Devon Blue

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ７．３】

"𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜; 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚒𝚍, 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎." — 𝙻𝚒𝚜𝚊 𝙻𝚒𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗-𝚆𝚊𝚗𝚐

𝚃𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜.

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ　７．３】

Breakfast went without a hitch this morning. Chase was already at the table when I made my way down the stairs with Charlie on my heels. I head to the kitchen sending a good morning to everyone on my way in. I prep Charlie's breakfast before heading to my own. Chase and I chat about his performance in music class.

"I think you're ready Chase," I reply before cutting up the eggs and putting them on my grain toast. I take a large bite. I sip on my orange juice before looking over at him.

"I guess so." He replies quietly. He's nervous. It's very un- Chase like. I want to laugh but don't because I can already tell he's stressed.

"You will be fine, I promise," I reply elbowing him gently in his side. He's right beside me but he practically takes up his entire chair and leans over the table with his large frame. He's this popular football player that everyone envies at school and yet is still scared to play in front of our class. I really didn't know my brother. This was not the Chase I left behind three years ago. He had all the confidence in the world.

"Everyone love's you, Chase," I reply reassuringly as I finish off my eggs. Mom and Dad are listening quietly to Chase and I's conversation just content that we're finally fixing things between us. I can tell between Mom's furtive glances between us. She was so giddy I could feel the table start to shake earlier.

"Devon I'm not the musically gifted one if you can remember correctly." He replies tersely. He sets down his fork and wipes his hands on his jeans before gulping down his orange juice.

Dad reels back from Chase's statement and Mom gasps quietly. The entire table stills. The guy who has been the most popular and looked at guy in the entire school who also happens to be the quarterback is insecure. This is the first I have seen him lack confidence over something. Other than our previously screwed up relationship.

It shocks both my parents and me. But I know the feeling of being in another shadow that you can't seem to live up to it or be good enough. To feel like your normal will never measure. Unlike everything else. I know that all too well. The need to be perfect and feel disappointed every time.

I just didn't realize that Chase felt that. Or I just never paid attention to see that. Did he always feel like that? I sit back in my chair before turning to look at Chase waiting for him to look at me.