Brotherly Advice Émilie glared at Matthieu as he lounged against the frame of her door. She’d seen him punch Dorian in the arm before they left to see him onto the Sonora wagon. He ignored her sulky expression.
“Ready?” he asked her. They would have to leave in the next few minutes for L’Institut.
“Yes.”
“Émi… Anyone gives you a hard time, let me know.”
“O..k..” she replied cautiously.
“I mean, not girls. You have any of that bitchy ‘she said this but I think she meant that’ or ‘I know she didn’t like me cos of how she put her hair in a ponytail’ you can sort that out yourself, or write to your big sister at Sonora-”
“Why do you have to be such a jerk?”
“Because he’s a loser. And thank Maugris has been banished to the weird ass school of freaks like him,” he had no idea how Dorian was not only not getting beaten up every single day but was actually popular. He had hoped the harsh realities of high school would knock him into shape, but he was as pathetic as ever. He was so glad Dorian hadn’t gone to L’Institut. The reputation Matthieu had carved out over the years would have been ruined in seconds. “It’s not like that at L’Institut. There’s hierarchy. Some people’s parents go way back in this region. Both parents,” he added pointedly.
“Do people… say stuff to you… about mother?”
“Not any more they don’t,” Matthieu glared ominously. Ok, so the sixth and seventh years weren’t exactly afraid of him, and there were a few people who could afford to be snarky however much he built up his muscles because of their family position. “I’ll look out for you as much as I can, but obviously I can’t beat up a Beausang or anything like that. Try not to piss the wrong people off.”
“Right,” Émilie nodded. It was strange, feeling like Matthieu was her protector all of a sudden. He’d never been as bad to her as he was to Dorian - he didn’t hit girls - but he’d never exactly been nice either. And she couldn’t say she was thrilled about the thought of him looming over her classmates or beating them up on her behalf. But… weird as was, she was pretty sure her oldest brother was trying, in his own messed up way, to be nice right now. “Thanks.”