Step-Bully Ch. 02

"Ah, shit. I really banged you up, didn't I?"

I gave no response.

"Here let me..." She picked up one of my pocketknives off my dresser and began to release the binds. It stung a bit as the blood began to flow back through my limbs, but it was a happy feeling to know they were still there, nonetheless. She then moved to my head, breaking the tape around my head and releasing the shoe.

I would've gasped and gulped at the introduction of fresh air, but honestly it all smelt the same now. My nose hairs were singed, my nostrils tainted with her stench, my airways coated with her grime, and it would take a long time to relearn what "normal" air was.

She broke the last piece of tape and fished a finger in my mouth, pulling out the ball of socks. They were a bright white and black color now, showing their true colors. Which did nothing but further my urge to puke because I knew EXACTLY what they looked like before...

She let out a low whistle, "Damn, I haven't seen them this clean since I bought them. Good boy."

I grumbled at her compliment, not exactly doing well at receiving the title of being a good sock cleaner.

Sadie stepped back, giving me room to stretch out and work my limbs back into motion as I began to regain feeling to all of my digits.

"So, uh, how you feeling lil bro?"

I sat up on the edge of my bed and glared at her. How am I feeling? I think she knows damn good and well how I'm feeling. I tried to speak, but my throat was so raw it only came out as a croak.

"Good to hear, so uh. I just wanted to say...well...I'm sorry. I know I'm your menace and all but last night I...well, I kinda went a little overboard..."

Sadie looked off to the side, shuffling her feet as she forced out an apology.

Wait, an apology? I didn't even know she was capable of that! Overboard is an understatement, but to even hear the word sorry come out of her mouth feels as unrealistic as last night's events.

"You're...sorry?" I repeated, just to make sure I heard her correctly.

"Yeah...I'm sorry. Well, mostly. You DID insult me-"

"You were TORTURING me!"

"Hush now, you're ruining the moment." WHAT MOMENT?

"But anyways, I did go a bit too far. I will say, this won't be the last time I use you, don't even worry about that. But how about next time I go a bit slower? Or not be as harsh? Oh, but that's half the fun! Ugh..." This apology was steadily spiraling downwards it seems, taking all the empathetic feelings with it.

"Maybe...you don't torture me at all? We just act like normal siblings who play catch and talk about our school life and insult each other at the dinner table?"

"Oh, no. Not happening, good try. I'm way too far gone down this path to stop and I don't exactly have any other outlets, hence the built up explosion...But how about this..."

Sadie knelt in front of me, rubbing her hand in my hair. For a second, she actually did feel like an older sibling.

"Deal with my antics, and maybe I'll throw you a bone every once in a while to even us out. We're siblings now, after all. So, I gotta help you out sometimes, right?"

"Define throwing me a bone?"

She smirked, "Oh you know, help you out with girl troubles, teach you how to defend yourself a little bit better, maybe scratch your own back every once in a while too if you're a good boy..." She left that last statement up for interpretation, and I think I understood. A butterfly in my stomach fluttered, but I didn't pay no mind for the time being.

I wanted to question her further, but I felt it was probably best to leave it be for now.

"Anyways, that's enough for the day. I think we're going out for lunch today as a family, so make sure you get showered up. I'll tell your dad we had a fun bonding session last night and you overslept a bit to keep him off our back. Bathroom is at the end of the hall, hot water handle is on the left side."

She took a sniff in my direction before turning away in mock disgust.

"Make sure to scrub deep, you smell like ass for some reason."

I rolled my eyes at her attempt at a joke and got up to get a towel and some clothes together. I still never got around to finishing unpacking.

As Sadie closes the door behind her, leaving me to my own devices, I can't help but wonder what her words meant. And what was that apology? What was she trying to say, and better yet what was she not saying? For some reason, I sense the slightest bit of humanity lurking right beneath her surface, but she just won't let it out in the open. Maybe she is trying so hard to hold this sadistic dominant persona with me there is something subtle we're both missing, or maybe I'm just overthinking it and that is who she truly is, inside and out.

Maybe as we stay together as a family, things will start to even out and get just a bit better. Maybe over time we'll eventually move past these antics and flourish as siblings and look back at stuff like this and laugh.

Or maybe she'll use my helplessness within her domain to her fullest advantage and push me until I break, making me nothing more than a worthless slave she just happens to give the title of stepbrother to. Each night I'll cower in fear, waiting for the sound of my doorknob turning, wondering what she came up with this time.

Who knows? It's honestly too early to decide, and I'm far too exhausted to do any further contemplating on the matter.

What I do know is that right now,

I really do smell like ass.