His name was Alec. He was a boy who had just turned 19, fresh out of high school. He was ready for his college life, he was ready to go to a new school, meet new people, and go on new adventures. Alec wasn’t alone though, he had his “older” brother with him (older by five minutes,)  Benjamin. They were two boys, on two very different paths in life. Alec was about to start college, his grades allowed him a full ride scholarship to anywhere in state (Arizona.) While Benjamin  barely even graduated high school. Two brothers, polar opposites, who just happened to live together in the same apartment.

     “Benjamin! Do you want any breakfast.” Alec called out to his brother from the kitchen. There was no answer.
     “Benjamin! Ben!!”
     “What do you want Alec!?” Benjamin angrily screamed from his room down the hall.
     “Do you want breakfast!?” Alec called back.
     “You don’t have to yell, I’m right here.” Benjamin appeared behind Alec quickly. Alec jumped and spilled the scrambled eggs he was cooking.
     “What the heck Ben. I was making us breakfast.” Some toast popped up and startled Alec again. Benjamin held back his laughter, and quickly spun around Alec, grabbing a box of cereal from the counter, sticking his hand into the box.
     “Do you even care about anything Ben?” Alec said, dropping the egg pan into the sink.
     “What’s that supposed to mean?” Benjamin half heartedly retorted.
     “Nevermind, today’s my first day of college, did you know that Ben?” Benjamin was already draped on the couch, devoured in a nascar race.
     “Ben? Benjamin? Whatever. I have to go.” Alec grabbed his things, chomped on a piece of toast, and ran quickly out of the house for for his first day of school.
     “Huh?” Benjamin puffed. And realizing Alec was gone, turned back to his race.

     Alec barged in the door after his day of school. Benjamin was in the same spot he was when Alec left.
     “Ben. Really?” Benjamin turned quickly with gummy worms falling from his mouth.
     “What?” He said turning back to his crime drama.
     “You didn’t do anything all day.” Alec said setting his things on the table.
     “So.”
     Alec’s voice grew frustrated
     “So? So I had to go to school today, and the least you could’ve done was clean the kitchen, or your room, or maybe go do something, get outside, anything but this man.”
     “I was tired.”
     “Okay Ben, why don’t you tell that to Mom or Dad. Huh?”
     “Really, you’re gonna bring our dead parents into this? That is not okay.”
     “Is it not okay Ben? What’s not okay is you throwing your life away like this. They wanted you to do something with your life, you know that. What’s wrong with you.”
     “What’s wrong with me?” Benjamin set the gummy worms down and stood up, glaring at Alec. “Our parents dying was the worst thing that ever happened to me.” Anger grew in his voice, his eyes welled up with tears and he pointed his finger at Alec’s face, while he stepped closer. “Don’t you ever ask what’s wrong with me because you’ve never even cared.” Benjamin’s pointer finger was now an inch from Alec’s face. Alec hesitated to say anything. Benjamin stepped back and leaned on the kitchen counter.
     “I’ve always cared.” Alec sputtered. Without a second passing, Benjamin clasped his hand on a mug and threw it quickly into the T.V., shattering both. He then rushed to his room and slammed his door.
     “Get your life together!” Alec yelled.

     The next day Alec woke up at the same time for school. He got his breakfast ready, sat alone at the kitchen table and ate. Then he picked up all his things for school and left quietly. There were none of the usual sounds, or bickering Benjamin would initiate. Benjamin didn’t come out of his room until Alec had been gone for quite sometime. Benjamin walked out quietly, looked around the empty, but cluttered apartment. And started to furiously clean. He quickly picked up the socks and other clothes lounging around the wooden floors. He dusted the ceilings, and the curtains, and behind the broken t.v..  He swept up the remnants from his fit of anger. He washed all the dishes by hand, and put them all away. He swept and mopped, and even cleaned the cracks from the pictures hung on the walls with toothpicks. He cleaned for hours, all day. He cleaned until his hands were swollen. And when he was done cleaning, he kneeled on the floor and wept. He had always been good at hiding his feelings from Alec, especially the mourning if his parents.

     Later that nights, after Benjamin had finished cleaning, he layed in his bed, watching videos from his phone. He heard the jingling of Alec keys push through the front door. Benjamin quickly stood to his feet, anticipating the surprise on Alec’s face. Alec had bags of fast food, to try to compensate for his anger the day before.
     “Huh brother, what’ya think.” Benjamin said with an endearing tone. Alec set the bags on the table.
     “You really didn’t have to ya know. I could’ve-”
    Benjamin butted in “-I know, but you always clean up after me, it’s really not fair for you.”
     “Well thanks Benny.” Alec smiled. Benjamin smiled back, and sighed, trying to break the sappy tension.
     “What’d you get us?” Benjamin peered into the bags.
     “Just some chinese.”

