Jim's Audi rolls to a stop outside the Science building. "See, you're on time," he tells me, watching me unbuckle.

"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you." I exhale and face him.

I'm a thousand percent serious. The last two weeks have been hectic and stressful as fuck. I've been juggling my heavy course load with helping D at the garage, volunteering, and renovating the apartment, but I wouldn't have managed to do it all hadn't it been for Jim. 

He used his free time to help me, and let's be honest; he knows way more than I do about construction and repairs. Maybe it's because of his own house he finished renovating not so long ago. I have yet to see it; Jim told me he wanted to have a big family gathering there after Christmas. 

"It's nothing, Brian," Jim says. "I told you I'd help."

"It's a lot. Fuck, my stuff's in your trunk."

"I'll drop what we bought at the apartment now. Ava and I are meeting for lunch later."

"Okay. Let me get my things."

Jim and I get out of the car. He unlocks the trunk and rounds the vehicle to make sure I manage to find what I need in the sea of shopping bags. We went to get some things for my new place. I’ll buy the rest with Leah cause I want her to choose what she likes. I need her to feel the apartment is hers, too.

"You only had these, right?" Jim holds up two textbooks and a notebook.

"Yeah. Tell me to bring my backpack next time. I don't know what the hell I was thinking."

"You have a lot going on." Jim smiles, giving me a half-hug. "See you later, little fucker."

"See ya, big bro."

Jim grins and gets into the Audi after closing the trunk. I clutch my things under my arm and look around.

I didn't have the first two lectures, but those who did are still in class. I wouldn't have let Jim drop me off if the campus was swarming with students.

I'm proud of my brother, but I’m also protective of him. I don't want to draw attention to Jim knowing how much he values his privacy. Plus, none of my classmates realized I'm related to the green-eyed heartthrob from Rebellious Hearts.

Or so I thought.

My gaze snags on Chad standing outside the Science building with his phone in his hand, staring in my direction.

"Hey," Mr. Padded Package greets me when I'm next to him.

"What's up?” 

"So, you're also famous." Chad's lips stretch into a smile that doesn't feel genuine.

"I'm not," I say. "Are you going to class?"

Chad nods. "Why didn't you tell anyone Jim O'Brien is your brother?"

Here we go. My damn gut's always right.

"Cause I didn't want to. It's nobody's business."

"He's mega-famous."

I shrug. "I guess."

If Chad thinks I'll engage in the talk about Jim and his fame, he'll be disappointed. Jim suffered enough last year to risk random dudes knowing stuff he doesn't want to be disclosed.

"You guess just like you guess that you're smart when your results are the best in our class."

I look skyward and take a deep breath before refocusing on Chad. "Look, man, what's your point? I'm a student like any other. I'm twenty, and it's my freshman year. I don't know shit yet."

"Sure."

The famous smirk is glued to Chad's lips again. I walk toward the entrance of the building, trying to forget the weird exchange.

The old Brian would've punched him, but ever since Chad started with his weird-ass comments, I've decided to take the high road. I'm better than that shit. Plus, I don't want to have the reputation of being someone who gets into fights. It wouldn't do me any favors and sure as fuck wouldn't make me more respected by those whose opinions matter. 

"What's wrong?" Bast asks me when I plop down on a seat next to him.

"Nada," I say, scribbling the date in my notebook.

Bast's brows shoot up to his hairline, but he says nothing. He does know about Jim because they met at my new apartment. Bast and Mac helped us paint. Unlike Chad, Bast never made any comments about my brother. Bast and Jim hit it off, and there was no awkwardness Jim hates when he meets someone who's too intimidated by his fame. Not many things intimidate Bast. He's chill, and we're more alike than I initially thought.

Dr. Creighton starts the class with an anecdote, instantly making us pay attention. I like the guy. He's super strict, but his lectures are exciting— nothing to do with the boring ones where the lecturer would read stuff from the screen of his laptop, not giving two fucks about the audience.

We're covering the circulatory system, and the professor asks a question about blood. It catapults me to Indonesia, and the first time I assisted Alec while he repaired the internal bleeding. 

I know the answer. And somehow, the guy who's been teaching me for a couple of months knows that I know, too, because he asks the class, but his eyes are on me.

Chad's in my peripheral vision, waiting. I lower my gaze to my notes and say nothing.

"What the fuck was that?" Bast can barely wait till we're alone in the hallway after the lecture to start grilling me.

"What the fuck was what?" 

I know what he means, but I’d rather not give explanations.

"That you—"

"Bast, did you hear a new professor's gonna substitute for Dr. Yang?" a girl asks. I vaguely remember seeing her around but have no idea what her name is.

