Whats up Bro?
I pulled back the heavy door, stealthily making my way into the intimidating lair. The ghastly sounds of gun shots became disgustingly louder as I crept further in. I knelt down and located my brother. Perfect. He was completely defenseless. I felt for the cool and sleek casing as I lunged in the direction nearest to the exit for quick escape. Slowly, I pulled the thin weapon from my pocket and lifted it to my face, pointed directly at Aaron, a clear shot. Ready, Aim, Fire. I blew into the cold pipe and the crimson paintball shot across the room. It hit Aaron dead on. I leapt from my hiding spot and bounded victoriously into his room.


“VICTORY IS MINE!” I shouted and flung myself onto his squeaky bed. He turned around and glared at me, the smallest traces of a grin dotted his expression. He dropped his controller and jumped up onto the bed, banging his head as he did so. Aaron grabbed me and threw me over him, onto the deep beanbag chair and grinned.
“Ha! Take that junior!”
“Gee, it’s a wonder how you two get along.” Aaron’s best friend, Ryan who had been transfixed on the game suddenly spoke. Aaron winked at me and rudely ushered me to the door.
“What?”
“Here’s the door”
“I see it” I replied as always
“Use it” Aaron gave me a little shove and shut the door.
“I’m still the champion!” I shouted merrily as I pranced to my room.
“Sure you are Junior” He cracked open the door and whispered. “When Ryan wins a black ops game”
“HEY!” Ryan protested. “I’ve won before!”
I shut the door as the two argued and walked into my room. Just as I plopped onto my bed, my phone chimed, a text from Aaron.
“IT’S STILL TIED, 1---1. Oh, AND YOU BETTER LEARN TO WATCH YOUR WEAPONS! P.S, I DON’T PLAN ON RETURNING IT ;) ”
Better learn to watch my weapons? I reached into my pocket to feel the sleek casing. Of course, he had taken it when he lifted me up. I grinned, knowing he would return it soon enough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Aaron had never forgotten about me, I had always been his top priority. Where was he? Our fight last night had been the first in years, my brother never raised his voice with me. It took a lot to make Aaron angry, and It took an unwanted miracle to make Aaron angry at me. My eyes began to fill up with tears as I thought about his new girlfriend, Jessica. He had started spending more time with her, and less with me. That was the spark of our war. He had begun to call off our plans so he could do this and that with Jessica. The pictures of me and him and come off his locker and had been replaced with pictures of them. I stood up, and bounced the basketball a few times, then pelted it at his window. As soon as the ball hit the ground, my mom stumbled out the door, phone in hand, and her face white as snow.
“Mom?” She stared at me, the life brought out of her ocean blue eyes.
“Mom!?” I repeated.
“Its A….Aaron….Aaron……” She whispered
“Aaron what?” She dropped to the ground and handed me the phone. The caller ID showed the name ‘Jessica Holbrook’ just as I had suspected. I held the phone to my ear.
“Jessica? What happened?”
“Marie! Marie!” Her voice was shaky
“Aaron…. Aaron was shot.”
“WHAT!?” I shrieked with anger.
“Marie…….I’ll text you the address of where we are.”
I slammed the phone shut and ran to the car. I only had my permit but who cares? Not me. I pulled out of the driveway and sped to the address. Aaron couldn’t have been shot! Everyone loved him. He was that perfect kid. 4.0 GPA, football captain, popular. Who would want to kill him? If he had only been with me, and not Jessica he would have been alive. As soon as I arrived at the address, I spotted Jessica standing outside of an alley, crying her stupid face out. I jumped out of the car and marched towards her. She reached out her arms for a hug, but I pushed her away.
“THIS IS YOUR FAULT! IF HE HADN’T MET YOU, HE WOULD’VE BEEN AT HOME WITH ME. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ALIVE!”
“DID YOU EVEN CARE TO CALL THE POLICE?” Jessica nodded slowly, in shock. I ran to the end of the alley, where I found my brother laying on the ground. His best friend, Ryan stood feet away, staring at Aaron.
“Aaron?” I whispered.
“Aaron….”
I waited for him to grab me and shout gotcha! I waited for him to wink, with his blue eyes sparkling. I waited for him to shoot me with a paint ball. I waited to be thrown over his shoulders. I waited for the punch line. But in return, nothing. Silence had never been so loud before.
“AARON!?” I shouted with all the strength I had left. There was a deep bullet hole through his chest, the same place I had shot the paintball at him days ago. His shirt was shredded and his face was tarnished. I bent over and hugged him. He was cold. He was dead. He was gone. I looked up and saw Ryan standing over him, shaking. I stood up to hug him but he backed away, trembling. I shook my head and then took a second look at him. His arms lay limp at his sides, but in his left hand, there was a pistol.
“Ryan?” I whispered shakily.
“You?”
“Amanda…..”
“Ryan…why would you do this!? You love him.”
Jessica came up behind me, she released a chuckle, which grew into laughter.
“What is wrong with you two?! MY BROTHER IS DEAD!”
“Honey, this is his own fault.”
“You were behind this? I knew there was something up with you, but I could only imagine manipulative girlfriend, not psychotic killer!”
“Manders…”
That was what Aaron used to call me “DON’T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT”
“Fine, Amanda. Your brother, was not mr.perfect.”
“Yes, he was…that’s it, i'm calling the cops” I reached for my phone but all of a sudden I felt cold metal on my temple. Jessica had a gun at my head.
“This was his, you know? Ryan found it under his bed, along with many others.”
“What are you saying?”
“I'm saying your brother was golden boy on stage, but behind the scenes he was nothing but a kid in a gang. Amanda, your brother was in a gang that planned on killing Ryan, and my family”
“No he wasn’t.”
“Amanda, you need to know the truth.” Ryan spoke smoothly
I soon learned that the gang Aaron was in focused on one thing. Revenge. The gang’s leader hated Ryan and Jessicas families.
“They had done something in the past. The gand did everything they could to rip apart those two families, but in the home, social, and school scene, they acted perfect, so they would never be suspected. Jessica told me of all the times Aaron had hurt her, and how her and Ryan only pretended to like him, to kill him. He was Near the head of the gang, and if they killed him, then they could quickly take down the rest.
“Jessica….Im so sorry”