Taking my turn in the bathroom, I splashed water on my face as I debated on a real shower. My body was physically and emotionally exhausted.  Mentally I felt my rage torn between the Reformers and Summer.  I could never accept or pardon the Reformers’ treatment of Summer and Peter.  Yet Summer’s actions, her words in the kitchen, hurt me far worse than the Reformers ever had. Could she honestly think so little of me?  I knew the vile words had stemmed from fear and worry, but they cut deep all the same. And Arkon! I wanted to be grateful for his interference, and yet part of me resented him for it.  So he could stand up to Summer, but not the other men?  Squelching a frustrated sigh, I splashed water again on my face.

“You shouldn’t tolerate that,” a voice said from the doorway.

I recognized his scent before his voice.  Stiffly I twisted my torso to look at Ruben.  His face was grim and his eyes complicated.  Leaning nonchalantly on the bathroom counter, I waited for him to continue.  Pressing his lips together, Ruben said nothing.

“Shouldn’t tolerate what?” I finally asked.

“Summer’s behavior,” he replied unapologetically.

“She was upset,” I said defensively.

“So?  You never attack her when you are upset.  And your day was a hell of a lot harder,” he frowned. 

Was Ruben defending me?  “No,” I told myself. “He would never do that.” Turning, I faced him full on, my expression set in a scowl.

“Maybe you all shouldn’t have harassed and abused her,” I snapped.

“I didn’t abuse her.”

“You grabbed her shirt.”

“I was messing with her.  If she hadn’t jerked away, it wouldn’t have stretched her top.”

“Why wouldn’t she jerk away? And you told her she was useless because she can’t cook.”

“She made macaroni and sandwiches.  And she bitched the whole time she made and served it.  She was acting spoiled and rude.”

Trying to not let the new information affect my expression, I took a beat to compile the best response.  Ruben pushed on.

“You cook and cook well almost every night and you only complain when you think no one is listening.”

“That’s not the point…”

“It is the point.  And you shouldn’t have to be taking care of her like you are her mother.  You have a mother and Summer is older than you.  You shouldn’t be tucking her in and washing her face like she is a child.  You are enabling her.”

“Hey!  You have no right to tell me how to treat my sister. And I’m not mothering her.  I am just taking care of her because she was really upset.  There is nothing wrong with that.”

“What about you?  Who is taking care of you after the day you had?  I know Kukri and he probably got very rough with you at school. Plus, he cut your neck and shot you.”

“It just skimmed me and was a tranquilizer bullet.  And what do you care?  You beat me all the time.”

“I don’t care…I’m just saying.  Summer should be taking care of you, not the other way around.  Or your mother should be. At the very least your father should be.  But where are they?  Nowhere around.”

Ruben’s words stung my heart, but I didn’t want him to know. So I pretended to be angry instead.

“What the hell is your point, Ruben?”

“My point is, Kitty, you shouldn’t be acting like this family’s mother.  You are only fifteen.”

Unable to stop myself, I began to laugh.  I laughed so hard my eyes watered and I must have appeared hysterical.  Yet the fact that Ruben, of all people, was reminding me I was just a child was just too hilarious.  The man who continually acted sexually inappropriate with me was lecturing me on not acting like an adult.

“What?” Ruben growled. 

“You are a freaking hypocrite,” I laughed.

“Excuse me?”

“You are telling me to remember I’m just a teenager and not to be acting like a mother to my siblings and yet you are the one who is constantly kissing, molesting, forcing yourself on me.  Don’t you see the irony here?”

“That is different.”

“How?  How is it different?”

“It just is.”

“You are a hypocrite and crazy.  Why don’t you mind your own business and stay out of mine?  Go play with your guns and stuff and leave me the hell alone.”

“Remember who you are talking to, Kitty.”

“Remember that I’m talking to a man who is okay with sleeping with a minor but doesn’t want her to take care of her family?”

“That’s enough. I was trying to be kind to you, but…”

“Kind?  How is kind to remind me that I am only fifteen and having to deal with my siblings, you, and the other Reformers? You don’t give a damn about me or my family.  You only care about yourself.”

Flushing, Ruben stared at me for a long moment.  Finally, he lunged at me.  I should have seen it coming, but I was still hazy from my nap earlier and the events of the day.  Grabbing me by the shoulders, Ruben yanked me to his chest, his mouth finding mine.  Gasping, I shoved and pushed him away from me.  Anger spilled from Ruben as he roughly held on to me. 

“No!” I said.

“Shut up.  You said I don’t care about you or anything but what I want, so I’m just doing what I want,” he growled, shoving his face into my neck. 

