Monday had arrived, and I went to the university to be embarrassed by my brothers. Awesome. Did you notice the sarcasm, by any chance?

I did not do anything special yesterday. I was hit by a big wave of laziness, so I decided to lay on my new bed, watch movies, and text Mom. My brothers insisted that I come out, but it was so cold, and I was comfortable in my baggy clothes. But they came to the room and sat with me for a couple of hours, then I was carried to the kitchen by Theo to eat. After that, I returned to my room and continued the movie marathon until one in the morning. I was knocked out at one-thirty; that was what Arlo said as we shared the same room. Oh, and Milo went on his anniversary celebration with Latoya. She was happy with her present, place, and, most importantly, food.

"Lex, are you done yet?" Milo called to me from the kitchen. I looked at the clock and found it was sixteen past eight. Our classes would begin at nine sharp. It was good enough for me since I would not have to wake up at six-thirty every morning.

"Yeah, in a sec. I'm just doing my hair," I replied, then grabbed a hair tie and raised my hair. I tied it in a messy ponytail, but it came out pretty good. I wore jeans and a white top, then I added the black leather jacket that I found in my big suitcase. It was probably mom's doing, and I was grateful for that.

I opened the door and then walked to the kitchen with a small backpack containing a notebook and a pen. I did not need more because I could remember what the teachers said. It was like I had a photographic memory, but with a fancier term; Echoic memory. Now, don't envy me because it could be a curse sometimes, especially when you see or hear some things that you shouldn't, and you regret ever hearing or seeing them. It can be stuck in your head like a catchy, crappy song, and it sucks. I sometimes dream of things that a teen my age should have forgotten a long time ago, yet life was not easy, and I had to adjust.

"Good morning, little sis," Arlo greeted me as I entered the kitchen. I smiled, then saw Milo making breakfast and Theo texting on his phone like a fast freak.

"Good morning," I replied, then sat on an empty chair next to Theo.

"How was your first night here? Did you sleep well?" Milo asked as he put the food on the counter. The smell and the coffee aroma were delicious.

"Yes, it was good. But Arlo can snore real loud!" I commented, then looked at Arlo, who had his eyebrows raised. He crossed his arms, clearly not convinced by my claim.

"I do not snore. You can't prove it," Arlo replied, and I smirked, already winning over his stubbornness.

"Oh yeah?" I said, then grabbed my phone and opened the voice recorder. "I beg to differ," I added, then pressed play. The sound was so loud and noisy – it was unbearable. He snored like an old, sick man.

Theo put his phone down, then started laughing at Arlo. "Bro, you gotta do something about that. You're not getting a girl at this point," he countered, and we giggled.

Arlo sighed, and Milo laughed. "Man, you suffered, Lex. I'm sorry," Milo said, then hugged me tightly. "Don't worry, I'll do something about it," he whispered in my ear, then kissed the crown of my head.

"Forget it, and let's eat. It's already eight forty." Arlo waved his hand and pointed at the clock. Next time he snores, I will have to hit him with my shoe or throw him out of the room.

~~~

"Hello and welcome, dear. You're the Houstons' genius sister, right?" The dean of the university asked with the sweetest smile ever. I returned the smile with a bigger one and shook hands with him. He was friendly and in good shape for a sixty-year-old man, and I felt warm and homely.

"I wouldn't call myself a genius, but I am their sister, Lexi Houston. Nice to meet you," I said, and he nodded.

"I'm the dean here; you can call me Mr. Bishop or Bishop. I don't care." He laughed, then continued. "What I care about is your happiness and future. For a sixteen-year-old girl to attend university is a great honor for us all. I hope you have a great time and make some worthy friends who can be there for you at all costs." Is he foreshadowing my future? I just nodded. "You know, life is not about grades and perfect scores. Life is about experience and mistakes. The mistakes that could teach you the value of life. So, dear, have fun, and here is your schedule. You won't have a lot of classes since you completed many of them through your homeschooling, but these will help you attain your final certificate and graduate with a bachelor's degree. If you need any help, I'm right here. Good luck with everything," he explained, with a cheerful expression that made me drown in relaxation.

"Thank you," I nodded firmly, then grabbed my schedule and got out of his office. As soon as I stepped outside, Theo and Arlo were right in front of my face.

"What took you so long?" Theo asked, then he hugged me like I was gone for years. I rolled my eyes, then patted his back as a sign to let go. He did.

"I was there for ten minutes, chill. Bishop talked to me about making friends and gave me my schedule...Wait, why aren't you in your classes?" I asked with narrow eyes. Arlo looked at the floor, then at me.

"We wanted to see your schedule. We might have some classes together," Arlo explained and seized the paper from my hand.

"So?" I asked after a minute of them inspecting it.

"The first class is with me, and the fourth one is with Theo," Arlo explained, then grabbed my hand and dragged me somewhere.

"Bye, Theo," I called and waved. He waved back and started walking in the opposite direction.

~~~

"Mr. Houston, why are you late for your first lecture?" a middle-aged lady asked with a grumpy face. She wore big, round glasses and a long skirt that reached her ankles. Her white blouse was crumpled, and the wrinkles on her face were noticeable. I presumed that she looked older than her age; I was not judgmental. She was beautiful, though she could look more appealing and younger if she tried.

"Um, I was with my sister. She talked to Bishop, and I had to wait for her since it was her first day," Arlo explained with a sheepish grin. I wanted to facepalm but reminded myself that we were in a class full of new people. The lecturer looked me up and down, then nodded.

"What is your name? Introduce yourself," she said with a less grim expression. She was probably tired. I turned my head and stared at the whole class. There were more than forty students who were waiting for me to speak.

"I'm Lexi Houston, sixteen years old. I'll turn seventeen next month," I said with a small smile. I felt uneasy since it was my first time standing in front of people. I quickly scanned the faces to see if I knew anyone and, for my luck, I saw Jude sitting in the last row, with a smirk on his face.

Arlo cleared his throat, then wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Okay, I'll make this clear. No boy comes near my baby sis and touches her, especially you, Jude." He raised his voice, then pointed his finger at Jude. He raised his hands up in surrender.

"Why 'especially' me?" Jude asked, and Arlo let out a small giggle.

"Because you, my friend, are a player, and everyone here knows that, isn't that right, miss?" Arlo asked. The lecturer nodded.

"Absolutely. Now, do we have a question for Lexi before we begin?" the lecturer asked, and I looked back at the students, who looked happy at wasting time. They were hoping that we did not learn anything soon.

I saw a beautiful girl with honey eyes raising her hand for a question. "How come you're in university, and you're still sixteen?" she asked. That question.

"That's because she's a genius," Arlo replied without giving me a chance to speak. We sat in the last row next to Jude. Well, to be more precise, Arlo sat next to Jude. I sat next to Arlo.

"I'm Jessica, by the way." The girl who asked me the question turned around in her chair and smiled. "Hope we can be friends," she added, and I smiled brightly. So far, so good.

"Likewise!"

I just published chapter 21 on inkitt, send me a private message if you want to read it ahead of time and I will send you the link!