When You Know

17 - But he said Mum wasn't my real mum and that you aren't my real brother.

We didn't receive a reply back from Bree all week, and I didn't know how I felt about that.

Mum had organised for me to see the school counsellor next week just like we discussed, and I didn't know how I felt about that either.

It was Friday, and Jet was waiting for me outside the gate when I finished school, and I really didn't know how to feel about that.

Jet had never been to my school before, nor could I see either Mum or Ruben with him, which was even more strange. I was walking out of my classroom with a group of kids from my grade when I saw Jet waving at me from the fence. The others asked me who he was, and I said his name was Jet, and he was kind of like my brother.

One kid, Jordie, who I never really liked for some reason, asked me how I can have a brother. It seemed fairly self explanatory by our age how people can have siblings, which is what I told him. His reply was, "But you don't even know your parents. You live with your aunt."

I said, "No, I don't. I live with my mum, her boyfriend and his kid," pointing to Jet who was still watching me.

"Did you move back to live with your mum or something?"

"No, I'm still with her like I always have been."

"Oh, so not your real mum and brother. I get it now."

"They are my real mum and brother!"

"No, they aren't. They're your aunt and her boyfriend's kid. How can you have a brother when you don't even have a real mum or dad?"

I don't know what it was about what he said, but it made me snap and in the worst way possible. I grabbed his backpack and pushed him to the ground, telling him he didn't know anything about my family and that I didn't need to explain why it is the way it is to an asshole like him.

Jet was over the fence and pulling me away from Jordie within half a second before any of the other kids or teachers around us could see or do something about it. "Madden, what the hell are you doing?!"

"He started it!"

"Started what, Madd? I was watching you the whole time. You guys were just talking."

"Jordie was teasing me about our family not being real. He said Mum wasn't my real mum and that you aren't my real brother, which is bullshit."

"Jesus, Madd. You can't just go hitting people because you don't like the shit they say."

"But you are my brother!" Why wasn't he defending me here? Jordie was the one who was being mean.

"I know that, Madd, but it doesn't excuse you from what you did wrong in this scenario," Jet said, reaching his hand down to pull Jordie up off the floor. I really didn't understand why he was helping him, and I don't think Jordie did either, eyeing off Jet's extended hand with confusion.

"So, Jordie, is it?" Jet clarified with Jordie, who just nodded, not looking away from Jet's eyes for a second. "Right, listen here, Jordie. This kid is my brother. My real brother, regardless of who his parents are or who my parents are. He has been a better brother to me than the actual ones I've had all my life ever have been, and I care about him more than I ever did those assholes.

"Yes, our family is different, and none of us have any shared blood at all. But I bet you won't find four people who love each other more than we do, and you should damn well be jealous of that because it's amazing, and they're the best family I could hope for. I'd choose each one of them a thousand times over before I ever considered going back to my other family.