Confusion

A few days passed, and I still hadn’t been able to talk to my brother. I don’t know why, but it’s like he’s avoiding me. More like avoiding the talk, I think, rolling my eyes.

Finally, I hear the front door opening. I rush down the stairs but stop when I notice that Seb’s not alone: an attractive guy of about Seb’s age is standing just outside the door, slightly shuffling his feet like he was nervous.

Now, I know that eavesdropping is not right, but I want to know who this person is and what’s his business with my brother.

“So I’ll see you tonight?” said the stranger with a hopeful look in his eyes.

“Ehm, yeah, sure Brent.” I could tell that Seb wasn’t all that excited to be meeting with this guy, and for some reason that made me slightly happier.

“Ok, it’s a date then.”

… A what?!?! Isn’t my brother straight?!?! Oh my god, I’m so freaking confused right now. I’ve never even considered the possibility of my brother being gay, or bi, or anything in between. I mean, yeah, sure, he hasn’t been on a date in a while, but when he did go on dates I remember them being always girls.

“Bye, Brent.” Seb closed the door and leaned against it, sighing. He closed his eyes and repeatedly hit his head against the door.

I made my way down the stairs, and being as quite and stealth-like as possible I threw myself against him screaming my head off, “AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! ATTACK!!!!!”

Seb, startled beyond belief, caught me in his arms and basically screamed like a girl. When he calmed down a bit, he looked at me like I was crazy.

“And might you tell me just what in god’s name you’re doing?”

“… I just wanted to say hi,” I said, sporting my best puppy-dog pout.

Rolling his eyes he pushed me away from him and started making his way towards his bedroom. I started to follow him, but Seb turned around and said, “I have work to do Ty, find something else to do and please don’t bother me.”

I was shocked.

Never, in my whole entire life, has my brother treated me so rudely. I know that sometimes I could be annoying, but he’s always been really nice and gentle with me, always defending me from our parents’ harsh words even when I deserved them.

I didn’t understand. What did I do?

If anything, I should be the one mad at him for avoiding me all this time. But I can’t, because he’s my brother and I love him immensely.

I wish he would tell me what the problem is, maybe I could fix it, fix and change myself if he needed me to.

I just don’t want to be ignored.

***

The following week, Seb continued ignoring me.

I was becoming more and more depressed, and most of all, lonely. Seb knew I didn’t make friends easily, at school I only had one or two, but even then they were only two people I talked to in class to pass the time.

“Tyler, can I talk to you in my office?” I turned around to face my school’s headmaster, Mr. Harland.

I always had a hard time stifling laughs the first few times I had looked at him when I came into this school; he was a short and stout man, with a balding spot the size of a fist that reflected light perfectly on his round head. He had a small face, with small eyes and a round nose that turned up a little at the end, giving the impression of a piggy. Mr. Harland had no fashion sense. At all. His suit was always old and worn out, permanently two inches shorter than what it was supposed to be, like maybe he went to the dry-cleaner's only to have them give it back to him shrunk, giving you a display of his ugly purple socks.

A sight to see, believe me.

“So, Tyler, I would like to congratulate you for being one of this school’s brightest students. For this reason your teachers and I have decided to choose you as the host of the Polish exchange student that’s going to arrive next week. We hope that you’ll find this experience a chance of a lifetime to discover a new culture.”

My eyes got the size of saucers and my mouth went slack.

I couldn’t believe it. They actually chose me!!

“Oh my god, thank you, thank you, thank you!! You won’t regret your decision, sir! I’ll make him feel super welcome, he won’t even want to go home anymore! Thank you!!!” I screamed, bursting so much with happiness that I hugged the poor guy.

As it was the end of the day, I ran home to tell Seb the awesome news. We should celebrate tonight!

“SEB!!! They chose me! They chose me as the host of the Polish student!”

I kept searching for him in the house when I didn’t hear him answer. I searched everywhere, but in the end, I realized that he wasn’t home.

My good mood was ruined to say the least.

I slowly made my way to the living room, quietly sat down and turned on the TV changing the channel to one of my favorite shows, ‘The Big Bang Theory’; this time though, was probably the first time I didn’t fall on the floor laughing my butt off at Sheldon’s antics.

Lowering the volume to a background noise, I sat there sulking.

The only thing I could think of at the moment was that the house had never been so quite before. Seb had always been there cheering me up and being slightly over-protective and affectionate.

But where was he now?