I look around seeing my dad stare directly at me. He rubs his eyes with the familiar motion when he knows I am unraveling an old argument. I see the dark stained wood behind him that’s used for the majority of furniture in our villa. The dark wood contrasts with the pastoral color design of the cloth and curtains of the surroundings, and adds a sense of new versus old internal design fighting for dominance. The ever burning fireplace gets poked by a butler before he quickly walks off giving us privacy.

“Dad...I think we should help Lenic get into school. His family cannot afford it, but I can tell you he will succeed no matter how difficult the classes. He is a genius through and through.” I say while rubbing my hands together and staring down at the floor.

My dad continues rubbing his eyes, and continues the conersation.

“You won’t give up will you? Do you really want him to carry you through college as well? ” my father says while removing his hands from his eyes and leaning back into his chair. He raises his hands and laces his fingers together as he looks down towards me.

“I can do it myself dad, but I know he can be a great investment for the company is all. We can offer him a job afterwards, and he’ll be incredible in any position. I can see me and him making a great team, and...” I say while shifting back and forth and looking downwards.

“You know that isn’t even a concern right now? You’re in 7th grade and you’re already campaigning for a friend's charity? That’s called nepotism son. You can’t run a company that way,” my father says while leaning his head back and squinting his eyes.

“I just...I know he’ll be great someday, and I’m scared he’ll never get there because he can rub people the wrong way,” I say while looking back up at my father.

“How about this son. You prove it to me, and I’ll consider it, ” he says while opening his arms from there clasped position.

“Easily done father!” I say while grabbing one of his hands with both of mine and smiling.

I walk back to my room and start thinking of scenarios that could prove to my dad how fantastic Lenic can be. Thoughts of all the times he beat me and Eva in any intellectual pursuit flush my mind. I remember how we gave him tons of different nicknames. From, “Evil Dictator” to the more serious, “Devil King.” We always had a name for the situation, but now it was different. I couldn’t prove to my dad he was brilliant like that. So instead I’d need Eva so she could help me come up with ideas.

I walk towards my desk and start doing my homework. As I stare at the math problems, I realize my father is correct. I really do rely on Lenic far too much. I want to go over to his house and have him help, but I need to prove I can do this myself.

Three hours pass and I pack up my things so I can go over to the Roux’s house. I walk with heavy footsteps as I carry the bulk of my shame with me. I feel my dad’s eyes stare me down as he shakes his head from side to side while I walk to the door. It wouldn’t be so bad if I had done worse in school in my early years, but at that time school was easy. Now...I couldn’t understand graphing a function to save my life…

I walk through the piles of brilliant snow to the street and make my way towards the comfortable little cottage I could have called my own home. I see smoke drift from its small chimney, and I can smell food being made.

Eva runs up to the door and opens it from the other side.

“Anlok! How was school today? ” she said while dancing slightly and smiling.

“Just the usual. I mightttt need help from Lenic again,” I say while squinting my eyes and shyly rubbing the back of my head.

“Haha! We all have different talents. You just need to find yours,” she said with the same phrase she said to welcome me all the time.

“If only I could tackle things with so much beauty and grace Eva. I’m only human you see, Haha,” I say while opening my free arm.

She welcomes me in through the front door and I see their mother bringing a pile of vegetables towards the pot on top of a metal plate beside the fireplace.

“I hope you feel like vegetable soup today Anlok! ” she says while smiling and sweating from the heat of the fire.

“I was going to add something if you’d like,” I pull out a large piece of beef I brought in a bag under my school supplies.

“Anlok delivers as always!” Eva sas while jumping up slightly.

Lenic walks in and says, “How could we possibly get along without Anlok constantly donating food right?”

Martha slaps him with a spoon and says, “ I’d really appreciate it if you could just pretend to not be so nasty sometimes.”

“I would appreciate it if we could give him meat from time to time. The, ‘Anlok the Hero’ bell has been rung one too many times,” Lenic says while coming and slapping me on the back.

“Looks like its meat for labor again?” he says while smiling and one raised eyebrow.

“I just can’t thank you enough Lenic,” I say while squinting my eyes and scratching the back of my head.

“Is Jenkins going to be back tonight?” I ask while Martha continues cooking.

“He’ll be back early today, so look forward to it!” Martha says while throwing her head back and laughing.

I smile with my eyes and face before me and Lenic approaches the back room. Lenic and Eva’s room was heavily used at this point, and each piece of furniture had it’s own scuffled look. Lenic plops onto his bed by the desk in between the two beds, and I sit at the desk. I open the book and Lenic helps me through each problem as he has done since the devil changed numbers in math to letters.

My translator slowly helps me through the runic moonling language as I struggle comprehending it with my feeble human mind. The incredible complexity of the symbols slowly overcomes me, and I throw in the towel first. I lay defeated before Martha gives me purpose again.

“Dinner’s ready! Come and get it boys.” Martha proclaims.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

We rush out of the pits of hell and into heaven’s gates. I see the usual members of the family, and Jenkins was sitting at the front of the table with a slight smile glued on face. The old man works hard every day, and I can tell this was the reason why.

