Hating, Hurting: A Stepbrother Bully Story

my faux pas – Susan had reassured me repeatedly that this will pass, and soon, and that she had made him a new meal of fish and chips that day – and mentally preparing myself for the first day of senior year in a new school – I had turned into a tightly wound-up bunch of nerves, waiting for the ball to drop. Hans’ words the day we picked them up from the airport rang in my ears. Once they know you’re with us, they’ll leave you alone. I wondered what he meant. I didn’t doubt that the twins were popular at school, not with those looks and being on the football team, but I did wonder why people would bother me in the first place. I wasn’t a social butterfly, but in my old school, people liked me. I wasn’t an attention seeker, but was always included in all the conversations and got invited to parties even when I wasn’t fun the way Melissa was. People knew I was down-to-earth and reliable and respected me for it. Why would it be any different at this new school?

Fastening the gray plaid tie around my neck, I appraised my reflection in the full-length mirror in my new bedroom. The school uniform was not unlike my old cheerleading outfit – skimpy, in other words. I wondered if I could swing by the office and find out if the matching gray skirt came in a more decent length. It made my legs appear longer, so that wasn’t a bad thing. But walking around in something that didn’t leave much to the imagination wasn’t my kind of thing.

After pulling my hair up in a simple ponytail, I put on some lip gloss and took a deep breath. The girl staring at me back in the mirror appeared unassuming, perhaps a bit studious with the big black glasses. In other words, an okay look for school. According to Marcus, I was to catch a ride with Hans today, and I worried my lower lip as I wondered if Cole would drive separately. I hadn’t seen much of him all weekend – he had been out most of the time. Our rooms were at opposite ends of the long corridor, so I could hear him come back late at night from the security of my bedroom. I had my own en suite bathroom, and I was thankful once again for what life had blessed me and my mom with – a newfound financial stability where before, there was none. The single-storey house we had lived in for the past five years had one-and-a-half bathrooms, which to me meant waking up earlier than mom to get ready for school.

Gray Lake Academy was a private school that catered for the privileged elite in the community, so it went without saying that I was to go there now, as part of the prominent Isaac family. Marcus wouldn’t hear me out when I said I was happy to attend the public school here, saying it was his job to provide for us and that he wanted to give me the benefits of a private education. The prospect of getting into an Ivy League school and pursuing a possible career in medicine made me stop arguing. It all seemed more within reach now, and not just some pipe dream I had no right to hope for. Of course, I had never told anyone about this, not Melissa nor my mother. All they knew was that I wanted to pursue something in the human sciences when I went off to college, which I would only be able to do if I were to secure a scholarship. I was therefore feeling indebted to Marcus for giving me the chance to work towards my dream.

I had pored over the class schedule again over the weekend and had started preparing some notes for all my classes. Hans had shared some tips about some of them and I was grateful for the information. Knowing who was hard to please and who - as Hans put it - “couldn’t tell between the stellar students and the ripoffs” gave me a heads up about what to do in the various subjects.

I swallowed my nervousness as I descended the stairs and headed towards the kitchen for a quick breakfast. The amazing scent of pancakes and eggs assailed my senses – I was a sucker for food, which explained why, despite cheerleading, I still had some extra weight on me. Not that it bothered me – I was in no hurry to shed the pounds if it meant I had to sacrifice the luxury of good food. And what a luxury it was, being in the Isaac household. Susan was a great cook and catered to every whim – the only times she wasn’t around was on certain weekends and after 9 pm. Which meant we had full, multiple course meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was going to have to watch my weight, but just not right now. I made a mental note to find out when the cheer tryouts were. If I didn’t make it, no big deal, I was just going to have to find some other way to burn those calories, but I was pretty sure of making the team.

As I walked into the kitchen, I paused at the doorway when I saw one of the twins seated at the island, looking sharp and devastatingly handsome in the Gray Lake Academy uniform. A dark gray tie hung loosely around his neck, coal-black hair neatly slicked back. He gestured to the spot next to him, and I let out my breath when I saw his welcoming smile. Hans. My relief must have been evident because Hans just smiled and shook his head. His plate was almost clean, and he handed me a new one and looked at me in askance as he held up a pair of tongs. When I nodded, he piled my plate with