Page 50 of The Other Brother

Mum’s entire body has joined in the skepticism party. With enthusiasm. Her eyebrows have collapsed towards each other, and she’s wrinkling her nose. “I don’t know Ryan. I thought you hated science. And you’ll have to take things seriously, you know. People’s lives will be in your hands.”

Well, ouch.

“I can take things seriously when I have to.”

Mum still looks doubtful.

Gee, way to go about the parental encouragement. She should give out lessons or something.

“If you’re serious about being a paramedic, you need to find out what training paramedics need and what subjects you need to do,” Dad speaks up.

“I will.” I fold my arms across my chest.

“Ryan, we know you can achieve whatever you set your mind to. You just need to be prepared to put in the effort,” Mum says.

Weirdly, Cody flashes into my mind as Mum’s words settle.

Though I’m not sure if she wants the concept extended to me building a friendship with her ex-husband’s son.

Chapter13

First week of school and I’m determined to turn over a new leaf. Hell, it’s more than that. I’m really creating a whole new tree. Changing from being a spindly poplar to a mighty redwood in the world of academia.

Ms. Brenton, my guidance counselor, is as skeptical as my parents when I tell her I want to be a paramedic, but to her credit she tries harder to hide it than they did.

“You don’t have the prerequisites for doing senior biology or chemistry, but I know you’re smart enough to do it, Ryan, if you put in the work. Don’t let me down.”

Unfortunately, my biology teacher is none other than Mrs. Steinberg, who taught me for year nine science. I think I’m still the record-holder for the number of detentions she’s given out in one year. Our reunion is not the stuff of Hollywood movies. Unless you’re talking about horror movies.

Mrs. Steinberg stands at the door greeting students when we arrive. Her welcoming smile quickly morphs to a scowl when I walk in.

Grace and Mia, who I haven’t seen since the party at the beach house, are sitting at a bench at the front. I head to them, pretending not to see Eddie waving at me from near the back. If I’m going to do well in this class, I need conscientious lab partners, not someone who will be eagerly expecting me to lead them astray.

Before she starts the class, Mrs. Steinberg makes a beeline to our bench.

“I’m not interested in people who are here to muck around,” she tells me.

“I’m not a poplar anymore. I’m a redwood,” I reply.

From the look on her face, she totally doesn’t get my tree metaphor. And she calls herself a biology teacher!

“I mean it. If you distract other students, I’ll have you removed from this class.”

“Wow. She really told you,” Grace whispers as Mrs. Steinberg moves away.

I shrug, pretending not to care, although I feel the tips of my ears heating up.

I’m determined to prove Mrs. Steinberg wrong. But it’s hard. The first lesson is genetics, and anything I learned in previous years appears to have evaporated out of my head by the summer sun.

Plus, the word mutant is a joke waiting to happen. No one else steps up to claim it like they should. I have to pretend my lips are super glued together to stop myself saying anything.

I take notes furiously, although I don’t really understand half of what I’m writing. Shit. I will seriously need help to pass this class.

“How are things going with Marco?” I ask Grace as we pack up. Surely the amount of flirting that was on display at the party has to have led to something more.

“Good.” She bites her lip, a tinge of pink trekking up her cheeks. “He’s invited me to a party this weekend, actually.”

I raise my eyebrows. “An Appleton party? Get ready for the caviar and champagne.”