Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 10: The Betrayal

Ugh, as the stupid alarm blared, I groaned and dragged myself out of bed, resisting the strong urge to slam the dumb clock into oblivion. It's 5:00 in the morning, and everything outside is pitch black. Seriously, who even invented this unholy hour?

I squinted at the darkness and muttered, "Today is gonna be the longest day ever," with an eye roll that practically shouted Monday blues. Like, who starts their week at 5:00 a.m.? It's a crime against teenagers, you know?
But, like, of course, I had to drag myself outta bed in the morning, even though school's a torture chamber at 8 AM. I still have to hustle for classes, shower off the sleep, stuff my soccer gear for practice later, and whip up my brekkie and lunch. 'Cause, you know, Mom and Dad are all about pampering my older bro, Rudra.

It took me forever to sort out my stuff and get clean, and then I finally trudged downstairs.

And there it was, like a total nightmare come alive: my big bro, struggling to slice a sandwich. I cautiously crept closer. "Need a hand?" I offered, feeling kinda sorry for him.

"Nah, I got this," he mumbled, still not looking up. "Um, okay. Can you at least move so I can pack my grub?" I asked, snatching an apple.

"Nope, don't sweat it. I already got you covered," he said, towering over me at a solid 6'5. I choked on my apple, and he whacked my back. I wheezed, eyes watering.

"You packed MY lunch?" I blurted out. Seriously, what a way to start a Monday-my bro, who barely acknowledges me, suddenly playing lunch fairy? Mind blown, I thought.

"Okay... thanks, I guess?" I muttered, grabbing the bag he'd "packed" and heading for the garage to grab my bike. "Oh, and yeah, I'm your chauffeur today," he announced.

"Um, nope, I'm good. I can ride," I declined, brushing off his offer.

"Nah, hop in. Car's ready in the driveway," he insisted. His sudden generosity raised my eyebrows. "Dude, what's the catch?" I questioned, puzzled, but I got into the car anyway.

As we cruised, I glanced at him. "You good, bro?" I asked, but he kept his eyes on the road.

"Yeah, why the sudden concern?" he replied, still not meeting my gaze.

"I dunno, maybe 'cause you usually act like I'm invisible, soaking up all the parental glory?" I quipped with a shrug.

He drove in silence until we hit my high school. Pulling up, he turned to me. "Look, I know we're not tight, but I'm still your older brother. It's my duty," he said, flashing a grin before mussing my hair playfully.

"Rudra! I just fixed my hair for 15 minutes, now it's ruined," I grumbled, landing a playful punch on his arm as he chuckled before I exited the car.

Stepping into school, I couldn't shake the feeling: Why the sudden brotherly love today? Was he trying to butter me up for something? Nah, he had everything I owned and then some.

I strolled into my first period, Biology, and settled into my seat. Madison, my partner, was a no-show, so I resorted to adorning the back of my notebook with cute doodles. Our teacher, the ever-amazing Ms. Evelyn Waters, strolled in. She was my absolute favorite.

"Listen up, class," she began. "We've got a presentation coming up. It's a big chunk of your grade, so buckle up. The topic? Medicinal properties of herbs and their value."

Biology was my jam, and Ms. Waters and I were tight, though we kept it professional, of course.

Someone piped up, "When's it due? Can we work after school?"

Ms. Waters beamed. "Feel free to collaborate after school. The project's due in 2 weeks." With that settled, she dove into the day's lesson on plants.

The bell rang, and there came Grayson, Madison's big bro, strutting down the hall with his crew. "Hey Grayson, where's Maddie at today?" I called out.

"She's got a killer headache, crashed out at home. What's up?" he replied, signaling his buddies to hold up.

"Could you text her? We've got that bio project," I said, popping open my locker.

"No doubt, anything for you and Maddie," he nodded, sliding up next to me. "Oh, and tell her to meet me at the cafe near the mall. They've got bomb lattes," I added.

"Hey, you free this Friday?" Grayson leaned in. "Thought we could hit the cafe. I'm new to the scene, and we gotta grind on history and government. Your exams are creeping up, right?"

I thought for a second and shrugged. "Yeah, we can hang. But if I don't pull an A, Maddie's gonna give you an earful," I teased, flashing a grin.

"We'll turn that A- into an A+, no sweat. But hey, keep it on the down low. Maddie's a firecracker," Grayson chuckled, taking it in stride.

"Deal. See you Friday," he confirmed. I flipped out my chemistry books as he strolled off. "Yup, catch you later," I called after him, diving into my studies.

Finally, lunchtime rescue after surviving through chem, English, and history. Sliding into our usual spot with Madhu, Geeta, Arnav, and Shivansh.

"Yo, spill the tea! Grayson Williams asked you out?" Arnav whispered, leaning in like he's got the hottest scoop.

I paused mid-bite of Rudra's epic sandwich (seriously tasty). "How'd you find out?" I prodded, intrigued.

"Well, Grayson's our dude, and he looked stoked spilling the deets," Arnav spilled.

"Not a date, just tutoring. You know I tank in history and gov," I clarified, diving into my surprisingly delish salad.

"But what about Pragyan? He asked you to the dance," Shivansh chimed in, stirring the pot.

"But Pragyan's cool with it, right?" I countered, arching an eyebrow.

"Nah, he's steaming. Went silent and practically chucked his books," Arnav said, dead serious.

"He needs to chill. Grayson's just being a homie, helping me out like a big bro," I shrugged, hoping Pragyan would get it soon. No need for drama over tutoring sessions.

Pragyan finally showed up, giving me the iciest shoulder ever, like I was invisible or something. "Pragyan, seriously, you need to chill," I tried to reason, but he just stared at me with those frosty eyes.

"Yeah, right. Like I'm supposed to chill when my dance date gets poached for the first time in high school," he spat out, his words slicing through the air like daggers, hitting right where it hurts, mocking my nonexistent dating life.

"Hey, I get you're upset, but he's just tutoring-" I started, the hurt creeping into my voice.

"Yeah, 'just tutoring' because your brain can't wrap around history and government," he sneered, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Um, okay, but hey, I'm still your dance date," I tried to keep it together, but the hurt and tears were right there, threatening to spill over.

"Not anymore. You can go kick balls at your soccer match while I hang with Ishani," he spat, the venom dripping from every word.

Both me and Arnav spoke at the same time, disbelief coloring our voices. "You've gotta be kidding," I whispered, while Arnav echoed, "With my sister?" The drama was off the charts, and I couldn't believe it was happening.

"No, I'm dead serious, Kiran. Just serving you a taste of your own bitter medicine. That's what happens when you mess with me," Pragyan's voice cut through the air like a knife, cold and unfamiliar.

"You can't just ditch Kiran, man. Not cool, not even if it's my sister you're with," Arnav whispered, his horror palpable.

"Well, she's got Grayson for company, so why not?" Pragyan sneered back.

"Grayson Williams is my tutor and Rudra's best friend, and if you wanted, you could've asked-" I started, but Pragyan cut me off.

"Not interested," he smirked, his words like a slap to my face, anger bubbling up, tears threatening to spill.

"Fine then... have fun with Ishani and the others," I spat, getting up to leave. Right then, Pragyan stood and walked over to Ishani, hugging her in front of us. She looked surprised at first, then blushed, kissed him on the cheek.

The color drained from my face, and the warmth vanished. Grabbing my lunch bag, I bolted out, running blindly until I found my sanctuary, the library. It was the only place I could find solace amidst the chaos of teenage drama.