Taking a deep breath in, Ruben stiffened. Grabbing Arkon’s shirt, Ruben ripped it over my head.  Yelping, I stumbled back, momentarily free from Ruben’s grasp.  Snatching at me, Ruben slammed me against his chest.  Smelling my neck again, Ruben cursed under his breath.  Holding me by one arm, Ruben turned the shower on and threw me in.   Screeching I felt the cold water hit me, still dressed in a bra and pants. 

“Ruben!” I yelled, shivering.

“Wash yourself off.  You smell like Arkon,” Ruben barked.

“Why do you care?  This water is freezing!”

Turning the water to a hotter setting, Ruben watched me shiver, his eyes hard. 

“I get jealous,” Ruben said flatly.  “I get jealous of Arkon.  You already give him so much more than you give me.  I don’t like you smelling like him.  From now on, if you smell like him, I’m throwing you in the nearest shower.”

Spinning around, Ruben stormed out of the bathroom.  Shivering, I watched him stunned.  Jealous?  Jealous of what?  Ruben was far crazier than I thought.  Yes, I had a crush on Arkon, but he was a soldier and he didn’t think of me that way.  And why should Ruben be jealous?  I would never be with Ruben by choice anyway.  Stripping off the rest of my clothes, I showered under hot water.  Then I dragged myself off to bed for a well-needed sleep.

I thought after a good night’s sleep I would wake to find that everything was a horrible nightmare.  It wasn’t.  With the soldiers now part of my school, I found no escape.  Ruben found excuses to visit my classes as part of his patrols.  Standing next to me, Ruben would stroke my hair gently as my teachers talked.  No one said anything and I would pretend he wasn’t there, but everyone saw him.  My friends were terrified of him and always asked about him when Ruben wasn’t around. 

Arkon maintained a noticeable distance after the night he took me for a ride in his truck.  It hurt my feelings and made me feel confused.  Arkon went so hot and cold with me; I didn’t know where I stood with him. Summer acted as if nothing had happened between us.  The next morning, she had been pleasant as ever, smiling and laughing.  Her behavior hurt me almost as much as Arkon’s did.

Kukri, Reran, and five other men moved into the house with us.  Reran’s apparent distaste for Summer and I never dissipated, but he made sure never to be around us more than necessary.  Even if we were in the same room, Reran refused to acknowledge us in any way.  If I had to serve him food, Reran wouldn’t touch the plate until I had released it. Reran preferred to act as if my family did not exist.  Kukri, unfortunately, enjoyed tormenting Summer and me.  He would push us around, trip us, and sling nasty comments our way about our “underdeveloped” bodies.  Most of the soldiers ignored Kukri, finding his comments to be low even by Reformer standards.  Yet no one corrected him.  Only Ruben ever said anything.

A few weeks after Kukri had moved in, he stood in the kitchen while I cooked dinner.  He made some comments about my figure, causing me to blush unwillingly.  Laughing, Kukri reached to touch my chin, to force me to look at him like he always liked, when Ruben pushed by Kukri and hugged me in a big bear hug. 

“Kitty,” he said, smiling too big to be a real smile. “You look beautiful today.”

“I don’t understand you, Ruben,” Kukri sneered.   “You used to have such great taste in women.  And yet now you are infatuated with this little girl.”

“Maybe I just see her the woman she will be one day,” Ruben replied coolly. “Anyways, I think Eri is beautiful.”

“You do, do you?” Kukri asked.

“Yes.  She is positively cute and, as I plan to make her my woman one day, I’d appreciate you leaving her alone.  I don’t want you ruining her excessive confidence.  It’s part of what I like about her.”

“Sooorrry…I didn’t know I was hurting her little feelings.”

“Whether you are or not doesn’t matter.  Just stop talking about her body.  It belongs to me.”

“Fine. Whatever.  Her sister is more fun to mess with anyway.”

Kukri walked off haughtily.  Ruben glared after Kukri then his grip around my shoulder relaxed.

“Uh,” I started.

“What?” Ruben inquired as he tasted the soup I was cooking.

“Thank you, I guess,” I said.

“You belong to me.  I can’t have other men disrespecting my property.”

“Jeez, I’m not your property!”

“You are just saying that because you are embarrassed that you like that I defended you,” Ruben smiled, winking at me.

Stunned, I couldn’t speak.  The truth was I did like that he defended me against Kukri.  I didn’t like that he called me his property, but I appreciated that Ruben stood up for me.

“You’re a pig,” I finally said, crimson cheeked.

Stealing a quick kiss, Ruben beamed and left the kitchen.  Shaking my head, I cursed myself for feeling even a moment of gratitude towards Ruben.