To Be a Hero | MLB

4: The Drawing

After school, I'm waiting outside for my other older brother Jaxon to join me, so we can walk home together. Unlike Jakob, who's always on time for things, I usually have to wait at least fifteen minutes for Jaxon to arrive anywhere.

He's only a year older than me, so you'd think I'd be closer to him than to any of my other siblings—and you'd be wrong. Jaxon's not exactly shy, as Jakob has described me countless times; he just... doesn't really like people. If you give him a sketchpad and a pen, then lock him in a room for hours, he'll be perfectly content.

Not that I'd know, or anything.

Anyway.

Exactly sixteen minutes after school lets out, Jaxon comes trudging out of the building, his black hood pulled up over his mess of black curls. He walks straight past me as if he didn't even see me, but I know that's just his way of telling me he's ready to go.

I join him, and we walk in silence for a few minutes before he mumbles, "Did you know there are superheroes."

"There are what?"

"Superheroes. In Paris."

I'm thrilled he's even speaking to me—and I didn't even have to start the conversation!—so I want to keep this going as long as I can. "Ooh, like the ones in New York?"

Jaxon shakes his head. "These ones are different. They have... Miracles, or something." He pulls a small sketchpad out of his sweatshirt pocket. "There's a ton of pictures of them online. I drew them during class."

He flips to his newest art, and I gasp. Not because his drawings are good—even though they are very good—but because it's the two crazy people Jakob and I saw flying around Paris last night.

"Those are superheroes?"

Jaxon slips his pad back into his pocket, and I can sense him shutting me out again. "I mean, I thought I did a pretty good job, but..." He falls back into his familiar hunch, shoving his hands in his pocket as well. "I guess not."

"What... No, Jaxon, you're pictures are good! They're amazing! I was just saying I didn't know those people were heroes because I've seen them before..." I trail off. It's too late. He's already put in his wireless earbuds, effectively tuning me out.

I sigh and turn back to the street ahead of us, fishing my own earbuds out of my backpack and wondering what it would be like to have a normal life. You know, one where I wouldn't have to move every two months, and I just had one or two siblings, instead of five—

Then I swallow and sneak a glance at Jaxon, already feeling horrible. I love my brothers, and I wouldn't give them up for the world. I don't know what I was thinking—my life without them would be miserable.

Then I think of all the misery they do cause me, and I have to hold back a grin. Because unfortunately for me, loving my brothers doesn't exactly make them any easier to deal with.