Chapter Text
Jean slammed his locker shut, cutting a scathing look down the corridor at the group of boys shouting as they tousled about at the other end like zoo animals. He was so sick of this place. He hiked his bag up higher on his shoulder as he exited the building, cutting across the school lawn to head to the cafeteria. He sighed heavily as a smaller body joined him, pressing her shoulder into his arm.
“Hey grumpy, what is it today?” Elodie asked.
She clutched her school folders to her chest in her arms as she skipped happily beside him, waving to students as they passed.
Jean rolled his eyes, “Same problem as always. Sanders and everyone here is a tedious malcontent.” He glanced down at her from the corner of his eye. She had a faint blush to her cheeks, and a strange glow about her. Jean narrowed his eyes as he studied his baby sister further. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing. I heard they have ice cream in the cafeteria today.”
Jean scoffed, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Where are you friends?” he asked, trying and failing to keep the aversion to her overly preppy classmates out of his voice.
“Somewhere, I dunno. I saw you looking gloomy, so I came to keep you company.” She pouted her lips drawing out the O’s on the word gloomy and made a face, as if trying to imitate Jean’s perpetual scowl. ‘Resting Bitch Face’ was the more politically correct term, or so he’d been told.
They entered the jungle, otherwise known as their high school cafeteria, and Jean sighed deeply again as he searched for Kevin among the raucous crowd. He didn’t understand why he always insisted on coming in here. But then of course, Kevin had friends outside of Jean. While Jean preferred to keep to himself.
“Kevin!” Elodie called out, spotting him before Jean did.
He snapped his head to the left where she had sped off and trailed quickly behind. Kevin looked up, giving Elodie his best smile and hugging her close with one arm where she dropped down onto the bench beside him.
The table was half full, a couple of Kevin’s other acquaintances seated here and there. Jean spared them no more than a glance before sitting down beside Elodie. She and Kevin had their heads bent low now, animatedly discussing the latest episode of some historical fantasy drama they’d both been watching.
Jean kept his head down too and pulled his lunch out his bag. If he was going to be forced to sit here, he might as well eat.
“You two eating at mine tonight?” Kevin asked, now addressing Jean over the top of Elodie’s head.
“No, I made us something last night. We got leftovers.”
Kevin nodded his head in acceptance. “How was Mr. Sanders’ class?”
Jean rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his sandwich, chewing quickly and swallowing even faster. The quicker he ate the sooner he could get out of here. “Same circus as it always is. He sent me to the principal’s office again. Just because I insisted we should broaden our curriculum.” He shook his head, reliving his irritation from earlier in the day.
“I don’t know why you don’t just deal with it like the rest of us. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to pick and choose what to read when you leave us for college,” Elodie piped up, rolling her eyes at Jean’s alleged pretentiousness. There was a slight edge to her tone.
Jean caught Kevin’s eye and looked away, leaving the boy frowning no doubt.
“Eat your lunch,” Jean said, not bothering to refute her statement.
He wouldn’t be leaving her any time soon. That much was sure.
She rose abruptly from her seat, not looking at Jean as she climbed out and over the bench, “I’m getting ice cream.”
Jean watched her leave then rolled his eyes again, shoving the last of his lunch into his mouth. And people thought he was moody.
Kevin slid across the bench closer to him, “You haven’t told her yet?”
“Told her what?” Jean said, avoiding Kevin’s gaze.
“Jean,” he said disapprovingly.
“There’s nothing to tell. I’m not going anywhere; she’ll figure it out when summer comes and goes and I’m still here. And if she doesn’t, God help us all.”
Kevin frowned, unamused. Jean inhaled ready to tell him to stay out of it when bodies suddenly piled onto the table, now filling the space. Kevin turned away, distracted as his friends greeted him, and Jean swallowed down his thoughts.
It was Jean’s last year in high school, he’d applied to several colleges, both close to home and far away. He didn’t know why he bothered with the ones far away, he wasn’t leaving the state. He wasn’t leaving Elodie by herself. But a vain sense of self-satisfaction had still overcome him when he’d been applying. He had to know he was worthy of something better. Even if he couldn’t have it.
Elodie and Jean lived with their parents of course, but they were never home. They owned a lucrative overseas business back in Marseille that meant they were out of the country often. Even when they were home, they weren’t much for caring for their children. So, Jean and Elodie were regularly left to their own devices.
Unfortunately for Jean this meant stepping up as an acting parental figure to his baby sister. They’d had nannies of course, but Jean had quickly dismissed them as he’d gotten older. They were entirely useless. So, Jean had practically raised Elodie himself. She was only a sophomore, and there was no way he’d leave her to fend for herself in his absence. Thus, when the time came to start applying to colleges, Jean had made the difficult but necessary decision to stay as close to home as possible. No matter who accepted him.
