I pulled my navy blazer tight around my body and gazed up at Rosestone Elementary Academy.

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To the stars and back.

I felt a tug on my hand and looked down at my little brother. He gazed back at me with the same blue eyes as mine.

"Are you scared?" he asked me. It was an innocent question, but it broke my heart. I looked back up at the boarding school we'd be attending, shaking my bangs into my eyes so he couldn't see the tears that welled up in my eyes.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," I said in a hollow voice. I could feel him studying my face and I swallowed my tears down. I looked back down at him and forced a smile.

"We're going to be all right," I told him, trying to convince myself more than him.

He looked at the large stone building in front of us, his lips drawn in a frown. It hurt to see such a young face so full of sadness and fear. He was only six years old. He shouldn't have to face something like this. The world was a cruel place, indeed.

"Ready to go?" I asked him.

"Do I have to?" he questioned innocently. I felt a shot of pain in my chest.

"Unfortunately, yes," I replied. He looked up at me, his eyes full of tears. I bit my lip and squatted in front of him. I brushed his silky dark blonde hair out of his eyes and held onto his arms.

"What's wrong, Mikey?" I asked him.

"It's so big. I'm scared," he said, pointing to the boarding school. I tried to muster up a weak smile. I had to show him I was strong. If I broke down in front of him, then how would he ever hold up?

"Hey, look at me," I told him. He looked back at me, sniffling. I brushed the tears off his face.

"Look, we're in this together, all right? You and me, buddy. Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm around," I said to him, steadying my voice so it sounded firm.

His eyes studied me and I wondered what thoughts were rushing through his naiive mind. Finally, he nodded. I smiled at him and pulled him into a hug. He squeezed me tight and I tried my best not to break down. I was his only source of strength. I couldn't show any weakness. I had to be brave, if not for me, but for him. He needed me and I had to be there for him.

"Ready to go?" I asked him, pulling away. He nodded. I stood and took his hand again, grabbing the handle of his suitcase. We made our way up the stone stairs of the academy and walked through the thick mahogany doors.

The floors and ceiling echoed with the sound of the suitcase's wheels and the squeak of Mike's dress shoes.

Our first stop was the office. It was a large building and I found it hard to navigate. There were no signs anywhere. I found myself getting frustrated quickly as we continued to walk and ran into another dead end.

"Maybe we should ask someone," Mike suggested. I glanced down at him. He was right. There was no point walking around aimlessly. I had to ask someone for directions. We rounded the corner and doubled back around. I opened a door and walked into an empty classroom. I frowned. Next door. After checking a few more doors, we finally came across a janitor's closet.

"You kids lost?" the man asked. I squinted at his name tag. Patrick.

"Yes, actually. We're looking for the office. There are no signs anywhere. Just numbers," I told him.

"Oh, the office is in the dorms in the back building. Just walk on out the same way you came in from and then you'll see a path on the right side of this building. Take that back and you'll see another building like this one, only it'll say 'dorms'. Just go on in there and the office is the first room to your right," he explained. I smiled at him gratefully.

"Thanks so much," I said. We walked back outside into the cold air and found the path that led to a similar stone building, just as the janitor had explained.

"Hmm, who knew there would be another building?" I asked aloud. Mike shrugged, tightening his grip on my hand. We walked through the doors and sure enough, there was the office. I sighed in relief. My feet were killing me. And I still had to walk back to where my dorms were back at the Preparatory Academy.

"Hello, how can I help you?" the lady at the front desk asked. She was a plump woman with red-violet lips and moussy brown hair.

"We're new students, but we've already been registered. I just need to know where my brother's room is so that I can take him there and get him moved in," I told her. I read the name plate: Janet Marks.

"Of course! What's the name?" she asked.

"Michael Dubois," I replied.

"Spell it for me," she said. I spelled out our last name for her and she clicked away at her computer.

"There he is! He'll be in room 302. Here, let me print out the information about the other boys he'll be living with," she said. She got up from the chair with a great creak and went to the printer, plucking out the paper that just came out of the machine. She handed it to me. She also handed me a keychain that had the number 302 on it and a shiny gold key.

