Our Big Brother

Chapter 2

Hunters POV:

I park at the school, and quickly head into the office. "Oh! Hunter dear, you're here. Let me take you to the nurse, Spencer is there along with Alex and Reid." The secretary says as I walk in. She's not the one who called me, but she was the main secretary here when I was in school, she's a sweet old lady, who's kind of grandmotherly to everyone. I give a small nod and smile to the vice principal and other secretary staff in the office before following. As soon as we walk into the room, I crouch down to grab Spencer, who runs into me. "I want to go home!" He cries angrily. Rubbing his back, I let him cry it out of his system, and look up at Alex and Reid. Alex is upset, but holding Reid's hand, probably mad about being told he couldn't go back to class after pushing that kid, and Reid is asleep, covered with a towel, his wet clothes folded in a bag on the floor. At least the school has a set of pull-ups for him, I can't believe I forgot to repack a change of clothes for him.

"Kiddo talk to me, what's wrong? Why don't you want to go back to class?" I ask Spencer, but it only brings more tears. The secretary gives us a few minutes, and waits in the hallway, the school nurse however, we are lucky that she just so happens to be Aaron's mom, Reid's best friend. So she stays with us, but gives us some space, and there are no other kids in here right now too. "Spence c'mon, tell me what happened." I say softer. Maybe I should've just kept him today, he said he didn't want to go this morning, I should've just listened. "What happened during math huh?" I ask again gently, hoping to get an answer this time. "She didn't teach me fractions!" He says, the tears streaming down his cheeks again, and I pause for a second. His teacher is a man, not a woman. "Who didn't teach you? Isn't today the first day of fractions?" I ask. "Mom! She didn't teach me how it works!" He says, frustratingly swiping the tears away. Closing my eyes I take a breath, that's what this was. (Do we learn fractions before the 4th grade? I can't remember tbh and I'm pretty sure we did fractions in 5th? But idk I'm too old to remember LMAO I feel like I've just always known it). "You know you've got three older brothers who all survived fractions right? And I think both Nick and Atlas actually really liked them, we can help you, you know? All you have to do is ask." I explain, I know mom helped him with math, it was his hardest subject, and she'd sit down with him every Friday or Sunday and go over the week's work with him, no matter how many times she'd have to explain it, she would do it again and again. We sit down with him too, but it's not the same to him, I know it's not. "But we were playing math baseball! I'm really good at baseball, but I couldn't answer the question!" Spencer continues to explain what happened, his lip wobbling as he talks. "Kiddo have you ever played math baseball before? It's not like real baseball, instead of hitting a ball, you answer questions, and when you get four in a row, that's your home run." I say and he frowns. "But I didn't know that! I wouldn't have said I wanted to go first if I did!" He says, the tears starting again. "That's okay, I'm proud of you for trying to participate in class anyways, even if you couldn't give the answer, you still tried. And listen, we'll practice some fractions and math baseball at home this weekend okay? And how about you help Nicky with dinner this weekend? You know there's a lot of fractions in cooking." I tell him, trying to cheer him up. "Fine but can we pleaseeeeeee go home!" He says and I nod. "Can you go see if Aaron's mom needs some help first, while I talk to Alex and Reid." I ask and he sighs as if I just asked him to pick up a desk and move it, but he goes anyways.

"Wanna tell me what happened today?" I ask Alex quietly, he's still holding Reid's hand, but not looking at me. "Bud, look at me, what happened? Who was the boy, did he do something to make you push him? Violence is never the answer, but I still need to know the reason you pushed him." I say, but he doesn't answer for a minute. "He was being a butthole!" He says angrily and I have to look away so he doesn't see me laughing. "Language bud, I know it's not technically a swear word, but it's still not a nice thing to say okay? What did this kid do to make you call him that?" I ask, gently taking his hand from Reid's, he was starting to squeeze it too tight. "He-he was being mean! He was laughing at Reid during recess! He said that only babies have accidents and that Spencer was stupid because he doesn't have a mom and dad to teach him!" Alex says heavily breathing. "Hey, close your eyes. Now take a breath. Just like we practiced when you're angry." I say gently, putting his hand on my heart. "Thank you for sticking up for them, but I need you to try really really hard not to hurt someone, even when you're protecting your brothers okay? That boy wasn't being very nice, and I agree he was being a butthole, but you can't say that here at school, you could come home and tell me that though, it's just really not okay to say it here." I say, getting him to smile when I say butthole, but he frowns again looking at Reid. "He was so sad and I couldn't make him happy again. Atlas came and got him to stop crying but he was still sad." Alex tells me and I sigh, as angry as Alex can get, he's got such a big heart. "I'll talk to him, you go help Spencer and Aarons mom clean up okay?" I tell him, and he huffs annoyed but goes to help. I don't even know what they're cleaning up since this room is always spotless.

