Born Broken by Anna Huscha (good summer reads .txt) 📖

you roast in the sun for a little bit, ya know?" Xavier asked, chuckling a bit, his smile was different than Damien's in the way that his lip curled.

"Yeah, you're funny! No way am I staying out here so move aside!" Chase stated, shoving past Xavier and into the house.

"Oh sure, come on in!" Xavier said mock enthusiastic, Chase chuckled then flopped down onto the couch, putting his leg up onto the arm rest as he laid on his back.

"So I was wondering, wanna go to another party tomorrow night or are there plans?" Chase asked, turning his head, before Xavier could fully close the door a scruffy, tattooed boy held the door.

"Yo" Jake said as Xavier opened the door again.

Xavier eyed him, he didn't know either of these boys nor did he know half of what he would say to them.

"Good timing" Chase said, straining and lifting his head then winced before lowering it back onto the couch.

Xavier let him in then swiftly closed the door before some other boy could worm his way into the house, Xavier growled slightly before walking back towards the couch. He crossed his arms and watched the two.

"So, answer my question" Chase stated as he crossed his arms under his head.

Xavier went to answer before his eyes caught Damien's who was at the top of the stairs, he watched him for a moment.

"Well... I can't see into the future now can I?" Xavier answered, dropping his eyes back down to Chase.

Chase's eyes widened as he looked up at him, blinking dumbfoundedly, he didn't know what to say.

Jake laughed suddenly and fell onto the couch like Chase had done.

"Liquor makes you funny" Jake retorted, he stretched and the cracking in his back could be heard clearly.

"Hmm" Xavier mumbled, he found out a new thing about his brother though he wouldn't exactly need the help of his twins friends to find out more about him; he was good at reading people.

Damien slowly and silently walked down the stairs, he knew they wouldn't ever leave since his home was a second home to them so he walked in silently, Xavier didn't watch him.

"Why are you so quiet Dame?" Chase asked, leaning on his arms at that moment Kaden opened the door and spotted Damien.

Kaden opened his mouth to say something but his breath left him once he saw both Damien and Xavier; his eyes bugged out.

Damien picked his eyes up fast enough to notice Kaden and place his finger to his lips, telling him to hush. He was silent enough to where Chase nor Jake had noticed him enter.

"Oh well, you know, stunned by your beauty" Xavier said sarcastically, Jake raised an eyebrow.

"I knew it!" Jake chuckled and laid back, closing his eyes. Damien leaned over the couch then smacked Jake in the back of the head.

"What the-" Jake started but cut himself off once he looked up at and saw Damien, Damien winked at him then climbed over the couch, almost sitting on Chase.

"Oh heck no" Chase stated, immediately darting up.

"What the hell?" Jake asked as he looked from Xavier to Damien, Xavier eyed them both before pushing his Labret stud back out and playing with his tongue.

"Guys, this is Xavier my twin, Xavier this is Chase and this Jake, Kaden is the one standing over there" Damien introduced them before placing both arms onto the back of the couch, all three of the boys stared at Xavier.

Though there was nothing to take in besides the small scars along his face and the piercings, they still couldn't believe it.

"Why didn't we ever know about your twin, we're your best friends since forever" Chase stated, leaning on his side.

"I just found out, it's crazy how much you don't know sometimes" Damien stated, just as baffled as they were about the situation.

"How'd you find out?" Kaden asked, taking a seat on the foot rest.

"Well the adoption agency called my mom, found out that we were twins and knew Xav was in trouble so they asked ma if she could take care of him" Damien explained, Xavier raised an eyebrow.

"You're adopted?" Jake asked blankly, Damien furrowed his brows and looked at him.

"Where've you been?" Damien asked, Chase chuckled.

"Anyways, they told me I have a twin because our real mom couldn't handle us" Damien stated, staring up at Xavier, Xavier's eyes softened while watching him.

"Mind if we ask a few questions?" Chase asked politely, Xavier glanced over at him then shrugged.

"Even if I did you'd still ask, well not you but the bone over there would" Xavier stated, motioning towards Jake. Jake scoffed.

"Whaa-" Jake started but Chase cut him off.

"Where were you before now?" Chase asked, Xavier shook his head; always that question.

"Louisiana" Xavier answered, Chase nodded.

"What trouble were you in?" Chase asked.

"Beat the blood out of this kid for trying to harass someone, anything else?" Xavier asked, amused. Jake suddenly perked up and watched.

"Uh" Chase stated, he didn't know honestly what else to ask, he was never one for questions, he had just wanted to know that one.

"Any tats?" Jake asked suddenly, Xavier glanced over at him and grinned.

Xavier pulled his shirt up, on his back showed a name, diagonal and in blue letters on his shoulder blade, a small tattoo rested on his chest while another one could be seen on his hip.

