So, glad to know you're all liking this...(I think I said that last time.) Anyway, enough of my ranting.

Chapter 3

Troy slammed the door shut and growled like a dog protecting it's house from an intruder. He couldn't stand being in the locker room where all his friends were fussing over Tip. "Tip you did great!" "Tip you're awesome!" Why didn't they just make Tip captain?

But, what was worse was Tip seemed to be immune to the attention. As the team cheered and laughed, Tip seemed to be off in another world getting ready to leave. And he was worried about homework, about not getting high honors because of history.

Troy hadn't been on the high honor roll since sixth grade.

Tip had always bugged Troy, ever since he was born. First it was the crying, then it was the annoying 'play a game with me Troy!' and then Tip always followed him around. That is, until Tip was about five.

You see, in the Bolton house, when you're five, Coach Bolton started to teach you the real game of basketball, with a real ball and a real hoop. Troy, who wanted to please his father more than anything, loved basketball immediately. He always wanted to be playing it, watching it or (once he knew how) reading about it. But, Tip, who had unbelievable skills, would rather make movies and study.

"Did I do it right Dad?"

"Troy hold on a minute," Jack said before turning to Tip. "Here, hold the ball like this..."

"Dad..." Troy whined. "You missed it!"

"Troy! Be patient!" Troy put the ball on the ground and sat on it. Eight year olds didn't have patients, but Troy knew if he wanted his father to watch he'd have to be good. He looked over to where his father and Tip were and his eyes widened. Tip was dribbling the ball as if he's been playing for years, when in reality it was the first time he'd touched a real sized basketball. Even Jack looked impressed.

"I'm bored," Tip said. "I'm going in the house now." He dropped the basketball and ran inside.

"Great. Now Dad-"

"Troy hold on," Jack said before running into the house behind Tip. Troy shook his head with force, so much in fact that the ball he was sitting on started to move and he fell on his butt.

Troy knew Tip was the prodigy child, and that made his blood boil. Troy had to work twice as hard to get the same results, and Tip didn't even care about the sport. The only reason why he was playing for East High was because he didn't want to upset Jack. And what made it that much harder for Troy to handle was that Tip was getting good grades, made awesome movies, and was part of Key Club at the same time. Tip was the child everyone wanted.

He stuck the key in the ignition and let out a deep breath. Now Tip was on varsity and Troy didn't think that was fair. Troy wasn't allowed to play on varsity as a freshman and he played on the freshman team because the JV team was stacked with juniors who played like seniors. Tip was on the JV in freshman year, and now was on varsity.

And Troy wasn't happy about that. Not one bit.

hsmhsmhsmhsm

"I don't get why we need to know about the ancient world," Tip groaned. "I mean, it's over with."

"Test today sweetie?" Elaine asked, looking as Tip's eyes frantically scanned the pages of his history book.

His head nodded. "Yeah, and I'm going to fail."

Troy snorted and rolled his eyes. Tip and failing didn't belong in the same sentence. He stuffed an apple in his mouth and slid across the floor toward the refrigerator. He grabbed a juice box before grabbing his bag. "See ya."

"Troy can I get a ride?" Tip asked. "I don't want to take the bus, please?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sure," he said, hoping Tip would pick up on the fake happiness he had in his voice.

"Great," Tip said. He stuffed all his stuff in his backpack and ran out to the car.

"I hope you don't mind," Elaine said to Troy.

Troy put on a smile. "You know, it doesn't bother me," he lied. "We're going to the same school, so whatever." He turned on his heal and stalked out to his car. "Don't touch anything," he said when he sat down in the driver's seat. "I don't want your grimy little finger prints all over my car."

Tip nodded and put his hands in his lap. "You know that if Mom wasn't there, I would have made you take the bus," Troy said.

"I though you would anyway, whether Mom was there or not."

"Did I say you could talk?" Troy asked. "I want you silent. Got it?"

Tip nodded his head and looked out the window. He was beginning to wonder if getting a ride with Troy was better than taking the bus after all. When they got to school, Troy turned to him. "I'll walk with you to homeroom. I have to talk to Dad," he said as if he was sure he'd regret it.

Tip nodded, not sure if he should talk. He didn't want to make Troy mad like he had the day before. He looked down at his arm, he'd worn long sleeves so no one would see the bruise. He looked at the tiles as they went.

"Don't hang your head," Troy hissed. "It makes you look inferior, look up at the people."

Tip did as he was told. He looked at the people walking passed. Their heads looking away from Troy as if he were a higher power. People looked at him as if he were a new prince. He hated the stares and the admiring looks people gave to Troy. Tip looked at the kids again, some of them looked at Troy, some of them didn't. It seemed like there would have been from three different classes if they were in ancient times. The kids that looked away were peasants, the kids that gave admiring looks were working class, and Troy was king, Tip being the heir to the throne.

It made Tip sick to his stomach. "Troy I forgot I have to go meet Bree somewhere," Tip said in a rush. "Bye!"

He ran down the hallway, everyone moved out of his way. By the time he was outside again, he was breathing heavily. "Tip," Bree said worriedly, walking up to him.

"I'm okay," he told her. "I just needed to get out of there."

So, what do you think?

Review!