Firefly (boyxboy) (step-brothers)

34

Jayden and Nate were sitting in a grand hallway where they'd been told to wait by a rather stern-looking receptionist; what with her British accent, oval glasses and hair in a bun so tight it looked like it was bordering on painful.

Having walked up to the grandness otherwise known as Yale Campus, with its impressive architecture – the oldest buildings dated as far back as 1718 – had made Jayden want to turn around and flee, tail between his legs. It was so freakishly imposing and so much more intimidating with its magnificence in real life than all the pictures Jayden had looked at. The only thing that'd stopped him from doing just that, had been Nate's hand tightly intertwined with his. Nate was his anchor in all this and Jayden knew, without a doubt, he couldn't have done this without his stepbrother by his side. His stepbrother who just placed a hand on his bouncing knee. "It's going to be okay, I promise," Nate whispered just as an old oak door opened, its hinges complaining loudly. Who could blame them, they must have hung there for centuries. Both stepbrothers turned in the direction of the sound.

An older man in his late fifties walked through the door, his clothing the very definition of an educated tutor, mentor, you name it, what with the tweed jacket, slacks and round glasses over his grey but wise eyes. As the man walked over to them, the stepbrothers rose from the chairs. "You must be Jayden Henderson," the man said, his voice sounding like it belonged in a Harry Potter movie.

"That's correct." Jayden's voice trembled but he still remembered his manners and shook the man's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Professor Oliver Barlow."

"It's nice to meet you, Professor Barlow."

"This way, please." The man motioned toward the door he'd just entered from.

Jayden glanced at Nate who offered a reassuring smile. 'You can do this,' he mouthed just before Jayden turned and followed the man.

"You're from California, am I correct?" Professor Barlow asked, offering some small talk. Over his years of interviewing, he'd come to learn that small talk usually eased the tension within the young applicants.

"Yes."

"I hope the flight went without difficulties."

"It went fine, thank you." Jayden was aware he was only giving short replies to Professor Barlow's questions. He slowly breathed out through his nose, drawing strength from the fact that Nate was right here with him, ready to pick him up if the interview went south. "These are very beautiful buildings, the architecture is much more prominent and grander in real life."

"You haven't visited before?"

"I must confess I haven't."

"It's always nice to hear the compliments of a first-time viewer," Professor Barlow smiled as they entered through the doors and walked into a massive office. It was just like Jayden had pictured it, the old furniture; the wooden floor that had seen better days; the heavy curtains framing the smaller windows; and bookshelf after bookshelf covering the walls. Nate would have a field day with those, Jayden mused, momentarily forgetting his own nerves.

"Please, take a seat," Professor Barlow motioned toward an old but comfy looking armchair opposite a sturdy desk, as the man sat down behind it. "So, Jayden Henderson, as a starter, tell me a little about yourself. What has made you who you are to this very day?"

Jayden rested his trembling hands on his lap. Apart from the fact that my parents died when I was a child and my own stepbrother just gave me a hand job forty minutes ago, you mean? The first smile since they got here ghosted over Jayden's lips. Where to begin?