Mine

Feeling out of place in his spacious bedroom, Matthew sat down at the edge of the bed, and sighed. The last time he was in that house, he was hired as part of the security detail guarding the family. He remembered asking Mr. Snyder why he had hired him when he had no experience; "...doing a favor for a friend," was about all he could receive as an answer to the special treatment. Little did they know... He was finally part of a family- his biological family, well, the closest thing to it. Yet he couldn't help but wonder why his biological mother gave him up and never told his dad about him. It was all insane! The man clearly loved his children, and surely wouldn't have minded raising his bastard son. How does one reconcile with the news that the parents whom they chose to believe were dead for 18 years are alive? Matthew never cared nor wanted to be part of the Snyder family. But after an insistance from a man like Zachariah Snyder, none could ever refuse. Matthew hadn't blamed him for his absence either way. The family was quite welcoming when the news were announced. Mrs. Snyder wasn't in town to show her true feelings, but seemed generally happy about the new addition. Liam, his younger half-brother, was psyched to have an older brother and even more excited to have him go to the same school. Élisabeth, on the other hand, was bummed that she and her friend, Essie, couldn't talk about the hot bodyguard anymore, but all was well that ended well. "Hurry, or I'm leaving you behind," he heard chatter outside his room, and then quickened footsteps. A moment later, his door opened and his father appeared at the door. "Are you planning on joining us for breakfast?" He had an assertive yet formal tone. "I thought I would start school on Monday." "Be downstairs in 10 minutes." Though Matthew knew the kind of man Mr. Snyder was, he expected his father to walk on eggshells around him after being absent all his life, but the man treated him like he would Liam and Élisabeth on any other day. Later that morning... Matthew parked Mrs. Snyder's SUV outside the school, and headed to the headmaster's office for his timetable and school map. Élisabeth cut him off before he entered the building. "Tee, no jacket with those guns? The girls here are going to eat you alive," said Élisabeth. "I'm not interested in any of the girls here. I'm just here to get my GED," he claimed as they walked down the school halls, ignoring prying eyes. "Besides, I'm already taken." "You are?" "By you, according to the stupid mentality of the power-hungry, horny, gossiping, high school scholars who-" "Watch it," Élisabeth hit the side of his arm. "I'm one of them, and not all of us conform to norms. I have a simple enough social life." "Oh please, a Snyder?" "I'm nothing like Liam. I thought you knew me," she retorted with furrowed eyebrows. "Lily," he called out as she stormed off. Matthew had known Élisabeth, and he knew that there was a chance that she would be upset with him for the whole day or 2. He never wanted to make that mistake again. "I'm sorry. I have a lot going on in my head, and I don't want to be here." "Yea well, you are here. Don't knock it; make the best of your time here." "Yea, sure. Education is a passport to the future and all that crap," said Matthew, with no sense of irony on his face, which had Élisabeth throwing her head back in laughter, pointing out how like their father he was. "About that, how are you taking the news?" "What? Having my own bodyguard at school? Totally great," She said. "No, I'm glad to have a responsible older brother to take care of my irresponsible younger brother. Other than that, I'm totally bummed that you get to have mom's SUV." "Temporarily. Lily, I'm not as responsible as you think I am. There's a lot about me that you don't know." "It doesn't matter. You're family and that's all that matters," Élisabeth had her arms around his neck. Matthew knew she was a hugger, but hadn't expected it. "Alright, I gotta meet the dictator before school starts. Wish me luck." "Snyders don't need luck." He smirked. "Matthew," she called out as he walked away. She had determined facial expression on face, "when you go out there remember: the capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice." "Seriously?" Élisabeth shrugged her shoulders, "I was trying out dad's deadpan humor." "You're such a little sister," he shook his head at her, and she did a half-twirl at him before walking away. "Matt," he heard Liam's voice calling, "can I ride with you this afternoon? I've got basketball, and Lily can't wait for me 'cause she's hanging out with her friends." "I've got plans, too." "Already? You make fast moves," Liam said with his eyebrows raised. "What? No-" "Although, no judgement here. Same thing happened to me. We Snyders are great-looking. What can we do?" "No, it's humph... I can double back. What time do you want me to pick you up?" Matthew asked. He was once his father's bodyguard and chaffeur, why not do the same for his little brother? "Ugh, where's the headmaster's office in this hellhole?"