I have a normal life, or as normal as it can be… my name is Ryker… yes, I know that is not a common name, I honestly, have no idea about the origin of this name, I only know that it was the name of the great-grandfather of my mother, so, lucky me I got his name. Anyway, I’m 24 years old and it’s my 7th year in a very prestigious educational institution, and no, I'm not studying a major with lots of years needed, I'm just not a very good student, well, is not like I’m too worried about it, my stepfather will keep paying my time in the institution. Some years ago, 17 to be more precise, my mom married a man who is the head of a powerful company, the guy is loaded, so he buys me and my siblings everything we want, although I strongly believe that he just want us not messing around and not bothering him, since he appeared in our lives we would get whatever we wanted without worry, as long as we don’t bother mother with our problems or get in between him and mom, everything is okay, which is funny because that also goes for his own children. Like I mentioned before, I have siblings, 4 siblings to be more accurate, I have an older brother, he and I come from the same father, then we have 3 younger siblings, 2 girls and one boy, the 3 of them are the children of my mom and step-father, I have to be honest, they are a pain in the ass but I still love them, especially the twins, of course, I don’t have that good of a relationship with them, opposite to my older brother.

- “Hey, Ryker, come here, we are going to do a drinking competition”.

That was my best friend, and I'm in one of the biggest parties I've ever been to. Right now I'm at a party at the top of a hill, the house is enormous, although not nearly as big as my step-father’s house. Anyway, we are celebrating the end of the semester, and as always I haven’t approved all my classes, I'm already kind of a legend in the institution, me and a few of other students, we all became friends due to our failure.

- “Guys, what are you doing now?”.

I was lost in my thoughts again… when I heard a voice coming from my back, I look around and I saw the sister of one of my friends, she’s 20 and a real hottie, sadly if we try to make a move on her, her brother would kick our arses…

- “Hi princess, we’ll do a drinking competition, want to have some fun?”.

That was my best friend, he doesn’t have censorship, especially when we talk about this girl, unless, of course, her brother is near, and it seems that my friend forgets that her brother is beside him.

- “Careful, you don’t want to lose your teeth, do you?”.

Said her brother with a strong tone, my best friend only raised his hands in surrender.

- “Hey, I was just asking her a question”.

My friend replied with a hypocrite smile. The girl only smiled at the exchange, I was drinking while watching them.

- “Hey sis, what are you doing here?”.

Asked one of my other friends with a smile but also a confused expression.

- “Oh, I was invited by some friends, they are over there”.

She stated with a smile while pointing to a group of students, there were like 4 dudes and just 3 girls, 4 counting my friend’s sister, this obviously raised a red light in my friend’s head.

- “Are you all on some kind of date? Who are you with?”.

There it is everyone! The “overprotective older brother mode”, his sister only rolled her eyes and smiled in amusement.

- “I’m with my best friend, Lori, the guys meeting us here was a coincidence, don’t worry, I won’t do anything that you wouldn’t”.

She said with a teasing smile, but my friend seemed to go pale at her words.

- “I strongly believe that that’s exactly what he is scared the most about”.

I commented with a half-smile and a mocking tone. She looked at me and nod her head with a dazzling smile on her face.

- “I don’t like your so-called best friends, especially Lori, they are no good for you, they are nothing but a bunch of troublemakers. Haven't you ever heard the rumors? I don’t trust them and I'm sure they set this up”.

He told her with a little fear of what could happen to his little sister. I know he is a great brother, but seriously, if I didn’t know him better, I would say that he even has a crush on his sister, they are step-siblings but after years of living together, it would still be weird, not to say illegal.

- “Don’t worry, do you really believe that I don’t know my own friends? Plus, you’re not the best example of a saint either, mister new girl every night, mister drinking until you lost conscience, mister room full of drugs, should I continue?”.

Wow, the teasing tone of this girl and the way she always burns her older brother is just perfect, especially the raised eyebrow and the triumphant smirk. God! Why does she have to be his sister, I wish I could make a move on her.

- “That doesn’t have anything to do with this, besides, I'm a mess and you know it, you, on the other hand, you have a promising future, and you know that I won’t let any fuck boy messing with you”.

- “I will be fine, I know how to take care of myself, besides, you are here, which makes me feel safer, and I know that if something happens, you will help me”.

She gives him a hug, then she smiled at him and us and wave goodbye before walking to her friends… why did she come to talk to us again? I don’t even remember. My friend looks worried about her but still as a little smile.

- “God, why don’t you declare to her already? Ask her to marry you or something”.

Said my best friend... Seriously? What the hell with this dude? But... I have to admit that I've thought the same on more than one occasion. My other friend only looked at him like he was crazy.

- “Don’t be disgusting, she is my sister, besides, aren’t you the one who always drools for her?”.

