Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 3.2 - The Grants

Sam hoisted his backpack higher on his shoulder, wondering how the strap hadn't cut through him yet. All those books were insanely heavy – and unfortunately fragile, or he'd be dragging the thing across the ground.

Almost there. With a spur of energy, he opened the front door to his house and rushed through the small hallway and into the living room. His room was steps away, next to the kitchen, and boy, was he grateful now that he'd chosen to stay on the ground floor.

His mother's original plan was for him and his brothers to have rooms on the first floor, just like their parents. Sam had only spent a few nights there before retreating to the much smaller pantry which had become his bedroom. Sure, he bumped into furniture a lot, but it was so much cozier.

By the sound of it, his parents were in the kitchen, arguing. Again. They tended to do that a lot lately, though always when they thought no one could hear them. Sam wasn't worried. Their marriage was rock-solid and they only argued about minor things like who forgot to pick up the milk or whose car wouldn't fit in the garage.

He continued his way to his room and was about to open the door when he heard his mother say his name. He dropped the school bag and tiptoed to the kitchen door.

"Really now, Freider. Can't you see he doesn't want to take over your company?" Her blond head was barely visible over Freider's shoulder.

It had always been a miracle to Sam how his mother's golden hair and his father's brown one had managed to produce three children with jet-black hair. Not to mention different stature, eye color and traits. Okay, he guessed Kyle did have blue eyes like his mother, but they were so unlike in hue it was easy to overlook it. While their mother's eyes where light blue, Kyle's were dark, inky, almost violet. The same with their dad and Jerry. Both brown, but muddy-brown versus a chocolate-brown so dark, it looked black to the untrained eye. Heaven only knew where Sam's green eyes had come from.

For a while he'd considered that they could be adopted, but as time went by, he realized they did have certain features from their parents. Jerry had Freider's nose and Sam had his mother's cheekbones. Not exactly the trait he would have chosen if given the chance, but he'd been pretty lucky in the genetic lottery, so he wasn't about to complain.

Maxi put her hands on her hips. "Sam has two other brothers, you know. Older brothers."

Freider scoffed. "Jerry's going to be a scientist."

Oh, yes, of course Jerry was going to be a scientist. Sam gritted his teeth. Jerry hadn't even announced anything of the sort. Sure, it was obvious it would happen eventually, but it was annoying how their father stamped careers on their foreheads without even bothering to ask.

Maxi tapped her foot, staring Freider down, waiting. Freider moved to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. He opened it out, poured himself a glass and turned to drink when he noticed his expectant wife.

"What?" he asked.

"Okay, let's say for the sake of argument that Jerry is going to be a scientist." She strode to Freider and snatched the glass out of his hand. "He's not the only potential candidate."

"I thought we already discussed Sam. Alright, alright!" He raised his hands defensively. "Bad joke. I don't know about Kyle. I don't think we should pressure him into anything."

Maxi seemed to deflate at this. "Oh. That's oddly sensitive of you."

"I don't know why you keep bring it up if you agree with me."

Sam sighed and headed back toward his room. Between 'Jerry is a scientist' and the 'don't pressure Kyle' policy, it looked like he was stuck with the agency.