Secrets Better Left Unsaid

I

    Alexander sighed as he woke up, groaning slightly as he remembered it was the start of a new term here at Granite Lake College in Westerham. He sat up, stretching out his body before standing to get ready for the morning.  He hardly glanced at his roommate, Oliver, as he passed his sleeping form and entered the bathroom.  Showering quickly, he then dressed before walking back into his dorm room to see that Oliver was now awake and staring at his phone. 
    "Alexander?  What the hell are you doing up?  It's like six in the morning" Oliver asked, looking over at him. 
    "You do realize that breakfast is at six-thirty and that classes start at seven-thirty" Alexander asked, incredulous to the fact that the other boy had not seen the necessity of rising early to ready himself for the day, and the new school year.
    "So?  Don't tell me you're planning on actually getting some studying done before we even have our first class of the year" Oliver asked, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. 
    "No, of course not.  It's not like I'm trying to be successful or anything" Alexander responded while rolling his eyes.
    "Look, we all know you're trying to get into Cambridge and all that, but bro you've got to chill.  I know you barely slept last year and what you're doing isn't healthy" Oliver sighed.
    "And it's not your concern" Alexander snapped slightly. 
    The two of them argued about this constantly.  He knew Oliver was only trying to help but it wasn't his problem, none of it was.  Oliver barely cared about even graduating and to him, what Alexander was doing was insane.  There had been many nights in the previous years in which Alexander just spent the night in the library, worrying little about sleep.  Occasionally he would fall asleep there, but the professor that found him never said anything about it.  There was one that always seemed a bit more concerned than the others, but he had never addressed it.
    "Half of the time last year you never came back to the room after dinner!  Then the times you did, you were always half asleep and rambling to yourself" Oliver said as he stood up.
    "Oliver, I'm fine.  You don't need to worry so much" Alexander sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.  "But, come on.  You have to get ready."
    "And you need to let yourself rest" Oliver retorted.
    "And you need to mind your own business" he snapped before he grabbed his bag and walked out of the dorm room to go to the library before school started.  He wasn't really hungry and decided to skip breakfast.  He knew Oliver would give him shit later on, God that boy acted like his mother, but at the moment he just wanted to be left alone to study. 
    As he walked in, he squeaked suddenly as he ran into something, or more specifically, someone, and fell to the ground.
    "S-Sorry, Professor Hawthorn, I guess I didn't see you there" he said, blushing slightly as he stood up.
    "It's fine, Mr. Faulkner.  Did you not sleep much" Hawthorn asked, concerned as he had often been the one who found him in the library in the previous school years. 
    "I never do, Sir, but you already know that" Alexander said quietly. 
    "Try to get some more sleep this year.  It's your last year before university begins and we both know that if you're not sleeping now, you definitely won't be once you're in Cambridge" he smiled faintly.
    "Yes, Sir" Alexander said before walking further into the library.
    "Mr. Faulkner, I mean it.  Don't let me catch you here at three in the morning" he called after him.
    Alexander just sighed, rolling his eyes as he walked over to the political science section and pulled out a book on American politics before going to sit at one of the tables.  He got lost in the book as he read and nearly missed the bell signaling that the students had to go to their first class.  He got up and quickly left the library and as he did, he nearly got lost in a sea of the other students.  He hurried to his class on American Domestic Policy and sat down just before the late bell rang.
    He sighed as he sat down in the front row of the class, waiting for the Professor to get there.
    "Well would you look at that, Faulkner survived the summer.  Wouldn't have thought you would've made it back this year" a voice said from behind him. 
    "What the bloody hell do you want Berkley" Alexander sighed as he turned around.
    "Just surprised you'd be back, especially after your mummy and daddy disappeared off the coast of Kolkata" he smirked as he watched Alexander still.
    "They were doing charity work, not that your parents would know what that is" Alexander replied coldly.
    "My parents know very well what charity work is, and they didn't leave their child to become a charity case" Liam smirked.
    "Go to hell" Alexander hissed as someone cleared their voice from in front of his desk.
    "Is there a reason you are used profanity in my classroom, Mr. Faulkner" Professor Atkins asked .
    Alexander sighed as he turned around and said, "Not particularly, Sir, other than the fact that Mr. Berkley insulted my deceased parents."
    "Is that true, Mr Berkley" he snapped at Liam. 
    "Not at all, Sir!  He's making it up" Liam said quickly.
    "Mr. Faulkner, care to explain why you would make such an accusation up" he asked coldly.
    "Sir, in all of my time here I have not lied to any of you so why would I start now" Alexander asked tiredly.
    "While you are correct, you still have used profanity.  The both of you will serve detention tonight" he said and turned back to the board.
    Alexander just sighed, frustrated as he tried to pay attention to the lesson.  It seemed that American politics were quite intricate and that a lot of what went on over there had a lot to do with their two main parties.  Which seemed absurd to him, but at the very least it would make the class a bit easier. 
    As the bell rang, he got up and hurried to his next class of the day, which just so happened to be Latin.
    When he walked in it seemed that the other students had heard about his exchange with Berkley as they were whispering about it as he sat down.
    "Alexander, are you alright" Oliver whispered to him as he sat down.
    "I'm fine, just frustrated.  It seems I can't win though I suppose it shouldn't surprise me with Atkins" he sighed as he pulled out his notebook. 
    "Mate, I heard what he said about your parents.  I'm sorry, I guess you're worried about supporting your little brother" Oliver sighed.
