Fighting On

E I G H T

"Alec honey there is something we need to tell you." My mother said in her floral sundress as we sat in our lavish gardens.

I blink up at her with my blue eyes only caring about the dirt I was currently playing with. She came closer to me and sat beside my messy self.

She reached out, grabbed my hand and placed it gently on her stomach. She smiled down on me with nothing but happiness in her eyes.

Dimples graced her face, the ones I had also inherited myself and I couldn't help but smile with her, her pure happiness contagious.

I giggle not knowing why my hand was on her stomach, but before I can ask she answers my question.

"That's your brother, Alec." She says never losing the glee.

I just blink at her a few more times before I ask my question.

"But why is he in your stomach mommy?" I ask giggling more. She reaches down and tickles me through my blue Spiderman shirt before answering.

"This is where all babies come from Alec, you came from my tummy." After giggling a few more times I just go back to playing in my dirt patch.

Will he like Mason and me? Will he be cool and like Pokémon and Spiderman? Will he look like mommy or daddy? She just smiles wistfully into the air before telling me more.

"His name is Sam, and I bet you two will be best friends." She says to me before picking me up from my dirty patch.

"Let's go get you cleaned up." She tells me from my spot on her hip.

"Sam." I say.

"Yes, Sam." She parrots back to me with a smile that broke through her features, showing her inner brightness.

The day had come sooner than expected, we are in the hospital after only nine months and mommy said Sam was ready to come out of her tummy.

I am holding dad's hand and Mason grips his other. We watch her features contort in pain. Sam must be big. I am bursting with excitement not able to hold still as I hear the nurse repeating to my mother for her to push and take deep breaths.

My mother let out wail after wail before it was someone else's scream we heard. Except they were more like cries. Sam's cries.

The small being covered in fluids and blood comes out crying his way into Mommy's arms. Silent tears of joy stream down her face and a smile graces her face.

I look at the small boy ready to protect him already. Mason and I look at each other with equally big grins ready for a younger brother.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now I think you both know why You're here." Mr. Brian says. Alec and I glance at each other quite confused really. When Mr. Brian sees our looks of confusion he sighs before telling us.

"Today in Maths was the due date for the group assignment which you both didn't hand in as you hadn't done the work. Remember the one I assigned over a week ago?" He asks rhetorically with a sadistic grin as if torturing kids was his favourite

"Now you two have to sit here and finish it in the next hour and a half. Hope you didn't have any plans this afternoon." He says making his way to the exit.

"Oh, I'll be back every now and then to make sure you delinquents don't leave." He finishes before fully exiting the classroom.

"Damn, we had like a week to do the project, I must have forgotten to write it down in my organizer." I say sadly. I take school seriously. Alec suddenly starts chuckling before it turns into full blown laughter.