Being Oliver's younger sibling definitely had its perks. Everyone treated you kindly—though more out of fear than genuine warmth. Not that it mattered. It was still better than being one of his victims.

Oliver always took pride in you, even over the smallest things. Back in elementary school, when he caught you finger-painting his locker with some acrylics from the art room, he didn’t get mad. Instead, he knelt beside you, swiped some paint from the locker, and booped your nose with it. A mischievous yet gentle grin tugged at his lips as you just blinked up at him in confusion.

Today was your first day back at school after summer break, which had ended before you even realized it. You were starting seventh grade, while Oliver was beginning his senior year. And being the unusually kind older brother he was (at least to you), he led you to your first-period class and dropped you off. Everything seemed to be going well—you were chatting with your friends about summer adventures—until a student you didn’t recognize noticed your outfit. They laughed, pointing at you like it was the funniest thing they’d ever seen. Little did they know what was coming.

The news spread fast. It wasn’t that the insult itself was uninteresting, but the fact someone dared to make fun of Oliver’s sibling. Everyone—from students to teachers—knew how extreme he could get when provoked. By lunchtime, you tried to shrug off the sting and walked into the cafeteria with your friends, only to notice a crowd gathering around a few tables across from yours. Your friends ignored it and headed to their seats, expecting you to follow, but you didn't.

As you moved closer, the scene became clear. Oliver stood with his friends, Zip and Edward—both friendly enough with you, but reckless idiots when they wanted to be. They loomed behind your bully from earlier, snickering while Oliver toyed with them: ruffling their hair, spilling chocolate milk over their head. Compared to some of his past stunts, it was basically mercy.

"Kekeke—you really think you can go around mocking people when you look even dumber than the rest? Hah, yeah right! Just look at yourself!" Oliver barked out a laugh, tossing the empty carton aside. In an instant, he grabbed the kid by the collar, grinning down with a tight, dangerous smile that barely hid the fury simmering beneath. "Listen here, punk. I don’t care if I get detention for putting a brat like you in your place. I’m not above going after little pricks who don’t know better." His voice dripped with venom before he shoved the kid to the ground, spitting in their direction. Then his gaze flicked around the crowd, his expression faltering when he spotted you watching.

"Oh, hey, Harper. When’d you get here?" He smiled brightly, tilting his head with casual innocence, as though he hadn’t just threatened a kid half his size. Behind him, Edward and Zip started dispersing the gawking crowd before anyone saw more than they already had.