Much to Kevin’s disapproval. Not that it was any of his business.
The table was overflowing with teenaged bodies by the time Elodie returned with her ice cream.
“Hey, can you guys shuffle over?” Kevin asked his stoic menacing friend, Andrew Minyard, on his right. Andrew stared blankly at him. Jean’s patience had run out.
“I’m leaving,” he promptly stood offering his seat to Elodie. “See you later.” He bumped fists with Kevin and turned to leave. Doubling back at the last second, he snatched Elodie’s ice cream from her hands.
“Hey! Connard!”
He chuckled, not bothering to turn back, heading straight for the safety of the school library instead.
~
A couple hours later, Jean sat in his car, head tipped back against the head rest, eyes closed. He breathed deep, his brain running through everything he’d have to get done over the weekend. Clean the house, wash his and Elodie’s laundry, check the bills were still being paid, check his allowance had enough money for groceries, check in with his parents. He huffed out a breath; the last one was always the most difficult.
Someone screamed in the parking lot, and Jean jumped in his seat, his eyes snapping open in annoyance. He glanced into his left-hand mirror making a face at the group messing around just behind him. Animals.
Where the hell was Elodie?
He clicked his teeth in frustration, and leaned forward in his seat, wrapping his arms around the steering wheel, chin resting atop, as he stared at the school building’s exit. Not a minute later, he spotted her. He frowned. Someone’s arm was over her shoulders. A very male someone. The crowd around them cleared allowing Jean to get a better look at his face. It was Jace Howard. Jean scowled. What the fuck was he doing with his arm around his sister?
Jean reached to undo his seatbelt, ready to jump out and remove Elodie from under Jace’s grip when someone tapped against his window. He flinched back, jumping in his seat. It was only Kevin. He rolled his window down, glaring at his friend.
“What?” he asked sharply.
“Hello to you too, sweetheart,” Kevin said, jamming his head further into the car through the now open window. “Dads just confirmed he’s going to be away on the 21st. Party’s a go.”
Jean scoffed. “You’re not seriously doing that are you?”
Kevin grinned, “Yeah why not? It will be fun. And you will be there.”
He fixed Jean with a pointed look. Jean pushed against his forehead till his head was fully out the car again, his long arms allowing him to do so without having to lean out too far.
The passenger car door opened as Elodie slid into the seat, placing her backpack at her feet. He turned back to Kevin as she settled in. He was once again leaning into the car, his forearms now folded over the windowpane.
“I’m not coming,” Jean said. “Not if those clowns are there.”
He gestured with his head to Kevin’s group of jock friends behind the car. The clowns in question consisted of the schools most beloved Jeremy Knox, his two best girlfriends Catalina and Laila and Kevin’s other miscreant friends – Andrew & Aaron Minyard. Twins. Neil Josten – Jean’s sworn enemy. And several others, whose names Jean did not have the care to learn.
“Not coming where?” Elodie asked.
“I’m having a party, Ellie,” Kevin said, with another grin.
“Ooooh when?” She bounced in her seat excitedly, leaning into Jean’s space to address Kevin.
“Two weekends from now.” Kevin said, still smiling.
Jean put his arm up, pushing Elodie back into her own space and said, “Put your seatbelt on.” He turned the key, shifting into reverse as the engine came to life under him.
“You’re no fun,” Elodie pouted.
“This is news to no one,” Jean said, checking his rear-view mirror. Jeremy Knox and his band of Trojans were still hanging out far too close to the rear end of his car, and he scowled once more.
“Whatever,” Elodie said, leaning over again to address Kevin. “I’ll certainly be there, Kevin.”
“Oh? Will you?” Jean said, fixing her with a look again. His eyebrows raised at her audacity.
She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her chin up, “Kevin invited me.”
“Kevin can go to hell.”
“Kevin is still here,” the man in question chimed in. “Don’t listen to him, Elodie. He’s just PMS-ing.”
Jean turned his incredulous stare on his best friend before stepping on the gas, jerking the car back. Kevin yelped pulling back out of the window, while someone shrieked as the youths behind his car all scattered out his way.
Elodie yelled, “You almost hit Jeremy, you jerk!”
Jean grumbled under his breath, “Then I clearly wasn’t trying hard enough.”
Elodie stuck her head out of her window, calling back “Sorry, Jeremy!”
Jean vaguely registered the boy shouting back, but he was already turning the car and peeling out the school parking lot as fast as possible.
~
The Moreau family lived in a two storey, five-bedroom house, fully equipped with all the necessary amenities and facilities required for a fully functioning family home in the suburbs of Seattle. The one thing it was missing? The fully functioning family. Jean sighed for the thousandth time that day as he trudged outside with a garbage bag in his hand. It was late evening now and he’d just finished up the last of cleaning in the kitchen after dinner. As he walked back to the door he looked up, noticing Elodie’s room light now on. She had better be studying, Jean thought, already knowing she wouldn’t be.
