AIW for having a close relationship with my big brother in school
I (16F) have a big brother (18M) who is not actually related to me by blood, he is part of my chosen family, he is 2 years older than me and we are very close.
Typically we are very casual with each other.
Giving each other a fist bump when we pass in the hallway.
You might see an occasional side hug sometimes but that’s usually about it.
However, I struggle with depression and anxiety and I also have very high functioning Autism.
And I have trouble regulating my emotions and I need someone to talk to sometimes.
So whenever my big brother sees me sitting in the back of the room curled up in a ball in our classes together he comes to check if I’m okay.
And then we talk out whatever is bothering me.
and sometimes he will pull me in for a hug because he’s definitely a hugger.
Everything he’s doing is for emotional support.
However since we’re not related by blood and he’s 2 years older than me people have created the narrative that we’re dating.
And for a while we just kind of laughed it off.
Up until a few weeks ago when this 14 year old girl started calling him a pedophile and they got into a heated argument.
We were both pretty triggered by it at the time since that is something we both have trauma with.
The assumption couldn’t be more wrong and we’ve always been more like siblings than anything else.
But that girl told us that she was just saying what everyone else in the class didn’t have the courage to say.
I know she doesn’t know who we are and my big brother told me not to worry about it.
But ever since that incident I feel like whenever we hug that we’re being watched and I hate when people comment on it.
I know they don’t know who we are or the mental struggles I go through.
But I feel like maybe I’m being too open with my emotions during school.
Or that I shouldn’t need as much help from my brother as I do.
I feel like I’m probably in the wrong but I don’t know if I am or not
So am I in the wrong?