothes and my photo albums. Liam and the guys stayed out of my way as I walked around the brownstone packing. It wasn't that I didn't want them to help, I just didn't think I could handle talking to anyone. I felt raw, like one of those turtles with a crushed shell, my insides were exposed. This was all very scary to me.

I was going to move two-thousand miles away, to California of all places. I was going to be living with my brother Liam and all of his friends. I'd known Trey, Alex, Jason and Jake my whole life, they'd slept over, they'd had dinner at the house, we'd vacationed together, you name it and we probably did it together. But, somehow the idea of moving across the country and living them seemed awkward and uncomfortable. I loved the guys, but I loved my space and privacy just a little more.

Trey and I were close, we talked almost more than Liam and I did. Trey just had a ‘good soul’ as my mom said, he was a very caring and compassionate person. Most of the time Trey was the glue that would mend Liam and I’s arguments.

Alex and Jason were my goofy go to, they were the ones to cheer me up with an inappropriate joke, prank, or comment. They were probably the funniest people I knew and also the most relaxed one’s of the group, you could say anything to those guys and get nothing, it was like they weren’t even New Yorkers.

Jake was more of the rebel, he was the group slut. Every now and then he’d throw a flirty jab at me, knowing very well that my brother would lay him on his ass. I just ignored it, mainly for his own safety. I was sure he liked all his limbs attached to his body.

After packing up everything that I could take with me I changed into my leggings and an oversized Harvard sweatshirt that belonged to my dad. I pulled my jet black hair into a ponytail and let my bangs cover my ice blue eyes. It was almost six and our plane left at eight so we needed to leave if we were going to make it.

As I locked the door I felt all the emotions hit me at once, I wasn't just saying goodbye to the brownstone, I was saying goodbye to the happiest memories I had. I knew that California would never measure up to the life I'd lived here, and it really broke my heart.

I threw on my headphones and sunglasses and prepared for the long plane ride to my new life.

******

When I woke up there was light shining through the airplane window, I lifted my head from Liam's shoulder and closed the window. I was thankful we were able to get last minute tickets in first class because I didn't think I would have survived in coach for five hours.

"You're awake."

I turned, dammit Liam woke up. "Yeah, my neck is all messed up"

"How are you holding up?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure, it's too much for me right now."

"You can talk to me about it you know."

"I can't talk to you, you're part of the problem."

Liam ran his hands through his hair. "I left for college Jess, Jesus will you let it go already our parents are dead."

"There are great colleges in New York, and I know they are I was there, remember?"

"Look, Jess, when you go to college you can pick your school. Please stop making me feel bad for picking mine."

"Whatever Liam."

"Whatever Jess."

I hated that Liam and I seemed to fight like this more and more every single day. It seemed as though we never got along the way we should. I loved my brother, after all, he was the only family I had left. But we were both stubborn, mom said we got it from dad. Our father didn’t like to lose, I guess that’s what made him so successful.

"Ladies and gentlemen please fasten your seat belts are about to land." The stewardess announced.

Once we landed it was immediately chaos, everyone was trying to grab their bags and exit the plane fast. I took my time knowing the doors wouldn't open for at least another ten minutes, plus we were in first class so we got to be the first ones off. As soon as they said we could get off I was running, as I passed through baggage claim I was instantly bombarded with camera flashes erupting from various places around me.

"Jessica!" They all shouted my name and called out for my attention.

"Jessica who will take care of your family's fortune with both of your parents gone?"

I pulled away as reporters pushed themselves closer to me. Some of them even grabbing on to my carry-on."Jessica, will your brother Liam Banks leave UCLA to keep your father's company stable?"

"Jessica is it true that you're here to enter a rehab facility?"

Rehab? Seriously? I was seventeen, what rehab could I possibly be entering.

"Jessica is it true you dyed your hair black to rebel against your family." I guess they didn't know I had my mother's eyes, but my father's hair.

"ENOUGH!"

Liam and the guys pushed thought the reporters with our luggage. I had something wet on my face, tears. I couldn't believe it, I was crying. I pulled myself together and tried to keep a brave face. Liam and Trey flanked my sides covering me with their jackets and arms shading me from the camera lenses. I wasn't aware that this would make headline news.

We were never followed by paparazzi in New York, it just didn't happen. My family and I came from a rich and powerful family, we owned Banks Enterprise. A billion-dollar company that sells everything from designer clothing, hotels, fragrances, jewelry, owns t.v channels, etc. we had our fingers in a little of everything. But even with all the money we had, no one ever followed us around like celebrities. We were quietly wealthy, dad said it was better to be rich and quiet than rich and braggy. Dad always preferred to talk about the charities we were helping than to talk about the cars and the houses we owned.

We made it to the SUV and all piled in, the paparazzi followed behind us up until the car pulled away. I was still in slight shock trying to figure out what the hell just happened?

