The Neighbor Next Door

Familiar dreams; introspection

MePhone was eight years old. Newly, of course, along with his brother. Just a few weeks ago, the two had celebrated both their yearly anniversary of being activated for the first time, but also when their eldest brother was leaving for college. It was a slow day today, and the two were hanging out in the backyard, talking about all sorts of things. It was a weekend, so they didn't have to do any learning activities. The two of them were still being homeschooled by their father, who had taken after the real education system by not making them directly learn on weekends.

"What do you think dad's gonna have us learn next?"

"Dunno, I hope it isn't more numbers. Those are confusing." MePhone flopped down onto the grass, his hands resting behind his head as he stared up at the sky. 4S was sitting normally, fiddling with blades of grass.

"Numbers aren't confusing. You're just weird." 4S stuck his tongue out with a smile, trying to start an argument for fun.

"I'm not weird!" MePhone immediately sat up to glare at his brother, before noticing his expression, glancing away.

"I'm normal. I'm not weird." That's all he left it at, keeping his mood up.

"Fine. You're normal, so what? That's boring anyways." 4S leaned back a bit.

MePhone let out a fake, offended gasp; "I can't win with you!"

"Nope!" 4S just grinned.

"Whatever. I might not be good with numbers... Or uh... Spelling, or..." His face grew red with embarrassment as he trailed off, unable to think of anything.

"You're good at doing fun stuff!" 4S immediately piped in, trying to help out. MePhone appreciated that, his mood bouncing back with a smile; "Yeah! That's the most important thing, anyways!" MePhone grinned.

"Yeah! You're good at picking the games I always beat you at." 4S just stuck his tongue out again, smiling.

"Nuh uh! I win a lot of the games we do!"

"Yeah, sure." 4S just giggled, the conversation trailing off from there as the two just took this time to relax, neither of them feeling high enough energy to play any games now, having played tag earlier-- where 4S had definitely won.

"What do you think we'll do when we get older?"

Silence for a moment.

"I dunno. Do you think Dad's gonna have us work at that boring old office with him?"

"What, like one of those family businesses? I dunno..." 4S paused. "I hope not."

"What do you wanna do?"

4S grinned, getting really excited. "I wanna be one of those action movie stars. I could do all my own stunts, 'cuz I don't get hurt easily!" 4S shot up to his feet immediately, very excited about the topic.

"That'd be so cool!" MePhone was happy too, seeing his brother's excitement.

"What about you?" 4S looked down at his brother, who was still sitting, adjusting the bulky sunglasses that usually rested on his face.

MePhone didn't really end up answering that question truthfully, not really knowing at the time. Not that it really ended up mattering, anyways.

And then MePhone was ten years old again, on his knees on the sidewalk outside his house. He stared out at the scene in the middle of the street, hearing nothing but the muted police sirens, and muffled yelling to his side. He didn't move. He didn't even think. He couldn't. All his brain could process was the feeling of having been shoved with all of his strength out of the way before it happened. He had just made the biggest mistake of his life, and it had cost his brother his.