"Our policy is that the younger kids stay with one third grader and one fifth or sixth grader. The older kids understand what to do in emergencies, so it's always best to have two with the younger ones. Nicholas and Garret are really sweet kids. They're both at the top of their class, so Mike shouldn't have any problems," Janet explained to me.

"Oh, that's good. I'm over at the Prep Academy, anyway. I'll be over here quite a bit to check on him," I said. She smiled at me.

"We also have two floor advisors per floor of the dorms. So don't feel like you have to come check in every day," she told me. I nodded.

"Thanks a lot for your help," I told her. She nodded at me, smiling toothily.

Mike and I walked out of the office and went to elevators, taking them up to the third floor. I could hear the sound of screaming children playing games and having fun. I almost missed being a kid.

I unlocked the door to Mike's room with the keys that Janet had given us. I opened the door to complete silence. I looked around, confused and wondering if I had entered the wrong room.

The two students in there were sitting on their beds, one was sitting up on the top bunk of one bed. The other was sitting on the single bed on the other side. They both had comics in their hands and seemed intent on reading. They both looked up at me when we walked in.

"Hi. You guys must be Nick and Garret," I said to them. I felt Mike shift behind me, hiding from their view.

"I'm Nick," said the kid that was on the bunk. He looked like he was the older one.

"I'm Garret," said the kid that was on the single bed.

"I'm Renee. This is Mike. He's my little brother. He'll be your roommate. I think Miss Marks told you already," I said to them. I tried to push Mike in front of me, but he wouldn't budge.

"Yeah, she did. Hi Mike," Nick said, climbing down from the bunk and coming closer. He smiled up at me shyly. "How old is he?" he asked me.

"He's six. He'll be in the first grade," I told him. "What grades are you guys in?" I asked, fighting against Mike, who slapped my hand away.

"I'm in sixth grade. Garret's in third," Nick answered, still smiling goofily at me. He had bronze wire-framed boxy glasses, red hair and freckles. He reminded me of a dorky version of Ron Weasley. I gave him a weird look as he continued to gaze up at me and finally managed to scoot Mike over.

"Mike, say hello," I told him. Mike brought his hands up to his face, covering it. "Mike! Don't be like that! These guys are going to be your new friends!" I said to him. He still wouldn't move. I sighed, frustrated and knelt down, pulling his hands down. I gave him a stern look and he pouted.

"Mike, you told me you were a big boy," I said.

"I am!" he exclaimed in a shrill voice, glancing nervously back at Nick, whose gaze I could feel on my neck.

"Big boys don't act scared, though," I said. He frowned, crossing his little arms over his chest, and I raised my eyebrows at him expectantly.

"Fine," he mumbled. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet and walked up to Nick. "I'm Mike," he muttered.

"Hi, Mike. Nice to meet you," Nick said in a friendly voice. I silently thanked God that Mike got a nice roommate. I was terrified he'd be stuck with a bully. Mike's cheeks rose with color and I smiled at him, ruffling his hair.

"Do you need my help unpacking?" I asked him. He nodded, but Nick cut in.

"We can help him with that!" Nick chirped. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"See that! Nick's being so nice! He said he'll help you unpack," I told Mike, trying to get him to stop being so shy. I knew he'd come around eventually. He was just acting like a typical kid right now. I stood up and brought his suitcase into the room. I pulled out the little cell phone and handed it to Mike.

"My number is right on the top. If you need anything, just call me and I'll be right over," I told him. "Got it?" I asked. He nodded silently and then looked up at me with scared blue eyes. I smiled regretfully at him and pulled him into a hug.

"Remember what I said. We're in this together," I whispered in his ear. I ruffled his hair and waved good-bye, thanking the boys for being so nice.

Then, although it was really difficult, I walked out of the room. I prayed for Mike, hoping that he'd be all right. And then I made a little prayer for myself, wishing for the same thing.

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A/N: There it is! Chapter 1! How do you like it? Do you want me to continue with this one? I still have to put up the first chapter for the other story, but I'll do that after my tests.

As always, comment and vote!

XOXO