Chapter 1

At my brother's and my college celebration dinner.

Mom and Dad had prepared surprise gift boxes for the two of us.

Jim Delgado opened his first.

An eighty-thousand-dollar full haul of Apple products.

He threw his arms around our parents, so moved he teared up.

My box was about the same size as his.

Mom smiled and gestured:

"You two are brothers, cut from the same cloth. Go on, open yours!"

I tore into it, unable to wait.

A giant cake sprang out of the box.

And smashed hard into my face.

I wiped the frosting out of my eyes.

Jim was laughing so hard he could barely stand.

Nadia Delgado patted my shoulder, smiling.

"Just messing with you. We knew Clem would cry once he got emotional, so we set up a little gag to lighten things up."

I wiped a hand down my face.

"So I don't get a graduation gift, is that it?"

Nadia paused.

"Jim got into a good state school. He deserves a reward.

"You barely scraped into some mediocre college. Don't put yourself next to him and try to compare."

Smiling, Mom and Dad turned away to fix Jim's suit.

Nadia dropped me and went to help set up the specs on his new gear.

But my acceptance letter from MIT had been hand-delivered to my parents by the principal himself.

That was half a month ago.

Hadn't they even looked at it?

...

Dad held up the camera, laughing as he recorded Jim's first time in a suit.

Mom stood in front, straightening his tie.

Every look on their faces was pride and tenderness.

Only me.

The suit I'd spent three hours choosing was crumpled now.

Smeared all over with sour, rotten frosting.

As if they'd known the cake would end up on my face.

The thing seemed to have been made with expired ingredients.

The smell of it turned your stomach.

Nadia flicked a hand at me, shooing me off.

"What are you still standing here for? Waiting to gas the guests?

"Go change your clothes, now!"

I held it in.

I didn't let the tears fall.

I turned and fled into the changing room.

Looking at the suit I'd spent three careful hours choosing, ruined.

I knelt on the floor.

Smoothing out the parts that weren't touched by frosting, bit by careful bit.

Still I couldn't stop myself from wiping the corner of my eye.

This was the first time I'd ever worn a suit.

When I learned about this celebration dinner, that I'd get to wear something nice like Jim.

I'd started researching three days ahead.

Standing in the store, comparing options seriously for a long time.

Before I finally settled on this one, the one cut to fit me.

And now, it was ruined.

By the time I came out of the changing room.

I was already wearing a baggy shirt and pants that dragged a little on the floor.

"You should be thankful there were any spare clothes at all. Just make do."

Nadia waved a hand like it was nothing.

"It's not like you're the one this is about anyway."

I clenched my fist.

"This is my celebration dinner too. Mine and Jim's."

"Then how come you didn't get into a good state school like Jim did?"

Nadia laughed.

Jim's suit was set right now.

It made him look sharp, full of confidence.

He clapped my shoulder.

"It's fine, bro. Grades aren't everything.

"A man always finds his way. You might be a little slow upstairs, but at least you've got some muscle on you."

"Don't be so modest, Jim. Who says grades aren't everything?"

Mom shot me a faintly contemptuous glance.

"Grades at least show a person's brains and self-discipline. Without those two things, however your college admissions turned out is most likely how the rest of your life will go."

"Really, Jim, you don't have to run yourself down to spare your brother's pride. He's not that fragile."

Jim waved it off with a smile.

"I'll still stay humble. Humility keeps a man improving!"

"Humble about what? Your dad likes seeing the son he's raised in the palm of his hand hold his head high!"

"That's right. Show off when you've earned it. After all, your scores are the real thing."

The door swung open.

"I'm not too late, am I?"

Elena Fox appeared in the doorway with a big armful of wild roses.

For the first time, a flicker of joy broke through everything I'd been holding down.

Wild roses were my favorite flower.

Mom and Dad might not have bothered to look at my acceptance letter.

But I'd told Elena my good news!

"Lena!"

I stepped forward, delighted.

But she walked right past me.

"Jim, congratulations on getting in."