Sam hoisted his backpack higher on his shoulder, wondering how the strap hadn't cut through him yet. All those books were insanely heavy – and unfortunately fragile, or he'd be dragging the thing across the ground.
Almost there. With a spur of energy, he opened the front door to his house and rushed through the small hallway and into the living room. His room was steps away, next to the kitchen, and boy, was he grateful now that he'd chosen to stay on the ground floor.
His mother's original plan was for him and his brothers to have rooms on the first floor, just like their parents. Sam had only spent a few nights there before retreating to the much smaller pantry which had become his bedroom. Sure, he bumped into furniture a lot, but it was so much cozier.
By the sound of it, his parents were in the kitchen, arguing. Again. They tended to do that a lot lately, though always when they thought no one could hear them. Sam wasn't worried. Their marriage was rock-solid and they only argued about minor things like who forgot to pick up the milk or whose car wouldn't fit in the garage.
He continued his way to his room and was about to open the door when he heard his mother say his name. He dropped the school bag and tiptoed to the kitchen door.
"Really now, Freider. Can't you see he doesn't want to take over your company?" Her blond head was barely visible over Freider's shoulder.
It had always been a miracle to Sam how his mother's golden hair and his father's brown one had managed to produce three children with jet-black hair. Not to mention different stature, eye color and traits. Okay, he guessed Kyle did have blue eyes like his mother, but they were so unlike in hue it was easy to overlook it. While their mother's eyes where light blue, Kyle's were dark, inky, almost violet. The same with their dad and Jerry. Both brown, but muddy-brown versus a chocolate-brown so dark, it looked black to the untrained eye. Heaven only knew where Sam's green eyes had come from.
For a while he'd considered that they could be adopted, but as time went by, he realized they did have certain features from their parents. Jerry had Freider's nose and Sam had his mother's cheekbones. Not exactly the trait he would have chosen if given the chance, but he'd been pretty lucky in the genetic lottery, so he wasn't about to complain.
Maxi put her hands on her hips. "Sam has two other brothers, you know. Older brothers."
Freider scoffed. "Jerry's going to be a scientist."
Oh, yes, of course Jerry was going to be a scientist. Sam gritted his teeth. Jerry hadn't even announced anything of the sort. Sure, it was obvious it would happen eventually, but it was annoying how their father stamped careers on their foreheads without even bothering to ask.
Maxi tapped her foot, staring Freider down, waiting. Freider moved to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. He opened it out, poured himself a glass and turned to drink when he noticed his expectant wife.
"What?" he asked.
"Okay, let's say for the sake of argument that Jerry is going to be a scientist." She strode to Freider and snatched the glass out of his hand. "He's not the only potential candidate."
"I thought we already discussed Sam. Alright, alright!" He raised his hands defensively. "Bad joke. I don't know about Kyle. I don't think we should pressure him into anything."
Maxi seemed to deflate at this. "Oh. That's oddly sensitive of you."
"I don't know why you keep bring it up if you agree with me."
Sam sighed and headed back toward his room. Between 'Jerry is a scientist' and the 'don't pressure Kyle' policy, it looked like he was stuck with the agency.
The roar of a motorcycle drowned out his parents' words. Sam stopped in the threshold of his room, his head instinctively turning toward the front door. Kyle was home. And would probably be a little pissed that their dad took his car without letting him know. Though if Sam had an awesome bike like Kyle's, he wouldn't be caught dead driving a car.
Angry voices drifted from outside and the front door slammed open. Jerry and Kyle both marched into the living room, snarls on their faces.
"I still don't get what your problem is," Kyle said between his teeth.
"I told you a million times to slow down when you approach the house. You almost crashed!"
"I did not almost crash. You skid when you take turns. That's how a motorcycle works."
"And I hate to see that thing parked out in front of the house."
Kyle pulled back a little at this, his eyebrows raised. "Why?"
Sam leaned forward a little. He was curious to hear the answer to that question, too.
Jerry pursed his lips, his cheeks flaming up. "This is a respectable neighborhood—"
"I'm embarrassing you? Really?" Kyle let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Well, now that you mention it, the neighbors have been complaining about the noise, about your general behavior and—"
"Maybe the neighbors should mind their own freaking business."
"Not to mention your language," Jerry spat out.
"Is that what's bothering everyone I don't give a shit about, or what's bothering you?"
"Of course it bothers me! You waltz into our lives, mess everything up and expect me not to be bothered?"
"Jerry!" Maxi rushed out of the kitchen, her fists clenched, Freider in her wake. She stopped behind the couch, her fingers pressing the fabric.
Freider put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't yell at him, honey." He turned his gaze to Kyle. "What did you do this time?"
"I didn't do anything. You probably heard us yelling already."
"And so did the neighbors. What did I tell you about that damn motorcycle? The only reason I got you a car is so you'd stop riding that noisy deathtrap."
