The Otherworlders Academy - An Original Teen Fantasy

Ep. 3.2 (R) - Cain and Abel

"Sebastian, please..." Farid pleads, trying hard not to get into it with his brother. "You know father loves you... well, in his own way. But I mean, seriously, you're his son and his first born at that."

"That's not true, Farid!" Sebastian says, dismissively. "You know I'm nothing more to that man than a constant reminder of the wife he loathes but had to marry for the sake of the family."

Farid closes his eyes, and then, after a moment, opens them up again. He takes a long, hard look at his brother, then quietly says, "Bash, I know Father's harsh on you sometimes. But he's doing it to try and push you to work harder, you know, be the best man you can possibly be." Farid rests a gentle hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "Think of it as him nudging you out of your comfort zone to help you mature."

Sebastian brushes Farid's hand away. "...nudging me out of my comfort zone." He snorts and rolls his eyes. "You know, Farid, this paperback psychology is getting really old." Sebastian looks down and continues to mess with his phone.

An uncomfortable silence passes between them before Farid decides to change the subject.

"So, what are you going to do with yourself while I'm gone?" he asks playfully, trying his best to make his voice sound light-hearted, even though he's physically and emotionally exhausted.

"I don't know." Sebastian shrugs. He sets his phone aside and swings his feet onto the floor. He stands and stretches, then walks over to the window. Tracing his finger along the worn wood of the window pane, he stares down into the courtyard, then says over his shoulder, "I'll probably train, work out, sleep in if the Masters go easy on us because we're down to six students and such." He shrugs again. Still staring out of the window, he says, his voice low and mournful "What else am I gonna do?"

Farid raises a brow. He can continue to indulge Sebastian's self-pitying behavior, or he can try to stop it by telling him the truth. He goes for the latter.

"Maybe, while we're gone, you could try getting to know some of the other students better?" Farid offers. "With fewer students around, it might be easier for you."

Sebastian turns and leans back against the wall next to the window. His arms are folded behind him, propping him up. By the look on his face, he seems to actually be considering Farid's suggestion. But then after a moment, he scowls and catches his brother's gaze. "Why would I do that, Farid?

Off of Farid's confused expression, he continues. "I'm being serious. Why? Why should I do that? It's not like the other students are eager to get to know me any better." He can't help but pout. "It's you everyone's interested in anyway."

In response, Farid wants to throw his hands up in defeat and concede to the gods, screaming, "That's it! I'm so over this!" But instead, he takes a deep breath and carefully sheaths the daggers he'd been cleaning, comes over and sits down on the edge of the bed.

Over the years, they've had many, many, many versions of this same conversation: why does everyone love you and not me?

And Farid gets it. Sebastian suffers from social anxiety, so it makes being a First Son that much more difficult for him. When you're a First Son, you always have to be "on," you're constantly on display, and you're always the first one into the room, where everyone proceeds to, not so subtly, judge you. And--by custom--the spotlight is also relentless, shining down on you wherever you go.

It sucks!

And Farid knows he's damn lucky that he doesn't have to deal with all that crap because as a Second Son, while he also has to represent the family out in public; unlike a First Son, all that's expected of him is to protect his brother--in all and any way possible--and not get so drunk or so high that he ends up burning down the building by nightfall.