Paige & Darren Private one-on-one (@Typhoon1912)

"Paige, can I talk to your brother… alone…"

Paige looked down at her shoes and quietly went out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her.

"Look I know what it's like to want to protect people okay? But just know that I love her, I'm sorry if you don't trust me but I wouldn't force her to do anything she isn't comfortable with…" He looked Bryson over, he could take this guy if he had to.

Bryson tried to calm down. "I'm protective because I don't want anything like what happened before to happen again. Marco and I were seriously best friends. When I found out he cheated on her, I couldn't help myself. I lost it and let my anger control me to the bare bone. And Paige…" He sighed, sounding as defeated as the memory made him. "She wouldn't eat or drink anything for, like, a week. She'd only come out of her room if it was mandatory. And one day, she completely passed out when she was getting ready for school. It scared the daylights out of me. I just heard a thump from her room, and when I ran in… when I…" He took a deep breath. "She was just laying there, all sprawled out on the floor. I drove her to the hospital. They gave her a bunch of medications and stuff. It's one thing I won't ever forget. And I never want anyone to hurt her like that ever again."

"I wouldn't do that to her, never and it's cute that you're overprotective, I've had older brothers beat me up for being with their sisters… We don't have to be friends but we should have a mutual respect,"

Bryson frowned. "Cute? I've gotten weird and freaky and aggressive before, but not cute…"

"Nah, the older brother thing is cute…" he laughed. "Paige? You can come back now,"

Paige stood up and came back in. "Good to see that you're both still alive…"

"Yeah that's a benefit," Darren laughed and looked back at her brother, would he trust them alone, now that his mind was set, Darren wouldn't trust them alone.

"Paige, you look pale. Are you okay?" Bryson asked quickly.
The ground did seem to start swaying under her… She didn't give a reply, just a low groan.

Darren pulled her into his arms, "Hey, how about we take a seat," he suggested, moving towards the bed.

"Darren… I'm fine…" Paige murmured. Black started to creep in from the edges of her vision.

"You are not fine, what's going on?" he sat her down on the bed, "Have you eaten lately?" Yes you took her out to eat remember… "Nevermind… What's happening?"

Paige leaned against him. "I'm fine, DareBear…"
Bryson thought for a second, then ran over to her desk and opened and closed her drawers, clearly looking for something.

Darren held her close, "You don't look fine honey,"

"Make sure that she doesn't pass out," Bryson ordered. He slammed through her things. "Come on, where'd you put em…"
"I'm getting sleepy…" Paige yawned.

"No, don't do that," He didn't know what to do so he just kissed her, he wasn't that smart but at least this was something she could focus on.

Paige could feel herself fading. She tried to kiss him back as much as she wanted to, but her grip was slipping.
"AHA!" Bryson yelled. He unwrapped a bar that looked like granola and hurried over to Paige. "Scuse me…" He gently opened Paige's jaw and let her nibble on the bar.

"What's happening?"

"Just trying to get a little more protein into her, that's… all…" Bryson said. The bar was small, so Paige finished it quickly. "Okay," Bryson sighed. "That's done."

"She'll be okay?"

"Yeah. Give her, like, a minute." Bryson eyed Darren. "You really do love her then?"

Darren nodded, "I haven't even known her that long but I can see her becoming everything to me, it hurts when she's suffering,"

Paige's eyes, which had drifted closed, fluttered open. "Mmmm…… what happened?"

"I don't know… how do you feel?"

"I'm… okay. My head is heavy," she muttered.

"Maybe you should rest or something, we can take a nap before you have to eat,"

"Okay…" She leaned dependently on him.

Darren kissed the top of her head and laid her back on the pillow, pulling the blanket up for her.

Her arms outstretched for him. "Don't go…"