Innocent Choices

This story takes place before the PJ books...

Castor smiled across the table at his brother, and picked up a small roll from the basket in the middle of the table.
‘So sweeties, how was school today?’ their mother asked, and watched her sons pick at the food set out on the table in front of them.
The room was decorated blandly, a light purple on the walls and a picture of some fruit on one wall. The room was dominated by the large table, that sat six people. Only one side was filled though, by Castor, Pollux and their mother.
‘It was okay… I mean, no new friends yet but… its okay.’
Pollux hung his head, ashamed that he wasn't able to say everything was great, everything was perfect.
It wasn’t, of course. Another school, and they were sick of it. 14 years old, and not able to stay with the friends they made.
‘Well you’ll make some. Everyone likes new people,’ their mother smiled, and looked to Castor, ‘what about you Castor? Did you have a good day?’
He didn’t want to tell her. He didn’t want to tell her about his lunch money being taken. About being called weird, a freak, someone who wouldn’t fit in. Just because everyone knew each other…
‘It was great. Same as Pollux I mean, no new friends, but its not… bad.’
Their mother beamed, her smile growing, happy for now her two little boys were happy. That they weren’t too bad off.
For a while they all sat in silence, all of them chewing softly, eating the food. The rolls disappeared quickly, two to each member of the family, and soon everyone was finished, sitting back in their chairs, relaxing for the first time that day.
‘Well that was nice. And your rooms are okay, right? The House is nicer than our last one, and its even in a better neighbourhood…’ she trailed off, and her sons looked at each other.
‘Their great Mom. The rooms are great.’
But they didn’t speak about the other parts. About how the house was smaller, how their rooms smelled like old lady, how the neighbourhood was so much worse.
So many lies, to make sure that their Mom didn’t know how resentful they were.
How much they wished to go home, their REAL home.
‘Okay. Now. Go to your rooms. You can watch TV, talk for a while, but I have some work I need to do here so… just relax upstairs before sleep.’
And with that the twins stood, and made their way up the thin, winding stairs.

Pollux was sick of it. Sick of moving. Sick of lies. Sick of the horrible tasting Vodka hidden under his bed. Most of all, he was sick of his brother.
In this moment, he hated Castor more than ever. He hadn’t felt the need to give in. To let the new bullies, in a new school push him around.
On Pollux’s first day in the school, he’d had his money stolen. He’d had his books soaked in the bathroom. He’d had his locker jammed by a kick from one of the stronger people. And he’d given in to what Leonard, the big black haired guy, had told him to do. That if he drank some Vodka with the others behind the bike sheds, his torment would end early.
Stupid, stupid. Only a few days later and he’d been told he needed to bring the Vodka the next day.
Tomorrow.
So Pollux had snuck downstairs, past the barely lit dining where his mother sat doing something. Past the pitch black spare room. Into the kitchen where the bottle was left. His mother didn’t drink. She kept it for when she brought around potential friends, and they wanted something a little stronger than wine.
Now it was under his bed, wrapped up in an old T-Shirt, and deep in his schoolbag.
Castor didn’t know. He didn’t know how bad it was for his brother.
Good for him.
‘I wish I didn’t know,’ Pollux whispered, his hands shaking.

His Dad hadn’t been an active part in his life. Same went for Pollux, being his twin.
Castor had grown up with his mother, and various boyfriends she had. They had moved from place to place for most of their lives, and whoever the hell had been his father, he hadn’t bothered to even write.
Castor didn’t have love for the person that was called his father.
He had some level of love for his mother.
But Pollux was the one who he felt closest to, and who he could trust with anything.
But something had been up with his brother for a while…
Sitting on the small chair at the desk in his room, Castor was worried.
Very worried.
A girl in his school, Marie, had told him about Leonard and Pollux. What they were having him do. Course, Castor had thought his brother would tell him anything, everything. But evidently not, because a few hours before… he’d snuck downstairs. Castor had caught a glimpse of his brother coming back upstairs, a glint of the see through bottle.
Stupid.
Standing, he stretched his legs and moved towards the door, moving quietly, slowly.
Barefoot, the carpet was cold, but it was the nearest door.
His Mom had gone to bed only a while ago, the floorboards creaking.
A squeak. The door swung open to reveal Pollux tossing on the single bed, a look of worry plain on his face.
He didn't want to do the thing asked of him.
Castor didn’t want him to do it.
Bending forward, he knelt, and started crawling to the side of the bed, before ducking underneath and pulling out the black schoolbag, and sitting straight.
Inside were a few books, a pencil case and the T-Shirt wrapped bottle.
It was cold when it rolled from the fabric.
Pollux mumbled, moving closer to the side of the bed, his hand rolling off. Careful not to touch it, Castor shuffled backwards quickly, and stood.
Holding the bottle tightly, he watched his brother, before turning away, back to the door.
‘Pollux… you’ll thank me later.’

The kitchen was dark, and there were papers strewn over the counter, each showing another bill.
Thankfully, their mother hadn't decided to have a drink.
If she had, she would have opened the cupboard to find two bottles of wine and the spot where Vodka would usually sit.
Leonard had tried his act on Castor. But Castor had been that little bit braver, and had refused.
Pollux hadn't been as lucky. He'd taken the offer.
'If only I'd realized. If only I had been able to stop him. I could have... I don't know.'
Castor breathed, his voice barely audible in the still silence.
Truth was he didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know why his brother hadn't told him his problems. Hell, he didn't even know why he was helping, when his help would lead to hurt.
Opening the cupboard, there was a soft clunk as it hit the wall.
The wine was still there. A quick movement, and so was the Vodka.
He wouldn't realize. Pollux wouldn't realize that the Vodka was gone.
Without another moment of doubt, he turned.
The room wasn't empty anymore.
'H-Hello,' Castor stuttered, and the man stepped forward.
He was dressed in a leopard print T-Shirt, with shorts and sandals. His hair was blonde, his eyes violet, and most of all he was smiling.
'Hello.'
Castor gulped, and moved closer to the door.
'Choice my son. Choice. Pollux will have his own choices. You will have your's,' the man's smile darkened for a second, like he knew something.
Then it brightened once again, and he moved backwards.
'You don't know me now. You won't know me for a while. But don't worry..'
There was a blinding flash of light, and on instinct, Castor looked away.
'you will soon.'
The voice reverberated around the room, and Castor almost cried out.

What had it been about?
A dream. Something... about a man... about Vodka.
Castor and Pollux sat at the back of the class, French, and scribbling pictures and notes to each other.
Pollux had woke early that morning from a dream. A dream where a man with violet eyes and blonde hair had spoken to him, saying he'd know who he was soon. And something about the Vodka he'd brought to school.
Or at least he thought he had. Pollux had arrived at school just in time to be cornered by Leonard and his friends.
They had asked for the Vodka. He had opened his bag. It wasn't there.
Castor had walked away, frowning.
But he'd known in that moment. His brother had took it back to where it had come from.
And he also knew that he didn't want to be pushed around in another school.
So Pollux had told them.
'The principal spoke very briefly with me yesterday, asking about why I was with you so much. I told him some... lies. But I want nothing more to do with this. Leave me and my brother alone, and I won't tell the principal, or your parents about this little matter.'
He hadn't thought they'd be scared. But instead they had let him walk away, and stood around.
'Thank you Castor. I owe you,' he whispered slightly to his brother, and smiled.
'No problem. I'll always be there to help you out.'
They both smiled then, and waited for the bell that seemed so late.

:/:/OOC: Mwhahahahaha I finished it XD