Darn Stupid Brother You Are

(Angel's POV)

I didn't budge. I paced the hallway, my eyes fixed on the door, willing Hendrix to come out. Two hours felt like an eternity, but finally, the door opened, and Hendrix emerged.

My heart skipped a beat as I took in his appearance. He looked tired, but okay. No more blood gushed from his body, and I felt suddenly relieved.

I immediately pulled him into a tight hug. "Jeez... Hen, what happened? A-are you okay?" I asked him, staring at his face.

Hendrix just shook his head and smiled, looking every inch the handsome rogue brother I had promised to protect. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I felt a bit worried. He seemed to be hiding something. What had really happened in that room?

His clothes were still stained with blood, and he glanced down at them with a grimace. "I need to take a shower and change," he said, his voice low and husky. It sent a thrill down my spine.

"Yeah... yeah you should," I nodded, releasing him reluctantly. Some of the blood had transferred to my clothes, but I didn't care. I was just glad that he seemed okay, even though he wasn't looking me in the eye.

As Hendrix walked away, I followed him, my mind racing with questions. What is up with this place? Why were they being so secretive? And why did Hendrix act so different than before? He seemed pensive and a bit distant.

I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the present. Hendrix was safe, and that's all that mattered.

He walked to the dorm in silence, with me following behind. I knew Hendrix had something to say, but he seemed to not want to talk about it. Not yet, anyway. I watched his shoulders slump as he sighed heavily.

As we got into the elevator, I caught sight of myself in the mirror inside. My clothes were stained with blood, and my hair was disheveled. I looked like I'd been through a war.

Hendrix chuckled, noticing my reflection. "You look like you've been fighting a battle, Angel," he said, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

I rolled my eyes, smiling despite myself. "Shut up, Hendrix."

He grinned, and for a moment, everything felt okay. Okay. Maybe he was really fine. Or maybe it was just a farçade.

(Hendrix's POV)

I walked alongside Angel, my mind still going over the events of the past three hours. I couldn't believe what had happened. One minute I was eating lunch and gisting with some girl in the cafeteria, and the next, I was bleeding everywhere. It was humiliating.

As we approached the entrance to the boys' dorm, Angel hesitated. "So, are you sure you're okay?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

I nodded and smiled, trying to give a tough act. "Yeah, I told you several times already. I'm fine."

Angel looked uncertain, but I could tell she was trying not to push me. "Okay, if you're sure..."

I nodded again, trying to appear more confident than I felt. "I'm positive. Go to your dorm, Angy. I'll be fine."

She looked at me for a moment longer, then nodded and turned to leave. I watched her go, feeling guilty for dismissing her so quickly. But I needed some time alone. I couldn't deal with her worry and concern right now.

As I entered the dorm, it was empty. Everyone was probably still in their classes. I was relieved to be alone, but also frustrated with myself.

I thought about all the people who had seen me, the guys who thought I was cool, the girls who wanted to date me. They probably thought I was a weirdo now, with what happened.

Fuck!

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I needed to focus on getting better, not on what other people thought of me.

I couldn't help thinking about Angel though, my lovely stepsister, who worried endlessly about me. I didn't want her to worry about me. I didn't want anyone to worry about me.

I felt like I had become the object of pity, and I hated it. I didn't want to be the one who was pitied. I wanted to be the strong one, the one who took care of everyone else.

I didn't want to be the one who always needed protection, always needing Angel to swoop in and save me. We were the same age, after all. I should be able to take care of myself.

But it seemed like no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't catch a break. She always being there to help in the past, and now...with the whole cafeteria situation. I could remember the look in her eyes when I came out of the ward. One that spoke of her planning to do something. She had always been that way. And now with...what had happened in that room? I didn't even want to think about it.

I headed to the shower, trying to wash away the memories of the past few hours. I wanted to be strong, to be able to take care of myself and her too.

That's why I hadn't told her what had really happened in that room. I didn't want her to worry, didn't want her to feel like she had to protect me again. I wanted to handle it on my own, to prove to myself that I could.

I sighed and stepped out of the bathroom, shaking my head like a dog trying to get rid of water. The shower had been a good idea. The water was warm, and I didn't stink or look like a bloody mess anymore.

I laid face first on my bed, my mind not focusing on one thing in particular. I knew now I was just delaying the inevitable. I had to figure out what was going on.

I forced myself up and walked over to the chair and picked up the clothes I had worn earlier. As I stuffed them into the hamper, my hand brushed against something in the pocket. I pulled it out, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw the small white tablet.

The tablet was small and white, about the size of a typical aspirin. It was round and had a smooth surface, with no markings or logos on it. It looked like a regular pill.

They'd given it to me in the infirmary. I had pretended to swallow it in the infirmary, but I had actually sneaked it into my pocket. I didn't trust them anymore, and I was thankful I hadn't taken it. Even the satisfied smirk on Doctor Nixon's face when she thought I had swallowed it had seemed suspicious.

As I turned it over in my hand, I noticed that it was slightly heavier than I expected. And when I held it up to the light, I saw that it had a faintly yellowish tint to it. It was a subtle color, but it was definitely there. Something about the whole situation didn't sit right with me.

Now, looking at the tablet, I wondered. What was in it, anyway? I turned it over in my hand, studying it like it might give me some answers.

I slipped the tablet into an envelope I found on my desk, making a mental note to research it later. I needed to know what I was dealing with. I couldn't just sit around waiting for something else to happen. What was going on in this center? Were they experimenting on patients?

I sat down at my desk, thinking about the past few hours. The bleeding, the pain... it was all so messed up. And now, I was starting to suspect that the penile insertion they had done just a few days ago was the cause of it. The center was an expert in STDs though, as my step mom had said. Then why? Did they hurt me on purpose? What could they possibly gain from hurting their own patients?

I decided to start by researching the center's medical practices. Maybe I could find something online.

I was looking for anything that might explain what was going on. I scrolled through page after page of results, but nothing seemed to match what I was looking for. It was like I was searching for a needle in a haystack.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to focus. I needed to get to the bottom of this. But where do I even start? I couldn't just go around accusing people of experimenting on patients. I needed proof.

Doctor Nixon's smug face kept popping into my head. I spent the next few hours researching. After a fruitless search, I gave up.

I couldn't find anything about LiveLaughLong wellness center.

It's like it didn't exist.

How was that even possible?

How the hell did my stepmom find out about this place?