"Noah, did you see your twin's school card grade report?" my mother asked, her eyes sparkling as she looked over my brother's grades.
I finished running the comb through my hair and placed it back in the drawer.
"He's still dumb as sin," I said coldly. My mother visibly startled at my harsh words.
"HEY! Don't be like that! It's a miracle his grades went up!" she shouted, a note of triumph in her voice.
I leaned over to inspect my brother's report card, my gaze turning gloomy.
"What do you mean 'went up'?! His math score was 70 in the first quarter! Now, in the second quarter, it's 71! That's only a single point added!" I exclaimed, my voice tight with frustration.
"Oh, dear, you know about baby steps? Yes! These are just baby steps for his grades!" my mom insisted, her expression softening. I began to massage my temple, feeling my frustration surge.
"What 'baby steps'? He's a fucking high-schooler now! He's not in pre-school anymore!" I retorted. My mother simply pouted, ignoring my profanity.
Nathan Cooper. That's my twin brother, the one not gifted in academics. He always hovered near the failing mark in his core subjects, leaving me to doubt if he'd ever make it into college.
The only thread keeping his academic record afloat was his extracurricular activities. He was an exceptional athlete, the star player on the badminton team. He was also a brilliant board gamer, a champion in Chess. In any game he touched, he became the best player.
If he's so skilled at Chess, a game of logic and strategy, then why does he always fail the Logic section on his exams?
Adding to our perplexing differences, our second genders were also inverted. He had manifested as an Alpha, while I was an Omega.
I always thought Alphas were supposed to be good at everything. Why was my brother still so dense?
I scratched my head, giving up on the unsolvable mystery.
It was time to head out and pick up my "dumb" brother. Our classes ended at different times since he had an after-school tutorial to try and boost his dismal grades. And when he got home, I would tutor him, too. It was an endless cycle of studying for him.
I spotted him near the school gate, his loud, bright laughter ringing out as he chatted with his friends. That was another one of his skills: he was outgoing and possessed natural social charm, a stark contrast to me. I was a textbook introvert and didn't have a single friend. Well, I guess I'll die alone forever, I thought with a grim sigh.
One of his friends spotted me first and tapped Nathan on the shoulder. "Hey, Nathan, your brother's here."
Nathan turned his head, a bright, warm smile instantly lighting up his face. Why is he smiling like that?
"Noah! You're here!" he cried out happily and immediately ran toward me. I was momentarily shocked when he threw his arms around me in a tight hug.
"Hey! You're embarrassing me!" I snapped, quickly pushing him away. His friends let out a round of chuckles.
"I missed you, Noah," he said, still smiling. Wow, it's only been an hour since we last saw each other.
"Let's just go home," I muttered, already turning to leave.
He waved exuberantly to his friends. Our house was within walking distance of the school, so we didn't bother with a cab or the bus. It was a pleasant twenty-minute stroll, and frankly, I preferred the quiet walk over a crowded bus.
I glanced over at him as we walked. We truly looked like the sun and moon twins. He was radiant, bright as the sun, with his striking saffron-yellow hair and vivid cobalt-blue eyes. I was his polar opposite, with jet-black hair and the same cobalt-blue eyes, like the dark night sky.
He noticed my stare, turning his head to meet my eyes, a question in his smile.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Noah?" he asked, his voice open and carefree.
"Noth—huh?" I cut myself off abruptly in the middle of our conversation when I heard it: a terrifying screech of metal.
I looked behind us and saw a massive, unstable bus swerving violently, its tires screaming as it barreled directly towards us.
The sudden, blinding flash of its headlights momentarily stole my sight.
I couldn't move; the event was unfolding too fast. The only thing I registered was the firm, frantic grip of Nathan's hand tightening around mine.