Indigo Rock

Part 4

Chapter 5

Reece and I sat in silence the whole way home. I kept my thoughts to myself, and whatever added news he discovered about his own future, he kept to himself as well. It was news we never should've been privy to. He caressed my hand as we sat in the driveway. "Sure you'll be okay?" he asked.

I looked toward my front door, the red mahogany looking distant. Foreboding. "I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll meet you at your locker," he beamed.

I made my march inside the house, the screech of Reece's car behind me. My pulse raced along with every molecule in my body. What if he's not there? What if by some sick twist of fate, Future-me had projected her reality into mine? I twisted the knob and stepped inside.

"Dingus?" Mom's voice was the first thing I heard. "That's not a real word." I walked into the living room to find mom and Cyrus playing Scrabble, faces bright with glee. “Jess, tell your brother 'dingus' isn't a real word." I stood there, breathing in the light, airy atmosphere. I wasn't sure what I'd see, but Cyrus up and about—right as rain was the last thing I'd expect.

"What? It's totally a word!" Cyrus protested. He remained on oxygen, but life and warmth returned to his cheeks. “Go on, Tadpole. Let her know.”

I pushed down what happened on the mountain. "Sorry, mom. Gotta give it to Cy on this one,” I said. “Dingus is one hundred percent a word.”

"Aha! I knew it." Cyrus placed his tiles down.

"Of course you two would conspire against me." Mom snickered. "I made some casserole, Jess. You hungry?"

"Starving.” She left the table and went into the kitchen. I threw my bag down and sat next to Cyrus, looking at him. Just looking.

"Did you get my math homework?" he asked, preoccupied with his tiles. That child-like wonder gleamed in his eyes. The one he'd get every time we played board games, or ate his favorite ice cream, or had rehearsal with his bandmates. I’d always tease him for it, but today, I wanted to savor it. That goofy smile.

"Earth to Tadpole… did you get it or not?" His eyes went from the board to my face. "Jess? What's wrong?" I didn't even notice the tears. Fake tears, as I called them, rolling down my face. But that was a lie. These emotions were as real as my brother's inevitable fate. I had to face them. The floodgates in my eyes opened, and Cyrus etched a look of concern. “Jess. Talk to me. Did something happ–”

I dove in and hugged him. Tight as I could. I pressed into the warmth of his skin, making sure he was still here. That I wasn't imagining him. “You're still here, right?” I asked, the heaves of my chest stammering my words. “Tell me this is really you.”

He gently lifted my head up, his collar drenched from my sobs. He looked at me bewildered. I'd expected as much. But underneath that laid a level of understanding. A twin thing. "Yeah, it's really me," he said. "I'm here, Jess. I'm still here."

After I calmed myself, I told Cyrus the truth. Everything. From the stone, to the Instagram post, to the video call across space and time. Whether he believed me or not didn't matter. I had to purge it all out. I had to let him know.

The next morning, I went off to school. Cyrus' breathing wasn't at a hundred, so he stayed home again. As I left out the door, he said, "It's a nice morning. I think I'll go for a walk." His tone was curious, but I didn't think much of it at the time. I punched him on the shoulder and said, "See you, dweeb."

"Later, Tadpole." Cyrus smiled and walked in the house.

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A year later, my brother died.