My Delinquent Brother

After ten years apart, I texted my estranged twin brother, only to find out he turned into a bleach-blonde degenerate.

[Dinner tonight?]

He fired back an audio message. His tone dragged with that deep, lazy vocal fry of a classic American fuckboy. Which one of my girls is this?

[ ? ]

Seriously? Just how many girls did this guy actually keep around?

Chapter 1

Maddox and I were twins. Boy and girl.

When we were seven, our parents' marriage imploded. It was the kind of messy, toxic divorce where they refused to ever breathe the same air again. Mom took me. Dad got custody of my brother.

Fast forward ten years. Mom's business took off. To boost my chances for the Ivy League, she transferred me back to this elite prep school right in the heart of the wealthy district.

Mom still thought about the son she hadn't seen in a decade. After pulling some strings, she finally tracked down his number. She forwarded his contact to me, hoping we could reconnect.

Finding out my brother went to the exact same high school? I immediately sent him a friend request. I hit add in the morning, but the guy didn't accept it until late afternoon.

The second my screen lit up with the notification, I shot him a text.

[Dinner tonight?]

Sure, we shared DNA, but we were basically strangers now. I figured we had to start somewhere. Back in the day, we were inseparable. When Mom packed me into the car to leave, all three of us bawled our eyes out.

Maddox even begged them not to split us up, promising he'd earn money to take care of his little sister.

A decade is a long time. I couldn't even picture his face anymore. We used to look so much alike.

My phone buzzed. An audio message.

I tapped play. His voice dragged with that deep, lazy vocal fry of a classic American fuckboy. "Which one of my girls is this?"

[ ? ]

Seriously? Just how many girls did he have?

I stared at the screen. Did our dad secretly father a bunch of half-sisters over the years?

Before I could type a reply, a location pin dropped in the chat. Another audio clip followed. "If you want to grab a bite, come find me here."

I checked the map. It was right near the campus. Hearing Maddox's voice after ten years felt surreal. He sounded like a complete stranger.

It was like his entire personality had been swapped out.

I followed the GPS tracker on my phone. School just let out, and the route dragged me further away from the main streets. As I rounded a corner, I brushed past two guys wearing the same prep school blazer. They were laughing.

"Maddox went to corner that bastard, Kian. That guy thinks he's untouchable just because he gets straight A's in his AP classes. He totally blew off Maddox's girl. Our cheerleader cried her makeup off, and Maddox swore he's gonna make him pay."

"Kian rejected Skylar? Are you kidding me? How insanely high are his standards?"

"Who knows. These nerd types only care about their GPAs. Skylar has terrible taste for going after a bookworm. Maddox is way better.

She rejects him, and he still treats her like a princess, buying her gifts non-stop. If I were a chick, I'd drop my panties for him in a heartbeat."

"Yeah, keep dreaming, loser."

I caught the whole exchange as they walked by. My lips twitched. Princess treatment? That sounded like a total simp.

I kept walking, keeping my eyes on my screen as I typed.

[Almost there. Where are you?]

A voice suddenly broke through the street noise. "I'm heading out, Kian. Get home safe."

That name instantly sparked recognition. I snapped my head up.

At the intersection, one guy pedaled away on a bike. The other guy stayed behind. He slung his backpack over one shoulder. He wore the same prep school uniform, walking with a slow, unbothered rhythm.

He was heading in my exact direction.

I caught his profile. Clean-cut dark hair, sharp jawline. His uniform looked crisp and perfectly ironed. He looked like he walked straight out of a high-end fashion editorial, completely out of place on this gritty sidewalk.

He grabbed your attention the second you looked at him.

Right. Just straight A's in his AP classes.

Our cheerleader definitely wasn't crying over his test scores.

Chapter 2

I admit it. I am a visual creature. The second I got a good look at his face, my moral compass shattered and tilted in his favor. There was no way I was going to stand by and watch a guy this hot get cornered by some random campus bully.

I swallowed my hesitation and quickened my pace to catch up to him.

"Kian," I called out.

He stopped and turned to look at me. His eyes gave absolutely nothing away. He probably realized he had zero clue who I was, so he just stood there, waiting for me to get to the point.

