Stepbrothers

Chapter 9

"You won't lose him" mom quickly added. "You need to be strong for him. What he went through is not easy and you should be proud that he came out of it with minimum damage. But you gotta be patient with him"

Liam didn't speak, nor finished his food.

"I'm done eating" he said and excused himself. I wasn't understanding a thing. I didn't know what was going on, but my sharp intelligence told me that Isaac is sick. Yes I was really amazing at deducing stuff. Especially important stuff like this.

Something Liam said sparked my curiosity, and I thought it was time I ask about it.

"Mom" she kept looking at her plate and didn't answer.

"Mom" she was moving her fork through the mashed potato.

"LINDA"

"WHAT" she screamed really loudly I actually felt her voice push me away. I was starting to doubt her being a banshee.

"What happened to Liam's w- um Isaac's mom?"

"She passed away"

"No shit" she scowled so hard at me. "I meant to say How" I coughed.

"Cancer was stronger than her. She fought, hard, but to no avail"
The poor thing. It saddened me that she had to leave this life earlier, but she was definitely in a better place now. All moms go to a better place, a safer, warmer, peaceful place. They at least deserve that.

"They thought her headaches were just severe, but as time passed they were able to diagnose the cause of them. But it was too late then."

"When did she die?"

"About 10 years ago. Isaac was 6 back then." she wiped a stray tear away and excused herself too. I was left alone at the dining table. Cue 'All by myself' in the background.

That night I fell asleep on the window seat. I was watching the stars. We couldn't see stars where I used to live. Here they looked much closer and brighter, and they were many. They surrounded the moon which was a crescent. I clasped my blanket tightly and leaned my back on a pillow. I eventually fell asleep, but my mind didn't. It was dozing in an ongoing trip to thoughts land.

I wanted to sleep like this every night. I didn't feel as lonely that way.

               *4 weeks later*

Zac

I haven't seen Evan since that day. We didn't text and we didn't call. It was like he was just a passerby in my life. A passerby that I wanted to stay so bad. I wanted to know him. He held so much secrets behind his eyes. So much emotions were wrapped behind a smile. He was a façade that I wanted to uncover. I don't know if it was his contagious smile or his childish chuckle or that mesmerizing gleam in his eyes when he was letting them roam on their own. Uncontrolled. I had really thought that we could be something.

I wanted us to be something.

Evan

I could not believe that I have to go to school tomorrow. I didn't want to. I said it around fifty times that day. Mom closed my mouth with duct tape.

Her work papers have been settled last week and she transferred to the psychiatrist office at Rivertown's Hospital, so now she and Liam work at the same place.

I, on the other hand, was cursing life on a daily basis. I got over Zac, which when you think about it, wasn't much to dwell on.

"I saw you with my own eyes. Don't lie to me I'm not stupid"

"It wasn't what it looked like"

"You were out with someone else, and you looked like you're having the day of your life, leaving me alone with my child who was begging me to go out. And I see you with her. My own best friend. How stupid do you think I am"

I didn't hear sounds afterwards. Just crying. Mom's crying. And after a short while, the door slammed.

"Evan"

"Evan"

"Go away" I said through my pillow.

"You don't wanna be late on the first day of school"

"I wanna"

"I shit you not" she flipped me over my bed. The floor was comfortable enough so I tried to continue my sleep when her last 'Evan' was probably heard all over the state.

First day of school. Yippee.

I took a quick shower and put on clothes, because you know, you don't wanna go to school naked. Though it would be interesting but I don't want to be expelled first day. Or get a restraining order.

Mom had already laid me a sandwich on the counter to eat on my way. I didn't have to wait for the bus though there is one. It was a 10 minutes walk from home so. It wasn't that far.

I decided to fill my free time by joining a sports team or something like that.

For a small town, that was a big school. It wasn't huge but certainly not small. And just like everything in this damn town, it was named Rivertown School. Just that.

My first class was History. I didn't hate history but didn't like it either. It was one of those classes which pass on neutrally.

The moment I stepped in past the main doors of the school, everyone was looking at me. Ha no. No one did. I had doubted that I was invisible. I liked the non-attention I got. It kept my anxiety levels at a minimum. But knowing life, it must be preparing a kick to my balls anytime soon.

I took my seat in History. The seat in front of me was taken, and so was the one to my left. The ones to my right and behind me were empty. A student would come in every one-two minutes.

I took a quick look at everything. Navy blue walls with a wide white stripe in the middle circulating the whole class. The board was a white board and not chalk. And there was a clock above the door, which was a light gray. So far so good. I crossed my arms on my desk and lay my head on them.

When the bell rang and I lifted my head up, class was full. I could feel that the seat behind me was taken, and the one on my right had a really pretty girl sitting in it. She gave me a shy smile when I looked at her.

I took out my notebook and wanted to grab a pen. There were no pens. Or pencils or anything. I forgot to bring my whole pencil case. I skimmed through my bag for a stray pen but couldn't find anything. So I had to do one of thr most things I hate. Borrow.

"Excuse me,do you have an extra pen?"I turned around to ask for-

"Actually never mind"

"Evan?" he exclaimed.