The accusatory tone and hard expression of this dude could kill a ghost.

- “Wow, easy tiger, you know I wouldn’t touch her”.

And now my best friend is trying to bullshit is way out of the murder look of our friend. Honestly, he is the one who is more probable to break the “rule” of not touching a friend’s sister.

- “Yeah, right, very convincing”.

- “If you have to worry about someone that would be Ryker”.

- “Ugh? Puff… what the hell?”.

I spit my drink from my mouth. Seriously dude, what the hell? I know I like her but I'm far more afraid of her brother than anything else, I want to live.

- “no, he’s too much of a coward to try a move”.

- “Do you know that I'm here, right?”.

- “so?”.

I asked with an incredulous look, I'll admit that he’s right in the sense that I'm certainly afraid of him, but to say that I'm a coward is a bit much, plus, what with that look like I'm talking nonsense.

- “Yeah, you’re right, he wouldn’t even dare to give her a hug in front of you. Fine, I'll admit that I'm kind of dangerous, but seriously dude, you are a little too overprotective about your sister”.

- “Yeah, because I care about her and I want the best for her, look at me, I'm a mess, so are you, and everyone in our group for that matter, that and most guys in our institution are idiots, obviously I would be a little over-protective of my sister. Ask Ryker, he also has younger step-siblings, actually, he has 2 younger sisters”.

- “well, actually I have half-siblings, that’s true, but opposite to you I don’t have a so lovely and touching kind of relationship with them, of my 2 younger sisters, the oldest is 17 years old, and we barely talk anything, she doesn’t like me in general, she prefers my older brother, the twins on the other hand, I have a better relationship with them, but they are like 14 now and I still don’t care much about them, I mean, obviously if someone breaks my younger sister’s heart I would break their bones, but it’s different from you since I let her have a relationship and I'm not preoccupied of every single thing she does”.

That’s the truth, at least for me, my older brother is like the kindest and gentlest person ever, so he has a good relationship with all our sibling, me on the other hand, barely can handle being too much time with the twins and only because they are my favorites.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

- “fine, we already get that you are a crappy older brother...”.

- “Guys! Will you drink with us or you will fight all night over some shit?”.

Finally, someone came to stop this nonsense, I was really tired of this conversation. I don’t even look at my other friends, I just walk ahead and follow our classmate that came to invites us to drink, I know my other friends will follow.

A few hours later.

We were wasted, God, I feel so… funny… we have been drinking and smoking non-stop, we also went to the kitchen to eat something, so we could keep drinking… right now we are outside the house, a few meters away, 5 dudes laying on the ground while watching the stars.

- “what… do we do now?”.

Asked my best friend. He was at my right side, honestly, he sounded so confused but the little smile in his face making it difficult to take him seriously.

- “We could... go to the edge of the hills… don’t you think?”.

Oh, that’s a bloody good idea. By the way, the friend who said this was the one with the hot sister.

- “...what?”.

Wow, he sounds so confused.

- “no one wants?”.

- “I said it was a… hmm… bloody good idea...”.

- “… no, I'm sure... you didn’t”.

- “Oh… maybe I just thought I said it… hahaha”.

We all started to laugh and I don’t even know why I start laughing. Anyway, after a few minutes without moving and looking at the stars, one of my friends started to stand up.

- “where are you going?”.

- “I… I'll go to the edge of the hills, yeah...”.

- “Oh, that’s a bloody good idea, wait for me...”.

- “I’m in...”.

I say while trying to stand up, the rest of my friends also got up, after a few seconds of stumbling with our own feet, we were able to stand up and walk to the hills.

A few minutes later.

We all are smoking at the edge of the hills, holy mother of sin! This would be a really nasty fall if you are not careful, and even though I know this, we all are practically sitting on the edge.

- “dude… your eyes, they are so red… hahahaha”.

- “hahaha… look at your face, it’s so funny...”.

- “how long… hmm... how long do you think it would take for a human to get to the ground if it falls?...”.

In the beginning, everyone was laughing, but when the last question was asked everyone stopped, looked at our friend, and then put on a thoughtful expression on their faces… it was funny to see. Hmm… should I say that I'm getting a bit tired?

- “Wow, I didn’t even though about it… for about 20 minutes”.

- “Oh, dudes, what if we get a mannequin and then throw it from the edge and then we go to see where it fell?”.

One of my friends was certainly excited about the idea.

- “that’s a great idea, I don’t understand how you still haven’t gotten your degree”.

- “no, sorry that wouldn’t work. I mean… the mannequin is a good idea, but… eh? I forgot what I was about to say...”.

hahaha, he was so serious like 5 seconds ago and then… he just… it’s funny.

- “was related to throw the mannequin from the edge...”.

said one of the guys with a serious tone while smoking a little more.