Bast looks at her. "What happened to Dr. Yang?" 

The nameless girl sighs. "He broke his leg. I really liked him. It's a bummer."

"It sucks. Who's the new one?"

She shrugs. "I don't know, but a friend of mine had a lecture with him today. She said he's the doctor House of our professors."

"Thanks, Em," Bast says. "See you later."

The girl walks away, and I'm saved by my next lecture. I breathe out a sigh of relief as I stroll to a different lecture hall, leaving Bast behind.

***

In the evening, our small gang is at The Nerd. I wasn't going to tag along, but Kitten has plans with Tara. They're enjoying the last days of being roommates. 

"Ready for Tara to move in?" I ask Bast.

He rolls his eyes. "Will never be, but it's her or looking for someone. It's not like I have a choice."

Drew laughs. "Dude, you're the only guy I know who'd complain about rooming with a hot chick. The rest of us would throw a damn party."

"Especially if she's that pretty," Connor, Drew's teammate, says.

We sip our beers for a few minutes. Bast breaks the silence by clearing his throat. "So, guys, I've got a hypothetical case here."

Drew looks at him. "Alright."

"Imagine you have a smart friend. Like, really smart. The prof asks a question. The friend knows the answer but keeps quiet because of a little shit who can't deal with others' success."

Connor chuckles. "The little shit can eat a bag of dicks. It's college. If you're dumb, you're dumb, but if you're smart, you show it. Many of us would like to have that problem, right, Drew?"

Drew takes a sip from his bottle and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Yup. Some of us need to keep our GPA score high not to lose the scholarship. I'd give a lot to be smart and spend less time studying. Who's the dumbass who hides it?"

Bast nods at me.

Drew's eyes widen. "You? Why would you? You wanna go to medical school, for fuck's sake."

"Cause I don't wanna give him ammo, okay? Guys like him never stop. I'm over it. He can answer the questions himself."

Bast snorts. "Except he won't. Cause unlike you, he hasn't assisted a real surgeon and hasn't seen the organs of a dude lying on an operating table."

"Bast, drop it," I say. "It was nothing."

The guys stare at me. I fidget in my chair, waiting for something that would shift their focus away from me. Lucky for me, Nash enters The Nerd and walks up to our table. Everyone greets him, and I'm not the center of attention anymore. 

***

Everything goes smoothly the next day.  When it’s time for Gross Human Anatomy, Bast and I sit next to each other. Emma, the girl who talked to Bast yesterday, shoots a worried look in his direction.

“Let’s see who the guy is,” Bast mutters, tapping a pen on his notebook.

The door to the lecture hall slams shut. I look over my shoulder, and my ass nearly falls off the chair. What. The. Fuck.

Alec, a.k.a. Dr. Montgomery, walks up to the podium, casting glances around him. His piercing eyes notice me, but don’t linger on my face, thank fuck for that.

“I’m Dr. Alec Montgomery,” he says, facing us. “I don’t waste time, and if you do, it’s not your class and not your degree. You might as well go have something to eat.”

Bast laughs under his breath and shakes his head. “I already like him,” he whispers.

“You. Mr….” To my horror, Alec addresses Bast.

“Hutches.”

“Mr. Hutches, what articulates with humerus to form shoulder joint?”

“Glenoid cavity,” Bast says.

Alec nods. I know him well enough to be sure Bast won’t receive praise, but Bast has no idea I know Alec.

Alec nods and writes something down. 

Then, he scans the hall, and his dark eyes stop on Chad.

“What’s infraspinatus fossa, Mr….”

“Scott,” Chad says and looks through his notes. His cheeks redden. If he sat close to me, I would’ve told him the answer, but Bast and I are too far.

“Not good, Mr. Scott,” Alec says. “Your patients won’t wait while you’re looking for the answer, cause you know, it might be an emergency, and they might be dying.”

Bold asshole. I’m strangely relieved he's a dick not only to me. 

Several students let out low whistles.

Alec doesn’t give a damn. He rotates his shoulders and sighs. And holy shit, he looks at me. “Mr….”

I clear my throat. “O’Brien.”

“What’s infraspinatus fossa?”

Depression below the crest of spine, the voice in my head whispers. 

I glance at Chad’s red cheeks. Then, I look elsewhere.

“Dude,” Bast hisses and punches my side.

Bast knows I know the answer. We studied together last night.

“That’s unfortunate,” Alec says and nods his chin toward Emma. 

I zone out, but when the lecture is over, and the students are gathering their stuff, Alec gives me a hard stare.

He’s given me too many of those since I met him over a year ago. That’s how I know I’m fucked.