Author's Note: To the person who made me sit on my butt and actually write it on time, thanks!

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12 years later...

"Tomas, watch out!"

His brother yelled as a football went on a collision course straight to Tomas's head.

Tomas took it in stride. Smirking, he caught the ball without missing a step. By all means, this was not his first rodeo.

"Wow. I didn't know your younger brother had skills. Man. What is he? Like 3 years younger than you?", a muscular guy in a college jersey asked Tomas's older brother.

"Five," Tomas replied as the other guy looked up at him perplexed. Taller in stature than he had presumed from a distance.

He clarified, saying, "He's five years older than me."

Tomas's brother grinned, came up to Tomas and slapped him on the back whilst whispering into his ear, "You don't have to tell people that, do you? The ladies are always hot for younger guys."

"Only because you're after cougars," Tomas taunted and his brother began to berate him with a barrage of light punches.

"Break it up you two, we still have a game to play!", yelled a blond college student with nothing better to do than major in art.

Why throw away your money on a useless degree?  Tomas thought to himself.

"Alright. Brother, do I have your permission?" Tomas's brother even raised his eyebrows, making Tomas chuckle.

"Yes, you can! Now, go and have fun, law student! Tis' the days before classes start, after all." Tomas answered with a slight curtsy.

His older brother, Alexander, smiled wide, sprinting back to the field.

Tomas howled out after him, "Run before the torture begins, brother!"

His brother turned back while running and made a silly face to show his amusement at the implication that he could not handle law classes. It was his brother's way of laughing at their inside joke.

Indeed, he was truly a clown at heart. So much so that it had surprised him the day that his brother stood up to Opa, or Mr. Palmer as they called him to his face and declared loudly that he wanted to be a lawyer.

After all, with their Opa's opinion being that all lawyers were cheats; that even if they studied for a long time, they were less respectable than doctor. Basically asking for Opa to excommunicate Alex from the family.

As opposed to lecturing a jury on who bears guilt, Opa lectured unamused college students on the applications of Statistics. Indeed, Mr. Palmer ran his life like his classes, rather dryly. If it were not for his Oma and his brother, Alexander, to break up the monotony of his life, Tomas felt he would have gone mad years ago.

One thing that he especially resented was how Mr. Palmer expected him to act all Anglicized and change his name to sound like 'proper English'. His older brother had done it, why not him? Because he can, that's why! (keep his name, that is)

As he thought this to himself, he came upon the university botanical gardens and decided to stay there, seated on a bench with not a care in the world.

Usually before the semester started, he would have a few accounting books to read as pre-reading assignments were as common for him as law students. Speaking of law students, Tomas wondered whether his older brother had checked the list for textbooks and required pre-reading assignments. It would not be the first time as his older brother, Alexander, was known to mess around and miss a few assignments here and there.

On occasion, he truly had to wonder who exactly was the eldest? Ever since his parents' death, Tomas had been the one to act mature and deal with grownup matters; his brother seemed to have de-aged since that frightful plane crash that took their parents away from them.

Was it wrong to wish for his brother to be fully responsible or at least grown-up by now?

Letting the air blow tenderly upon his cheeks, Tomas leaned back and thought about the first few days when he had to learn how to simultaneously grieve silently and not upset Mr. Palmer.

Oma had, and always was, a dear to him and Alexander. Even though he was now in college, he kept in touch and called her weekly from the library payphone.

The irony of this situation is that Opa worked in the same university that he attended, and he only saw Opa during school breaks; even the sight of him caused him stomach sickness so he tried to avoid him as much as he possibly could.

Although Mr. Palmer had never personally hurt the boys during their time growing up, he had not supported them either.

Probably only Opa knew if he loved the boys that were adopted into his care or not.

Feeling a cool fall breeze upon his face, Tomas closed his eyes and attempted to clear his mind. Breathing in and out, he felt peace among the flowers and plants. Sparrows sang, leaves rustled, the swinging bench beneath him creaked, swaying to an unfamiliar rhythm. Upon entering college, the gardens were a sacred place to relieve himself of worries or stress. He was safe in this place where no one, not even Opa, or Alexander at his most annoying, could bother him or touch him here.

There was nothing that could shatter the peace he now experienced.

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Author's note:  In this chapter, the main lead expresses disdain for art majors. However, I commend artists and admire those who go after their passions.

Case in point: Authors are not their main characters!  Otherwise, well...I would be in heaps of trouble with some of my characters...Thanks, bye.