"Bub, it's time to wake up." I say gently running my hand through his curls. He wrinkles his nose, before bringing his hand up to rub his eyes. His eyes focus on me and I see the tears welling up, and his lip quivering. He wraps his arms around me tightly, crying, and I hold him, letting him cry it out like Spencer. "You're okay, it was just an accident, and accidents can happen to anyone right?" I say rubbing his back. "M'sorry." He whispers to me. "Nothing to be sorry for bub, but I'm sorry I forgot to make sure you had a pull up on. I should've made sure before we left for school." I tell him. "I-I didn't feel it!" He says still crying. "You didn't feel when you had to go? Or when it happened?" I ask him. "B-both!" He cries out. "That's okay bub, remember what the doctor said? She said that sometimes you might not feel it, but nothings wrong with that okay? Now c'mon let's get you into these pants, and then we can go home and have a bath." I say holding up the pair I brought from the car, and helping him off the medical bed he was laying on. He holds onto my shoulders as I slip the pants up his legs. "Ready?" I say holding my hand out for him, but he reaches up with both arms wanting to be held. I pick him up with ease, and he lays his head on my shoulder, still sniffling every so often. I need to check the calendar, I know he's got an ultrasound coming up to see if the anything is improving to help stop the accidents he's having, the last appointment was about 2 months ago.

"C'mon you two." I say to Spencer and Alex, holding my hand out for Spencer since we'll be having to walk through the parking lot. "Alex stay—" i start but he cuts me off. "Close, I know." He says standing on my right. "Hunt, let me know if I can do anything okay? I can come over and cook this weekend or even just help with laundry." Aaron's mom says and I nod thanking her, and tell her I'll call her if we need anything, and then we head to the office so I can sign the three of them out. "Have a good weekend, we'll see you three Monday." The secretary says as we leave. Spencer tries to run ahead, but I have a good grip on his hand because I know he's always been the one to run off. "I want to sit up front!" He says and I roll my eyes when Alex claims he gets to sit up front since he's older. "But you got in trouble! You can't sit up front if you're gonna get punished!" Spencer says back to him. "But I'm not! I'm not in trouble right Hunter? Am I gonna get punished? Do I have to go in time out? I didn't mean to be bad! I'm sorry!" Alex says quickly, as I buckle Reid into his booster seat. (Guys he's tiny, like Noah, but Spencer also has a booster seat right now too). "No ones sitting up front, my backpack and laptop are in the passenger seat, and Spencer you need to sit in your booster, that can't go up front, you know that. And as part of your punishment you don't get to sit up front okay? I know you were protecting them, but you still pushed someone, so yea you still get punished, just not as severely as you would've if you hit someone for no reason." I say getting scoffs and dramatic sighs from both of them.

"But if he wasn't in trouble, he could've sat in front?" Spencer says and I sigh. "That's not fair! Why can he sit there but not me? I don't even need a booster seat!" He continues. "Spence, when you grow a little taller and gain some weight, then you could sit up front okay." I say but he snorts. "Did you just call Alex fat?" He says bursting into giggles. I roll my eyes but turn to Alex. "No I didn't call him fat, Alex you're not fat okay." I explain, trying not to lose my shit right now, but Alex scoffs at me. "Of course I'm not fat! I've played so many sports this year, all I have is muscles, unlike Spencer who still has some baby fat!" He says and I close my eyes, knowing a fight is coming. "I do not! Only Reid has baby fat, not me!" Spencer yells angrily. "No I don't!" Reid says back quietly frowning, and before I can say something, Spencer argues back that Reid does have baby fat, while Alex worriedly tells Reid he doesn't. Reid is still pretty tiny, but he gained some weight from being fed through a tube after the crash, he didn't lose that weight even now, and I know he hates his tummy and cheeks, and I really need Spencer to shut up right now. "If Reid has baby fat, then how come you're bigger than him!" Alex says back and I honestly don't even know where to jump in to stop this nonsense. "Because-because he's miniature!" Spencer says finally getting fed up with this argument. "Can you even spell miniature?" Alex scoffs. Oh my god seriously? "Shut up!" Spencer yells, and I sigh. "Okay everyone shut up! Spencer you can't sit in front because it's literally against the law okay? I'd go to jail if you sat up front, and we don't want that right? None of you guys have baby fat, and you don't need to know how to spell miniature right now okay?" I say finally getting a chance to speak between all of them. "Now is everyone ready to go home?" I ask once we're all settled. Getting the "ready!" from each of them, I pull out of the parking lot and head home.

I know this story takes place almost a year after they lost their parents, but they're still struggling and I can't 😭 they're all babies and I just want to hug them all lol. Anyways we get to see 18 year old Nick, 17 year old Atlas and 10 year old Sebastian next chapter so yay

May xx