The Batch Family

Tech had a problem. A really big problem.

He paced restlessly throughout his bedroom, stepping around furniture and over piles of laundry out of habit more than attention. He shared a room with Hunter and Wrecker, and it was always in disarray. Every surface littered with the most random objects. Shelves and closets bursting with mysterious clutter. Echo and Crosshair had refused to deal with their mess a long time ago and now happily roomed on the other side of the wall with their crisply-made beds and labeled sock drawers.

Wrecker snored loudly from his bottom bunk and Hunter's music could be heard faintly through his headphones from the bed above. They never paid Tech any mind as he kept the lights on well past bedtime. So Tech slowly picked his way around the cramped room, lost in deliberation over what to do about his problem.

He had received a bad grade.

His thumbs rubbed over the now-worn essay clutched in his hands. There were still a few weeks left in the semester but some of the classes, like his AP English class, had already graded their final papers. He couldn't bring himself to look at the bright red B- plastered over the top of his essay on To Kill a Mockingbird again. It made him feel like the room was closing in around him every time he looked at it.

He had never in his life received such a low grade before. Well, maybe when he was little. Did that count? He paused his pacing to consider. No, surely grades didn't count that young. But they most certainly counted now. It was only his first semester of freshman year. How had he failed so quickly? This paper would bring down his grade for the class... his whole GPA. Oh he felt sick to his stomach.

He rushed over to his desk chair and sat down heavily, letting the essay fall to the floor while he rubbed his hands along his legs. His left leg ached under his ministrations but he couldn't seem to stop.

"Still hurts, huh?"

Crosshair was leaning against the doorway, munching on some salami. He was the other night owl of the family.

Tech couldn't look at him. He balled his fists into his lap and tried to focus back on formulating a plan to get out of this mess. There had to be a way he could convince his teacher to reconsider.

Crosshair picked up on the anxious energy and stepped into the room. A paper with an unmistakable red letter lay at his brother's feet. Crosshair stooped to pick it up.

"Well-written, but interpretations were too literal," he read off the handwritten note. "Focus on applying key concepts learned in class next semester."

Crosshair glanced down at Tech, who looked like he might vomit or cry. Or worse, both. He knew better than to tease Tech about it; the guy had had a rough start to his freshman year and had still taken the time to help the rest of them with their weak subjects. 

He made a show of reading more on the paper, even though there wasn't anything further. "Hm, it also says... You're actually the best student I've ever had but I had to give you a B so my other loser students don't feel bad."

Tech rolled his eyes but Crosshair saw the small twitch at the corners of his mouth all the same. Satisfied, he tossed the paper onto the nearest stack of crap and pulled another swivel chair over to sit next to Tech. He offered him a slice of salami. Tech shook his head and Crosshair shrugged, popping it in his mouth instead.

"I don't get it," Tech lamented quietly. "I thought that's the whole point of an interpretation. It's how you personally see something. I didn't think there was a right or wrong way to read a story."

Crosshair silently chewed while Tech ranted on.

"And I did apply the key concepts. I highlighted the literary devices used, the themes, the context of the time it was written. I met the format requirements and I used proper grammar. You should've seen some of the other essays we had to peer-review. Wrecker's written better stuff than some of them. How in the world they ended up in an AP class...."

Tech let out a frustrated huff and started rubbing at his thighs again. Crosshair put his hand in the way over his left leg so he couldn't aggravate the still-healing injury further.

"It's just a grade," he tried saying, even though he knew Tech wouldn't agree. "And it's not even that bad."

"Not that bad?" Tech stood up more forcefully than he should have. Crosshair noticed his subtle shift in weight to his right leg. "Look, I know these things don't matter to any of you, but I need a perfect GPA. The colleges I want to go to, they're not cheap. And Mom...."

He trailed off with a sigh but he didn't need to finish the thought. Crosshair understood.

"I need to make it work myself," Tech said more quietly. "But now... I can write every paper perfectly for the rest of high school and it won't even matter because I screwed it up right in the beginning."

Tech hung his head and Crosshair cocked his. After a moment, he stood to face him with folded arms and a determined look set in his eyes. He and Wrecker were already several inches taller than the rest of them, though Crosshair was significantly lankier. Tech often wondered if Wrecker had stolen some nutrients from him in utero.