"Oh, excuse me, but since you took my car, that noisy deathtrap is all I had left."
Freider swelled with indignation, his face turning crimson. "I wouldn't have taken your car if you'd do what I say and fix mine up. I don't know what Max was thinking when he bought you that motorcycle—"
"Max?" Kyle let out a humorless laugh that sent chills down Sam's spine. "Max didn't buy me the motorcycle. I got it myself. From the guilt money you sent over."
Maxi gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. Sam knew he should go comfort her, but his feet wouldn't budge. He kept staring at Kyle, unused to the poison in his voice, the rage burning in his eyes. He'd known it was silly of their parents to keep Kyle in Texas, but Sam had never imagined that things were so bad between them. He'd always been assured that it was in everyone's best interest. Though, now that he stopped to think about it, his parents never left for Texas to visit Kyle. Heck, he and Jerry hadn't even seen him in person before he came home for college a year ago.
"How dare you? That money was meant for your well-being and to help Max with the expenses of..." Freider's voice faded as if he too realized that he'd talked himself into a corner.
Kyle attacked without mercy. "Of what? Of raising me? Max didn't need your money, he has more than you anyway. I didn't need your money." Kyle's vicious tone softened the tiniest bit as his gaze drifted to his mother. Maxi's shoulders shook with suppressed sobs and Sam for the first time felt the need to smack Kyle in the face.
"No, it's the manners you obviously needed. You just can't be thankful for anything, can you?" Jerry asked, his voice shaking, though if it was from repressed anger or repressed tears, Sam couldn't tell.
"Be thankful for what?" Kyle whipped toward Jerry making him cringe and step back. "For being brought into a family that obviously hates me? Why the hell didn't you leave me in Dallas and pretend I don't exist? You were so good at that." He threw a fleeting glance over his shoulder and his eyes met Sam's.
For a second, Sam thought he saw regret in them, but then Kyle turned his head and stomped out of the house, slamming the door behind him. The sound echoed through the room as if it were a cave.
"Well, we need to work on his attitude," Freider said after a few moments of silence, his tone too light for the situation.
"Now?" Maxi asked between her teeth. "You want to work on his attitude now?" The last word came out as a scream. "He already has a personality, Freider! And we had nothing to do with it, nothing to do with him. By God, he's completely right! We're the worst parents in the world! And you!" She turned to Jerry. "Why can't you even try to get along with him? Why do you have to make everything so hard?"
Jerry stared at her with wide eyes, and for a second Sam thought he would burst into tears. Instead he raised his chin in defiance.
"I am trying. But, same as him, you just can't see it." And he rushed up the stairs to his room.
Maxi looked after him and burst into full blown tears. Freider hovered awkwardly near her, but didn't dare take her in his arms. With a sigh, Sam strode to her and hugged her, letting her cry on his shoulder.
"There, there, Mom. It'll be alright."
"I'm so sorry, but I want them to get along. They're my children, I love them both just the same," Maxi said between tears.
"I know, Mom. And they know it, too. You'll see we'll all start getting along. We just need some time to accommodate." Yeah, bullshit, in the year since Kyle came home, things had been getting steadily worse. Sam sometimes wished their father would just put his foot down and tell everyone to grow up. But it was unlikely seeing as he was part of the problem, taking Jerry's side all the time.
"You're the only one who can bring them together, Sam. They both love you."
And it was the only reason Sam didn't go insane.
"I'll take it from here." Freider finally moved and took Maxi out of Sam's arms. "Let's get you to bed, honey. You need some rest."
Maxi nodded as she wiped her eyes and let Freider lead her upstairs. Sam watched them go then headed for his room, his head buzzing. He wasn't even sure who he was mad at this time, because everyone had a point. Though he and Kyle got along great, Sam couldn't deny that his oldest brother was a bit hostile toward the rest of his family. He had a point. Jerry had a point. Everyone had freaking points! And he was caught in the middle, drifting aimlessly between family members because he was the only one "everyone loved". God, he needed to get out of this house.
Sam rummaged through the backpack filled with books and maps and pulled a huge book out. He grabbed a pencil and headed for the back door. Once in the backyard, he walked to the massive oak tree everyone in the neighborhood hated (it ruined perfectly good lawns with all those messy leafs) and sat under it, his back leaning against the thick trunk. Words from the fight kept bouncing around his skull, so he opened the book, thankful for the distraction.
For the next half an hour, he noted the whereabouts of temples of the Yucatan peninsula on the map at the back of the book, trying to figure out where the newly discovered ones were and how far from civilization. It was impossible to tell. A huge middle portion of jungle had no temple mapped there. The new ones could be anywhere. Sam glanced at the map unable to tell if he was terrified or excited by the perspective.
