Remember: Alex and Aro (boyxboy)

Chapter 10

September, 2016, 10 months ago.

As soon as I have the opportunity, I re-look at the folded piece of paper and scan the page for a phone number. I've looked over the sheet several times since I first set eyes on the page when I arrived home. 

Who'd have thought it? Carl Edwards. My brother. That cheeky, lazy, motherless boy that happens to share the same mother as me. He has brown hair and green eyes. I have mousey brown hair and blue eyes. We have similar hair and skin tones.

I find the phone number I've been looking for and start to dial on my mobile. The phone rings and rings, and I sit there waiting for some lazy sod to answer it. When it's about to ring off, a man with a bored, flat voice answers.

"Sunnyhaven Children's Home. How can I help?" Sunnyhaven? Ugh, why do all these gloomy children's homes have such positive names? I clear my throat and begin.

"Good afternoon. My name is Alex Danvers and I have recently found out that I have a half sibling in your care. His name is Carl Edwards." I introduce while I hear the man breathing heavily on the end of the line.

"Um...yeah. He lives here. How old are you and what is your occupation?" He asks in a uninterested drawl. Like that matters what my job is. "I'm twenty six and I'm a maths teacher." I summarise and he sighs as if he's getting bored of the conversation.

"Right. I'll be phoning you when I have the chance to set up a meeting." He yawns down the line and I feel like slapping him. Seriously, if you feel like sleeping on the job then you're clearly not going to bed early enough. "That won't be neccesary. He goes to the school I teach in." I inform and his bored voices takes on a stammer.

"What? Oh, I see. Then...perhaps you'd like to join us for dinner tonight?" He offers and I gasp. "That can't happen just like that! You haven't even spoken to Carl's social worker!" I groan at his lack of professionalism.

"Right...um...okay." He clears his throat and I feel like hanging up on him. "I'll phone tomorrow morning. I'm hoping to speak to the social worker. Goodbye." I turn off the phone instantly. What an idiot. He didn't even give me his name. What a sloppy service.

              *************

By the time Edwards's class come in the next afternoon, I'm all jittery and nervous. I practised so many times last night. Edwards, I'm your brother. Look, I know we don't know each other but we're brothers.

I've thought up a million different sentence starters but each one sounds stupid and pathetic. "Edwards!" I call out as soon as he comes through the door, before stopping myself: my voice sounds high pitched and nervy. A few of the kids snigger at me.

Edwards stares at me, cheeky smile forming on his face. "Happy to see me, Sir?" He almost flirts in his smooth voice. I beckon him over and make him follow me outside into the maths corridor. He looks around suspiciously, but his smile stays put, stepping forward so we're almost nose to nose.

"Is the part where you ask to be my promdate?" He gives a scoff, shaking his head at me. "Sorry, Sir, but I'm going with Amelia in from Miss Laurie's class." He ducks his head towards another maths classroom. I grab his shoulders. "I'm not here to declare undying love, Carl. This is serious."

He steps backwards at the use of his first name. "No one calls me that. I'm Edwards to everyone. It's a fact." He stares at me worriedly.
"Are you expelling me? You cheeky shit! I've been trying my best!" He explodes with rage, his face turning red. "Carl!" I interupt his mad tirade before he can blow up from anger.

"Edwards!" He corrects with a stern face and shakes his head. He's so much like Jodie. The thought of them in the same room as each other makes me smile. Jodie was always the focus point of everyone when she walked into a room with her beauty and confidence.

"Uh...Sir?" He interupts my thoughts with a hand waving in my face. I swat him away quickly and he peers into my face. "What do you want to talk to me about?" He asks quickly as he's noticing the looks we're getting from the other kids from the classroom window.

"Ignore them." I pull out the folded piece of paper that Olive gave to me at the prison. "My mam gave this to me yesterday afternoon. She's in prison and she's very ill." I explain carefully and a look of recognition crosses Edwards face. He knows his mother is ill as well. Our mother. Not that he realises it yet.

"Edwards." I pass the paper to him for him to look at. His face adopts a surprised and freaked out expression. "No. No way." He steps backwards. "Jesus." He exhales deeply, shaking his head and shoves the paper back into my hands. "Are we...related? Do we have the same mam?" He asks, lip almost trembling.

"Yes, Carl." I stress his first name. "I'm your big brother." I add softly and he shakes his head again. "I didn't think I had anyone other than my mam." He sighs, pacing up and down the corridors in distress and elation. "Carl? I only found out about you yesterday. It's been a big shock for me too."

I reach out to hug him but think the better of it and leave my arms hanging limply by my sides. Carl wrinkles his nose at me in distaste and shudders. "No thanks." He gestures to my arms which were outstretched. I sigh in disappointment. I can't remember the last time I ever had a hug from anyone.

"You know, I was in care too. From eleven." I add quietly and he shrugs with indifference. "So what? I've been in care all my life cause Mam couldn't be bothered to look after me." He says gruffly.
He goes to open the classroom door but I pull him back, remembering Olive's wish.

"Mam wanted me to take you out of care. For you to live with me." I add carefully, gauging his reaction. He's stony faced, nowhere near his usual cheerfulness. "I'll think about it." He grunts, swinging open the door to glare at the classmates whispering and eavesdropping.

"What are you staring at?" He walks away from me and into the classroom.

He lets the door slam in my face.