On the Strawberry Moon - 3. Chapter 3

It smelt good in here. Kalum smelt good.

He had put on the new aftershave on that Robert given him. Jasper had grudgingly used it too.

They had to smell the same of course.

Robert offered it to the twins during break the day before.

‘If that’s not a hint that you guys stink, I don’t know what is’ Tom raised a sharp eyebrow. Everyone laughed, and Kalum laughed too, catching the shiny glint in Robert’s eyes.
The aftershave smelt sweet and masculine. It felt good to have on. Kalum continued to stare in the bedroom mirror as he brushed his hair.

Jasper and Kalum were the only twins at the children’s care home so they got their own private bedroom. Lucky them, they didn’t have to share with the others older kids.

Suddenly, Kalum felt sharp yank of the back of his hair. Jasper was behind him, pulling hard at his hair.

Kalum winced and his hand holding the brush just froze up.

‘Stop talking to that fag,’ Jasper hissed, gripping him harder.

Kalum just winced.

***

It was science class.
Kalum strolled over to his usual seat next to his brother but Mr. Arsenal stopped him.

‘We’re going to switch it up,’ he declared, nodding over Kalum’s head. ‘I’m sick of all the talking in this class. So! Lisa, you’re going to sit with Debbie, yes now, move. Tom, you’re sitting with Hannah, Ron and Joe you’re sitting together. Jasper, you’re sitting with James.’

‘But, sir,’ protested Jasper.

Mr Arsenal ignored him, ‘Robert you’re sitting with Kalum.’

Kalum so badly wanted to look over to Robert and smile back at him, super happy with this arrangement.

But instead, he gave a sympathetic nod to his brother. Jasper was visibly frustrated but forced a short smile to James as he moved over to him.

Kalum placed his things down next to Robert.

‘Hi,’ Robert whispered.

Opening up his books, Kalum pretended not to hear. Kalum hated doing this.

Mr. Arsenal began the class and Robert would try to whisper and make Kalum laugh but Kalum’s face remained stoned cold and he didn’t respond.

‘Right, now, we will start out own experiments regarding Charle’s Law, so class get all your equipment ready please.’ Mr. Arsenal announced.

Kalum concentrated hard on setting up the bunsen burner and the tube of water, like a robot. He couldn’t dare look at Robert. He didn’t want to cry in front of class.

Don’t talk to him. That was a direct instruction. Kalum had to follow this order.

‘Now get your books ready to make notes on the temperature,’ Mr. Arsenal walked around the room as everyone finished up setting their experiments.

Kalum knew Robert was going to hate him now, and he understood and absolutely got that.
Kalum would hate someone like himself too.

‘Hey,’ Robert nudged him. Kalum looked over and Robert pointed towards a scrap piece of paper ripped from his notepad.

With a pencil Robert had scribbled, ‘Are you ignoring me because of your brother?’

Kalum stared hard at it. Instead of panicking of why Robert came to that conclusion, he reaching for the eraser, taking it off Robert's words off the page.

He knew he wasn’t allowed to speak with him. But he could give one word reply?

With his own pencil, Kalum simply wrote ‘Sorry’.

Kalum only let him read it for ten seconds before he erased ‘Sorry’ as hard as he could off the page. Robert already saw the burns on his arm and never pushed Kalum further on it. Now he might.

But Robert just nodded and they continued on their own experiments next to each other quietly. Kalum noticed Robert stood a little closer to him though. He hoped Robert would notice that he was still wearing the aftershave he gave him.