"Do you think your teacher was wrong?"

"Well, I mean, it's their opinion, just like it was my opinion--"

"Do you think," Crosshair repeated more forcefully, "that your teacher was wrong? That you truly deserved a better grade?"

Tech thought for a moment and then nodded. "Yes. I deserved a better grade."

Crosshair let his arms fall. "Alright then. Let's get you a better grade. Grab a coat."

He slipped between Tech and the dresser to get over to the window. Tech frowned as he watched him quietly open it and pop out the screen.

"What--"

"Coat," hissed Crosshair as he stepped through.

As if to accentuate his point, a wave of chilly December night air fluttered in, rippling the curtains and causing Tech to involuntarily shiver. From the other side of the room, Wrecker gave out a strained snore.

"And preferably before Hunter notices," Crosshair urged him further.

Tech had never snuck out before. He knew Crosshair did, usually using his bedroom as the passage so Echo wouldn't rat him out. Sometimes even Hunter would, though he never liked it when his brothers went somewhere without him. Tech didn't care much what any of them got up to. He'd only tell if Mom asked, and if he'd happened to even notice in the first place.

He wasn't sure what Crosshair's plan was but he knew it wasn't worth debating right here in the open window. So he grabbed his coat and hurried through. Crosshair expertly closed the window and replaced the screen, and then set off at a brisk pace down the side of the house. Tech followed behind. They stopped briefly at the garage, where Crosshair pulled out a coat of his own hiding behind boxes of seasonal decorations. 

"My spare," Crosshair explained as he shrugged it on. "So no one sees a missing coat inside."

Tech nodded, impressed.

They slipped through the gate, which was rarely ever locked, and out into the neighborhood. Tech noted they were heading in the direction of the high school.

"I don't know what you think we can do about this at--," Tech referenced his watch, "eleven p.m. on a Tuesday. It's not like the teachers live at school."

He was still thinking the only way forward was through a persuasive conversation with his teacher. He'd already composed a few introductory statements in his head.

"Eleven, you say?" Crosshair ignored Tech's questions. "How's your leg? We'll have to take the long way around to avoid the security guard. He'll be in the gym parking lot."

Tech didn't ask how he could possibly know such a thing this soon into high school.

"It's... fine," Tech partially lied. The cold air seemed to be making it feel stiffer than usual. Keeping up with his brother's long strides also didn't help.

Crosshair took them through a neighborhood that wrapped around the back of the school. Tech tried to talk some sense into him, finally having guessed at what he planned to do. Though, notably, Tech's protests did not stop him from following along anyway.

"It wouldn't be right."

"God, you sound like Echo."

"I wouldn't have earned it."

"But you should have. You said so."

"Well..." Tech faltered for another argument and found he didn't have any.

"You can't let one lousy teacher..." Crosshair's voice trailed off as he noticed something up ahead. Tech though he heard him swear under his breath.

"Hey! What are you guys up to?"

They were passing by Rex's house. Crosshair hadn't considered that in his plan. And of course he just happened to be outside tonight, with his little sister, Ahsoka. It looked like she was helping catch his basketball as he practiced free throws.

"You're just... out for a walk?" Rex asked.

"Part of his therapy," Crosshair growled out.

Rex's eyes narrowed in return. "Kinda late, isn't it?"

"I could ask you the same."

Rex had never gotten along with Crosshair. He was more Echo and Hunter's friend. He scowled at the skinny boy, trying to figure him out. He never could.

"No Hunter?" Ahsoka's voice cut through the awkward tension. The twelve-year-old thought Hunter was the coolest boy ever. It was very annoying.

"He's asleep," said Tech. Rex looked over at him as if he'd just noticed he was there. Tech gulped and then tugged at his brother's sleeve, eager to avoid things escalating. "Come on, Cross. Let's go."

Crosshair reluctantly peeled away. Rex watched as the two odd Batch brothers walked down the rest of the street and turned the corner.

The school was only another corner away. They quickly crossed the faculty parking lot and snaked through the various buildings. Tech noticed how Crosshair stuck to the shadows, where the dim pools of nighttime lights didn't reach. He followed in kind.

When they finally came upon the administration building, Tech's leg was really starting to hurt. He leaned against the wall while Crosshair picked at the lock.

