Because You're Different ✔

3. Backseat passengers

Nathan

It'd been a while since I'd seen the freshman building. Every single time, it seemed to be smaller than it used to be, just like the teens exiting it. Strange to think I'd once been that young as well, that Lena and I used to wait there for the bus together, joking about our teachers or making plans to steal cigarettes from her dad. Seemed like such a long time ago.

My phone vibrated — another message from Gregor in the group app, about the millionth party he'd be throwing that night. If Lena had still been here, we might've gone together, smoking their weed and making fun of all their designer clothes, but to go alone... No. With a sigh, I muted the chat. If only they could be seeing themselves from the point of view of these kids... Normal kids, who were worrying about what they would do once they graduated, or if their parents could afford to buy them a laptop. I already felt bad coming here in the Mercedes-Benz. For a minute, I'd even considered renting a cheaper car, just for the day, but I suppose that'd be even worse — Lena would've laughed her ass off if I'd suggested that.

Again, I checked my watch for the time, even though I already knew Sam's class had ended fifteen minutes ago. He would be bringing a friend over for the first time in years, and I couldn't have been more happy. I'd been worried that sending him to public school might've been a big mistake. For some reason, my little brother looked up to me so much he wanted to do everything like I had done it, even if our parents didn't like it at all. If there was one thing they loathed, it was people thinking the Redstone family couldn't afford private education for their sons.

I looked out of the window to see if I could spot him anywhere. There he was, definitely in the company of a girl. It still blew my mind how much he resembled grandpa, so much so I always wondered if I should give him the watch, the one grandpa had put on every single morning and I'd started wearing a few years ago. I was sure if I could find a picture of fourteen-year-old Simon Redstone anywhere, I could trick people into believing they were looking at Sam instead. He was rambling away about something, I couldn't hear what, already checking the parking lot for me.

Bracing myself, I exited the car. I'd much rather stayed inside, but today we were in the company of a girl, so some manners were necessary. Almost instantly, I heard some giggling behind me. Man, it was like these teenage girls had college guy radars or something. Did they smell it when I opened the car door?

When Sam spotted me, his eyes lit up, and he broke into a run. I had to fight to hold my grin. No matter how many times he swore he wasn't going to do it anymore, the few times I came to get him, he forgot his promise to himself. I was going to miss being greeted like that someday.

"Okay, so I asked June, like I promised, and she said it didn't matter where she sat in the car because she, very luckily so, has an ass, like most people in this world."

I laughed and turned my attention to June herself, who had almost reached us. "Stealing my jokes, are you?" she said.

The first thing that came to mind when hearing her voice was that she might've had a few glasses of wine if I hadn't known any better. She walked in a way that looked like as if there were magnets attached to the insides of her knees and she had to struggle to keep them apart. With every step, her thighs almost crashed into each other, sometimes for real, in a somewhat scissor-like pattern. Her left foot dragged a bit, and her left hand was rolled up into a fist. She had brown skin, and dark curls ran down her back, like a waterfall of melted chocolate. When she noticed me watching her, she smiled — a pretty smile, with little lights in her eyes.

"June, this is my brother, Nathan. Nathan, this is June." Although Sam was excitedly jumping up and down, judging from his fingers fondling with his backpack, he was also nervous.

"It's very nice to meet you," I said, and I meant it — neither of them was probably as glad as me Sam was finally bringing a friend over. "Where do you want to sit? I heard from Sam you can sit anywhere, but maybe you still have a preference."

She giggled and exchanged a look with Sam, who was also trying to contain his laughter. "I'll sit in the back with Sam."

I took her bag from her, putting it in the trunk, and opened the door for her. "I can do it myself, you know," she said, blushing slightly, still looking me right in the eye. "I don't need help."

"I didn't think you did," I said. "It's just the polite thing to do, don't you think?"

Sam called out from the back seat: "Don't worry. He does that for all the girls. He's such a suck-up."

This time, June turned completely red and quickly clambered into the car. It was nice to hear Sam laughing in the back seat for once. The past two weeks, he'd gotten home from school more cheerful than ever before, and yesterday, he'd even been late because he and June had been chatting after their last period. She had a contagious smile; I must have looked like a fool, grinning behind the wheel and listening in on their conversation.

"You know, it's not every day you get to sit inside yourself," she said, and Sam almost bent double. It sounded like he wasn't getting any air.

My grin grew wider. "I think he must know something I don't because I have no idea what you meant by that." A fit of giggles prevented her from talking for a while. How did young girls manage to giggle that much? I'd never understood.

"My name," she said after she'd calmed down a bit. "It's June Mercedes Guevara Aranda."

Sam re-emerged, barely getting out the words: "We should — we should find you — find you a Benz — a Benz to marry." It was a crappy, obvious joke, but they laughed like it was the best one they'd ever heard, and I found myself joining them.

Yeah, this girl was definitely the best thing that had happened to Sam in a very long time.