CHAPTER ELEVEN

"I'm his brother."

The room filled with a quiet whispering as students were already beginning to gossip amongst themselves. And if the members of Gravity 5 had suddenly gone deathly quiet, well then Principal Kersey certainly didn't notice.

"I wasn't aware that Robbins had a brother," the principal speculated suspiciously, though he certainly wasn't able to deny the family resemblance when he could hardly tell one from another.

"You wouldn't be. I live in New York," the boy gave by way of explanation, still looking almost exclusively at Zander with a curious expression, although it actually explained nothing. "I was hoping to be able to speak with him for a few minutes if I may? Family emergency."

"I'm not entirely sure, perhaps I should speak with your parents first," Kersey said uncertainly. While he had no problem with family pulling students aside to speak with them if there was a true emergency, this whole situation made him uneasy. A previously unknown brother carrying official looking documents and without any forewarning from a guardian just didn't sit right with him. Glancing back and forth between two identical copies of the same person certainly didn't help his nerves much either.

"That won't be necessary," Charlie said quickly, although a little sadly if anyone cared to really notice. He pulled out a carefully folded piece of paper from the outside chest pocket of his jacket and, unfolding it in such a way so as to cause the minimal amount of damage, passed it over to the administrator. Kersey scanned the document quickly, looking a bit surprised, before handing it back to the fedora wearing teenager. Charlie folded it with just as much care and reservation as he had unfolded it before slipping the piece of paper back into his outside chest pocket and zipping it closed.

"Very well. You can use the band room. Robbins, I expect you back in class by the start of fourth period, no exceptions!" Kersey ordered, and Zander nodded quickly, still not quite trusting himself to speak as he rose from his chair and quickly made his way out into the hallway, following just behind Charlie as the other boy exited the class room. He did not pause to look back at the concerned expressions on his band mates faces, nor did he bother to take his book bag and other school things with him, eager as we was to follow the other boy out into the hallway. Kersey was still inside the classroom, having a final word with Mr. March as Charlie looked at Zander with an expectantly raised eyebrow.

"Band Room?"

Zander nodded and, still not quite able to find the words to speak, lead Charlie through the maze of school hallways to the inner sanctum of Gravity 5.

Charlie looked around the room and had to say he was somewhat impressed. This obviously wasn't an official music classroom, given the couch and collection of old pizza boxes, but likely a disused dressing room that had been captured and repurposed by the students who used it.

As Charlie passed Zander in the doorway, who was still holding it open for the other boy to go through, he casually handed him the manila envelope in his grasp, quietly hoping that his sweaty palms and vice like grip had not made too much of an impression on the crisp paper. Charlie didn't look at the other boy as he passed him the file, afraid of what he might see there, but instead chose to look around the band room that he imaged was his brothers second home. His brother

I know this one was short, but it is only because the next one is crazy long and I just could not think of where else to separate them that made any sense!