     Alec sat on the couch after dinner to go on his phone. Benjamins sat on the other end of the couch sliding through various games and apps. Alec interrupted both their mindless gazes.
     “I met a girl.” he said.
     “You?!” Benjamin said half joking. Alec kicked Benjamins arm, Benjamin laughed and hit Alec back.
     “Yes me, jerk. She’s actually really cool. I met her yesterday.”
     “Why didn’t you tell me yest- oh. Well good. For you bro. What’s she like?
     “She’s really nice, and beautiful, and she has the prettiest eyes.” Alec said. Benjamin rolled his eyes.
     “Well she sounds awesome. You should bring her over.”
     “Yeah! That’s what I was gonna ask, you’re cool with that?”
     “Of course Alec. This is your first girlfriend after all.”  Alec kicked Benjamin again.

     The next morning, Alec woke Benjamin up before he left for school. He shook his awake.
     “Benny. Benjamin!” He shouted.
     “What do you want Alec?” Benjamin was just barely awake.
     “Can you get some flowers for tonight? Can you?”
     “Yeah sure.” Benjamin said rolling back over into his covers, falling asleep again.
     “Allie’s will love them.” Alec said softly.

     That day Benjamin went to the store and bought the cheapest flowers he could, and set them out in a red solo cup with some water on the kitchen table. He waited and waited for his brother to come home. He finally heard Alec’s car pull up, and stood up. Alec pushed the door open and to his surprise, saw his brother’s face filled with anticipation.
     “Where is she?” Benjamin asked loudly. Alec answered softly.
     “She’ll be here in a couple minutes.”
     “What’s her name? You never told me.” Benjamin said.
     “Allie, pretty huh?”
     “Yeah…” Benjamin answered “I used to date a girl named Allie, we were together for a long time.”
     “You never told me about her.”
     “I was really secretive about stuff when mom and dad were alive. She meant the world to me.”
     Alec shrugged and sat down at the kitchen table. His phone buzzed, and he quickly rose to his feet.
     “Allie’s here.” Alec said smiling. “I’ll be right back.”

     Benjamin’s anticipation for Alec’s accomplishment was growing as he waited for them to come up the stairs, into the apartment. He stood from the couch, and grappled the plastic cup containing wilting flowers, as if he were awaiting the queen’s arrival. He stood directly in front of the door.  He saw the door handle twist and the door open, quickly after he saw the side of his brother’s face, turning and smiling toward what could only be Allie.

     “Benjamin, meet Allie, Allie meet Benjamin.” Alec said gesturing his hand toward his new girlfriend.
Benjamin opened his mouth to say ‘hello.’ But before he could, he saw a familiar face. He saw wavy blonde hair, a freckled face, piercing blue eyes, and a hoop ring nose piercing. Benjamin’s eyes widened, and he stepped back. Allie’s expression changed from happy to shock. Benjamin felt a pit growing in his stomach.
     “What’s wrong.” Alec asked.
Benjamin said nothing. Allie cut the silence with a stutter,
     “T-that’s, um. That’s my ex-boyfriend.” Alec processed the information he just learned.
     “Is this the same Allie you were talking about Ben? The one who ‘meant the world to you.’” Alec’s inquiry seemed to hit Benjamin like a bullet. His eyes filled with tears, and streamed down his face. Benjamin nodded slowly.
     “Maybe I should go.” Allie said already halfway out the door. Alec pulled her back in and shut the door.
     “No, stay, we’ll figure this out.” Alec said.
     “You left.” Benjamin muttered.
     “Huh?” Alec said.
Benjamin’s voice grew exponentially louder.
     “Allie. She promised she’d come back to me.”
     “Benjamin.” Allie said, walking toward him. She put her hand on his shoulder. He shoulder butted her hand away.
     “No. You left me here. You moved away from me. And you promised you would come back to me.” He pointed his finger toward Allie
     “People change Benjamin.” Allie tried to make Benjamin feel better. Alec was trying to take all this new information in.
     “I gotta go.” Benjamin said grabbing his car keys and rushing out the door.
    
     Benjamin started his car and wiped away his non-stop tears. He quickly slid out of his parking spot, and revved his engine. He drove down a long road, going twenty over the speed limit. He was still aggressively rubbing his eyes from the tears. The road was dark ahead of him. His driving was interrupted by a harsh hit into his car. He pushed on the brakes and swerved off the road. He quickly ran out of his car and to his disgust, he saw a woman, lying in a pool of her own blood. He had killed her.