Flotsam Academy

My chauffeur drove the Limo to Flotsam Academy at night. The moon illuminated the road, leaving me in awe. Even in my darkest times, the moon always helped me to regain my focus. I pulled the hoodie over my face, trying to hide my face from view. The cold air brushed against my skin, caressing my cheek in its warm embrace.

I could have left in the morning, but that was an illusion,a feat that was impossible for a billionaire such as myself. If I am a billionaire, then why am I treated as if I was a son of a bastard? That must explain why my brothers live different lives than me, and why my life means nothing to my parents? I’ve seen how differently they treated my brothers and me. It’s like we didn’t come from the same family. It’s like i was a son of a mistress, and my existence was so pitiful that Julius Zografos felt sorry for me. He was a mighty legend who was disgraced by a single mistake, and entombed in his bedroom, desperate to escape the room that became his prison. That was over a hundred years ago, and his mistakes are told to children for a century, so that they don’t end up like him. But rumours has it that Julius Zografos great-grandson still lives to this day, unaware of his existence.

My parents enrolled me in this Academy because they didn’t want me around while they and my brothers went on a luxury cruise. I saw the tickets on the kitchen counter, and I saw only five tickets, two tickets for my parents and three for my older brothers. I rubbed my eyes, thinking it was a mistake or that my eyes were playing tricks on me. So I confronted them about it. Their response was cruel and curt.

“Why should we invite a nobody like you? Your brothers are intelligent, perfect and all-around students in their respective fields. They are my sons, and we never wanted to have you in the first place.”

My heart ached. I was too shocked for words. They never wanted a failure like me. I still remembered the crestfallen expression on my face as i heard my own parents rejecting me at birth because of my powers. I wasn’t considered normal or human for them to love me regardless of my flaws. The only people who loved me regardless of my flaws and shortcoming were my three older brothers who was always patient, kind and understanding with me. I didn’t want them to be caught in the middle of my parents and me. So I swallowed my own pride, and and urged them to leave. I didn’t do it for my parents, I did it for the people who always had my back since day one. They were willing to give up on a luxury cruise for their underachieving brother and the least I could do was pretend to be happy while they left. I was happy for them but sad that I couldn’t join them

My phone pangs.

It was a message from my oldest brother, Apollodorus. He was twenty years old and he was kind, charming and charismatic, and he never let his intelligence dictate anything in his life. He was a world-renowned actor and my other brothers was a model and business tycoon. I was an underachieving piece of shit, or so my parents thought. But despite their high-paying occupations, they never treated me or the staff badly. I thought they would abandon me after I killed a couple after high-speed racing. It was the greatest regret of my life, and yet, they still stood by me, as I wept. They never teased me about showing my emotions so openly. They once told me that a true man is never afraid to show his emotions. While a false man whose afraid of owing to his true, authentic feelings are cowards.

Apollodorus: Mother had no right to say that you embarrass us. Andreas and Alexis don’t think that either. . If anything, we’re so proud of you for sticking to your morals. We love you. We’ll see you when we come back.

I texted back: Hey, Dori. Mother was wrong. I am not jealous of my brothers.But rather proud of your successes, and I hope to be like that one day.

We have a group known as the Cherry Blossom Quartet. A private group where we could chat about anything and everything without our parents knowing. If they knew they were chatting to a nobody like me, they’ll get in trouble.

We were thirty minutes away from our destination, and my brothers and I were texting back and forth. We had a strong bond that would never bend or break. I had their backs and I know they had mine. But my parents are trying to sever that relationship. I was like a dying orchard, while they are like flowers that continue to bloom.

I was getting dropped off by the chauffeur while my parents wanted to go on luxury cruise with my older brothers. They were billionaires, and my name was always a curse. I didn’t have genuine friends, and I wanted to make some friends. But my parents told me that poor people suck and how billionaires don’t associate with poor people. My chauffeur was the only one who genuinely cared about me, and I didn’t have any other friends because all they cared about was my wealth and status. I was dropped off here because my parents wanted to go on a luxury cruise while leaving me in the care of the hundred staff members.

“Excuse me sir. But we’ve arrived.” The chauffeur always addressed me as sir. I was eighteen year old teenager who was always addressed as sir and they treated me with respect that I didn’t earn. Dressed in a black T-shirt, and blue jeans, and knee-length boots.

“I told you to drop the ’sir,’didn’t I? Mr. Caffero.” I said, patiently. “My name’s Florian, and I like to be address as such.”

I’ve being trying for months to get him to call me by my name. I hated being addressed as sir, I am twenty years younger than him, and it makes me feel uneasy and uncomfortable. Not because I hate being addressed like that, but it creates an unhealthy pattern where he tries to address me as such, because he didn’t want to get into trouble with my parents. He couldn’t even be himself around me and I hate that more than anything else in the world.

“I’m sorry.But Mrs. Florakis wouldn’t want a lowly attendant like me to address a member of the Florakis family by his first name. I combed a hair through my perfectly-coiffed chestnut-brown hair. It’s like this for months. I understand he doesn’t want to insult my parents, but those people lost the right to call themselves parents after they essentially abandoned me for this Cruise. You’re sick of me saying Cruise, right? Well, you’re not the one left behind by your parents. They never wanted to be around me.

The second thing I hated was my immense wealth. Wealth only controlled me to act a certain way, and there was a time where I behaved like a snob. Something I am not proud of.

Over a year ago, I raced on the road at the highest speed my luxurious car could do, and I ended up hitting a couple who was peacefully walking on the road with their daughter, I couldn’t stop in time, and I tried to slam on the brakes but for a spilt second, I thought about the price of this luxury car, and that was all it took to cost the lives of two people. My brothers chewed me out for that. But never abandon me not even when they had every right to do so. I snapped at them in anger, saying that being their brother is like an albatross around my neck.But i regretted the words as soon as they came out. Because they’ve being nothing but kind to me. But they were still there for me.

I was so ashamed of my behaviour that I sold my car to pay for the girl’s medical bills after her parents died from the impact. My parents, on the other hand, congratulated me. Those so-called parents tampered with the breaks. So the deaths weren’t on my head, but I still felt horrible about it. I lost contact with the girl because I was so ashamed to even talk to her about it.

“Hey. The accident wasn’t your fault. Any one who knows you knows that you would never intentionally hurt anyone. Your parents don’t deserve you as their son. You’re nothing but kind and courteous to them, and they keep trampling on your love. If you were my son, I would be so proud of you. You felt ashamed of your actions, and you did everything you could to make it right for the girl. So don’t give up.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it, Mr. Caffero. You’ve being a great help.” I smiled. He knew exactly what I wanted to hear. He’s right, though. My parents don’t deserve me at all. I never deserved them as my parents. My parents are supposed to help me not perpetuate crimes that involved me. If I had parents that loved me, and wanted me around, they wouldn’t be so eager to leave me with the staff while they go on luxury cruises, business vacations without me around. They cropped me from all the family photos and I saw the cropped photos in the trash and cried about it for hours.

“I will take my leave now. Thank you for everything.” I thanked my chauffeur, exiting the vehicle. My suitcases were in the back seat. I grabbed my suitcases, and went to the front door, refusing his help. He’s done enough for me. And besides, I didn’t want anyone else to know about my identity. I can conceal my identity and have a fresh start at Flotsam Academy without being treated as if I was the sun, moon, and stars for them.