Gracious

Chapter 42

A/N - first day of uni was POINTLESS 😍

~~~

"Do you ever wonder how many black coffees you've consumed in your life?", I turned to Prescott with a deep frown on my face, I didn't know why they were all so infatuated with my liking towards the damn drink, "isn't it bad for your health?".

"A lack of sleep is bad for your health", I stared at him pointedly, waving a hand loosely towards his sprawled out appearance on the sofa, the duvet I'd forced him to cover himself with discarded in a ball at the other end.

"Touché", he muttered, facing the tv, "wanna make me a hot chocolate?".

"Can you, as a twenty-two year old man, not do it yourself?", I raised an eyebrow, returning my attention back to my own drink, "do I not deserve rest?".

"You're hilarious", he deadpanned, groaning as he got up and joined me in the kitchen; he'd seen better days. The greyish tone to his skin, the bags under his red eyes, the all-round exhaustion written all over his face...and yet he pushed me away every time I dared intervene.

So I settled for peace today, keeping my opinions to myself for once.

"Do you think Alexander's okay?", I asked my brother, watching him cock his head slightly and narrow his eyes, "we're seeing less and less of him". It'd been a week since the twins' seventeenth birthday and I could barely recall the small amount of conversations I'd had with Alexander since then.

"He's a teenager, we're meant to see less and less of him", he lifted a shoulder, "although he's been rebelling since before he was ten".

Wasn't that the truth?

"I know I'm probably worrying over nothing-,", I sighed and he dropped a hand on my shoulder.

"And worrying is in your nature", he filled in, I couldn't help but chuckle, "he's not stupid, he'll come to you if he needs you- now let me make my hot chocolate".

"For someone who barely moves from the couch, you're-,", I was cut off by the ring of my phone, dread filling me instantly when I realised it was the twins' school calling, "Zane Delgado".

"Mr Delgado, we're sorry to disturb you at this time, but would you be able to come down to the school?", I pinched the bridge of my nose and made eye contact with Prescott who was frowning at me, "we have Xander here, we think it would be beneficial if you got here as quickly as possible".

What had he done now?

"I'll be right there", I ended the call and groaned, sipping my coffee, "that little shit".

"What's he done now?", Prescott mused, at least he found this funny. Grabbing my keys from the counter I groaned again, raking a hand through my hair and sipping my coffee again. They'd left for school a fucking hour ago.

"I'm about to find out", I sighed, giving him one last nod before leaving the room- give me strength.

~

"Alexander showed up to school twenty minutes ago", forty minutes late, "and instead of going to class, he was found smoking in the toilets".

"You'd think they've strapped a fucking camera to me", my brother slumped further into his seat and snorted, "aren't we just proud I didn't have a fight?".

"Alexander", I warned him, he knew damn well he was on thin ice with me, with school, just about everything at this point, "so truancy, smoking on school property, his punishment?".

"Two day suspension", the words didn't even make me blink anymore, nor did it get a reaction out of Alexander, "and we think Xander having meetings with the school counsellor and behavioural team would be beneficial".