He made his way back inside, quickly washing up his hands and then pulling out his phone from his pocket. He walked to the bottom of the stairs, and paused, tilting his head towards the upstairs hallway. He listened out for Elodie’s voice. When he was satisfied that she was adequately distracted, he ducked back into the kitchen and hit call on his mother’s number.
It rang, and rang, and rang.
Jean sighed, cutting off the call just as the automated message began playing. He scrolled down and hit call on his father’s number instead. Again, it rang and rang and rang. No answer.
Jean stared down at the two unanswered calls in his phone log, his hand tightening around the device until it shook. He closed his eyes and forced himself to take several deep breaths, until his grip relaxed. This was nothing new, and Jean hated that the disappointment still cut deep.
He grumbled under his breath, shoving his phone back into his pocket, and jogged up the stairs. He stopped off at his room quickly to grab his textbooks and study materials before gently knocking on Elodie’s door. It had been left ajar and her excited voice could be heard spilling through.
He nudged the door open and peered through hesitantly. She was of course still on the phone gossiping away. She wore her duck patterned pyjamas already ready for bed and Jean smirked. She may try to act like a grown up, but deep down she was still just that same 10-year-old splashing in large puddles and the salty ocean waves with Jean. He picked up a pillow, keeping his movements quiet, and threw it at her back.
She squeaked in surprise and turned to him, a furious look on her face.
“Hang up,” Jean mouthed at her.
She stuck her tongue out at him before addressing whoever was on the phone. “I’m fine Sarah, I just live with a complete neanderthal!” Jean rolled his eyes as she turned back around, “As I was saying, Emily is sooo…”
Jean dropped his things onto the fluffy rug by her bed and reached over. She’d naively left the phone receiver on the bed behind her so Jean, ever the opportunist, reached over and pressed the clip, cutting the call. And cutting off whatever nonsense Elodie was chatting away with.
“You asshole! I was in the middle of a conversation!”
“And now you’re not.”
She scowled and launched the pillow he’d just thrown right back at him. It smacked into his chest and fell pathetically to the floor.
“Ouch,” he said, eyebrows raised mockingly. “Come on, study time.” He gestured with a wave of his hand and moved to settle down on the rug, his back resting against her bed frame.
She groaned exaggeratedly and reached for her books, spreading them over the bed and settling on her stomach by Jean’s head. They sat this way for a while, studying in silence. Jean had enforced at least an hour of time dedicated to studying and homework before bed on weeknights. He was a top student, and he’d be dammed if he let Elodie fall behind. They couldn’t rely on their so-called parents forever, they’d already spent their childhood fending for themselves, and Jean was determined to see that through into their adulthood.
He felt a tickle in his hair, and pressed his lips together, continuing to focus on his math equations. Not a minute later, he felt it again and exhaled deeply through his nose.
“Quit it,” he said to Elodie.
“Quit what?” she said, overly innocent. But Jean could sense the amusement hidden in her voice.
“You know what.”
“I have nooo idea…” he felt another tickle in his hair, his head twitching instinctively away this time, followed by a muffled giggle. “…what you’re talking about.”
“Elodie…” Jean said warningly, drawling out an accent around the vowels of her name.
Their parents neglected their upbringing, but they did not neglect their knowledge of their language.
This time she tickled the base of his neck and Jean jumped, reacting fast, he lunged over the bed making a grab for her. She shrieked in surprise and moved back, giggling at his frustration, just narrowly missing his grasp. When he didn’t try again, she sagged in defeat.
“I’m bored,” she moaned, and Jean rolled his eyes, turning back to his books. She sighed and settled down by his head again, bumping hers against his. “Did you call mom and dad today?”
“Yeah,” he said, hating himself for the lie he continued with. “They didn’t say much. Same as always.”
The truth was they rarely ever answered his calls, and when they did, he’d be handed off to a PA who never had answers to his questions. Elodie always visibly took their lack of care harder than Jean did. He’d learned to hide it much better a long time ago.
“Are they going to be back soon?” his baby sister asked hesitantly.
Jean was silent for a long time, he stared unseeing at the bedroom door. Should he say yes? No? Take a wild guess? He had no clue how to continue navigating this. And it was becoming so exhausting. He didn’t want to lie to Elodie anymore. Jean had told her a while ago not to bother calling herself. He’d seen the way her face changed every time they disregarded her or let her down. He couldn’t allow her to go through that disappointment weekly.
“Jean?” she prompted, and Jean snapped out of his daze, settling on the most reassuring lie he could think of.
