The Genius They Cast Aside

g to do i

n, looking out at the dense redwood forest. The late afternoo

a complex equation scrawled on a chalkboard. Hi

lly figure out that

rare, small sm

am. Stanford. I'm

A slow smile spread acro

e Cryptologic Scholars Program. They don't

expression gr

ontact with... anyone from before. For a long time

, his gaze s

Sarah?" Pete

ey'll have Kevin. That's

, always guilty. Guilty about Kevin's mother, who died yea

cal father, openly despised Ethan, th

ned illness, of weaponized anxiety. He preyed

capegoat, the u

ogram, wasn't just an opportu

her. She had been his only real family before Petey. She' d

races. Therapy for his "fragile

and Brenda' s overtime pay as

nd-me-downs

is fierce protector in middle

e talked about a stable future, a l

lot of time with her, confiding in

, "Ethan, Kevin's had it so roug

understood perfectly.

, when Ethan first mentioned the po

Kevin? He was so counting on that honors program spot at the community colle

nk you are? Your brother needs that spot. You ow

ar? Get a job at the mill, help out. Kevin really needs this chance. If you do this for the family,

o Kevin could have an "honors" spot he hadn't

as suggesting it. As if

The decision wasn't hard

choice, Petey. No

resolution. Hope, yes,

t the ties.

lling of damp earth and redwood.

r yards, families sitting d

lion miles aw

k, Kevin' s, screeche

e passenger sea

d out, her voice tig

, like he was a pro

his face. "Yeah, Ethan. We heard y

is acceptance to the NSA program via Ms. Al

stared

jacket. A nice one. An

m for me. For my college interviews, you know. Gotta

than s

Kevin'

lver l

ne he' d given Sarah last year,

. It felt like a

wear it. I told her how much I admire

at Sarah. Her

Kevin was feeling down. He really liked it. Don't make a big de

grandmother' s leg

care. Not anymore. Maybe

t. "Oh, Sarah, I think... I think my anxiety is f

o Kevin, all concern. "Oh,

hat you do? You're always u

Ethan? You better have signed that deferral for Stanford by tonight. And tell the co

t, pitying look over Sarah'

e, the dust sett

hollow

ing him from bullies. "Leave him alone

arah w

. His fingers closed aroun

shared one under the big redwood i

storm drain at th

ickers, then threw

with a s

ered to the empty stre