"I just overheard some guys planning to jump you. You might want to take a different route," I offered, trying to sound as genuine as possible.

Kian just stared at me for a few long seconds. "Thanks," he finally said. "But you're a little late."

[ ? ]

He tipped his chin toward the street. I naturally followed his gaze.

Just down the block was a run-down skate park. A group of guys in leather jackets and hoodies loitered around the concrete ramps. Standing dead center was a guy with bleach-blonde hair. That bright, unnatural blonde practically burned my retinas.

He wore a distressed moto jacket, a black cross stud pierced his ear, and a thick silver Cuban link chain flashed around his neck. He looked like a textbook street-punk.

My eyes locked onto his face, and my boots glued to the pavement. Twins share a weird, telepathic connection.

The absolute second I saw him, I knew exactly who it was.

The sky basically caved in.

Ten years apart, and my brother turned into a bleach-blonde delinquent.

The delinquent opened his mouth and let out a mocking laugh. "Well, look who it is. Kian. Didn't you say you were too focused on academics for a girlfriend? Who's the chick? Guess the golden boy is just full of crap."

Clearly, the idiot didn't recognize me.

But one of his lackeys chimed in. "Maddox, I bet Kian just uses those straight A's and that face to trick stupid girls. This chick is cute enough, but she doesn't hold a candle to Skylar."

"Even the good boy wants some action, huh?"

Another guy squinted at me. "Hey Maddox, doesn't she kinda look like you?"

My expression flatlined. Who looks like him? I was ready to unilaterally terminate our bloodline right then and there.

Kian watched the group slowly swagger toward us. His expression remained totally flat. Next to their over-the-top posturing, his absolute indifference felt incredibly arrogant.

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "This has nothing to do with you. Get out of here."

Actually, it had everything to do with me. I wanted to see exactly what kind of stunt they were trying to pull.

Maddox, the bleach-blonde terror, my older brother by exactly five minutes, stopped right in front of us. He wore a face that looked vaguely like mine, twisted into a cocky, punchable sneer.

"Wow," he whistled. "Your girl has some guts, Kian. She's actually sticking around."

Before the guy standing next to me could even open his mouth, I crossed my arms over my chest. I stared directly into Maddox's eyes. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Just a few minutes ago, I never would have guessed the Maddox everyone was gossiping about was my own brother.

Chapter 3

My bleach-blonde brother still hadn't figured out who I was. Seeing me step in front of Kian, he shifted his focus.

"You're really gonna hide behind a girl, Kian? Aren't you worried about your reputation?"

Kian spoke up from behind me. "Did you need something?"

"Nothing major," Maddox scoffed. "You just rejected my girl yesterday, and today I catch you hanging around with some other chick. You've got a girlfriend but don't have the guts to admit it. What kind of man is that?"

He crossed his arms. "Here's the deal. You go apologize to Skylar. Tell her you're not good enough for her, and I'll let this slide."

Seriously. How many girls did this guy actually have?

"No." The crisp voice cut through the air.

Kian didn't have the bleach-blonde hair or the leather jacket, but his presence was suffocatingly heavy.

"You're really asking for it, aren't you?" Maddox lunged forward.

Kian simply pointed a finger at the streetlamp overhead. "Maddox, they just installed that security camera. It definitely works. If it catches you doing something stupid, on top of your massive pile of unexcused absences and tardies, the school might actually expel you this time."

Excuse me? He bleached his hair, got piercings, cornered students in alleys, and skipped class? His GPA had to be absolute garbage. How exactly had my dad raised him?

What did Mom tell me right before her business trip? Bond with your brother. Could I just pretend she only gave birth to one kid?

Maddox glared at the shiny new lens. He gritted his teeth. "I've been sick of your crap for a long time, Kian. You were the one playing Hall Monitor and busting everyone for being late back in ninth and tenth grade."

Kian tilted his head. "Is there a problem with that?"

It sounded like these two had miles of bad blood between them.

Maddox waved a hand, totally giving up on the confrontation. "Just get out of here."

One of his lackeys stared at him. "Maddox, we're just gonna let him walk?"

