Soul - Colby Brock

Twenty-Four - Colby

"... Cactus..." she had said. Where did I recognise that from? Why did I recognise it? It was her brother so maybe she's used it before? Wait no, when we met him he clearly said his name was Callum and that's what she called him. She's stopped with our nicknames so she's obviously continued them for other people. But that nickname... Cactus... where did I hear that from? I looked at Sam. He seemed to be puzzling over it, too. I'd talk to him later. 

She didn't pull any more crazy stunts while we were there, thank god. But I also didn't figure out where I'd heard that nickname. We finally got in the car. Octavia leaned on me and soon enough she fell asleep. When we pulled up I climbed out of the car then gently picked her up. She didn't wake the entire time from the car to my room. Once she was settled in my bed I walked to Sam's room, where he sat on his bed on his phone. 

"Yo, can I talk to you?" I asked. He nodded. I sat beside him. "Did you recognise the nickname she gave her brother?" I asked.

"Yes! You recognised it, too?" Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah"

"I was puzzling over it for ages"

"Same" I replied.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. Originally I thought that she had called it him before when we met him but then I realised no, she didn't. She called him Callum" I explained.

"I thought the same thing!"

"What do you think it could be?"

"Maybe she has just said it around us before"

"Yeah, maybe" I nodded. "Thanks anyway, man," I said. I left the room to go to mine. Octavia was still lying asleep on my bed. I changed into some joggers then joined her. 

**********

Octavia's brother was coming to visit her so he had apparently said that he HAS to come and meet me... again. I was waiting in the living room with Elton and Corey. They said they'd be my backup in case anything happened. Not that anything would happen. 

There was a knock on the front door. Here goes. I walked up to it, opening it without any hesitation. "Hey, babe," Octavia said. She pecked my lips quickly. "As you know, this is my brother, Cactus, also known as Callum"

"Hi," I said to both of them at the same time. I shook Callum's had then let them in. The moment the door shut, Elton and Corey stood up.

"Hey, I'm Elton"

"And I'm Corey" they shook hands. 

"Yeah, yeah, Colby, can I talk to you?" he asked.

"Yeah, sure" Callum lead the way outside. 

"So, you know the drill of the older brother to the boyfriend thing. But I'm gonna change it a little, OK? Here's the thing, you already know that both of us are in a gang, that gang now has factions in San Diego and New York, so the old I'm gonna hurt you if you hurt my sister thing is overrated. In this situation, it's genuine. You cross her, hurt her, in any fuckin way, me and my crew, her crew, will hunt you down and hurt you back. You also probably know that she has three weapons on her at pretty much all times, it's different for me, I have four and two guys that are always with me. They may not be in the house but one little button push and they're gonna be in here" he said. Not once did he break eye-contact. "So, in conclusion, you hurt her, I will genuinely hurt you more"

"Yeah, I got that," I said. I didn't sound very nervous because I knew I wouldn't hurt her so this threat meant nothing to me. 

"Now, don't even think of asking your little buddies to help you out here because it isn't gonna do anything. My guys are a lot bigger and so am I. Watch out, little man. But on a different note, she's a wonderful person, isn't she?" he looked at her through the door. I followed his gaze.

"Yeah, she is"

"Now we're gonna go back in there and you're not gonna say anything about what I've said to you today. One she'd kill me and two she doesn't need to know anyway" I nodded. We walked back into the living room, or rather he did. Octavia pulled me to the side before I could get there. 

"What did he say?" she asked.

"The typical stuff" I replied. She cut her eyes then walked into the living room to join the others. I sat down on the couch while Callum and Octavia moved to a side to talk. I looked at the height difference between them, something was familiar about that, too. Sam shuffled right next to me.

"Yo, there's something familiar about how they stand and look when they're next to each other. 

"Yeah I know" I whispered back to him. "I can't put my finger on it," I said. 

**********

"Sit down, pretty boy" Octavia said. Corey was doing some dancing in front of the TV. Sam's head whipped to look at me at the same time as my head whipped to look at him. The height difference. The phrase. The nickname. The people, who robbed us. It was her.