LOTF: Before and After

Tony Hughes

Tony Hughes couldn't remember a time in which he wasn't playing for second. By the age of six, he was well aware that his big brother, Travis, was the family's golden child. Most middle and eldest children would argue that the youngest child was usually the most spoiled, but that certainly wasn't the case in the Hughes family. Tony was a hand-me-down child, and this applied when it came to both clothing and car seats, and even went as far as teachers, advice, and experiences. Everything Tony did, Travis did it better. He went through his first four years of his education by the name of 'Travis' brother.'

Tony wound up at Bainbridge Military Academy in his fourth grade year. His father was a military man, and his older brother attended military school. Although, the military school Travis attended wasn't Bainbridge Military Academy. The Hughes family lived in a small city in Eastern Colorado, and Travis went to military school in state. He was a full four years ahead of Tony in school, and also transferred to military school back in his forth grade year.

Bainbridge was quite the distance from Colorado, which is precisely why Tony wanted to go there. The last thing he needed was to enroll at a new school just to re-adopt his identity as Travis' little brother. Tony was defined by his brother all his life, and he was tired of trying to measure up. It wasn't that his parents didn't love or care about him equally as much, but what exhausted Tony was that Travis could do no wrong. He was a straight A student, excelled at every sport he played, could learn any instrument in half the time it took most to learn it, and could draw pretty close to the ability of da Vinci himself. And it wasn't that Tony was inadequate, but it was hard not to think so when he was standing next to Travis the Great.

Tony did alright in school, and the only sport he excelled at was soccer. He tried basketball and football before soccer, and was never one of the best players. He often rode games on the bench, and nothing was harder for him to do knowing his pro-athlete brother was watching him sit out from the stands. Tony was close to giving up on sports as a whole before he decided to give soccer a go. He knew he had a strong kick, and he enjoyed watching the sport on TV. So when he finally found his place on the soccer field, it was a small but significant load off his back.

Tony also couldn't play any instruments, and he was never interested enough to even try. He also couldn't sing if his life depended on it. Of course, Travis could've saved him with his perfect voice. It wasn't until Tony saw Jack Merridew perform in the Bainbridge Military Academy choir years later that he realized his brother was mediocre at best.

Naturally, Tony's parents were reluctant to allow him to go to military school so far from home. They wanted him to go to the one in Colorado with his brother, so he could have someone to mentor him physically and academically, and help him with the initial adjustment period. But of course, this was precisely the reason Tony didn't want to go there. His entire identity seemed to be wrapped up in Travis', in conjunction and comparison to him. Tony knew he'd never really figure out how he fit into the world if he didn't get the hell away from his brother. It wasn't that Tony didn't love Travis, or appreciate the years of tutoring and mentorship. The two did have a good relationship growing up, because it was next to impossible to argue with Travis given that he loved everyone, his baby brother included. But still, Travis would never be able to understand just how difficult it was to grow up in his shadow. Tony knew the only way to step out of it was to get away from his brother altogether.

Bainbridge Military Academy was one of the best military schools on the east coast, and it's programming and opportunities were what really set it apart from the other out-of-state schools the Hughes family were looking at. The program allowed for on-one-on assistance with academics, after hours access to tutors, modernized dorm rooms that contained phones students could use to reach each other across campus, emergency phones in each of hallways on every floor, twenty-four hour security, and an emphasis on mental health supports. They also had opportunities for students to study overseas, and even train at overseas military bases. Bainbridge was one of the pricier military schools on their list, but it was also the one in which they'd get the most bang for their buck. The Hughes family weren't especially rich, but they were far from struggling. So after timely and careful consideration, they came to realize it was the best decision for the boy.