Levi

Monday morning arrived in a breeze, and no amount of sweaters could tame the bone-chilling eeriness permeating the James mansion.

Before leaving for school, Donald James ushered his two sons into his office, his voice falsely saccharine. “His family is in a lot of debt,” he said. “You should be careful about leaving expensive possessions lying around,” he warned them.

Levi, bless his heart, fell for the trap. “You don’t mean he would...”

“Oh, I am not suggesting anything, dear boy,” Donald said, waving his hand dismissively. “This is merely a lesson to keep in mind. Our status grants us privileges that those of weaker means seek,” he said, giving the boys a pointed look. “You should not let your kindness be a bridge for them to prey on you. Keep your wits about you, is all I’m saying.”

“Of course, Father, don’t worry,” Levi nodded vehemently, absorbing his father's words like a royal decree.

...----------------...

By the time they left their father’s office, Ren had joined the group, wearing a wrinkled white shirt and a scowl.

“You haven’t gotten a costume yet?” Levi asked by way of greeting.

Ren shrugged and nodded.

“Are you guys hungry?” A.J. cut in, grabbing the boys’ arms and dragging them toward the kitchen. Ren didn’t resist A.J.’s spoiled whims, but Levi brushed him off. Sometimes, the smallest things his brother did set him off. If A.J. so much as breathed in his direction, Levi felt suffocated.

Their parents’ indulgence only fed Adrian’s air of entitlement. Levi sighed deeply. He didn’t want to be stressed over his brother or feel resentment toward him. But sometimes, it felt like the weight of being the older sibling was too much.

His mistakes were judged more harshly. He had to compromise more often. He was expected to be patient and understanding all the damn time.

Sometimes, he just wanted to be a normal sixteen-year-old without the burden of his brother’s constant, embarrassing antics.

Lost in thought, standing outside his dad’s office, Levi was jolted back to reality by the sound of cursing. He followed the noise to the kitchen, just in time to see his brother sprinting upstairs shirtless.

Catching the eye of a nearby servant, Levi asked what happened.

“The young master spilled tea on his school uniform. He’s going up to change,” the servant explained.

Levi rolled his eyes.

...----------------...

The driver dropped the boys off at school and went on his way. As they walked onto the school grounds, the three of them drew plenty of curious glances. With Ren transferring in the middle of the semester, he was bound to attract attention. His brother, on the other hand, was always an accident waiting to happen. Which meant he, too, was perpetually in the spotlight by association.

Levi hated the attention and had no idea how to handle it. Feeling the prickling discomfort creeping in, he rushed to fill the silence.

“Excited for the first day of school?” he chirped at his new companion.

Ren, a man of few words, simply nodded. Levi felt a flicker of relief. He wasn’t ready to play the clown just yet.

A couple of boys from his class wandered over, greeting Levi with half-hugs and giving the others a quick nod. The taller one, Fred, a nosy but good old friend of Levi’s, grinned.

“This must be the new kid everyone’s whispering about,” he said.

“Ren Vera,” Ren replied, extending a hand.

“Fred Maxwell. Nice to meet you,” Fred answered, shaking it. “This is Derek,” he added, nodding toward his friend.

After a round of handshakes, Fred threw an arm around Levi’s shoulder and immediately started nagging him about yesterday’s homework. Meanwhile, Derek was busy questioning Ren about why he’d switched schools so late in the year.

A.J. trailed behind, forgotten. Levi felt a surge of relief. At least he didn’t have to play chaperone to his brother any longer.

-

As they walked into the building, the principal’s eyes zeroed in on them. She furrowed her brows, and Fred quickly let go of Levi’s shoulders. Levi straightened up instinctively.

Her pointed finger landed on Ren. “Where is your school uniform?”

“I’ll purchase it today, ma’am,” Ren responded politely.

The old woman wasn’t one for rule breakers. She shook her head in irritation. “Well, you can’t run around without a school uniform. You’ll have to stay in class during the br—”

A.J., who had been lurking behind the group, stepped forward with a sheepish grin. The principal’s words died on her tongue.

“You look lovely today, Mrs. Brown,” A.J. said, voice dripping with exaggerated innocence.

Levi sighed. His brother couldn’t seem to survive a day without testing someone’s patience.

Mrs. Brown looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it. “Well, off to your classes now. Go on,” she dismissed them tersely.

Derek raised an eyebrow. “Lucky the little menace showed up without a uniform too,” he turned to look at A.J. but avoided eye contact. “Otherwise, you’d be stuck in detention during lunch,” he whispered to Ren.

...----------------...

The first class was Physics. As soon as Levi stepped into the room, a swarm of students crowded around him.

“Class president, can I copy your homework?” one boy asked.

“What? No,” Fred cut in, grinning. “His friends get first dibs.” He held out his arm to keep the buzzing crowd back.

Levi chuckled, pulling his notebook from his bag. He tossed it into the air. “Whoever catches it first gets to copy!” he shouted.

The crowd scattered, diving for the notebook, and Levi slipped into his seat.

“You traitor,” Fred mocked, pretending to be annoyed as he joined the scramble to copy before the teacher arrived.

Levi leaned toward Ren. “You don't have to worry about classwork for today,” he said. “The teachers won’t say anything since it’s your first day, but you’ll have to catch up on what you missed.”

“Mm,” Ren murmured. Then noticing a couple of other kids asking Levi to share the next class's work too, he asked, “Do they ever do their own assignments?”

Levi grimaced. “Not really,” he admitted.

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