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Barley pulled up to Ian’s school, honking Guinevere the Second’s horn and hopping out. He quickly spotted Ian, smiling at the sight of his little brother. He sent him a wave, and Ian smiled and waved right back.
“Hey Barley!” Ian greeted his older brother, stepping up beside him. “I just have to go back to my locker to grab my physics textbook. I forgot it.”
“Oh, alright,” Barley nodded, hooking his finger on the loop at the top of Ian’s backpack. “I can take your bag, if you want. I’ll wait right here.”
“Sure, thanks,” Ian accepted his offer, sliding his arms out of his backpack. “I’ll be right back,” he promised, swiftly walking back towards the front doors of the school.
Barley threw Ian’s bag onto the passenger seat, leaning against the side of the van after he had closed the door. His eyes focused on Ian as he walked back into the school, his gaze wandering once his brother was safely inside. He stopped on a small group of boys, they were looking in his direction. He paid them no mind, shooting a little wave at them.
Ian retrieved his textbook quickly, walking back out the big front doors with it tucked under his arm. He was definitely grateful that his locker was somewhat close to the front foyer. He headed back towards Barley, but froze in his tracks when he heard something he wished he hadn’t.
“Look at that guy’s van,” someone snickered. “What a piece of junk. But look at him, leaning against it like it’s the coolest thing ever.”
“I saw him on the news once,” another guy added. “He was protesting against the city remodeling those old buildings downtown because it would ‘destroy history’ or something stupid,” he mocked. "Now that I think about it, he's been in the news a lot."
“I that’s Ian Lightfoot’s older brother, isn't it?” a third guy thought aloud. “Man, I would have thought the one wizard in the school would have cool relatives. That dude is a downgrade from his already mediocre little brother.”
The more Ian heard, the more his blood boiled. He suddenly felt the need to lash out on those jerks for making fun of his big brother. But could he, was the question.
“Hey!” he spoke up, turning to face them. “What did you say about my brother?” he asked angrily, stepping closer to them. Ian didn’t recognize any of them, he couldn’t tell if that was an advantage, or disadvantage.
One of the guys, a tall cyclops, snickered. “We didn’t say anything, buddy.” The other two guys, a stocky elf and a centaur, nodded their heads.
“Yeah, okay,” Ian said sarcastically, looking the cyclops in the eye. “I don’t want to hear another rude thing about my brother come out of any of your mouths again. Got it?”
“Dude, relax,” the centaur laughed. “We were just joking around.”
The elf covered his mouth, stifling a laugh. “Not really…”
Ian’s hand that wasn’t holding his textbook curled into a fist, shaking slightly at his side. A rush of adrenaline took over his body, and even though that elf was twice the size of him, he socked that guy right in the jaw. And, judging by his bleeding lip, it was a hard blow. Ian shot daggers at the other two through his stare, hoping that the punch of his served as a warning.
“Never speak about my brother again, got it?” he spat through gritted teeth, jamming his finger in their faces. “GOT IT?!” he shouted, and they all frantically nodded their heads in fear.
Ian turned right around on his heels, power walking straight to Barley, that adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He noticed Barley had a strange look on his face, almost a blend between worry and pride.
“What happened over there?” Barley asked, placing a hand on Ian’s shoulder. “That was a great punch!”
“Those guys were saying stupid things about you,” Ian told him, his adrenaline rush beginning to die down. “I gave them what they deserved.”
Barley smiled, a little chuckle escaping him. “Bud, you didn’t need to do that for me. I don’t really care what other people think-”
“Well, I do,” Ian cut him off, clutching his textbook against his chest. “Plus, you stand up for me all the time… It was probably about time a returned the favor…”
“I stand up for you because you’re my little brother and I love you,” Barley stated. “Thanks for doing that for me, Ian. You’re the best brother I could ask for.”
“It was no problem... I’d do it again,” Ian smiled, shrugging a little. “That’s what brothers are for, after all. We stand up for each other.”