Hey guys, so this story is gonna be covering the classes Drake is failing, and the reason behind them. Well, go ahead, read it please! :D

Chapter One: Gym Class

"Drake, you can't skip P.E. again... You'll fail the class!" Drake kept walking down the hall, passing the gym.

"Big whoop."
"Mom and Dad will KILL you if you fail!"

"So what?" Drake snorted. Josh felt frustration building up. P.E. had started ten minuted ago, and they were still arguing about attending! Josh normally wouldn't soil his perfect attendance, but... Drake was his brother. And his brother was failing, and he couldn't let that happen. Couldn't Drake see how much Josh was sacrificing for him?

"DRAKE! Would you stop being so selfish? You're SO lazy that you won't even go to gym class! Because all YOU care about is making out with hot girls and looking good! It's hard to believe you, ya know? When I never thought that when I got a step-brother, he would be this arrogant," Josh shouted, turning red. Drake stopped in his tracks. He clenched his fists, over and over again, feeling his nails dig into his skin. He turned to face Josh, then shook his head before continuing on his way once again.

"Don't ignore me!" Josh screeched. "Just give me ONE good reason why you can't go to that class!"

"FINE! You wan't a reason, Joshy? Here it is!" Drake said, his voice cracking. Shaking slightly, he lifted his shirt, shivering even further as his skin was exposed. Josh was at a loss for words. Scars upon scars littered Drake's stomach, making it barely identifiable.

Josh's voice came out in a whisper. "But.."

"I can't change into my gym clothes. I can't have anyone knowing. I don't even want you to know," Drake shoved his shirt back down. "See you at home." Josh didn't protest as his brother walked away in silence.

Dinner at the Parker-Nicohls residence was beyond awkward. The rest of the family had no idea of the events that had happened at school, but the tension from the two boys was almost visible.

"So, the weather. Didn't I predict an amazing day?" Walter said, attempting to break the ice. He glanced around the table before shoving his mouthful of food again. For the rest of the meal, all that could be heard was the sound of forks and spoons scraping up the scraps of their food. Suddenly, Josh was struck with an idea. Maybe he couldn't get DRAKE to talk about it, but maybe he could find out some more from his mother.

"Hey, uh, Mom?"

"Yes, Honey?"

Josh shifted his weight awkwardly, flinching at the creak the chair made. "I, uh, no it's awkward, but...I just kinda thought it would be good if we knew about each other's lives...before you and Dad got married. Like the good times you had, or...the bad."

His mom's smile diminished in an instant. Even Megan seemed a bit uneasy. "I don't think that's a good idea. Why don't you help clear the table?"

His mom, Megan, and Drake HAD to be hiding something. There was no other way! And Josh was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey, bro?" Drake called from his bed. He played a few small chords on his guitar.

"Drake?"

"You still want to know how I got.."

"Yeah...I do."

Drake lay back on his bed and cleared his throat in obvious discomfort.

"You know how I freaked out when you broke my foam finger a while back?"

"I don't know what that has to do with-" Josh started.

"Just hear me out. I loved that finger, I really did. I got it the day that my father, my real father, took me to a baseball game. I was so excited! My dad lifted me onto his shoulders one night as I laughed. He almost caught a ball for me. He told me how sorry he was that he didn't, but..It didn't matter anyways. By the end of the game, I was exhausted. I curled up into his arms as he carried me to the car, telling me how much he loved me." Drake smiled and strummed his guitar softly.

"That's really sweet," Josh said, climbing up to sit beside his brother.

"For a while, life really was. But then a year later, things changed. Megan was born, and my dad lost his job. My mom was able to support us, but.. My dad felt horrible about everything. He started drinking on a daily basis, while Mom was at work. He still loved me, I really think that he did. I guess that it just didn't get through to him through his drunken haze. He stopped acting as if he loved me, anyways. He refused to care for Megan, so..I, a little kid, had to do it to keep her alive. Mom worked almost all day and night, so I would feed her, bathe her, and change her diapers. Dad started to get more physical after a few months, hitting me and eventually turning to a pocket knife. It was always in his back pocket, soon turning darker with my blood with each use. He was whisper in my ear that I was useless, I was stupid, I would never be his son. I was so sure that he hated me, but I wanted so bad for him to love me again that I never told Mom. The routine went on for years, and thankfully no more.

One night, my mom came home to find me in a pool of my own blood with my father standing over me. I still don't remember exactly what happened, but I do remember waking in the hospital to find numerous stitches and my father in jail. What scares me is that I still miss him. I shouldn't, but I do. That one moment...That one moment of happiness always made me want him back so much."

"Drake..I'm sorry.."

"It doesn't matter.."

"But you're still failing gym and..."

"English and math, I know."

Wait, what? "You're failing those classes too?" Josh groaned. "Oh, Drake."