1 1. Before we were stepbrothers

Oliver and I had been friends ever since I was 4 and he was 5. Our parents were very close friends so they used to make us take baths and showers together.

In school we were in the same grade because he was only 9 months older than me. There were many kids at school who picked on me because I looked young. Whenever anyone picked on me he would always tell them to leave me alone. He would always protect me.

When we were in 7th grade a boy was picking on me because I was the smallest in the grade. He would call me shrimp and push me up against the lockers hard. I fell to the ground and he kicked me in the stomach. I choked and he kicked me again. I coughed up blood this time. He kicked me in the head the next time and I blacked out.

When I woke up someone was holding my hand. I tried to open my eyes even before I did all i felt was pain. All over.

I opened my eyes as far as they would open. I looked at my hand and I saw Oli holding my hand.

"Oli" I whispered.

His head shot up "Hunter, your awake, I was so scared, I thought he might have killed you."

"What happened?" I mumbled. Realizing how much my mouth hurt.

"Alex he, he hurt you. Really bad." He started to choke because he started tearing up.

"I feel bad." I tried to bring my hand up to my face and he stopped me. "You don't want to touch your face it will only hurt."

"I need to see my face now." He looked very upset by my wish but he let go of my hand and grabbed a mirror. He put it up near my face. Both my eyes were black my nose looked as though it had been broken.

"You have two black eyes. One broken eye socket. Broken nose and jaw. You have a broken collar bone and 4 broken ribs." He told me. He was scowling.

He stayed with me the entire time I was in the hospital and came to see me every day I was home from school.

When I got better he stayed with me every second I wasn't in class. Not only for that year but the next.

When my father died I pushed him away. I had just come to the conclusion that I was gay and he tried to hold me and make me feel better. "Every thing will be alright Hunter, I know how your feeling." Is what he said to me a few weeks later.

"Oliver how can you understand what I'm going through?! You have never lost a parent! Just leave me alone!" He looked hurt but obliged and left.

He tried to text and call me for a few weeks after I didnt respond to him he left me alone. We didn't talk for almost 6 months after my father died.