Twice the Love

17

I had texted Mr. Fane about the clothes, and he said he would pick it up on our date this Friday. I was getting all giddy about his birthday, but managed to calm myself. I had to have dinner with my brother tonight.

I consider cooking, but the butterflies in my stomach wouldn't even let me make toast without burning it. Giving up, I text him to come to the address of the nearest Chipotle.

After washing my face, and changing, I made my way to the bus stand. I was going to be early. Like about half an hour or two early. It was crazy and pointless, but I hadn't seen him in so long that I didn't want to sit around and think of all the ways this could go wrong.

Walking into the Chipotle, I was shocked to see he was already there. He looked freakishly skinny, though I must say he had grown since I left. Nervously he sat, chewing nails, an awful habit of his.

"Sean!" I called. He spun around, I noticed his eyes we're slightly red. Before I could see much more he was hugging me. Not that I didn't feel like hugging him, but in all honesty I couldn't breath, and we were talking up room in the middle of the walk way.

"Kathy," he said, pulling away, "You're early."

"It seems you are too," I said, pulling him towards the table he had been sitting at.

"I was worried you wouldn't show up," he said.

"I couldn't go without seeing my favorite brother for that long."

"I'm your only brother."

"Exactly." He laughed.

"You've gained weight since the last time I saw you," he said, looking me up and down. I punched him in the arm, and he held it in pain. Well, so much for all the sappy kindness I had been imagining.

"You've lost weight," I said, serious this time. He sighed.

"That's what happens when mother decides to cook." I burst out laughing, earning weird looks from the people sitting next to me. It was no secret that she was an awful cook.

"So how's your life been going? Did you finally get a girlfriend?" He rolled his eyes.

"I already had a girlfriend and her name is Serena."

"Oh her," I said, in all honesty Serena Croftword seemed just as real as flying elephants. No one in our family had ever met her, and I had checked all the names of the kids in his high school, and she wasn't there. At this point, I was pretty sure he was gay.

"What about you? Are you still a single Sally?"

"Actually no."

"Wait what? Did you like get married and have three kids without telling me!"

"No you dingus! I have a boyfriend." At that point, he started staring at a dog outside the window, leaving me to deal with the silence.

"They have a Maltipoo," he said.

"A what?"

"A Maltipoo, a Maltese Poodle. Isn't it just the cutest. Can I have a Maltipoo?"

"Why are you asking me? Ask Dad or Mom." He just stared longingly at the dog.

"What the heck man? You look like your one true love just broke up with you, and is leaving fovever."

"I'm not a man I'm a boy."

"Whatever." After a while, I had to force him to go back home. We never really hugged before today, but he was unusually emotional today. The cashier woman had to kick us out after he started sobbing.

Back at home, I was feeling incredibly bored and refreshed. It was an odd mix of emotions, but nothing a coloring book couldn't solve. It seemed kind of childish to still use coloring books, but it was such a great way to pass time, so why not?