CHAPTER SIX

The car had a very awkward atmosphere but Jeremy seemed to be determined to end the awkwardness and start a conversation that both brothers would enjoy but at this point it seemed highly unlikely. Jeremy had tried multiple times within the duration of the drive to get the two brothers talking but to no avail because both of them were stubborn and didn’t really feel like talking which only made Jeremy’s self-appointed job harder.

“So Junior, do you like soccer?”

Immediately Mike heard the name ‘Junior’ his face scrunched up because he liked the name as much as he liked his middle name; which was not at all.

“My name is not Junior. My name is Michael.”

Mike really emphasized his last words hoping that his brother’s friend would understand clearly that he didn’t like being called ‘Junior’.

“Okay Michael, do you?”

Jeremy seemed to be an inquisitive person and Mike liked that about him. He was the type of person who could make good conversation without forcing anything. Mike felt a wave of comfort wash over him and immediately he felt that he could engage in conversation without it all coming crashing down.

“Yes. I like the excitement and the level of skill that the players portray.”

After that their conversation just went on and on until the car stopped, signaling that they had arrived at Jeremy’s home. Before they arrived, Steven was so tense the only thing he could do was clench his teeth to avoid unnecessary displays of ‘brotherly love'. The two other boys in the car didn’t seem to notice Steven’s drastic change in mood but it proved to be for the better because if they had, there would have been a complete 360-degree turn in the atmosphere amongst the three boys.

The rest of the drive to the Jacobs residence was a quiet one and one filled with awkward stares and deadly glances. When the car finally stopped in the garage of the Jacobs residence Mike could feel the glances his brother was throwing his way but he decided to keep his calm and forge a plan to get out of the car and into this room without any more casualties. As he made a move to exit the car his brother’s voices stopped him in his tracks.

“Mike, did you mean all those things you were saying about soccer with Jeremy, or were you just making conversation?”

Mike was surprised, to say the least. His brother didn’t usually engage in conversation with him so when he did, he savored every moment of it because he knew that such moments were rare to come across.

“Yes, I did. I really like the Sparrows FC.”

Steven was shocked to know that his brother knew an actual soccer team and it made him relieved to know that his brother wasn’t as hopeless as he previously thought. The two of them stepped out of the car and continued to talk about soccer and their favorite players. When they got in the house they went straight to the kitchen where they knew their lunch would be waiting for them. When they entered the kitchen, their mother had a look of shock plastered on her face when she saw the two boys talking like they were the best of friends. Mike knew why she was so shocked because he himself was also still confused with how things played out but Steven didn’t seem to notice his mother's shock as he just sat down at the island counter waiting to be served his lunch.

“Hello boys, how was your day today?”

When their mother spoke, the events of the school day started to replay in Mike’s head and just then he realized that the good talk he had with his brother was over and that his brother would revert back to his usual obnoxious self. Mike dared to look at his brother and when he did, he saw just how much the test results still affected his brother. Then as if Mike's silent prayers had been answered, Sophie walked into the kitchen changing the atmosphere slightly as she came in laughing at something over the phone, drawing the attention of everyone present. After a few seconds the call ended and Sophie sat down and paid her mother her greeting before facing her two brothers.

“Hey, Steve. Junior.”

The greeting was subtle but was still a greeting and both boys responded back with their own responses. Their mother went silent for a while before she turned around and started to serve the siblings. They ate in silence and when they were finished, they all stood up to put their dishes away then they all went their separate ways to their rooms until the time when their father would arrive from work. As soon as Mike stepped into his room, he locked the door and let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding in. He flopped onto his bed and started to think about how things would play out when his brother told their father about his stunt at school. Mike knew he didn’t do anything bad, but his brother had a different perspective and because of it Mike would get the boot from his father. The fact that Mike was a junior put certain expectations on him because his father had made it very clear that he didn’t want Mike embarrassing him in any way possible, but it always seemed as though Mike found a new way to do just that.

He pushed the thoughts of school aside and took his phone out of his pocket with the intention of calling his one and only friend. Mike didn’t consider himself a lonely person regardless of the fact that he only had one friend who was the polar opposite of him. He thought about his friend and started wondering about how much of a burden he was to Harry. It was always like this for Mike, he would constantly degrade himself because that’s how he had grown up. It wasn’t always so; there was a time when life was good but then one day he just found himself being the outcast of the family and he didn’t understand why. It was only when he got older that he understood that his family treated him differently because of who he was and what he could do. He was miserable and lonely until he met Harry and from that day they’ve been best friends.

The blaring sound of Mike’s phone is what brought him out of the deep pool of thought that he was swimming in and he was relieved to see that Harry was the cause of his relief. He smiled at no one in particular and answered the phone not wanting to make his friend wait.

“Hello. Patricia you there?”

Mike recognized the mock tone in Harry’s voice and decided to play along.

“Yeah. How was the club?”

Ever since Mike found out that Harry had joined the drama club at their school he had been making fun of him ever since. Mike heard Harry scoff on the other end of the phone and laughed at how dramatic his friend was being. The two continued to talk for a while then after some time had to stop the call because Mike’s mother had called for him to have their supper.