"What else do you want to do?" Maddox snapped, his voice sharp with irritation. "Beat him half to death so we all end up in a jail cell? Be my guest, do it yourself."

The lackey shut his mouth.

Kian didn't waste a second. He turned and started walking away.

He barely took two steps before Maddox barked at him. "Kian, are you even a man? You're really gonna leave your girl behind?"

What?

Kian glanced back at me. I had no idea what was running through his head, but he asked with perfect politeness. "Coming?"

I shook my head. With that, he actually just left.

The bleach-blonde delinquent standing in front of me eyed me up and down. He let out a string of curses. "What is wrong with you girls? What do you even see in a guy like that?"

I forced a polite smile, grinding my teeth together. "Maddox, we have plans to get dinner."

The second the words left my mouth, he stumbled a massive step back. "Who the hell are you? Watch your mouth. Who are you calling your brother?"

Perfect. It looked like Maddox was completely on board with terminating our sibling relationship too.

I clung to the absolute last shred of my patience. "Why don't you check your phone? You dropped a pin and told me to come find you."

His lackey started laughing. "Damn, Maddox. This chick actually came here for you? She's not Kian's girl?"

"Shut up!" Maddox shoved the guy's shoulder before staring at me. "You're the girl who added me today? What's your name?"

I kept the bright, artificial smile plastered on my face. "Why don't you check the note on the friend request?"

Chapter 4

My bleach-blonde brother actually looked down to check his phone. He muttered my name under his breath. "Maeve, who the hell is that?"

His lackey kept running his mouth. "Damn Maddox, you pull girls out of nowhere. I swear she's just as hot as Skylar"

Maddox finally looked up at me. I gave him a smile that absolutely did not reach my eyes.

He mumbled my name a couple more times. It sounded familiar to him, but the connection just wasn't clicking.

His lackey was still hyping up the situation.

Maddox suddenly repeated my name, the syllables finally locking into place. "Maeve Maeve?"

Pure shock flooded his eyes. He slammed a hand over his lackey's mouth to shut him up.

Ten minutes later, Maddox and I sat across from each other in a red leather booth at a retro diner near campus. He stared blankly across the table. His brain clearly couldn't process the fact that the sister he hadn't seen in a decade was suddenly sitting right in front of him.

"So, you actually came looking for me. Bumping into Kian was just a total accident?"

I nodded. "I don't know the guy."

Maddox let out a heavy breath. "Good."

Ten years apart really does a number on a relationship. That massive gap of time turned twin siblings into complete strangers.

Maddox didn't speak again until our food hit the table. "I had no idea you transferred here. Mom didn't tell me."

"Mom is on a business trip. She'll be back in a while, so she just didn't get the chance to let you know. I needed to build up my extracurriculars and academics for my Ivy League applications, so coming back here made the most sense."

I stared across the table. His bleach-blonde hair practically burned my retinas.

"Does this elite prep school actually allow bleaching and piercings?" I finally asked, unable to hold it back anymore.

"The dress code says no," Maddox shrugged.

I raised an eyebrow.

"But the rules don't apply to me." Maddox leaned back in the booth, completely unbothered. "I'm just putting some color on my own head. If they actually expel me over it, that would at least be entertaining."

"Why wouldn't they expel you?"

Maddox let out a sharp, cynical laugh. "Victor, our biological father, donated a multi-million-dollar indoor gymnasium to the school. Most people here don't know I'm related to him, but the headmaster definitely does. As long as I don't burn the school down, they don't have the guts to kick me out."

"You and Dad don't get along?"

"He's got his work, what does he need a son for?" Maddox grabbed a fry. "You're lucky you didn't end up with him."

Oh. Since we were already on the subject, I figured I might as well push my luck.

"By the way, did Dad get remarried and have more kids? Do we have other sisters running around?" How else could he have forgotten which sister I was earlier?

The smug indifference on my brother's face finally cracked. He shifted awkwardly in his seat. "No."

Before I could dig any deeper, Maddox forcefully changed the subject. "What homeroom are you in anyway?"

"Class Three."

Mom knew the counselor for Class Three, pulled some strings, and got me a spot.

"Alright. Since you're on my turf now, come find me in Class Eight if you ever need anything. I've got your back."