His arms were only half coated with them; all illegal ones given to him from connections he knew.

"Wow" Jake stated, he himself had only one along his arm, a long one that was done for his eighteenth birthday; he was the oldest in the group.

"Anything else?" Xavier asked, Jake watched him carefully as he slid his shirt back down.

"That's one helluva scar, where'd you get it?" Jake asked, silence fell over them as Xavier narrowed his eyes, he would have paled over slightly if he didn't wear an emotionless mask.

"I don't remember" Xavier said simply as his eyes returned to their normal state, if Jake had noticed the change he didn't seem to care.

"Ah, well you'd think from something like that the memory would haunt you" Jake pressed it, he wasn't one to care and Xavier could read that, he could tell Jake was a tough one such as himself but blunt.

"Well after what I've been through, pretty much nothing haunts you anymore" Xavier said cooly, taking a deep breath then exhaling through his nose, Jake decided to drop it for now.

"Anyone hungry?" Kaden asked once the awkward silence had fallen upon them once again, Xavier shifted his weight to his right leg and crossed his arms.

"Don't talk much, do you?" Jake asked as they exited the house, for some reason he seemed fascinated with wanting to know his secrets and why he was so scarred.

"Not at first" Xavier stated, they had decided to walk to the pizza parlor.

"Why?" Jake asked, he was taking on Chase's personality, normally he was more barred than this, tougher and quieter but a new boy joined their group and he seemed the one to make sure he was real enough for them.

"I'm much like you, I don't trust on first appearances, I learn about somebody then I choose whether to start talking or whether to back off. Not everyone is who they seem to be and sometimes, nobody hesitates to stab you in the back" Xavier explained, eying him, they had stopped, looking either other dead in the eye.

"That's why I'm bugging you, no hard feelings" Jake said, holding out his hand, Xavier shook it though he felt stupid.

"Another thing you learn... is don't ever let your guard down, jail toughens you up" Xavier said, chuckling as he walked away from him, looking back over his shoulder; he opened a whole 'nother door of questions.

Ten minutes had passed and thousands of questions had been asked it seemed, Xavier had to wonder if he had even stopped to breath between the questions he was asking.

Sometimes, he had asked three or four questions in one sentence, Xavier just shook his head.

"You still haven't answered why you were in jail" Jake said, they had just finished two whole pies of pizza and were ordering a third.

"I told you earlier, I beat the blood out of a guy, you tend to get arrested for assaulting somebody. Especially since I had beat plenty of people" Xavier explained, Jake shook his head.

"You're alright" Jake stated, Xavier chuckled.

"You done with the questions yet?" Damien asked, he himself had heard each question that Jake was drilling and was amazed at some of the answers. Xavier didn't open up much nor did he give many answers, most 'I can't answer that' to the 'Who knows' sprinkled in. Though the one answer that amazed him most was...

"So, what was the last thing that got you kicked out of a home?" Jake had asked, Xavier stiffened but regained control over his composure.

"Killed my brother" Xavier answered coldly, Damien's eyes darted up to him.

"They said you were harmless!" Damien suddenly said exasperated.

"I didn't personally kill him... and Danny keeps telling me it's not my fault..." Xavier answered, he cut himself off and refused to say another word, he would only ever speak to Danny about anything; it was like Danny was his guardian. Nobody else had gained the right to know his personal details.

Half of the third pizza was gone before Kaden leaned back and patted his stomach.

"Man, they can make a killer pizza" Kaden said as he sighed contently.

"Oh yeah they can" Damien stated, shoving another piece into his mouth, he wasn't quite finished yet.

Jake glanced at Xavier from the corner of his eye as Xavier ate another slice.

"What has made you so cold?" Jake asked, Xavier lifted his gaze before dropping it again, chewing then swallowing before answering.

"The same thing that makes you so cold" Xavier said, looking him square in the eye.

"Never" Jake said softly, the others were talking amongst themselves.

Xavier looked him in the eye for a moment then chuckled and left the building, heading back the way they came.

Three months had passed and things had been going well, Lexi had grown to enjoy having Xavier around so Damien had someone to get along with, Damien learned the small things about Xavier such as his favorite color, food, brand of skateboards, the fact that he could skateboard and play the drums. He learned that Xavier had pierced himself and given himself the tattoo that laid upon his wrist.

Xavier learned almost everything about Damien there was to learn, the things that made him tick, the things he liked to listen to when he walked around town. He learned the big things like how he thought things through before deciding on what to buy. He wasn't predictable but if he changed his expression, Xavier could read it; not that Damien tried to hide it.

The boys of the group had also learned to take a liking to him, he learned to behave for the most part and gained a job where the rest of them had worked, at Kadens father's automotive repair shop; family business.

Even after a few months Jake hounded Xavier