"Are you alright Jess?"

I nodded. "I think so, why were they following us?" I asked slightly confused.

"Banks Enterprise is a big thing here in California, you guys own some really important networks." Alex explained.

I felt out of it. "Don't worry this will die down, it's only because of mom and dad passing away, it's never like this," Liam said.

I wanted to laugh at how ironic his choice of words was.

The drive home to our family vacation home was long, our house was settled in the valley close to UCLA. All the houses on the block were big and beautiful, most people lived here full time not part time like us. I loved visiting our vacation home when we were younger, this was the place where our parents gave us all their attention and there was no work calls or anything. when the SUV dropped us off at the front door I didn't bother with my bags knowing that the guys had it. I went on inside to inspect the house.

There were guy clothes everywhere, red cups on the floor, single high heeled shoes on the coffee table and stairs. Thinking about the possibility of my room being turned into a crazy orgy location I bolted up the stairs.

Third door from the stairs, I threw my door open and luckily found that all of my stuff was there. Nothing had been moved from how I left it last summer when we came for vacation. It still smelled like the bottle of Channel perfume that I'd broken in the bathroom. I walked back out but paused at the top of the stairwell, the guys were talking and I didn't want them to stop with me coming down.

"Looks like the cleaning crew didn't get my voicemail," Liam said from downstairs.

"How crazy was that party though?" Jason asked.

"It was worth it." Alex whispered.

“So many girls.” Jake said laughing.

"Guys we might want to cut back on all of that, let's not forget we have a minor in the house now." I heard Trey warning all the boys. I laughed to myself, they thought their parties were crazy, they didn't know the New York scene at all. Part of me felt calm, at least Trey was here to sedate the crazies.

Trey was my favorite of all the boys, probably because he was the least annoying and the nicest one of them all. When I was little I used to get sick a lot, Trey would come to hang out with me and watch princess movies for hours. Even Liam wasn't that invested in my likes and dislikes.

"Jess, are you going to bed?" Liam asked downstairs. Crap I'd been spotted.

"No I'm going to get food, is my car here?"

"Yeah, it's still here, although you shouldn't be driving."

I rolled my eyes, here we go. The one reason I wasn't totally bumbed about moving to California was that I had my car. In New York cars were more of a loss than a gain, you had to pay an insane amount of money for parking and then on top of that you barely managed to use it. Dad had drivers so owning our own cars wasn't necessary. But, California was a different story. Dad had paid for me to get driving lessons and then bought me my first car which I was allowed to drive when we came down for holidays.

"I'm going to get some food, you guys want anything?" I asked.

"I'll go with you, it's getting late." Trey said.

"Just whatever, we're all hungry." Liam said.

I walked out to the garage with Trey on my heels. My car was under a big sheet that didn't let it get dirty. Pulling back the sheet dust went everywhere but it revealed my nice clean car. It was still the way I left it, the paint was still shiny and the seats were still glossy.

"Your car seems to stay perfectly clean all year round," Trey said.

"I guess this is going to be one of the perks of having to move here, getting to drive."

"Your new school isn't very far from here just a drive down the hill and it's right there."

I slid into the car and pulled it into reverse.

"Sounds nice, Liam didn't try to get me into a performing arts school?"

"He did but they wouldn't accept you without audition, interview, and some other crap."

"Oh, I see."

"He tried really hard, he almost bought the school but I talked him out of it."

I snorted. "That sounds like something Liam would do."

"Your brother would do anything for you, you bring out the crazy in him."

"Yeah but I guess we both are."

We drove around for a little while, I didn’t want to admit that I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going. After a little while Trey just started telling me where to turn. We began chatting, it had been a while since it was just the two of us without the guys.

“How’s school going?”

“Really good, I’m really excited to be graduating next year.”

“Are you planning on moving back home?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so, I have an interview for an internship so hopefully that pulls through.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it.” I turned, he was smiling so brightly it warmed my heart, at least one of us was happy.

We kept dinner simple with Thai food from a place that Liam liked, we had similar tastes in food so I figured it would be at least somewhat decent. The shop owner recognized Trey and chatted him up the entire time, she was adorable, she reminded me of his mom back home. Almost an hour later we finally strolled back into the house, the house looked a little neater I’m sure Liam had cracked some skulls while we were gone.

We ate in almost complete silence, it had been a really long day, I felt myself yawning through almost all of dinner.

"You look beat Jess, why don't you go to bed?" Liam suggested.

I rubbed my eyes and slowly eased myself off the bar stool. "Good idea, night guys."

"I'll leave your school schedule on the counter, do you want me to drive you in the morning?"

I shook my head and didn't say anything.

"Goodnight." All the guys chanted.

I crawled into my room and slipped off my clothes I didn't bother with pajamas. I held a pillow to my chest and did the only thing I knew how to do, I sobbed. A chapter of my life was ending and I wasn't sure I could handle it.