Jen, the big sister?

(Images are a couple of test renders of the blonde in this scene)

Jen grabbed Amir’s hand and clipped a brusque command: “Follow me.”

Her friend gave a yelp but didn’t object.  Honestly, she might have ignored it if he had.  Her absolute top priority right now was to get him to safety, whether he had to half-jog to keep up with her or not.

She finally slowed to a halt around the next bend.  Her heart was beating quickly, not from exertion but from worry.  Her hand twitched every time she thought of those big girls surrounding her wayyyy smaller friend.

“Oof!  Uhh… y-you can let go now,” his strained voice suggested meekly.

Oh wow.  Her grip was hurting his hand without even realizing it.  She’d have to be more careful, but … was she ready to let go yet?

“Umm, Jen?”

She snapped out of it and released his hand – only to feel even stronger worry, as if even letting go of his hand was too great a risk.  What was up with her??  “S… Sorry.”  She winced.

“No,” Amir blurted, “you saved me!  I’m so … oh my god … I’m grateful.  You were unreal!”

“I got lucky.”

“Yeah right!”  Amir laughed.  “They’re lucky they came away with just a couple bruises.”

What?  Yeah, her reflexes had been kind of … insanely good.  And she was clearly stronger than Trish pound for pound.  But still …

“’Scuse me?” said a voice behind them.

Jen grabbed a handful of Amir’s arm in a millisecond, pulling him behind her again as she whirled toward the unexpected intrusion.  She braced on high alert, ready to throw it all on the line …

“Eek!  Sorry!” said a super pretty twenty-something blonde with soft hazel eyes and a gentle face.  Her hands had shot up in surrender, a familiar phone in her left hand.  “You dropped this back there when those assholes attacked you.”

“Oh.”  Jen’s grip relaxed.  She felt a little embarrassed that she’d grabbed Amir again, but she’d had good reasons.  He was so helpless out here.  “Thanks.”  Jen accepted her phone with a cautious smile – but she did not let go of Amir quite yet.

“Those jerks hang out there every day,” the girl said with a scowl, “looking for boys to pick on and girls to fight with.  I’m glad someone tougher than them finally put them in their place.”

Jen protested, “I’m not tougher than …”  But it rang hollow.  Instead: “Anyone who messes with Amir has to deal with me.”

The girl looked at Amir, and at Jen’s protective hand.  She gave him a kind of odd, scrunched-face smile and cooed, “Aww.  That’s really nice he’s got a big sister lookin’ out for him.”

Jen gasped.

“Oop -- runnin’ late for my shift,” the girl realized, taking off past them.  “Later!”

As Jen’s head spun, Amir covered his mouth – and laughed.  “So… big sis.”

“H-How could she think--!?” 

“One of us was adopted?” he humorously suggested.

“No, I don’t mean skin color.  I mean—!"  But as she looked down again, she had to admit she saw it too.  Her big strong hand, holding his soft little arm.  Her attire, her body, compared to his… “Did you know this would happen?” she demanded.

His sheepish smile said it all.

“Amir!  But this is crazy!”

He shrugged bashfully.  “I’ve kinda gotten used to it.”

What?!  She looked around, found a concealed spot where Trish and company would never find them, and hauled him there pronto.  “What do you mean?” she insisted.  “Tell me, right now.”

After some coaxing, he told her about the first time it’d happened.  “It was the day we moved here.  I was walking down the street, and a lady said …”

“Said what?” Jen persisted.

“She asked if I was lost, and if my mom or dad knew I was wandering on my own, and did I need help finding them.”

Her jaw unhinged, before she hastily shut it.  “No way,” she said … but, admittedly, she could see it.  “That had to suck.”

“Nah,” Amir confessed, “that’s the thing – I didn’t mind!  She was, uh … really …”

Jen saw the look in his eyes.  “Hot?”

His blush confirmed it.

An incredulous laugh leaked out of her.  “Wait – don’t tell me you went along with it.”

Gulp “Yeah.  I did.  And, uh, not just with her.  With lots of girls, now.”

“Shut up,” she said, half scolding but half laughing.  “Why wouldn’t you tell them your real age??  Wouldn’t it make things so much easier?”

He looked sheepish.  “Actually, the opposite.”

Jen balked at him.  “Explain.”

“Well, you know I don’t know how to talk to girls.”

“You’re talking to me right now, dumdum.”

“That’s different.  I know you.  But when it’s someone I don’t know…”

“You freeze up,” Jen admitted.  She’d seen him do it a hundred times.  And gosh, today’s women were so much bigger.  “I bet it’s worse now.”

“No kidding!” he confirmed, wringing his hands.  “But when a girl thinks I’m, like, half her age, everything’s different.  I don’t have to be witty, or clever, or think of the right thing to say.  I just …”

“You just what?”

His eyes darted around anxiously.  “Well, first I … act out.  It gets girls’ attention.  And then, we’ll see.”

“We?”

He lit up in mischief, and then: his dainty hand slapped her thigh.  “Tag -- you’re it!”

Before she could think, or catch his hand, or grant him permission for anything, he took off at a sprint