The leaves rustled above him. Sam frowned, but before he could look up, someone grabbed him under the arms and hoisted him into the tree, book and all.
Kyle dropped him on the branch and pulled back, leaning his back against the trunk. "What were you reading?"
Sam stared at him and then at the ground. "How did you...?"
"Trust me, kid, you're not that heavy." Kyle put his joined hands behind his head.
Sam looked at the ground again. Yes, he was. He might not be as well built as Kyle, but he wasn't skinny either. "Okay, what you did still seems virtually impossible, but..." He didn't know what else to say. A part of him was still a little upset about the whole fight earlier making his mother cry.
"What?"
Sam gave him the best stink-eye he was capable of.
"Okay, yes, we had a fight. Again." Kyle slumped against the tree trunk. "And I kinda went overboard this time."
"Ya think?" Sam asked, fighting the impulse to toss the book toward his head, but it was barrowed and the fall from the tree might kill it. "Why'd you have to go and say those things? I know it's hard—"
"You do, don't you?" Kyle let out a sarcastic laugh. His hand darted to the choker around his neck and started playing with the pendant. "You have no idea what it's like, and you shouldn't either. But I still should've kept my yap shut."
"Why can't you and Jerry try to get along?"
Kyle shrugged. "We're very different, I guess."
"Jerry and I are different, too."
"You and Jerry love each other."
The answer fell like an axe. Sam's eyes widened. Kyle seemed to realize that he'd been a bit too blunt. He sighed and his fingers spun the pendant around his neck even faster.
"I'm not saying I don't love Jerry. I'm not saying I do. It's complicated. You two grew up together as brothers and know each other very well, even if you are different. I don't know him, don't know you all that well either and don't have the brotherly bond you two share."
"You do know me."
"Sam, I have no idea what you were like two years ago. Maybe Jerry is a sweetheart who's just going through a year-long bitch fit. I wouldn't know. The difference is, I like you. I would've liked you and want to be friends even if you weren't my brother. Jerry... not so much."
Sam nodded, unable to say anything else. Kyle was right, but it wasn't normal. If Sam could love Kyle as a brother after only one year spent together, why couldn't he? Why couldn't Jerry? The little anger left slipped out of him leaving room only to sadness. He hated that part of arguments – when the adrenaline faded and all he was left with was disappointment and regret. And there was nothing he hated more than those feelings.
He focused on Kyle who was still playing with the choker while staring through the leaves, at the setting sun. Sam had always liked the thing, with the amulet which resembled two small bullets back to back. One of the bullets had a K engraved on it, while the other... Sam frowned as he realized the other bullet also had a K on it. He'd always assumed it would be a G. Then again, maybe the other K was the initial of Kyle's middle name. Knowing their parents, they'd probably given him a terrible name like Klive, or Kosmo or Keith. Ugh, he didn't even want to know.
"What's with the book, kid?"
Kyle's voice snapped Sam out of it. "Oh, it's for a study camp I hope I'll be allowed to go to."
"Why wouldn't you be allowed if it's a study camp?" Kyle asked, tilting his head, his gaze fixed on the book. "Unless that study camp happens to take place in the middle of a jungle and focuses on finding lost temples and maybe treasure."
Sam stared at Kyle for a few seconds, taking in his grin, the twinkle in his eyes. He knew. "You know."
"As a matter of fact, I happen to be on the list."
"Why?" Okay, that had sounded incredibly rude. "No, I didn't mean it like that!"
Kyle laughed. "Don't worry about it, kid. It's a very good question. And the answer I was fed is that they need more than history experts, which you are, they also need survivalists, which I am."
That made sense, except for... "What do you mean, the answer you were fed?"
"Didn't you find professor what's-his-face a bit suspicious?"
Sam frowned, remembering how Harris had acted secretive. "Yes, but I can't really put my finger on what's wrong."
"Me neither. That's why I'm going."
"Do you think he's dangerous?"
"Him, personally? Not really. The whole situation? Hell yeah!" Where did the grin and the enthusiasm come from? And why did Sam not cower at the thought of danger? Probably because he thought the risks of the jungle were worth it to fulfill his dream.
"It's gonna be fun with you coming along," he said reasonably. Then, another thought hit him. "Do you think Jerry's in on it, too?"
"God, I hope not," Kyle said rolling his eyes, and Sam couldn't tell if he said it because he was worried about Jerry's safety or because he didn't want to go anywhere with him.
Sam decided to hope it was the former.
Ah, who doesn't love some good old family drama? Poor Sam, caught in the middle.
Jerry obviously didn't take a chill pill, but what about Kyle? If it's your first time meeting him, what do you think? If it's not, I'm even more curious what you think 😉
Also, what a crazy coincidence that Sam and Kyle are both on the list. Do you think Jerry is too?
Thanks for reading and don't forget to vote and comment.