Evan walked into his classroom with his head down, hoping no one would say anything about his late arrival. He was wrong. “Hey, look at who decided that his games were better than attending class!” His brother snickered from the seat beside him.

“Please, Samuel, not now.” Evan whispered quietly as he sat down, pulling out a notebook and jotting down the notes from the board.

“Evan, can't you be more like your brother?” The teacher asked from the front of the room, momentarily putting down her dry erase marker to look at him. “At least he attends class on time.” The class snickered as the teacher turned back around to continue writing.

“Yeah, Evan. Why can’t you be more like me?” Samuel sneered as he pushed up his glasses and smirked. “I actually attend class.” The girls behind them giggled, causing Evan to redden and look down.

Most classes with his brother weren’t that bad. Yes, Evan was normally late to class, but he was actually helping people rather than scorning them for attention. He sighed as he scribbled more of the notes down. He knew that he’d have better grades if it weren’t for his perfect little twin brother. It was hard to focus when someone was always poking and prodding. Honestly, sometimes Evan just wished that Samuel would just disappear.

The rest of first period passed without anything else happening to Evan’s relief. But he’d been going to school with his brother for so long that he knew that Samuel would do something just to fill the time.

Once he’d made it into the hallway, a hard shove knocked him into the floor. His backpack was lifted from his arm, and the contents spilled onto Evan’s head. “Knock it off!” He yelled at his brother, trying not to tear up. He scooped everything into the bag and pushed Samuel into one of the lockers, and he smirked.

“Mrs. Samson! Mrs. Samson! Evan just pushed me into the lockers! It really hurts!” He started to fake-cry as the teacher ran out of her room, putting her hands on her hips and scowling.

“Evan Quincy! Why on earth would you do something like that to our perfect little Samuel?” She demanded, and Evan fumbled with his words before she cut him off again. “I don’t want to hear it, Mr. Quincy! Go speak to the principal, now!”

Evan hung his head as he slowly made his way to the office. Again, his brother had blamed him for something that wasn’t his fault to begin with. But even if other people backed him up, no one would believe that ‘perfect little Samuel’ would hurt a fly. Evan hated it.

“Hey, Evan?” Evan inhaled as his brother’s voice filled his ears. “I just wanted to make sure that you got to the office safely, and so that I could explain what happened. I just want to make sure that we get all the details right.” Samuel gritted his teeth with the last few words before smiling and taking his brother’s hand with a firm grasp.

“They wouldn’t believe me anyway.” Evan muttered, and Samuel laughed.

“I know, Evan, but I just have to make sure you don’t tell them anything.” 

Evan once again tried to hold back tears, but it was certainly hard considering all of the things that his brother had done and said over the years. He tried to remain hopeful, however. Tomorrow was another day.

As Evan left the office, the words of the principal rang through his mind. You two look exactly alike. Why can’t you act alike, Evan? Why can’t you be like him? Evan clenched his fists as he went outside. 

Normally, this would have been recess time, but today it was raining, so all the kids got to have another gym class. “Hey, Evan.” Not again! He thought to himself as he turned around. “You aren’t supposed to be out here. Punishments are to be given to naughty kids. Isn’t that what the principal said?” Samuel came closer to him and grabbed something from his backpack pocket.

“No!” Evan yelled as Samuel laughed. In his hand was the last gift their mother had given to Evan: a small toy boat with intricately carved patterns on the sides. His brother started to walk along the path away from the school, still holding the boat. “Please, Sammy, give it back!” 

“Why? You gonna cry?” He smirked as he waved the toy in the air, dropping it on the dirt path and raising his foot.

“You wouldn’t.”

“I would. I never liked the stupid thing anyway.” 

“It’s always about you! Sam this, Sam that! Never about me! I just want to be noticed for once!” Samuel lowered his foot and Evan rammed into him, knocking him into the nearby roadway. 

Samuel’s eyes filled with tears as a car could be heard in the distance. “Please, Evan! I’m sorry! Please just help me up! I hurt my ankle!” Evan continued to stare down with cold eyes. “Please!” Evan picked up the boat as the car came closer. “Evan!” The car rammed into him, not slowing or stopping to see the damage.

Evan felt warm as he bent down and dragged his brother into some nearby bushes before taking his glasses.

Mrs. Samson called roll call the next day, once again noting Evan’s absence. “Evan? Samuel?” She called out, already knowing that Samuel was there.

“Here. I think Evan’s still playing his games. You know how it is.” He said with an odd smile on his face, a small crack in his glasses. As Mrs. Samson moved on to other students, the boy looked into his backpack, a small wooden boat safely tucked away.