“Hmm? Oh, sorry urm yeah. In a couple days. I think,” he trailed off, focusing back on the notes in his lap.
Elodie said nothing. She snapped her books shut, pushing them to the floor, then settled on her back. He long hair spilled over the side of the bed as she stared up at the ceiling.
“So urm…I got asked out today.”
Jean, relieved at the change of subject, took a second to catch on to her words. He made a face, “What? By who?”
“Mmm… Jace Howard.”
“WHAT?” Jean scrambled to his feet, staring down at her in shock. “Why? How?”
He remembered then, waiting for her in the car, spotting her with Jace’s arm around her shoulders, leaning into her space. Kevin, the dammed bastard, had distracted him and he’d forgotten all about it.
“What do you mean why?” Elodie said, rising to sit up . “We talk.”
Jean balked at this. “Talk? How? He’s not even in your year, he’s in mine.”
Elodie snorted, “And? I still talk to all your friends?”
“Friend.”
“Okay, I still talk to Kevin’s friends. What’s the big deal, Jesus.” She rolled her eyes, looking way from him.
Jean clenched his jaw in frustration. Of all the fucking boys at school, she had to pick him? What the fuck was Jace playing at speaking to his little sister in the first place? His hand tightened into a fist as his mind flashed an image of his arm around Elodie once more. Oh, he was going to kill him.
“He likes me,” Elodie mumbled, keeping her eyes cast down, smoothing out the creases in her bed sheets.
“Excuse me? He doesn’t even know you!” Jean exclaimed, hating how it sounded as if he was trying to reassure himself.
“Yes, he does. We talk all the time!” Elodie threw back.
Jean grumbled several curses under his breath, trying his best not to lose his shit. “No.”
“No?” Elodie asked, incredulously. Her gaze now snapping back up to her older brother. “What do you mean by no?”
“No, you’re not going out with him. Absolutely not.”
She exclaimed in disbelief. “It’s not up to you!”
“I don’t care. I won’t allow it. He’s an asshole, Elodie! In no universe am I allowing that unwashed miscreant anywhere near you.”
“You’re an unwashed miscreant! It’s not your decision to make,” she said, glaring at him as if she could scare him into dropping the subject.
Jean scoffed mockingly, “Yes it is. As long as I’m here and looking after you I say no.”
She scrunched her face up, glaring harder. “God, I hate you sometimes,” she muttered under her breath.
Jean crossed his arms, now fuming. “Oh yeah? Well you know what? New rule. You can’t date until I do.”
He stared down at her, his chin in the air, unwavering. Taking satisfaction in the way her eyes widened as she raised up onto her knees.
“WHAT? You’re a mutant! YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO DATE!” she yelled at him, scrambling off the bed, and mustering all her strength to shove him out her bedroom. Her face still screwed up in anger.
He stumbled back, barely moving under her fragile force. Jean was almost twice her size after all, having shot up to over 6ft in his early teen years.
He dropped his arms, steadying himself and yelled back “EXACTLY! THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT!”
She exclaimed again in frustration, and picked up his study materials, throwing them down the hallway behind him. Jean growled in response, his anger flaring. He was not cut out for this. He couldn’t believe he had to deal with this bullshit.
“You can’t stop me,” Elodie said, gripping her door handle and staring up at him with fury in her eyes. It was almost comedic, and for a second Jean found himself wanting to laugh.
“I can and I will. If I don’t date, neither do you. End of discussion. Now go to bed.”
She let out another strangled sound of frustration and anger. Jean had a second to step out of the way as she swung the door, viciously slamming it shut in his face. He lifted his hands in the air, fingers curling in frustration as if he wanted to strangle something, swearing under his breath at the closed door. He dropped his head into his hands dragging them down his face in exhaustion and groaned.
Fuck this. And fuck Jace.
He’d be dammed if he ever let that village idiot anywhere near Elodie ever again. Jean would break his hands if he lay a finger on her. So help him God. He knelt down, sighing heavily, picking up his books and papers. He turned back to look at Elodie’s closed door from his place crouched on the floor. He had already been in a sour mood and had gone to seek her company for comfort. She was his closest confidant in life after all. Now he was feeling downright foul.
Jean and Elodie bickered and teased each other all the time. And sure, Jean was a little harsh on her sometimes, but he just wanted her to be safe and happy. Jace was not going to make her happy. Jean knew that all too well. He frowned. They rarely ever shouted at each other like this. Jean hated it. He approached her door, knocking gently.
“El?” he called out softly, his knuckle resting on the door, head tilted to hear for sounds of movement.
When she didn’t answer he sighed, his knuckle dragging down the surface as his hand fell uselessly to his side.
She would come around. She always did.
Jean trudged back to his room feeling defeated, and wishing not for the first time that his life wasn’t so difficult.