- “Right, thank you, gentleman...”.

said one of my friends with a mocking tone while the other makes a little bow before continue smoking.

- “dude, are you okay?… you look like you will fall asleep”.

One of my friends asked me. Honestly, I was about to fall asleep while still sitting on this hill.

- “Anyway, like I was saying… the mannequin could be a good idea, but… if you throw it, then it won’t have the same result as if a person falls, also… hmm… also, we would need 2 groups, one here to “throw” the mannequin, and one down there to take how much time it takes for the mannequin to hit the ground and the result...”.

- “… are you sure?...”.

- “of course I'm sure. You see, if you fall for an accident, if someone pushes you and if you jump by decision, the 3 of that scenarios have a different result in time, position and effect in the fall and the body that hit the ground after the fall… also, it affects the result depending on how high you were when you fell...”.

- “puff… hahahaha, yeah, really high, I think that we all can agree that we are very high… get it”.

Ugh, we all groan at his intent of a joke, what with my friend and pun jokes? Fuuu… anyway, I'm just… I'm getting very tired… I want to sleep a little.

- “Hey!… big bro, where are you?”.

At the sound of a woman’s voice, we all look around and see a hot girl walking around.

- “I’m here...”.

At his loud voice I cover my hears, he didn’t even scream or anything, he just talked really loud and his sister was able to find us, she was stumbling a little so I imagine that she had quite the good amount of alcohol, she also seemed giggly which was cute in her, she is cute…

- “now guys, please behave...”.

- “yeah dude, no problem, ask a bunch of drunk and 20 something students to behave… hahahaha you’re so naive sometimes”.

We all started to laugh at that comment even though our friend was giving us murderous looks, now, usually that would scare the crap out of me, but now, in this state, I only found it funny, and his sister seemed even hotter…

- “Watch your back, Ryker...”.

- “Don’t mind him, Ryker, thanks for the compliment...”.

She said to me with a smile while her brother looked like he wanted to kill me…

- “holy hell, did I say that out loud?”.

- “hahahaha, yes buddy, you did...”.

My best friend gives me a side hug and was smiling at me, I also asked that out loud despite the fact it was supposed to be a thought, God, everyone is looking at me and laughing except for her older brother.

- “OK, enough of the laughter… so, why are you here? Did something happen? Who do I have to kill?”.

My friend asked with a serious expression to his younger sister… I think one day he will kill someone for real if they mess with his sister, hopefully not me. She was only smiling at his questions.

- “don’t be silly, I’m here to spend some time with all of you, nothing happened, is just that some of my friends didn’t feel well so they went home and the others are having sex somewhere with some random guy, you know, the usual, and luckily for everyone, you don’t have to kill anyone, yet...”.

- “good, it’s good that you came here with us instead of going with some random guy, I'm proud of you...”.

- “Hahaha, thanks, dad...”.

She said with a smile and a mocking tone, god I think I love her.

- “Oh, this is great, with you in our group we definitely will have way more fun, to be honest, you’re like a way better version of your brother, you know, not so serious nor violent, and to put things better, you have boobs… OUCH!!!”.

- “SHUT UP!!!”.

And that was my best friend who receives a strong smack in the back of his head for talking so much in front of her brother, fuuu… sometimes I wonder if my friends have some problem with is memory or just a hidden desire to die.

- “Hmm… thanks? I think, anyway… so, what do we have to drink or something?...”.

She had a little smile on her face but seemed confused, I suppose that she doesn’t know exactly how to take my friend’s words.

- “We already drank all our drinks and haven’t go to get more, so… we only have something to smoke, do you want some?”.

- “I have this big brother who literally has a room full of drugs and things to smoke, what do you think...”.

after that, we all continue smoking for some time, but to be honest, the more we smoked and laughed and talked, the less conscious I started to feel… I've been mostly focused on the hot girl beside me, and luckily her brother hasn’t realized this fact, on the other hand, I feel like something is wrong, I… I just feel like… everything is going… dark.

- “... dude, are you okay?”.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, I try to react but I can’t seem to be able to say words... something is wrong!

- “Is he okay? Ryker! Hey! Wake up!”.

The hot girl is talking to me but I can’t answer... I try to move, I try to breathe, I try to see, but the world is spinning and getting darker by the second, my mind is going into overdrive but my body is not answering.

- “someone take him! let’s get him out of... WATCH OUT!!!”.

The voice of another friend reaches me, this time full of anxiety and fear. My body finally moved, and then it stopped, someone seems to be grabbing me, I can barely feel it, but it just getting less noticeable.

- “Hold him!”.

- “Ryker!”.

- “NOOO!!!”.

With those last screams, my mind, my senses, my body, they finally shut down, no more grasp, no more light, no more sound... just darkness.