    "They left me enough money to be able to do that, but I have no idea how I'm going to pay for university and his tuition here, plus be able to feed him over the summer months" he sighed before saying, "That's why I have to work so much harder this year.  I'm hoping for a full ride but it's so unlikely."
    "Mr. Faulkner, can I speak to you after class" Professor Hawthorn said from where he was behind his desk.
    Alexander just nodded and watched as Hawthorn got up and began handing out books to them all.
    "Alright students, we will be reading The Aeneid by Virigil this week and then writing an emulation of any one of the books, due next Friday, and yes before any of you ask.  I do require it to be in Latin" Hawthorn said as he stood in front of them all.
    Alexander just nodded as he wrote that into his planner for his studying that evening.  He was already exhausted thinking about it but it wasn't anything a strong cup of tea couldn't fix.  As the bell rang he got up and went to leave with the others when Hawthorn stopped him.
    "Mr. Faulkner, do you have a minute" Hawthorn asked him.
    "What is it, Sir" Alexander asked him.
    "I heard about what happened in Professor Atkins class.  Is it true" he asked tentatively. 
    "The untimely deaths of my parents or the fact that for the first time in the entirety of my school career that I have received detention" Alexander asked sarcastically. 
    "Both" he asked, smiling slightly.
    "Yes, they are both true" Alexander sighed as he ran his hand through his hair.
    "I'm sorry to hear about your parents" he said gently.
    "At the very least, they died doing what they loved" Alexander said, forcing a smile.
    "You don't have to pretend to be okay, Mr. Faulkner.  Are you your brother's legal guardian now" he asked.
    "Yes, I am" Alexander sighed.
    "If either of you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask me" he offered.
    "They left us a considerable amount of money in inheritance and I've since sold the manor and moved into a smaller flat in London.  We should be able to survive and I plan on getting a job over the summer and while I'm in university" Alexander explained.
    "You're going to make yourself sick if you're not careful" he sighed.
    "You too?  God, you sound like Oliver" Alexander sighed.
    "We're worried.  You're not taking care of yourself properly" he shot back.
    "I'll be fine, Sir" Alexander said quietly.
    "Clearly, I'm not going to win this argument.  You can go to your next class.  Don't let me catch you in the library tonight" Hawthorn warned.
    "Yes, Sir" Alexander said and walked out of the room quickly.
    Why couldn't they just leave him be?  He had to make it.  If not for himself, then for his brother Brendan. 
    The rest of the day passed virtually uneventful and as he was about to head to the library, he remembered suddenly that he had detention. 
    "Bloody hell" he thought to himself as he ran to Atkins' room. 
    "You're late, Mr. Faulkner" Atkins said tightly as Alexander walked into the classroom. 
    "My apologies, Sir, I had forgotten" Alexander replied coldly.
    "Don't take that tone with me, not unless you want more detentions" Atkins replied.
    "Yes, Sir.  What is it that you want me to do" he asked.
    "Organize the seventh years' books by number and date of publication.  They made quite the mess earlier and did not bother to fix it themselves" he ordered before going back to grading papers. 
    Alexander just nodded and sorted the books quickly, all the while getting more agitated that he wasn't in the library.  When he did finally finish sorting the books it was nearly nine-thirty. He stood up and walked over to Atkins' desk.
    "You're free to go, and next time let's keep the profanity to a minimum in my classroom" he said coldly, not even looking up from his grading.
    Alexander walked out and down the hall, towards the library.  There was only a few lights on at this hour and he went over to one of the cubicles where he sat down and pulled out his notebooks.  As the night passed, he copied over his notes so that they would be neater and easier to study from later on.  After he read the entirety of his copy of The Aeneid, taking notes as he read of how it was structured and possible themes he could use to emulate the piece. 
    Around two in the morning he began to fall asleep and he must not have realized it as he passed out. 
    It happened to be Hawthorn's night to do watch in order to make certain that no students were out of bed at such a late hour when he decided to wander into the library.  It was nearly three o'clock in the morning and he couldn't imagine any of them would be out, well except for one.  He sighed to himself seeing the only light in the entire library coming from one of the cubicles.  As he approached he saw Alexander sleeping there, book still in hand, slumped over a notebook. 
    "Alexander" Hawthorn said gently as he shook the boy' shoulder. 
    Almost instantly the boy snapped awake and nearly fell out of his chair. 
    "Oh, sorry, Sir.  I must have fallen asleep" Alexander sighed as he rubbed his eyes. 
    "Alexander, go to bed.  This isn't due for nearly a week" he sighed.
    "But, Sir, I'm fine" Alexander protested. 
    "That wasn't a request.  It is nearly three in the morning and you're here doing work that isn't due for another week.  Go back to your dorm and go to bed" he insisted. 
    Seeing that it was a useless fight, as it was nearly every night, Alexander stood up and after packing his bag, he followed Hawthorn out of the library.
    "I thought we agreed earlier that you wouldn't do this this year" he asked.
    "If I don't study like I do now, Sir, I'll fall behind and I won't be able to help my brother later on" Alexander sighed as they stopped outside of one of the residence halls, his being Canterbard.
    "Alexander, you'd be fine if you never studied again.  You need sleep.  You can't take care of Brendan if you're sick" he retorted.
    He just nodded and went inside the residence hall.
    "Goodnight, Alexander" Hawthorn said as he shut the door.
    Alexander barely made it up the stairs to his dorm where he passed out as soon as he got in the room, just barely having shut the door.  He knew deep down that Professor Hawthorn was right, even though he'd never admit it.  The problem arose from the fact that he had never known anything different, and working like this gave him the distraction he needed from his life outside of school.