BROTHERLY

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"Edward is such a dunce!"
Blake shouted at the top of his voice to the whole class as they all burst out laughing.

"I might have to disagree on that, dunce seems like an understatement. How about, super dunce?"
Billy suggests, laughing hard and holding his sides.

The class continues laughing in amusement.

"For real though, how hard can simple mathematics be?"

Blake asks, looking around the class for a response. No one responded, not cause they didn't want to because no one ever knew when Blake would switch up and face the responder, asking if they were any better. He was the top of the class in every single subject and he always loved to rub it in their faces whenever he felt like it.
It was hard to stand up to a guy like that, he was brilliant and everyone was bound to need his help at some point, it also didn't help that his parents were billionaires and he used all the lastest and nicest things in school.

"You know Edward man, even the simplest things can be hard for him. If it's not computers, you ain't speaking his language."

Jeremy, one of Blake's goons chips in praying that Blake won't switch things up on him.

"He's still a dunce, just a dunce with a computer."

Blake says laughing hard and feeling good about his remark.

The class laughs too even though they don't find his remark funny.
No one saw Edward noiselessly leave the window where he had been standing since he got his maths test script and realized he didn't quite do well.

He was hurt and angry, why won't they understand that book is not his thing? Computers are. It took him a long time to come to this conclusion himself and try as he might, he couldn't understand it. He's just in school cause his late mom wanted him to finish high school before delving into the world of computers.

It was okay for them to make jokes of him all they wanted, as long as he had his laptop, he was good. He readjusted his collar and headed straight for the library to update some new code he was developing.

"Mr. Edward, you care to explain this simple mathematics equation to the class?"

The math teacher asked Edward who was on his feet, staring at the board to read the content and back t moo his feet alternatively to avoid the teacher's intent stare. What an embarrassment.

"Mr. Edwards, I think you should take your seat. We haven't got all day."

Edwards shamefully drags his feet and sits chewing his lip nervously.
"Anyone else here want to try?"
The teacher asked the rest of the class.

"I, sir."

Blake's hand shot up from the middle of the class where he was seated.

"Okay, Blake, come and do it since it seems you are the only one that can."

Blake went to the front of the class and finished the question in seconds, earning cheers and applauses when the teacher confirmed he got the answer right.

On his way back to his seat, he bent down beside Edward and whispered,
"Dunce." With a smile plastered to his face, he walked on to his seat.

"I don't want this, maybe Edward can eat it. It's not like he does much apart from eat anyway."

Blake announced at the breakfast table, pushing his half eaten plate of breakfast away.

"Don't be rude, Blake, don't talk about your brother like that."

His father cautioned him, patting Edward who was seated next to him on the dinning table, with his mother and Blake at the opposite side.

"Stepbrother, dad, stepbrother. He's no brother of mine. I can't stand the sight of him and you too for that matter."

He shifts his chair backwards, stands and leaves the table, kicking the chair away on his departure.
Aliyah, his stepmother and Edward's Mom sighs, she holds her husband's hand under the table to reassure him,

"He's going to come around."

"How long is it going to take exactly? It's been three years and he still hates us all as much as he did when he first heard that we were getting married. His dead mother was my wife too, how can he think he has the monopoly of being hurt? I haven't healed from losing her yet too but I don't go around hating everyone for that."

He turns to Edward, I apologize for his behavior."

He shruggs and stands,

"No problem, I'm used to it. Got to run now."

He pecks his Mom, waves to his stepfather and leaves the house.

"But, this is unfair."
Blake wailed to his class teacher, Mr. Rupee

"I'm sorry, Blake, nothing in life is."

"How am I supposed to write a story and get it ready for presentation day after tomorrow?"

"I'm sure you can make it work."

"But how? According to this, I'm supposed to discuss every step I used to plan and develop the presentation. How? Im not good with computers, what steps can I explain in two days? I'm a novice when it come to navigating my way around computers."

He reads the slip in his hand again and sighs.

Mr. Rupee places his hands on his shoulder,

"You are going to be fine. This is your one shot at making it to the university of your dream, you can't blow it away. I would help you if I can, but as your teacher that's rooting for you to succeed, you have to do this on your own. Reach out to your friends or classmates for help. I'm sure they'll love to help you."

"Frankly speaking, none of them can handle a project like this except....."

"Edward."

Mr. Rupee finishes for him.

He shakes his head vehemently,

"I can't ask him. What reason does he even have to help? I've been nothing but nasty to him."

"You will never know until you ask. Man up and talk to him."

Blake is seated under a tree in the school premises deep in thought, so deep was he that he didn't notice Edward walk up to join him.

"I heard you needed my help."

Edward announces taking his seat beside him noiselessly.

He looks at Edward and sighs,

"I see Mr. Rupee told you."

"Yeah, he didn't give me much details though. What do you need me to do?"

"Well, you know it's always been my dream to get into the best, elite writing school in Paris, well, they just reached out that if I ever want to stand a chance as graduation is coming up in a few months, I have to make a presentation in two days. I have the story and everything I need in my capacity apart from the visual presentation and I don't know where to start."

Edward stands and pulls him up,

"Say no more, let me help you."

"But, I......"

Blake looks up at him gratefully, short of words and together they walk away....

Edward stood in the living room and watched Blake in exasperation, he had explained the basics to Blake for over an hour, but he still didn't get it.

"Blake, what's wrong with you? What don't you understand in all these?"

"Everything, I'm sorry, Bro."

"What for?"

"For everything I did to you. I've been nasty and I'm surprised you are even helping me."

Edward goes to sit beside him on the couch,

"You have nothing to apologize to me for. We are brothers and it's cool."

"I was just too enveloped in grief that I badly needed to blame someone. My mother passed away and I took out my anger on you. You are no dunce, I see you becoming the next Bill Gates already. Education is just a certificate, not a determinant of how far you would go in life."

"So, tell me, how does it feel to not be the smartest guy in the room? How do you feel knowing that the shoe is on the other foot?"

"I don't know, but I've learned a very valuable lesson from you. No one is an island and there's always someone smarter than you in areas you never thought you could need."

"Bring it in for a brotherly hug, it's you and me now for life."

"I got your back too, bro always."

They hug each other tightly and nod afterwards, a silent promise of togetherness.

"Now, let's go work on your project and we won't stop till you get it right."