Chapter 7: A Brother's Sacrifice

What IS a morning like in the kind of home that houses Serra Whiter?

For Leo, it's become an easily managed routine. Her reflexes are like lightning when it comes to alarm clocks so whenever she springs out of bed, it gets him up as well.

She goes out for a run while the sun's fresh and he'll sneak into the kitchen and prepare a juice for himself with old or leftover fruits while cooking a plate of five scrambled eggs for his sister when she gets back.

She'll always run in, scarf the eggs down, and then be out the door again before he finishes getting dressed for school.

If it's a slow week he'll say hi to his dad, if it's a weekend he'll also get to say hi to his mom.

He grabs both of their backpacks and takes the bus with Damian. The two sync their air pods to the same phone and listen to an old classical piece while reviewing their homework a second time.

Today, Damian shows off a new piece of art he's working on revolving around the sunset. It has very strong purple and orange hues and shows the sky melting into nighttime.

His talents have really improved over the last few years, and he's done so without sacrificing sleep or his health.

Leo recalls that it took a few years to get him to open up about his hobbies. Though really, he played no part in making him shed his cocoon.

It was Serra. It's always her, really.

She skipped learning to walk and started off running and hasn't stopped. Her smile is the stuff of legends, an eternal unyielding sense of optimism that has yet to be stained by tears.

It's easy for most siblings to feel burdened by being overshadowed by the better person in their family, but Leo is content being in that shadow.

Because there he works his magic and makes her life better. And that in turn makes things less stressful for his mom and dad.

He's that essential gear that keeps the machine running.

But there is one kink in this gear that only he knows about. And as he looked at the homework, he envisioned it growing bigger by the second.

When they arrive at school, Leo checks his phone and queues up a song he knows he'll listen to later, then puts it on mute.

Serra gets her backpack as usual and the three head off to class.

It's easy to assume from the way Lunalei's eyebrows furrow that she dislikes being around her extended family, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Him and her have always been on good terms. She turned to him for advice on how to handle Serra whenever she struggled babysitting her.

By nature, she preferred to do things her way, so oftentimes she would spin his advice into something that worked for her…and fail.

It was an early telltale sign that he would be his sister's guardian though.

Want to test a child's morality, or perhaps, judge the parents who raised them? See what they'll do with a sprinkling of control.

He was never tempted with this power.

For Leo Whiter has never had a poisonous thought cross his mind.

He took hold of this responsibility, burdened himself with it, and asked nothing in return.

It could've fostered a spoiled child in Serra. Is she negligent at times? Absolutely. Forgetful? Sure, but who doesn't lose track of everything they've learned?

But she's never taken advantage of his generosity. She's NOT that kind of soul.

In the middle of class, Leo looks at his sister from the corner of his eyes.

Her posture lacks patience, but her eyes are dreaming. She plans her next step forward, ready to seize another day.

And if he can keep that smile glistening, then he's fine making sacrifices.

After another morning of learning, Leo picked up his reading materials and prepared to join his sister and friends for lunch.

"Leo." Lunalei's firm voice held a dagger at his back.

He turned part way and saw her holding two papers beside her face, her brows raised out of curiosity and perhaps, the emergence of disappointment, "We need to have a talk."

Leo waved to the others and then dropped his bag to visit his cousin at her desk.

She adjusted her glasses and put on a calm expression, "So. Go along with me for a moment here. From an unbiased point of view, Serra is what type of student…?"

Leo closed his eyes and remarked, "She excels at what she likes the most."

Lunalei raised her gaze slightly and slanted her brows, "So, NOT academics. And yet…"

She laid both papers down side-by-side and stood over the desk, "Here I see that she's managed to turn in a piece of homework that has earned her a 75 grade. Not the best. Not the worst either."

"Perfectly…passable…" There was an ominous feeling to her calm, as she again adjusted her glasses and took a deep breath. She then tapped on the same line on both papers.

"What do you see?" Once he leaned in, she slowed down, "I see…the 'I's' have been dotted with a 'whole note' symbol."

Lunalei took another deep breath and trembled with barely restrained anger, "Has Serra picked up music as a hobby lately?"

Leo opened his eyes and shook his head, "I'm afraid not."

He then cut the rising tension by gesturing his hand and remarking, "It's as you suspect. I've been doing Serra's homework for her."

Lunalei squeezed her eyes tight and exhaled, "...How long?"

Leo answered, "Since middle school."

"...Well, at least you're cooperating."

There was a ten second silence before Lunalei slammed her hands on top of the desk and shrieked all her frustration out like a typhoon, "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME, LEO?!"

Those eyes, wide with rage and betrayal, tore him down completely, "You were supposed to be the responsible one! But this is…is…INSANE…!"

Her pupils then shrank, "Oh GOD, if you've been doing it that long then you HAVE to have been completing all her tests too!"

Leo shook his head, "No, I only did her homework. She barely passed all her tests."

"HER?!" Lunalei screamed, "HOW?!"

Leo shrugged, "Search me. By all accounts it really doesn't make any sense. Perhaps her instincts worked in her favor?"

"B-But there's WRITTEN questions on those-!" Lunalei recoiled and then slapped both hands over her face, throwing her head back to let out a constrained groan.

She then fell over on top of the desk. Leo let her have space to breathe and then once she pulled back up with a gasp she adjusted her glasses.

"...Ok you know what. I'll save the rant against the school system for later," She then thrust her finger at him and exclaimed, "You! Explain! Now!"

Leo had nothing to hide now, "It's not that I never felt guilty for keeping this lie up for so long. But I had to face the facts. I am unable to be pushy when it comes to my sister."

"But in order for her to get to where she wants to be in life, she has to go through school. And for my mom and dad to keep doing what they want, they need to trust that someone can keep the house organized while they're gone."

"So I chose to bear the burden of this lie, because it was worth everything to me."

"...Uuuuuugh," Lunalei squeezed her fists, "That's so sappy, but it's so you. Damn it Leo…!"

She grit her teeth, "Do you realize how much of a pickle this puts you in…no…puts ME in?"

"I can't report this to the principal! It's so flagrantly absurd that no one's going to believe me! And even IF they did, do you realize how much it would destroy the trust people have in the school system?!"

"So now I'm stuck with a middle schooler in high school, who has ALWAYS been a big pain in my ASS-"

"Will you listen to my advice this time?" Leo reached out calmly.

Lunalei's face scrunched up so much by glaring at him that she looked shriveled, but then she let it go and murmured, "I shouldn't but fine, what have you got?"

"Make it personally engaging for her."

Lunalei slammed her hands down and rose up, "She doesn't WANT to be educated, Leo! She wants to…run around and shirk all responsibilities!"

"If there's one thing I can say for certain, my sister recognizes passion. And there's no one more passionate about education than you."

"That. May. Be. TRUE. BUT! Passion can only carry someone so far! She's too far behind!"

"So you'll give up on her future, just like that?" Leo's words cut to the point, but left him with a twinge of guilt in his gut.

"I-I…" Lunalei squeezed her fists and glared at him in a very unkind way, "That's a dirty blow, Leo."

"...I'm sorry." He said immediately.

"Well, I'm ready to accept your punishment now." He then remarked.

"...Then we'll cooperate together to get her educated. HOWEVER…I'm giving her until Winter Break to achieve the kind of grades you got for her. If she can't manage that, then it's within my rights to hold her back, or expel her. And then I would have to tell Uncle Mew about what you did. Do we have an understanding?"

"Then I should bring her over to get started."

Lunalei widened her eyes, "HEEEEELL no. It's my lunch break, and I have DEFINITELY earned it."

"She knows where I live. Just make sure she gets there every day after school, and I'll do what I can."

Leo then pointed out, "Be sure to follow my advice to the letter this time."

Lunalei's glare narrowed, "YOU don't get to lecture me on this, mister…Grmbl grmbl…I'll TRY and take a straightforward approach this time, but I seriously doubt it'll make a difference."

She then made one last adjustment to her glasses and settled down enough to end this conversation on a pleasant note, "You're dismissed. Go enjoy your lunch."

As Leo went to pick up his bag, Lunalei snuck in one last remark, "And Leo…?"

He glanced back over his shoulder as she told him, "I can respect your intentions, but I worry about you sacrificing your own happiness."

Leo then smiled her way and remarked, "I could say the same for you. Being a teacher isn't easy."

Lunalei smirked pointedly at him, "Yeah, if only my family could stop causing me headaches."

With that playful barb leaving them on decent terms, Leo left the classroom with a headache of his own, but a sense of relief overcoming him.

"I never believed that I could keep this going forever. But at least I have somebody to help me get Serra through school…I hope."

Now the next step in Leo's schedule was to find his sister and tell her the bad news privately. The experience had left him not feeling hungry, but lunch must be eaten.

On the way to the cafeteria he noticed Lyra getting some books out from her locker, the keypad lock marked in braille.

"Afternoon, Lyra." He said in a friendly tone that cast off some of his retained stress.

She closed the door and put her bag over her shoulder, "Same to you, Leo. Lunch break?"

"Yes, but I can't say I'm in the mood."

"Uh-oh," She frowned, "You don't sound good either. Fever?"

"Nothing like that. But thanks." He said with a smile.

Lyra extended her cane and turned around, "Let's walk together. I'm all ears."

"I'd appreciate that." Leo said, walking directly beside her as she took her time keeping in control of her surroundings.

"So my sister…she's not gifted academically." Leo said, trying to shine her faults in a positive light.

"Put all her points into strength, huh?" Lyra retorted.

Leo nodded, "Well, needless to say she wouldn't have gotten to high school were it not for me…doing her homework."

Lyra turned and gasped, "Nooooo…"

"And since our teacher happens to be our cousin, the shoe finally dropped once she recognized my handwriting quirk."

"Quirk?"

Leo twirled his finger in an oval with a smile, "I dot my 'I's' with the symbol of a 'whole note'."

Lyra put her fingertips over her lips and snickered, "That's adorable."

She then steadied herself forward and smiled, "I don't see the issue though."

"You…don't?" He was surprised to hear that.

"Nope. Worst case scenario, you're more of a bad boy than I expected. But it sounds like you did it all for your sister."

Leo had to ponder aloud though, "Does that necessarily make it right though?"

"I might've done the same thing if I was in your shoes," Lyra then teased him a tiny bit, "But I wouldn't have gotten caught."

Leo chuckled, "Maybe."

"I COULD prove it," Lyra boasted, "All we'd have to do is go back in time, and get my mom and dad to conceive a twin sister."

"Oh THAT'S all?" Leo said in a more uplifted tone.

Lyra then turned her head and said softly, "Feeling a little better now?"

Leo nodded, "A little. Thank you."

Lyra nodded back, then resumed facing forward, "So what happens now?"

"Well the story's too absurd to report to the principal, so Lunalei's having me help her tutor my sister and try to catch her up."

"Lucky for you, huh?"

"I don't know whether I'd call it luck or some good karma being cashed in."

"Could be a mix of both," Lyra then faced him, "So hey, did you catch that concert on TV a few days ago?"

"Are you talking about Alura's?" He wondered.

"No no no," She hastily spat up, "I mean yes, but you've GOT to call her by her stage name, the 'Scarlet Succubus'!"

Leo awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, "I…would rather not."

"Oh…" Lyra hummed with some mild disappointment, "You're not a fan of hers."

"It's a little more complicated than just that, but no. Most metal and rock music isn't to my liking."

Lyra saw a spark of hope and tried to pursue it, "Most? Ok. Tell me more."

Leo explained as best he could with respect to the artists, "I tend to find them overpowering, with lyrics that border on too sexual, or death centric."

"But the POWER is the best part!" She said with strong emphasis in her voice, "You don't just feeeeeeel the music, you feel the SOUL of the artist."

"And I can argue that you can derive that same feeling from other genres without the saucy lyrics."

Lyra pouted and was coming across looking drained from this conversation already, "I don't think it's being sexy for the sake of being sexy."

"Ok, look. Take Scarlet Succubus' new hit single, 'Seductive Shudder'. If you evaluate the lyrics at face value, then yeah, it's a song about succumbing to passion."

"But when you read between the lines, it's a song about empowerment, and how all of us are equally worthy of seizing love."

"Her decision to insert a slow guitar solo midway into the song is a stroke of genius too. Because it communicates to the audience on a personal level that she didn't feel worthy of love once."

Leo crossed his arms and remarked politely, "Every song is open to different interpretations."

To which Lyra didn't shy away from being a little blunt, "Just admit I'm right."

"..." Leo gestured his hand out and had another point in his defense, "Can you blame me for thinking this way given her dresses?"

"Well that means she's not ashamed of herself." Lyra argued.

"...She could afford to have a little shame. If her dress was any thinner the whole audience would be seeing her mons pubis."

"I'll be honest too, I kind of prefer the netting over her chest. It meshes more with the rest of her dress." Lyra admitted.

Then with a slight tilt and a not so slight smile she remarked, "So...you prefer girls who are conservatively dressed?"

"Call me sappy, but I believe true beauty is something you should rarely see." Leo replied sincerely.

Lyra jived with that idea, "Heh heh. Well, it was either you're sappy, or you're gay. Either's fine. At least I got to learn more about you."

Leo hummed with intrigue, "That was your plan all along?"

Lyra hummed back, causing Leo to smile, "I'm fine with that. I got to learn who your favorite artist is."

"Favorite's underselling it! I've owned all her albums released since her indie debut six years ago. 'Rose at Twilight' is my favorite one, and I hope to have her sign it one day."

"Not that I'd know what to do. Cause if I ever got to be near her, I might just diiiiie!" She ended up on a high-pitched squeal, then slapped her mouth shut with embarrassment.

Leo laughed fondly and she jabbed him lightly with her elbow, "Quit it."

As the two were having fun, a figure's shadow approached them from behind.

Leo paused while Lyra kept walking a few steps before stopping herself.

It was the quarterback, Serra's first victim. Bang was his name?

Leo calmly assessed his demeanor. His eyes were flared, his fists were taut, and he was puffing his chest to try and appear even taller.

"Ha, this was bound to happen again sooner or later." Leo closed his eyes and gently reached back to Lyra's shoulder, "You'll want to step aside for a moment, Lyra."

"Ok." She said without hesitation.

And once she was out of range, he turned to the quarterback and realized then that he was here alone.

At least he had enough sense of pride to handle his petty matters himself.

Leo tried diplomacy, "I'm trying to enjoy some time with my friend. Could you wait until later?"

"Nuh uh! We're doing this. NOW!" Bang declared, throwing his finger towards the ground.

And with that failure, the gloves were off.

Leo peered his eyes open and took on a slightly harsher tone, "You realize how horribly outmatched you are against my sister, so instead of trying to improve, you choose to beat up her 'weaker' brother to get revenge on her by proxy."

Bang grit his teeth and growled before raising his right fist.

Leo closed his eyes again, took a deep breath, and sighed.

Bang's aura showed his fist was going to fly straight at his head, so Leo calmly swerved to the right and tucked his hands in his jacket.

Bang stumbled forward and paused before looking at him from the side, gritting his teeth, and immediately turning to punch him again.

Leo bent under it and then commented, "What does it matter if my sister beat you? She's beaten every team here. Your reputation wasn't in danger."

"Stop pretending like you know CRAP!" Bang tried going for a grapple move on his arms, but Leo gave himself enough momentum to slide between his legs and rise up with his back turned to the lockers.

"I'm only analyzing what I've been given. And so far, all you've shown is that you're a bully who feels emasculated by the idea that a woman can be competent in your field. If I'm wrong, then-"

Bang swung straight at him and Leo quickly dodged along the arm, turning around and grabbing hold of it with just enough strength to not completely overpower him, and then guiding it away from the locker.

"-Stop throwing punches, and let's talk it out."

The stress and anger of this whole affair was making Bang sweat. But he wasn't easing up.

Leo thus let go and stepped further down the hall. A small crowd had gathered around them.

Bang returned to the pose he started the confrontation in and growled. He knew he couldn't solve this the way he wanted to, but was going to keep throwing punches until he did.

As Leo prepared to outmaneuver his every move, he was not prepared for Lyra walking forward, prodding away at the ground repeatedly.

Bang froze up as Lyra approached and started prodding her cane up his right leg.

"Ah, there you are." She said with a smile.

Then without warning she grabbed her cane in both hands and whacked him on the leg, causing him to wince in incredible pain.

"O-Ow…! What the HELL is wrong with you?!" He shrieked.

Lyra held her ground with unflinching resolve and told him, "Are you going to hit me now? In front of all the wolves?"

Bang gawked, "W-Wolves…?"

Lyra took a deep breath and then deepened her voice, "The wolves…you don't hear them?"

"The wolves…they're scraping at the door."

"Screaming! HOWLING! The wolves are at the door!" Her voice rose powerfully, "HUNGERING! FEASTING! FROTHING AT THE DOOR!"

Bang's expression quickly turned to one of unease as Lyra advanced upon him.

"CAN YOU HEAR THEM?! THERE'S NO ESCAPE! THE WOLVES ARE AT THE DOOR!"

"THEY'LL GNAW AT YOU! PAINT YOUR WALLS RED! THE WOLVES ARE AT THE DOOR!"

She was REALLY getting into this, her space between breaths spent gasping to keep going.

"I CAN SEE IN THEIR BLOOD RED EYES THE GATEWAYS TO HELL! THE WOLVERS ARE AT THE DOOR!"

"AND-!"

"A-Alright…alright…!" Bang threw his hands up and with his face pale he let out a brief, deflated scoff and looked like he was ready to cry.

"I…I would never have…" Bang looked around him and saw the crowd's judging eyes. He then squeezed his fists in frustration and turned away, "This week sucks…"

And then he ran through the crowd.

Lyra hunched over and had Leo by her side as she caught her breath, lifting herself with a sweaty face and a glistening smile, "T-That was fun…!"

Leo kept staring at her, her incredibly powerful voice echoing and mixing with her present words, "Leo? Hey. I'm not a mind reader."

Leo flinched and then remarked, "I-I'm sorry. That song you sang…"

Lyra smiled, "Oh, that. It revolves around societal expectations. It's a gruesome piece at first, but it gets a lot more hopeful in the second chorus."

"...I was referring to your singing voice."

"O-Oh…!" Lyra showed a rare blush and then shook her head, "Forget about that! Are you ok? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Not a bruise to my name." He said in confidence.

"...Shit," Lyra murmured, "Then I hit him for nothing."

"Not for nothing. You masterfully defused that situation." Leo gave his praise.

Lyra smiled, "Even a bully sometimes cares about their reputation. Though I'm curious. How were you planning on stopping him if I didn't step in?"

"Oh I would've just kept dodging his attacks until he got tired. Then maybe we could've tried talking things out. But, sadly, he was too stubborn in the end."

"Talk things out? Really?"

"It's worked out a lot for my dad in the past." Leo admitted.

"Your dad sounds like he has the patience of a saint." Lyra said with some awe.

"Not that you'd assume that if you ever met him." Leo joked fondly.

"Well maybe I will someday. For now," Lyra offered her arm out, "We're running out of time for lunch."

"Ah yes," Leo took her arm gently and the two of them resumed their walk through the dissipating crowd, "I almost forgot what I needed to do."

The two made it to the cafeteria where Serra and their friends were almost done eating.

"Heeeey! What took you so long, Leo?" Serra rose with a cheer.

Leo and Lyra parted ways for the time being so she could buy lunch, and that gave him time to prepare himself for what he had to say.

"Serra, we need to have a talk."

He felt sad putting an obstacle in her path to happiness, but knew that just like any other she would find a way to overcome it.

Whether on her own, or because she had his aid.

That was his vow as her brother, and a friend.

Next Time: A Magical Girl's Secret