BURN (Wattys2015?)

nerves

  "Your hands are shaking, are you really that nervous to see me?"

"Well, yeah, I am. Despite the fact you're my brother, I have no idea who you are. But I have an idea in my head, and I'm going to hate it when you let me down. Again."

"Ouch. Well, kid, I guess I deserve it."

"No shit."

"But I don't want to fight with you. And I hope you didn't drive twelve hours just to yell at me."

"No, I drove twelve hours because I still love you. Even though you treated us like shit."

"Oh. Um, er--you got a mouth on you, don't you?"

"Last I rememeber, you have the dirtiest mouth in all the South. That's that stupid line you used to say, remember?"

"Uh, um, no, I don't. Sorry."

"Oh."

"Anyway, um, I'm glad you came to see me."

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am. Contrary to popular belief, I like to see my little brother every now and then."

"Yeah, that's a lie. There's absolutely nothing that stopped you from seeing me before. And oh? What about when your other little brother died? No, you didn't dare come grace us with your presence."

"I'm sorry...You just don't understand."

"What's to understand about the fact that you're an asshole?"

"I--"

"Did you know  I waited? Every day I waited. I prayed to whatever god I could, praying that I'd hear from you. That'd you just try to say something. Show you still cared."

"I'm sorry. God, can't sorry be enough?"

"No, it really can't."

"Well, I am sorry. But since that means nothing to you...I mean, it looks like you got a long fine without me."

"Ha! If that helps you sleep at night."

"How are you, CJ?"

"Shit. How are you, Matt?"

"Well..not as bad as shit."

"Pity."

"Do you hate me?"

"If I hated you, I wouldn't have come all the way up here. I tried hating you. But then I found pretending you don't exist much easier."

"Jesus Christ, kid. Why are you even here?"

"Because..I don't know."

"You realize that we're completely different people, right? Like you said, you have no idea who I am. And I don't know you either. In my head you're just a little boy obsessed with sports."

"Oh, so you've changed?"

"Well, obviously."

"Would you walk out on us again? If you could do it over?"

"Yes."

"Then you haven't changed at all."

"Fair enough. Why did you come here?"

"I told you. You're my brother."

"Okay, uh, well..tell me about yourself I guess."

"What's to tell?"

"I don't know. So, let me get to know you."

"Do you even want to?"

"Okay. If you're going to be like this. I think you should go."

"Why? I haven't even ordered."

"Are you in college?"

"Yeah."

"U of M?"

"Yeah."

"Thought you'd get out. I did find you on Facebook a few years ago.  My, my, you sure got around, didn't you? But I couldn't find you when I looked again."

"Yeah. Deleted it."

"What's your major?"

"Undeclared."

"You should consider business. That's what I'm doing. To be frank, I always thought you'd play a spot in college. Go to the big leagues."

"Stuff doesn't always happen the way we want it. And I thought you wanted to be a photojournalist."

"That was a child's dream. Like you said, stuff doesn't always happen the way we want it. You have to learn in the real world, people can't do that stuff like that. Besides, I wanted to survive. I didn't have the financial backing anymore."

"Why?"

"Why didn't I have the backing? I mean, come on, CJ. 'Hey, Mother, I need a few grand. Capice'?"

"No. That's not what I asked."

"What?"

"Why did you leave?"

"You'll never understand."

"Try me."

"I don't want to get into it."

"You know, Matt, the whole reason I came up here..."

"Was because I'm your brother."

"No, I wanted to know why."

"Well, kid, sometimes questions don't have an answer."