Difference Between

Chapter 9 - (Step) Brotherly Love

By the end of the day, I'm ready to hide out in the library and do homework while listening to podcasts. But Tobias is waiting outside my last class and pulls me aside.

"You busy?" he asks.

"Yes," I say. He makes a face at me. Usually, I'd return it, but I don't have the energy right now. "I have homework. And my mom usually wants me to help her grade tests."

"I already talked to Aurelia, and she said she'll be fine grading on her own for now."

I purse my lips. "Then... I still have homework..."

Tobias sighs, ruffling my hair. "Come on. I don't have football practice. You don't have anything in particular to do. Let's hang out. Future sibling things." He smiles at me. When I don't return it, he lets out an exasperated sigh, resting his hands on his hips. "I have food."

I narrow my eyes. "What kind of food...?"

"Hamburgers and french fries."

"Okay, I'm in. You should've started with that."

Tobias rolls his eyes, ruffling my hair again. He keeps his hand on my head as he steers me down the hall. "I'll keep that in mind for next time."

Tobias leads me out of the school and to the parking lot. Along the way, I see Don and Marcus sitting on a bench on the other side of the courtyard. Marcus leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands between his knees. Don mirrors him, nodding along as Marcus talks.

My head snaps to Tobias. "You and Don planned this," I accuse.

"Duh," Tobias laughs, unlocking his car. He walks around the driver's side, resting his arms on top of the car. "We weren't just gonna let you and Marcus stay mad."

"At each other or just mad in general?"

"The first part is up to you. But we don't want you to be mad in general."

"Why?" I open the passenger side door and slide in, shutting the door behind me.

Tobias gets in the car, closing his door behind him. "Because..." He reaches into the backseat for a brown paper bag. He pulls out a wrapped hamburger, offering it to me. "We're the older siblings."

I take the hamburger from him and rip off the paper. "All three of you are the older siblings." That's technically true since Marcus is a few months older than me. "And even if you and Don are the oldest, that doesn't mean you have to make sure we stop fighting. It's not like either of you would do anything if it was just one of us involved and not both."

Tobias shrugs, taking out another hamburger. "Maybe not. But we have to do something, so you two don't keep hating each other after our parents marry."

I take a big bite. "I guess..."

"So where do you wanna start?"

I shrug. "I don't know. How about the part where Marcus basically told me I'm a horrible person?"

Tobias holds the box of fries out to me. I grab a handful and shove them in my mouth. "So you actually don't think he got all that right?" I give him a wide-eyed glare. With my cheeks puffing out with food, it probably doesn't have the effect I want, but Tobias gives me an exasperated look. "Just answer the question, Ashlyn."

I swallow, turning to face forward. "I know Marcus doesn't like it when I make the references, and he doesn't understand why I like history so much, but it's not because I don't appreciate the people in my life or in general. A lot of the references I use are people that I actually look up to and respect. Doesn't it say something that I would use those historical figures and apply them to others in my life?"