My Jealous Stepbrother

However, there was no way to definitively confirm it. Also, Zack seemed to have no resentment towards Ryan, which ruled out the idea of a possible rivalry between them, unless it's a one-way thing - but I couldn't totally believe that Ryan was the type of person who would hate someone for no reason.

To my relief, I found no message from the stalker. It could be that having blocked his number had paid off; maybe it was just someone trying to scare me for the sheer fun of it. I felt a little embarrassed that I had assumed Ryan had gone through my phone, considering I always kept it password protected when out of my hands. It was impossible for him to have done it, there was no chance he knew about it. I breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed I had managed to put a stop to that awkward situation.

I grabbed my phone and started dialing Emily's number, despite not having to go to school for a few more days, I couldn't escape the tasks that only seem to pile up. I needed to start catching up - how hard could it be? Or so I thought...

My stuffy nose and the damn geometry homework were only getting me more frustrated. I understood absolutely nothing! Emily, despite assuring me that she understood the subject, wasn't much help. Her explanations were confusing and doing it over FaceTime didn't make things any easier. If it weren't for the torrential rain that seemed to want to wash away everything in the neighborhood, I would have gone straight to her house for help. Deep down, though, I knew Ryan wouldn't let me leave. He always followed my father's instructions to the letter, without question.

I had been on a call with Emily for over three hours, trying to work out our homework questions. Although the long-distance connection was not ideal, we did our best to communicate. Despite the obstacles, Emily was patient and willing to help at all times. However, frustration was beginning to take hold of me. Geometry seemed to elude my understanding, and each explanation I received only generated more confusion.

"Emily, this is so hard. No matter how hard we try, I just don't get it," I exclaimed in frustration, letting out an exhausted sigh. "Why do we even need to know this stuff?"

"You can come to my house anytime. Zack is willing to help you with homework too."

Emily's proposal was tempting with her idea of getting extra homework help. However, I looked out the window and saw that the storm showed no signs of letting up. Two consecutive days of incessant rain were not the best conditions for leaving the house, especially if it was a trip to Zack's house. I didn't want to be a bother to him by arriving impromptu, and I also didn't want to risk making myself more sick.

"I really appreciate the offer, Emily, but with this weather I don't think it's safe to leave the house right now," I replied with a hint of disappointment in my voice. "Besides, I don't want to bother Zack unannounced. But I really appreciate your willingness to help me."

I ended the call and leaned back at my desk, trying to clear my mind. I looked out the window, watching the raindrops hit the glass hard. I took a deep breath and forced myself to concentrate. I couldn't let the task defeat me. I took my pencil and started going over the notes that had been passed to me. I tried to understand the basic concepts and apply them to the problems in front of me. As I went along, I realized that I didn't really understand anything.

I decided to take a short break, stepping away from the task for a moment.

A moment of enlightenment flashed through my mind as I considered a new idea - Ryan! A mischievous smile formed on my lips as I contemplated the possibility. How had I not thought of it before? He could help me with the task, surely it would be a piece of cake for him.

I decided to take action and headed to the living room, where I found Ryan engrossed in several books and papers around him. I approached him cautiously, not wanting to interrupt his concentration, but I couldn't help myself and asked the question eagerly.

"Ryan, do you think you could help me with my geometry homework? I'm going crazy trying to figure it out, and I'm sure it would be easy for you."

He looked up, surprised by my request, seeming not to have seen me coming toward him. He seemed to mull it over for a moment before answering, and then he sketched his typical smile showing all his teeth.

"Of course, Sam. It seems the time has come for me to share my glorious knowledge with you." No matter the moment, he always had something to say. "Let's go to my room, we can study in peace there."

My heart raced at his response. We headed to his room and I began to remember the good times we had spent together in the past. We used to be inseparable, as if we were true blood brothers. But something had changed in our relationship over the years, and our closeness had been affected.

We sat together at his desk. To my surprise, Ryan quickly assimilated the information and was able to clearly explain each step to me.

Ryan's sarcastic and teasing personality sometimes got on my nerves, and he seemed to enjoy it. But at that moment, as we sat together and he showed me his understanding and caring side, my perspective on him began to change. I realized that maybe there was more to him than what I saw on the surface.

I realized that Ryan was not only smart and talented, but he also had a great sense of humor and a charming way of making me feel comfortable. I couldn't help but smile.

As we went through the exercises, at times, our gazes would cross. Time flew by as we worked together, and when we finally solved the last problem, we looked at each other with a mixture of satisfaction.

"Thanks for helping me, are you sure I'm not bothering you? You seemed busy a while ago," I asked, feeling slightly concerned that I had interrupted his busyness.

"I'm fine, Sam," he replied calmly, but I could sense a tinge of unease in his voice.

"I was about to walk through that storm to Emily's house. She said she understood the task but seemed just as lost as I was, although I guess it's not Zack's fault she doesn't understand. Emily can become very-" "Zack?" Ryan abruptly interrupted me, at which point I remembered not to mention the name.

Did I just put my foot in my mouth?