Even Angels Fall

Chapter 13

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Christina~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Louis was..." Mike started. "He was such a good kid. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but I actually liked him."

Mike stared at the table as he talked and I had to keep wiping away the tears that ran down my face.

"We fought sometimes, like all brothers do," he said. "He would follow me around and get on my nerves, but he was an okay kid. He just wanted to be around. To be included. I usually didn't mind. I kind of liked that he wanted to be like me."

He sighed. "But sometimes I just wanted to be with my friends, without my little brother tagging along. It's not that he did anything to embarrass me. But I was older - more mature, so I thought. I thought I should be able to have my own life apart from my brother."

"My parents were always making me bring him everywhere. Most of the time, I'd complain about it, but after the initial annoyance of having to bring him, I didn't mind so much. He got along with my friends and was pretty good at keeping up."

"One day I was supposed to go..." Mike put his hand on his forehead. "I don't even remember where or who I was supposed to meet. I just wanted to go by myself."

"Louis whined like he always did to be able to come and my dad told me I had to bring him, like he always did. This time, I got really angry. I gave him the cold shoulder and purposely walked fast so he'd have to work to keep up."

"We had just crossed the street when Louis called me and stopped to look at the baseball cards displayed on the table outside the corner store." He looked at me. "Today it had Lisa Frank stuff on it."

I sniffled and wiped my face again. I should have known there'd be a good reason for Mike to flip out the way he did.

"Louis loved baseball cards and normally I did too," he continued. "But that day I just wanted to spite him." Mike got this far away look in his eyes and even before knowing the details, I could almost see what was coming.

"I told him I wasn't stopping and if he wanted to come with me, he couldn't stop either. I hurried away, hoping he'd lose sight of me, get scared, and go home."

Mike's eyes glistened. "I didn't even see it." His voice was tight. "I walked away and just left him there. I was gonna find a place to hide and watch him till he decided to go home, but I didn't get the chance."

"I heard alot of noise and some people screamed, but when I turned around...it was like the world just went silent. Like my brain couldn't process anything but what I was seeing."

"Some guy lost control of his car and drove over the side walk," he said, staring at the table again. "He wasn't even drunk or anything. He just wasn't paying attention."

"He hit three people." Mike looked at me. "He killed one."

"Mike, I'm so sorry." I said, my throat tight.

He looked down again. "It was my fault."

I shook my head. "No. It wasn't. You can't think that."

"I should have...I didn't protect him," he said. "I should have...done something. Stayed with him. Pulled him away..."

"Mike, there is nothing you could have done. It wasn't your fault."

He met my eyes and I knew he still completely blamed himself.

"You two ready to order?" The clueless waitress was suddenly next to our table, snapping her gum.

I glared at her. Couldn't she tell it wasn't the best time to interrupt?