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Chapter 6 – The Admission
The next morning felt different — quieter, calmer.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains of the small apartment, cutting through the silence left from last night’s argument. Jamie sat on the edge of his bed, scrolling through his phone, pretending not to care.
Ellic stood by the doorway, a file in his hand. “Jamie,” he said gently. “Let’s go. I’ve spoken to the head office. There’s a government college nearby — you can continue your studies there.”
Jamie frowned. “Why do you care? I was fine in my old college.”
Ellic sighed, walking closer. “Because I don’t want you to waste your talent. You’re better than the stories people tell about you.”
Jamie looked at him for a long second — part annoyed, part confused. No one had said that to him in years.
A few hours later, they reached the Government City College — smaller, quieter, filled with normal students. No gangs, no parties, no fake smiles. Just calm faces and real books.
Ellic helped him fill out the forms, signed documents, and even spoke to the principal on his behalf.
When everything was done, they walked to a small roadside restaurant nearby. It wasn’t fancy — plastic chairs, ceiling fan humming, the smell of tea and fried food filling the air.
Ellic ordered two plates of noodles and two cups of coffee.
For a while, neither spoke. Then Jamie leaned back in his chair and said with a smirk,
“So, since you’re the elder brother and the working man, I guess you’re paying the bill, right?”
Ellic looked up from his coffee, half-smiling. “Of course. But someday, I hope you’ll treat me too.”
Jamie shrugged. “We’ll see about that.”
It wasn’t much — just a few words, a tiny exchange — but for Ellic, it felt like a small bridge built over last night’s silence.
As they left the restaurant, Jamie walked a few steps ahead, pretending to check his phone.
Behind him, Ellic watched quietly — the same proud smile on his lips, the same patience in his eyes.
He knew it wouldn’t be easy.
But at least now, Jamie had taken his first step forward — and Ellic was ready to walk beside him.
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Chapter 7 – The Pressure
Days passed quietly in the new town.
Jamie had joined the government college — new faces, new halls, same chaos. At first, he promised himself he’d stay calm. But some habits were harder to kill than memories.
By the second week, he’d already found a small group — boys who skipped lectures, smoked behind the canteen, and whispered about parties that lasted till morning. They liked Jamie instantly — his confidence, his fearlessness, his charm.
Soon, he became their center again — the same “leader” in a new place.
While Jamie drowned his days in laughter and trouble, Ellic’s world was completely different.
He worked at an office — small cubicles, strict deadlines, and a boss who hid cruelty behind fake politeness.
That evening, Ellic’s phone buzzed.
“Come to my cabin,” his boss said.
Inside, the man’s smile was sharp, his tone too casual. He began commenting on Ellic’s posture, his clothes — his voice dripping with things unsaid.
Ellic stepped back, uncomfortable. “Sir, please—”
The man interrupted with a smirk. “I know your type. You shout, you lose your job. Think carefully.”
Ellic froze. Every muscle in his body screamed to fight back, but he swallowed his anger, gripping the file in his hands until his knuckles turned white. He needed this job. He needed to survive.
By the time he reached home, his head ached with frustration.
And then he saw Jamie — half-drunk, lying on the couch, bottle on the table, eyes barely open.
For a moment, Ellic just stood there, the weight of his day pressing down on his chest.
He didn’t shout. He didn’t scold.
He quietly walked into the kitchen, prepared a few sandwiches, and placed them on the table near Jamie.
Without looking back, he said softly, “Eat if you want. I’ve made enough.”
Then he went to his room, closing the door behind him — not in anger, but exhaustion.
Jamie blinked, staring at the untouched food. For the first time, the silence felt heavier than any lecture.
He didn’t understand why Ellic didn’t yell, why he didn’t fight. But somewhere inside, a small part of him wished he had.
Outside, the night deepened.
Inside, two souls — one wounded by the world, the other lost in rebellion — drifted quietly under the same roof, bound by something they didn’t yet have words for.
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