"I don't know about this, Cross," Tech started to whine again. His stomach still felt as twisted up as it had when he'd been back in his room with that darn paper.

"What don't you know?"

Crosshair got the door unlocked surprisingly fast and slipped inside just as an alarm let out a loud set of pips. He dashed to the alarm box just behind the front desk and punched in a code. Even in the darkness of the room, Tech could tell what it was. He mentally logged the information for future use.

"I don't know if... if I..." Tech stuttered, closing the door quietly behind him. Crosshair was leaning over a computer. Blue light lit up his face like a ghost as he booted it up. "I don't know if I deserve this."

Crosshair's eyes flitted over to his, a prominent crease in between them.

"What do you mean? Of course you do. You said--"

"I know what I said but it's... it's not just about this paper." Tech sighed and collapsed into the chair beside him. "I got an A minus in Algebra. Algebra. I could do those equations in my sleep but I missed one question on the test and...."

He sighed again. He wrapped his arms around his queasy stomach and stared into the light of the computer. Crosshair turned around and rested against the edge of the desk.

"I couldn't play soccer this year. I didn't make any friends. Most nights I can't fall asleep until I literally pass out. Meanwhile, you all are doing just fine. I mean, look at you. Sneaking out and picking locks and things. Everything comes naturally to you. You're so..."

There were a dozen words he wanted to say, to show how much he admired Crosshair, but he panicked when he looked up at his brother's confused face and settled for a lesser, though still true, adjective.

"Calm."

Crosshair snorted.

"You have no idea what it's been like for me," he said in a low voice. He didn't elaborate and Tech knew better than to pry. Just hearing the implication was enough for Tech to confidently abandon that line of thought. He didn't need to compare himself to others.

"Well, anyway, it's been tough for me, is all I'm saying. High school is a lot harder than I thought it'd be."

He could sense Crosshair was about to speak so he quickly help up his hand.

"And don't say anything about my leg. Please. I know. It held me back."

"Actually, it didn't. If anything, it gave you a leg up. If you can suffer through something like that and still get A's and B's? Then you can do anything."

Tech mulled over his words, finding it a little easier to breathe as he did so.

"What, no praise for my pun skills?"

Tech smirked. "Yeah, that was a good pun."

"Thanks. I've been holding onto that one for months." Crosshair pushed off the desk. "Oh and also? High school's not hard, it sucks."

Tech laughed. It wasn't even that funny of a comment so it must have been his inner relief causing him to let out a few chuckles. Crosshair turned back to the computer to click on a few things that looked promising.

"You can hack this stuff, right?" he asked. When Tech didn't answer or make any moves closer, he warily looked over.

"There's nothing to hack," said Tech. He'd been able to let go of his stomach and was picking at one of his nails.

Crosshair stood. "What?"

"They won't actually put our grades in the system until the break. In case there's any make-up exams or extra credit projects, stuff like that."

Crosshair blinked down at him incredulously. "What... You... Then why did you come?"

Tech gave a sheepish smile and a shrug. "Thought maybe it'd help distract me from having a panic attack?"

Crosshair groaned, sitting back on the desk with a shake of his head.

"Besides, now I know how to break into the school if I ever need to. You wouldn't have shown me if I'd asked."

"Oh, don't pretend you had a whole plan," Crosshair swatted a hand toward him, though it only fell into the empty space between them. Tech could tell he wasn't too mad but he decided to try and smooth some feathers anyway.

"Thank you, Cross," he said with a small smile. "High school does suck, but... at least I've got you."

Never one to fully lean into a heart-to-heart moment, Crosshair only rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Yeah, yeah, love you too. Whatever. Let's get out of here. Security guard will be heading to the back now so we can go out the front."

Tech shut down the computer and Crosshair reset the alarm. The door wouldn't be locked but the morning janitors weren't likely to say anything, chalking it up to the ever-forgetful night crew.

"Maybe we should go for nightly walks a few more times," Tech suggested as he fell into step with Crosshair. "So Rex doesn't get suspicious."

"Pft. Who cares what he thinks."

"He'll say something to Echo. And then Echo will tell Mom."

"You worry too much. No wonder you don't have any friends."

Tech elbowed him away. "Rude."

Crosshair chuckled and draped an arm over Tech, bringing him in close as they crossed the empty parking lot and headed back home from their adventure.