Quinn woke up the next morning to an empty room. Sebastian hadn't come home the night before, not that Quinn had expected him to. He wasn't holding his breath for a call or a "Hey, I'm alive!" text either. Sebastian's life didn't exactly revolve around being a good stepbrother.
Still, out of habit, Quinn checked his phone for any missed messages. Of course, there were none.
With a grunt, he pushed himself out of bed, stretching his stiff limbs. He trudged into the bathroom for a long, lukewarm shower. The steam felt good on his skin, but it did nothing to wash away the frustration that had started to settle deep inside him.
Once done, he dried his hair, the towel rough against his scalp, before getting dressed in his usual routine.
A red tank top that clung perfectly to his lean build, a black long sweater jacket layered over it for some edge, and black combat pants tucked into his boots.
He slicked on a layer of lip gloss. Just the right shine. And gave himself a quick once-over in the mirror. His reflection smiled back at him, looking bright and put together, even if he felt anything but.
He clicked his tongue, admiring the perfectly painted nails that matched the attitude he was trying to channel. No matter how much he hated the circumstances, he could at least look the part.
Grabbing his backpack, Quinn slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the dorm. His stomach growled in protest. He hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, when the only thing he'd had was some miserable cereal that tasted like World War III. Not that he knew what World War III tasted like, but the metaphor still worked.
His footsteps echoed down the empty hall as he made his way to campus, trying his best to avoid eye contact with anyone. It wasn't that he was averse to people, he just couldn't shake the feeling that everyone was staring.
"I thought people at uni minded their own business…" he grumbled under his breath, irritated by the sensation of eyes on his back.
His nerves spiked as he stepped into the building, feeling the weight of the stares that seemed to follow him even though he didn't look back.
Quinn was a major in Automotive Engineering. It was his first year at Crestwood, and he could feel his heart pounding as he entered the massive auditorium. He was relieved to see that no lecturer had arrived yet.
He made his way up the stairs to the back of the room, choosing a seat that gave him the most distance from everyone else. A small group of students sat nearby, chatting and laughing amongst themselves. But as Quinn settled into his seat, the conversations slowly died.
The students began to turn their heads, their eyes following him with a curiosity he couldn't shake off. They weren't subtle about it.
"Is that Sebastian's brother?"
"Oh my god, it's totally him!"
"Ugh, he's so... I don't even know what to call him."
"Stop it. He can hear you guys."
Quinn kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, trying to ignore them. He pulled out his laptop, hoping to bury himself in something, anything.
Because... Of course, they knew him.
Sebastian Dupont's little brother.
If anyone knew Sebastian, they probably knew Quinn. And that was enough to make him the center of attention, even if he didn't want it. His stomach churned as he powered on his laptop, trying to keep his movements casual, his body language neutral.
Honestly? If it wasn't for the fact that Crestwood was the largest and most prestigious university in the field of Automotive Engineering, Quinn wouldn't have even considered it. The clean campus, the resources, the access to the best tools and people, it was the only place that could push him closer to his dream of building winning cars.
But the price? Sebastian was a constant reminder of everything Quinn wasn't.
The golden child. The racer. The star everyone loved.
Quinn didn't have any friends. He never had. He'd been the kid in school with hair pulled, drinks thrown in his face, spitballs aimed at him from the back of the classroom. The physical bullying had stopped when he'd hit his growth spurt, but the words? The names? They never stopped.
"You're just Sebastian's brother."
"What do you think you can do?"
The taunts had followed him everywhere, from grade school to high school, and now to university. He had become a joke, a side note in his brother's story.
He was labeled a failure, a second-rate nobody, just because he wasn't like Sebastian Dupont.
They didn't call him ugly or weird. They didn't mock his hair or his eyes anymore. No, they laughed at him for being in Sebastian's shadow. The brother who had the same last name but didn't have the same success.
He wasn't Quinn Dupont. He was just Sebastian's brother.
The auditorium filled up quickly as more students trickled in, the buzz of chatter growing louder until it was swallowed up by the professor's entrance. He immediately launched into the lecture.
Quinn found the class engaging, the technical details about car aerodynamics, torque, and engine dynamics pulling him in deeper. He could feel his excitement building with every word.
But the thing that was really on his mind? The Motorsport Club. He couldn't wait to get there. The thought kept him going through the morning lectures.
After a few more classes, Quinn made his way to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. He'd barely settled into a corner booth when a voice broke through his thoughts.
"Hello there, Quinn, right?"
He glanced up, locking eyes with a guy who was, undeniably, easy on the eyes with golden hair, piercing blue eyes, and a smile that could melt glass. Quinn couldn't help but stare for a second, more out of surprise than anything else.
"Yeah," he replied, his voice flat. He wasn't in the mood for small talk. "Is there a problem?"
The guy laughed, an easy, smooth sound. "No, no. Not at all. You're just… ethereal. Honestly, the pictures do you no justice."
Quinn blinked, trying to process the odd compliment. Was he flirting with him? If he was, it wasn't going very well. His brow furrowed slightly.
"You're not my type," Quinn said bluntly, not bothering to sugarcoat it.
The guy's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting the rejection. "What?"
"I mean, I'm not interested." Quinn didn't back down, just bit into his crispy nachos with a cool, unaffected air.
But then, in an instant, the guy's mood shifted. Without warning, he slapped the food right off the table. The nachos flew, landing on the floor in a greasy heap, the cheesy sauce staining the ground. Quinn stared at it in disbelief, his lip twitching with irritation.
"I haven't even spoken yet, and you're already rejecting me?" the guy shouted, standing up, his face flushed red with anger.
Quinn's eyes flickered down to the mess on the floor. The frustration that simmered inside him was familiar. He'd dealt with this kind of crap for years. But his food didn't deserve this.
His jaw clenched as he tried to calm down. He wasn't the kind of guy who held back, but he wasn't about to blow up over some idiot trying to get a reaction.
"I don't even know you," Quinn said evenly, leaning back in his seat, unbothered.
The guy seemed to be processing it all, his anger mixing with confusion. Quinn's indifference was clearly throwing him off.
"Let me guess..." Quinn sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stood up, finally done with this conversation. "You're one of Seb's crazy fans, right? You want to use me to get closer to him?" He raised an eyebrow, the words coming out with an air of exhaustion. "Well, too bad. I've played this game before."
With that, Quinn grabbed his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder as he turned and walked away, leaving the guy standing there, his mouth slightly open in shock. Quinn ignored the stares of onlookers, the whispers already starting.
"Ugh!" he muttered under his breath as he walked out of the cafeteria. "It's like high school all over again."