Chapter 2The Brother My Ghost Dad Picked

I wiped away my tears and went to the Base clinic to have the nurse clean and bandage my scrapes.

The nurses were all gathered by the window, peering toward the main field. I looked out of curiosity.

Garrett and Brooke were hiding behind the basketball hoop, whispering. Garrett was gently stroking Brooke’s hair.

“Garrett,” I heard Brooke say in a tiny voice. “If Sloane finds out you’re faking amnesia just to play with me, she’s going to be so mad.”

Garrett sounded completely unconcerned. “Who cares if she’s mad? She likes me so much. Even if I pretend to forget her, she’ll beg to be my friend again.”

“Dream on, you little menace!” Dad spat in my head. “My Sloane didn’t pick you this time! Just wait until the announcement, then we’ll see how smug you are!”

I scrunched up my face into a small knot of frustration, holding my bandaged hands as I walked toward the youth center.

Suddenly, a loud scream rang out from the field. “The older kids are fighting! Get a coach!”

The whole area erupted into chaos.

I instinctively tried to run, but a high school-age boy who was fighting slammed right into me. The wooden handle of a broom he was holding was about to smash down onto my head.

I had taken some self-defense classes with Mom, but I was still small and weak.

Seeing Garrett look over in our direction, I screamed, “Garrett, help me!”

Garrett started to move toward me, but Brooke immediately clutched his arm tightly. “Garrett, I’m scared. Please don’t go.”

In that one second of hesitation, the broom handle connected with my arm. Blood immediately soaked through the bandage on my hand. The pain was so sharp that my eyes swam with tears.

“This is an outrage!” Dad was stamping his imaginary foot. “That little punk has no conscience! My Sloane has been nothing but kind to him, and he’s going to let her get hurt?!”

I was barely standing, using the last of my strength to yell, “Garrett, it hurts! Please, help me!”

Before the words were out, Brooke shrieked again.

Another boy from the fight was charging toward them. Garrett instantly pulled Brooke behind him and ran, not even glancing back at me.

I watched their retreating backs, the sting of betrayal worse than the physical pain.

Even if he didn't want to play with me anymore, we had grown up together. In a moment of danger, he wouldn’t even spare a hand to pull me to safety?

Suddenly, a blur of motion appeared. Miles Thompson sprinted toward me and kicked the charging teenager out of the way.

He pulled me up from the ground and shielded me, pushing me toward the building. “Move!”

By the time the adults broke up the fight, I was shaking, sitting on the edge of a planter box.

Miles wordlessly handed me a bottle of water, his expression difficult to read.

I noticed a tear in the sleeve of his uniform jacket from the chaos, revealing a patch of healed, faded scar tissue underneath.

“Your arm…” I murmured.

“It’s nothing,” he said, quickly pulling the sleeve down. “Drink your water.”

I whispered a thank you, feeling a small ripple of warmth despite the cold shock.

The incident quickly reached my mother’s office.

Mom was furious and immediately tracked down the parents of the kids involved.

Brooke’s family grounded her and sent over an expensive box of Godiva chocolates as an apology.

That evening, Garrett came to my house, clearly annoyed. He tossed a bag of convenience store snacks onto my desk. “Sloane, what happened today wasn’t Brooke’s fault. Why did you get her grounded?”

I held up my bandaged forearm. “See this?”

Garrett paused, then quickly scoffed. “You’re fine. Everyone knows your mom protects you. You’ll always have people to help you. Brooke is younger and only has me to protect her. You saw what happened—she almost got hit, too. Can you stop targeting her? Go tell your mom to un-ground her, or I swear, I won’t be your brother.”

Garrett sounded so entitled, so certain I would cave.

“The nerve of this kid!” Dad was absolutely raging.

I was completely done with him. I didn't even want to argue. “I have homework. You should leave.”

As the housekeeper ushered Garrett out, he flung one last furious parting shot: “Sloane, you’re going to regret this!”

The next day, Mom held a lively party at the Base Community Hall, inviting all the kids.

I wore my favorite athletic shorts and a t-shirt and went to the Hall. I was surprised to see Brooke, who was supposed to be grounded, already there, wearing a brand-new jacket, sticking her tongue out at me.

“Garrett must have sneaked her out,” Dad snickered. “He never put that much effort into you, not even in the past life.”

When Garrett saw me, he immediately turned his back, laughing loudly and intentionally with Brooke.

The other kids were buzzing. “Why isn’t Garrett talking to Sloane?” “They look so cozy with Brooke.”

“Sloane loves Garrett the most. She’s definitely going to pick him, right?”

Miles stood quietly in the corner. When he heard the gossip, he shot a cold look at the kids talking, and they scattered instantly.

Mom led me to the stage in the center of the Hall and handed me a red megaphone. “Sloane, today, you get to tell everyone who you’ve chosen as your new brother.”

“Okay.”

I took the megaphone, noticing Garrett staring at me, his eyes wide and anxious. Brooke gripped his shirt sleeve tightly.

I gave Garrett a small, measured smile, took a deep breath, and shouted into the megaphone: “Thank you for coming to my welcome party!”