“Young Huxley is here to join us! I can’t wait to see what you do with the company someday.” Jenkins says while revealing a slight twinkle in his eyes.

“I just hope I can continue to have great friends like I do now.” I say while looking around at Eva and Lenic.

Lenic turns red and quickly responds with, “It’s like he doesn’t even know what he’s saying!”

“I think it’s sweet.” Eva responds while giving Lenic a nasty look.

“I think you're all just adorable,” Jenkins says while Martha places the last thing on the table.

We connect hands and Jenkins says, “Thank you dear father for the food we have at this table. I want to thank you for letting us all gather here today. Please bless this food and the wonderful people I hope can grow from it. In your son’s name, Amen.”

“Amen, ” we all say in unison.

“Hows school going for you Eva? Anlok?” Martha asks.

“I did very well on the math and english tests, but I only made a B on the Science exam,” Eva says while lightly smiling and putting her hands on her sides.

“Well I do what I can. I’m passing all of my courses,” I say while reverting back into my almost usual state of scratching the back of my head and squinting my eyes.

Everybody laughs at varying degrees except for Lenic.

“Without Lenic over here I might not even be able to manage that. He’s brilliant you know,” I say while lifting my glass towards him and smiling.

“He is. I know he’ll make it big someday,” Jenkins says while wolfing down some beef stew.

“Yeah, hopefully no one looks down on me when I don’t have an education,” Jenkins says while lacing the last words with venom.

“Honey...We’ve been over this. We can’t afford to put you both through school. You’ll just have to rise through the ranks like your father has,” Martha says while smiling and looking at Jenkins.

“He’s done amazing things for the company,” I say while resting my hand on his arm.

Lenic turns red, and slowly starts speaking, ”...You think it’s great to work your whole life as the manager at a steel factory? He does more work than anybody, and I know he’s going to be spit out any day now. You think I should celebrate that I’m destined for mediocrity?”

The room becomes completely silent, and I feel goosebumps cover my neck. I freeze up, and can’t move.

Somehow Jenkins is unfazed and responds immediately with, “Mediocrity? Boy you think I’m mediocre? I get up early every day to work till I collapse and you have the nerve to say that?”

I see both of their foreheads bulge with veins as they start the combat.

“You aren’t mediocre dad. THAT’S why I’m so frustrated. HIS,” Lenic points towards me and continues, “Company is SHITTING on people like you.”

SLAP! Martha pulls her hand away from Lenic’s face and says, “Go to your room. Now. Take your food. Don’t let me see you till tomorrow.”

I feel tears well at the sides of my eyes as the situation plays out in front of me. I lightly open my mouth and reach out my arm towards Lenic as he rushes out of the room, but I can’t muster any words.

“I’m so sorry dear. We know how much your dad has done for us. Don’t let Lenic make you think differently,” Martha says while holding one hand outstretched above her chest.

“Boy doesn’t understand how bad things used to be. Back when you couldn’t even get a job,” Jenkins says while angrily stabbing his spoon into the stew.

My heart feels heavy, and I suffocate under Lenic’s words. I feel a lump in my throat as I eat the rest of the dinner in silence. After we clean it up I head back to the other room.

“I can get your stuff if you want...” Eva says.

“I think I need to talk to him,” I respond.

I walk through the small hallway en route to his room and knock.

“Can I come in?”  I yell.

“....”

I hear no response and decide to open the door anyway. Lenic was on his bed with his face in a pillow. He bites his pillow, and turns away from me.

“I’m sorry Lenic...I know it can feel like you’ve been done wrong...but I know you’re capable. You just need to show the adults that,” I say while opening my arms.

“...Kind of hard to do when you never get to go to school. You wouldn’t know.”

My mind was lightly stung, but I continued after flinching, “...You want to go to a chess tournament with me. I’m sure if you get first place you can show everybody. ”

“...You don’t know what it’s like Anlok. I feel like nobody likes me. Like I’m the shame of the famiy...Why am I always the villian?” he says while turning and facing me. His face is red, and his eyes are bloodshot.

“You aren’t a villain. People just don’t understand you…You aren’t just the sum of your actions and ambitions. You’re going to have a lot of friends, and I’ll be one of them,” I say while hot beads of liquid fall down my face.

“You are such a crybaby!” Lenic says as he get up and embraces me.

We stay like that for a moment before Lenic breaks us up and says, “I just can’t beat you, can I?”

“It isn’t a competition Lenic. We’re all just trying to be happy,” I feel the words come out of my mouth.

Lenic punches me softly and we laugh it off. Eva stands outside of the room and just looks at us with her arms crossing.

“It’s gross watching you two cry everywhere,” she says while smiling.

After about 5 more minutes of awkward conversation I leave. I give them all a hug and head back home.

Whenever I arrive I see my dad reading in his chair. I look at him with an eyebrow raised and say, “Want to go to a chess tournament this saturday?”