The Replacement Brother Chapter 1

I always wanted a big brother growing up.

But when my mom remarried, my new stepbrother hated my guts.

He called me clingy, a nuisance, and eventually manipulated our parents into transferring me to the rival high school just to get rid of me.

I left without a fight.

One semester later, when his anger faded and he came to bring me home, he found things had changed.

I had new teachers, new friends, a new life.

And I had a new brother.

* * *

I used to beg my mom for a brother.

She’d look at me, sigh, and say, "That’s a bit tricky, honey. Unless you plan on being reborn."

I’d pout. "Okay, maybe I don't want one that bad."

But then, Mom remarried, and I actually got one.

Hayden was a year older than me, a junior in high school while I was a sophomore.

I was thrilled. He was ice cold. He forbade me from calling him "brother" at school or even acknowledging we lived in the same house.

At first, I thought he was just slow to warm up. Maybe he was struggling with the blended family dynamic.

So, I tried to be the sunshine to his storm cloud.

I waited by the door every morning so we could walk to school together. I blew off my friends to hang out by his classroom after the final bell.

Hayden was always "busy."

He’d make me wait an hour outside his homeroom while he messed around on his phone.

The sun would go down, the janitors would start mopping, and finally, his buddy, the class president, would walk out and look at me with pity.

"Luna? Everyone’s gone. Why are you still here?"

I shifted my weight on my numb legs. "I’m waiting for... Hayden."

"Hayden? Oh, I’ll grab him."

He turned back and yelled into the room, "Yo, Hayden! Quit stalling. Your girl’s waiting."

Through the window, I saw Hayden scowl, sling his backpack over one shoulder, and kick a chair out of his way as he stormed out.

His friend tried to defend me. "Dude, what were you doing in there? Filling out forms? You made Luna wait for an hour."

Hayden didn’t even look at me.

He just walked past, his voice dripping with indifference.

"I didn't ask her to wait."

I forced a smile at his friend. "It’s okay, really. He probably didn't know I was there."

By the time I finished my sentence, Hayden was already down the hall.

I jogged to catch up.

As I passed the trash can near his locker, I saw a familiar flash of colorful foil.

It was the wrapper for the artisan sandwich I’d made him that morning. I’d spent twenty minutes picking out that specific paper.

When he took it this morning, I thought it was a peace offering.

Turns out, he didn't even take a bite. He just trashed it.