Watching a bleach-blonde delinquent seriously promise to protect me was the most surreal thing I'd ever witnessed. But he was my brother. I decided to just let it slide.

Our little diner meet-up really was just a surface-level catch-up session. We swapped basic details about the last ten years. I wanted to pry the truth out of him. I needed to know exactly how his relationship with Victor got so radioactive.

But Maddox kept his mouth completely shut.

Chapter 5

I transferred in about three weeks after the semester started. The paperwork was a nightmare, completely stalling my enrollment. My old school desperately tried to keep me, but Mom's consulting gigs kept us constantly moving. Securing my spot in this district for college applications took some serious maneuvering.

Barely a few days into classes, midterm exams hit. Three straight days of testing left everyone's brains fried to a crisp.

When the report cards finally dropped, my homeroom seatmate, Phoebe, let out an ear-piercing shriek. "Maeve, are you a freak? You got a perfect score in AP Calculus?"

She had sneaked into the faculty lounge to check the grades early. That one scream snapped the entire classroom's attention straight to my desk.

"Wait, someone in our class aced AP Calc?"

Our math teacher stood at the podium with a massive grin and officially announced my score. The reality finally sank in for the rest of the class. By the time the afternoon bell rang, practically the entire senior class knew the new transfer student's name.

I stood in front of the freshly printed GPA Honor Roll board. My name sat dead center at the absolute top. Total satisfaction washed over me.

Whispers drifted from the crowd behind me.

"Who the hell is Maeve? How did she beat Kian's score? I've never even heard of her. Did she cheat?"

"No way, I asked around Class Three. She's a transfer, just got here."

"Damn, she's that much of a beast?"

I shifted my gaze to the number two spot. Kian. He trailed me by just a fraction of a point. The guy definitely had the brains.

A loud commotion broke through the chatter.

"Yo, the midterm Honor Roll is up? Maddox, let's check it out."

A painfully familiar voice dragged out a response. "What's the point? It's the same nerds every single time."

"Come on, let's just see where our girl Skylar ranked this time."

I glanced over my shoulder. That blinding bleach-blonde hair stuck out instantly. Maddox didn't bother shoving his way to the board, but his lackey squeezed right to the front.

I had just pushed my way out of the crowd when Maddox spotted me.

"Checking the rankings too?" he asked. "What did you get? Where are you at?"

My bleach-blonde brother, attempting to show some actual sibling concern.

"Maddox, Skylar hit the top thirty this time!"

Before I could even open my mouth, the lackey wiggled his way back to us.

I watched my biological brother puff his chest out with second-hand pride. He looked right at me. "I've got a friend with some seriously solid grades. I can introduce you guys when you have time. Maybe she can tutor you a bit?"

The lackey didn't miss a beat before dropping his next bomb. "Maddox, Kian that bastard didn't get first place this time. Someone else took it. Some girl named Maeve. Never heard of her."

"Really? Golden boy finally took a hit" Maddox ran a hand through his hair. A cocky, villainous smirk started stretching across his face before freezing completely dead. "Wait. Who did you say took first?"

The lackey scratched his head, totally oblivious. "Named Maeve. I'm guessing it's a chick?"

Maddox snapped his neck toward me, his eyes practically bugging out of his skull. "You?"

I met his stare head-on, completely unbothered. "Me."

A new wave of hushed whispers suddenly rippled through the crowd nearby. I caught sight of the main character from their gossip stepping up to the board. Kian skimmed the rankings, completely deadpan, and turned to walk away.

Chapter 6

"Kian." Maddox suddenly called out to him.

Kian stopped and looked over. His gaze swept past the group, landing on me for maybe a single second. "You need something?"

I watched helplessly as my brother flashed a full-blown villainous smirk. "Well, well. Looks like someone snatched your crown this time. Guess there's always a bigger fish, huh?"

He clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder, practically vibrating with smug pride as he flaunted me to his rival. "Take a good look at your new competition. The number one spot on the midterm."

Kian's eyes locked onto my face. And it wasn't just himevery single person around the board turned to stare at me.

In that exact moment, I felt like a zoo animal on display