AUTHORS NOTE:

In the next chapter after this one, Casey finally starts school!

Chapter 34: School frustrations

It had been a few days since the incident with Danny, and Casey and Heath were limiting their fights. While Danny and Cheryl were out for the night Heath and Casey were in the living room watching TV while Brax was in the kitchen trying to complete an overdue assignment. It wasn't long before he was interrupted by shouting.

Frustrated Brax slammed his pen down on his work to head out to the lounge room, upon seeing his brothers arguing again.

"Enough!" Brax yelled, but Heath continued to stir Casey up, laughing.

Casey suddenly kicked Heath hard in the shin.

"AH! You brat!" Heath yelled and held his leg.

"Casey! Heath! Enough!" Brax yelled. This time the volume of his voice was loud enough for his brothers to stop their arguing and turn towards him.

"Can I not have one night of peace without you two bickering?"

Brax walked over to his brothers and lightly slapped Heath across the back of the head. "Stop teasing Casey. And you (he pointed to Casey). Apologize to Heath now."

"Sorry Heaf." Casey immediately obeyed.

"Good. Now both of you get to bed." Brax ordered.

"But Brax it's early." Heath replied.

"I don't care, I have things to do, and I don't want your bickering interrupting me."

Heath rolled his eyes. "Come on Casey, better do what Brax says."

Heath took Casey to his room, before heading into his own, leaving Brax to get back to his study.

Brax sat at the kitchen table and sighed. "This is useless, I'm never going to get my work up to scratch with everything going on here. Maybe I should just quit school? " Brax packed up his papers and headed into the living room to watch TV.

After Brax dropped Heath off at school he walked into the front office of the high school.

"Can I help you Darryl?" The receptionist asked.

"Yeah I wanna sign out from school permanently. I wanna leave."

"Just a moment." The receptionist replied before she called for the principle to come out of her office. "Come in Darryl." The principle spoke.

"Why can't I just hand over my books and leave?"

"Just come in for a moment." Brax followed his principle into her office and took a seat.

"Now Darryl you know how important a good education is to get you further in life and although you have been struggling lately that is no reason to leave."

"It's no use. I have to work more to help my family and look after my two younger brothers I don't have time for school. Besides everyone knows I won't ever be good enough for a high quality job."

"You don't know that Darryl, you have to try. At least stay until you complete your year 10 certificate."

"I can't. Please can I just fix up the papers?"

"I have to say Darryl I'm mighty disappointed that you won't stay and try. What do your parents think about your decision?"

"They just want me to get a job." The principle sighed.

"Very well I guess I can't stop you. I do believe you are making the wrong choice. I will get you the forms now, but because you are under legal age you need to have a parent sign them." Brax nodded and took the forms and walked out of the office.

Cheryl and Danny were surprised when they saw their oldest son walk back through the door.

"Why aren't you at that stupid school Darryl?" Cheryl asked.

"I told them I wanted to leave and they gave me the forms to finalize it all."

"About bloody time you realized the truth Darryl. School ain't no good for ya."

"Dad?"

"What?"

"For me to leave properly I need a parent to sign the forms."

Danny grunted and looked at Brax. "Arg, give the bloody forms 'ere. I'll sign 'em."

Brax handed the forms to his Dad and Danny snatched them from him, not even bothering to look through them but quickly scribbled his name down and tossed them back to Brax. "Thanks Dad."

"Eh. Jus' make sure you pick up ya game around 'ere. If ya ain't goin' ta school I expect ya ta work and help around the house." Brax thought to himself, since when don't I do that?

"Darryl you listenin'?" Danny questioned. "Yeah Dad I know."

"Good well you can start by keeping an eye on your brother, he's in his room. Ya Mum and I are gonna go out."

Brax rolled his eyes when he turned away from his father and walked down to Casey's room.

"Hey bud. What are you doing?" Casey looked up and saw his brother standing in the doorway and he gave a big surprised smile.

"Bax! What you doing home? I fought you had scwhools?"

"Yeah I did but not anymore."

"Does that mean you cans play with me all the time?" Casey peered up at Brax as Casey hugged him around the waist.

"Almost." Brax smiled and picked his baby brother up and hugged him.

When Heath got home from school he slammed the door frustrated, it had been another bad day at school with teachers pestering him. Heath looked up and developed a surprised look on his face the same as Casey had earlier when he saw his older brother. Brax was in the living room playing snap with Casey.

"What are you doing home so early?"

"Bax staying at home now so he can plays with me." Casey stated and snapped the cards as Brax had stopped playing to talk to Heath.

"What?"

"I left school mate."

"What! That's not fair. How come you get to leave and I still have to stay at that frickin crap hole?" Heath exclaimed annoyed.

"Heath watch your language around Casey and make sure your mouth never utters that word again!"

"Why? He hears that kind of stuff from Mum and Dad."

"That's not the point."

"No the point is why do I have to go to school?" Heath yelled.

"What's fickin?" Casey asked as he played with his cards.

"Something that I don't want to hear you repeat ever again." Brax replied.

"Why? Is it a bad word?" "Yes." Brax quickly replied and turned his attention back to Heath.

"If it's a bad word how comes Heaf says it?"

"Shut up Casey alright! Just play with your stupid cards!" Heath snapped.

"Heath that is enough! I left school because I didn't have a choice. I had to leave to be able to work and look after you and Casey."

"That still doesn't explain why I have to stay." Heath frowned.

"You stay because I say so."

"But I don't want to stay and wait years to be able to leave."

"Time will go quick enough Heath but until then you stick with school and make a decent effort, otherwise I'll be on your back about it, understand?"

Heath huffed and rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"You got anything else you wanna say?" Heath hung his shoulders. "I'm sorry I snapped at you and spoke badly in front of Casey." Heath spat out.

Brax knew Heath was still annoyed so didn't push it further and just nodded. "Look why don't you come and play card games with Case and me?"

Heath stared at his brothers. "Nup, got better things to do." Heath replied shortly and turned to walk towards his room.

"Heath don't sulk over this! Do you really think I wanted to leave school?" Brax rolled his eyes when he heard Heath slam his bedroom door.

"Is Heaf cranky?" Casey asked. "A little, bud."

"Is it because you gets to stays home with me?" Brax smiled.

"Kinda. Let's get back to playing our game."

Brax started to shuffle the cards when Casey interrupted.

"Bax, can wes play memzory?"

Brax laughed at Casey's effort to say memory. "Sure Case, whatever you want." Brax smiled and laid out the cards for Casey to pick.