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. 1 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. 2 The walk home was silent. Hayden ignored me completely. That was fine. I could monologue. "So, the Dean came in to check our dress code today, and he walked in the back door and yelled at us for being loud, then walked to the front and praised us for being quiet. It was hilarious..." My laughter echoed in the empty street. Hayden stopped walking. "Can you ever just shut up?" My voice shrank. "Sorry." He sped up, leaving me in the dust. I gathered my courage and jogged after him. "Hayden, can we just talk? I feel like there’s a misunderstanding between us..." He spun around under the streetlight, his face twisted in disgust. "You think I don't see what you're doing?" "Luna, the more you try to suck up to me, the more you make me sick." He walked away. I crouched down on the sidewalk, burying my face in my arms. I couldn't help it. The tears came. My parents divorced when I was tiny. Mom raised me on her own. She gave me everything she could, never missing a birthday no matter how many double shifts she worked. Family meant everything to me. I just wanted to make this work. I didn't want Mom to be caught in the middle of a war. I didn't understand why he hated me so much. After a good cry, I stood up and wiped my face. Maybe Hayden just wasn't a family guy. Maybe he needed space. I can't be so clingy, I told myself. One last try. If this fails, I’m done. 3 The next day, I baked a batch of cupcakes. I packed them in a cute box and went to find Hayden. He was in the student lounge with his basketball team. Hand on the doorknob, I froze when I heard my name. "Yo, Hayden, isn't that girl Luna from Class 3 chasing you? Bringing you breakfast, waiting for you like a puppy?" I stood still. Even his best friends didn't know we were step-siblings? Hayden didn't answer, but someone else chimed in. "Not gonna lie, isn't she your type? Cute, smart, great legs." "Yeah, bro, she's totally into you. With your rizz, you could probably get her into bed with two sentences." "So when are we calling her sister-in-law? Or just a friends-with-benefits situation?" I clenched my fists and quietly pulled out my phone, hitting record. They laughed for a while until Hayden’s cold voice cut through the noise. "Her? Please. She’s disgusting. I wouldn't touch her if she was the last girl on earth." The room erupted in laughter. I stood outside the door, my blood turning to ice. I felt nauseous. Game over. My mom had married into a snake pit. It wasn't that I wasn't trying hard enough. It was that Hayden was a trash human being. Suddenly, all my efforts to please him felt like a bad joke. I wanted to dump the cupcakes in the trash. But I paused. Why waste good food on him? I sat on a bench outside and ate them myself. 4 From that day on, I ghosted Hayden. In the mornings, I left early and stopped for tacos or bagels on the way, no longer chasing his shadow. After school, I hit the street food stalls with my friends, eating corn dogs and loaded fries, coming home only when the streetlights buzzed on. I avoided him like the plague. I still baked, but now the cupcakes went to my friends, who actually appreciated them. My life without Hayden was peaceful. It was perfect. Apparently, Hayden hated seeing me happy. One evening, I was walking up the driveway with a takeout box of spicy wings and cheese curds when he blocked my path. I paused, clutching my food. "...Did you want a wing?" Hopefully not. I only bought a single serving. Hayden stared at the food, his lip curling. "Luna, how old are you? Can you stop stuffing your face with junk and focus on something that matters?" I blinked. The wings were from WingStop. That matters. He continued, "You're technically my sister now. Stop embarrassing me at school." He slammed the front door in my face. Literal insanity. Zero people at school knew we were related. I thought about it for a second. Then I sat on the porch steps and ate my wings while they were still hot. 5 Midterm grades came out. I scored ten points higher than Hayden. He looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. When he saw me in the hall, he did a 180 and walked the other way. Probable cause: Inferiority complex. A few days later, he posted a photo on Instagram. Holding hands with a girl. Caption: [From now on, I only protect you.] The comments were full of people calling her "Sis-in-law." I squinted. It was Hailey, a cheerleader in his grade. I realized those times he made me wait outside his class, he was probably flirting with her. With his GPA? Bold move. I kept scrolling. Suddenly, a text from Hayden: [Check my first post.] I didn't get it. Did he want a like? That’s cringe. But considering the tension, I liked the post and commented "99" (a slang for 'lasting forever') with a rose emoji. He didn't reply. Minutes later, I found out he blocked me. After that, the PDA started. He brought Hailey to the cafeteria every day. Feeding her spoonfuls of mash potatoes. I was horrified. Cafeteria food is barely edible, and they were feeding it to each other like it was gourmet. I stared a little too long. Hayden noticed. He fed her more aggressively. Hailey looked like she was choking.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387062", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel