Back at home Casey is beginning to get restless. It is now halfway through the day; Brax had let Casey have his fifteen-minute recess break but was quick to set Casey back to his schoolwork.
After working on his PE theory homework, he moves onto his English work which he finds the hardest and most boring yet with having to analyze poetry and write his interpretation on the meanings.
Not understanding much about this at all, Casey begins to fidget in his seat and eventually after scribbling random patterns on his paper, flops his head down on the table.
Brax comes back from going to the bathroom and sees Casey with his head on the table.
"Casey, what do you think you are doing? I won't have you slacking off when you are meant to be working. Get back to it Casey; I mean it. This is the second time I've had to remind you today," Brax warns in a firm tone and taps the table in order to get Casey's attention.
"This is worse than school. You're stricter than some of the teachers," Casey complains.
"Maybe next time you won't do anything to get yourself suspended if you don't want to be dealing with me making you do your school lessons like this," Brax says with an eyebrow raise, "I now have even more respect for the teachers for putting up with your lack of attentiveness."
"This is just so hard," Casey moans.
Brax sighs.
"Look, why don't you take a break and go outside to get some fresh air while I make you some lunch, then if you would still like some assistance I can help you," Brax suggests.
Casey smiles and doesn't hesitate to get up, squeaking back his chair and rushing outside to have a quick run around.
Brax shakes his head watching Casey outside and makes him a sandwich and some cut up pieces of cheese with some biscuits.
Brax calls Casey in after about twenty minutes.
"Sit down and have something to eat," Brax instructs and places the food down in front of Casey.
Casey scoffs his lunch and after another twenty minutes, Brax instructs Casey to go back to his schoolwork.
Casey groans but picks up his pen and goes back to reading his English work.
Moments later Brax sits beside him and has a read over his questions then after some explaining Casey is finally able to finish his English work, even though it took three times as long as the other school subjects from the morning.
Casey glances at the time and sees it is now two-thirty.
"Brax, if this is like a normal school day does that mean I get to finish doing schoolwork at three-twenty-five?" Casey asks.
Brax chuckles and runs his hand through Casey's hair.
"Not a chance, you still have your afternoon homework and besides I let you work on some lessons longer than you would have at school, so it looks like you still have a few more to go. What subjects have you got left?" Brax answers.
Casey looks through his much smaller pile of schoolwork, but it was still significant enough to leave Casey continuing work for a while.
"I still have Maths, Science, and a little bit for Drama," Casey replies.
"Well, I want you to continue focusing and if you need some help understanding something, tell me Casey. I'd rather you try and learn than slack off avoiding the work because it seems too hard, deal?"
Casey nods, as Brax gets him an afternoon snack and places it down on the table for him.
At the end of the day, Kyle gets dropped off by Romeo's Mum as none of the boys wanted him walking the thirty minute walk all by himself. Before he goes inside, he double checks that his sleeves are rolled down so that his brothers don't see his Chinese burns.
Once he gets into the house he sees Casey at the table doing schoolwork and Brax nowhere in sight.
"Hey Ky," he says with a slight grumble.
"Hey Casey, how was your day?" Kyle quickly replies as he begins making his way towards the laundry to wash his PE clothes in the wash before Brax finds out his shorts are wet and shirt was covered in food and dirt.
"It was horrible! It was worse than school," Casey complains.
"How do you mean?" Kyle asks.
"Brax has made me do non-stop school work all day as if I was at school having lessons, except I had no-one to talk to and I couldn't even look bored like I normally do in the class because then Brax would get mad at me," Casey complains, having never really focused and done so much schoolwork in one day in his life.
"I'm sure Brax didn't get angry with you, you're probably just exaggerating. Anyway he only wants you to learn and have opportunities in life," Kyle says as he dismisses Casey's complaint, not feeling in the mood to hear his little brother whining over something that wasn't serious when he had dealt with far worse that day.
"Where is Brax anyway?" Kyle asks.
"He went down to his bedroom for something," Casey replies in a grumpy tone.
Kyle walks off and sneaks into the laundry to quickly put his clothes in the wash before going for a shower, for he still feels so gross. He cleans himself up, scrubbing away at any smell or garbage remnants left on his body. Afterwards he gets changed, making sure that he's wearing a hoodie to cover his arms.
When he goes back to the kitchen Brax is there. As Kyle puts his empty lunchbox on the bench Brax smiles at his younger brother and ruffles his hair.
"Good day Ky?" he asks.
"It was alright," Kyle replies as he fixes his hair.
"Why'd you have a shower?" Brax asks.
He knows that Kyle loves to be clean, but he doesn't usually have a shower straight after school.
"I ummm I just felt a little cold, so I wanted a warm shower," Kyle replies and nervously ruffles the back of his hair.
"Fair enough," Brax says.
"Well here I made you an after school snack, then I figured you'd want to do homework," he adds smiling, holding a plateful of food towards Kyle.
"That would be great thanks Brax," Kyle replies and takes the plate off Brax, that had some grapes, and crackers.
He then sits beside Casey and eats his food.
Casey reaches over and grabs a few grapes.
"Casey, that's Kyle's afternoon tea. You've just had yours, plus extra today!" Brax scolds his brother.
Kyle wouldn't usually get annoyed at this but he's hungry. Even though Dex had brought him a chicken roll and muffin it still wasn't as much as he normally ate.
"Kyle doesn't mind," Casey says as he grabs a few of Kyle's crackers this time.
"Casey!" Brax yells again; he hates how both Casey and Heath always steal food off of Kyle's plate.
"Like I said, Kyle doesn't mind," Casey repeats.
"Actually Casey I do; I'm hungry," Kyle replies.
"You must be going through a growth spurt kiddo you ate all your lunch; you never do that," Brax says smiling; he hoped his brother would have a growth spurt, then maybe he'll stop being easily pushed around by his brothers.
"Yeah, must be," Kyle says.
He knows it's coming, but he doesn't know how tall he will be. He has no idea how tall his Mum's side of the family is.
"About time, there are some year eight's taller than him," Casey says, chuckling.
"You're not that much taller than me," Kyle says sulking, often getting the short jokes from Casey and even sometimes within their friend group.
"Eight centimetres dork! I thought you were a genius with Maths? You should know I'm much taller," Casey says laughing.
"Casey: that's enough! What have I told you about teasing Kyle about his height? Not to mention you are on rocky ground as it is with your suspension," Brax says scolding his brother.
"Not to, but I was only joking. I mean come on you've got to admit: he's so little," Casey says with a smile on his face.
Kyle's head drops, he hates being small!
"Casey!" Brax yells, "That's it: go to your room!"
"Why?" Casey moans.
"Because I warned you not to tease Kyle over his height and you continued to do so; now go!" Brax orders.
"Fine!" Casey huffs and stands up to go to his room.
"With your homework!" Brax adds, he knows Casey will try to get away with not doing his homework, considering Brax had been supervising Casey all day while he did schoolwork like a normal school hour day.
Sighing, Casey picks up his homework and goes to his room.
"You okay Ky?' Brax asks as he ruffles Kyle's hair.
"Yeah I'm okay," Kyle replies, smiling up at Brax.
"Well I've got to quickly check on the restaurant. Heath will be home soon but you and Case will be all good until then and on the way home I'll grab some dinner," Brax informs and Kyle softly nods his head in reply.
After his ordeal in the changing rooms today the last thing that he wants is to be tormented by Heath.
"Okay, love you kiddo. See you a little later," Brax says as he kisses the top of Kyle's head.
"See ya Case!" he calls.
After Brax walks out of the house Kyle carefully rolls up his hoodie sleeve. And looks at his arms and whines slightly; his arms are bruised and really sore to touch.
Suddenly Kyle hears a loud voice behind him.
"What the hell happened!" Brax asks in a yell, causing Kyle to turn around in shock.
"I thought you'd gone to work," Kyle says timidly.
"I forgot my keys, Kyle! Now I'll ask again, what happened to your arms?" Brax asks.
"Nothing," Kyle lies as he tries to hide his arms but is stopped by Brax.
"This isn't nothing!" Brax says looking worryingly at Kyle.
"It was just some normal changing room behaviour. It's fine, I'm fine okay," Kyle says and just hopes Brax will believe him and drop the issue.
"This is not normal locker room behaviour, this is bullying," Brax says with an angry tone.
"Who did this? It wasn't the same little punks that Casey got in a fight with; was it?" Brax yells loudly causing Kyle to flinch and violently shake his head.
"No, just a couple of other guys, it honestly was just playing that got out of hand," Kyle lies looking nervously up at his brother hoping that he wasn't going to yell again.
"I'm sorry Kyle, I didn't mean to scare you, it's just I don't want you to get hurt," Brax says.
Brax has been worried about Kyle at school ever since he found out that kids in his PE class call him names and trip him after the ordeal with Casey's fight.
"I'm not hurt Brax," Kyle says and forces a smile on his face.
Brax screws up his face.
"You sure you don't need me to talk to Bianca for you then, because I will Kyle, if you are too worried about repercussions?" Brax asks, this causes Kyle to shake his head.
"No, please Brax, you know how easy I can bruise and that's all this is."
The last thing he needs is to anger his bullies further.
"Okay little man, as long as you are sure. I'll be home soon," he says, kissing the top of Kyle's head again.
He then grabs ahold of his brother's chin and lifts his head up.
"Get some ice on your arms, okay Ky; it will help with the bruising and swelling."
Kyle nods his head and smiles at his older brother.
"Good boy," Brax says smiling and ruffles his brother's hair.
He then grabs his keys which he accidentally left behind the last time and walks out the door.
Kyle sighs in relief as he leaves. He knows Braxs intentions are good, but he knows his bullies will come after him harder if they were to get in trouble.