Fix My Feet When They're Stumblin'

Chapter 54

    Ronnie watched the countryside bleed past and gradually transition into a city, then back again with mild fascination. After a few hours on the road, Tana pulled over to the side of the highway and twisted around to survey her family in the first rays of sunset.

    Her children had long since given up on their games - Henry slept with his head tilted backwards in his seat, and Gunnar and Ammon giggled quietly and whispered to each other while they played handheld video games.

    "Is anyone hungry?" she called back quietly. The kids all nodded enthusiastically, and Ronnie shrugged and looked at Brandon - awake once more, he slumped against Ronnie's side, resting his head on his shoulder and fiddling disinterestedly with Gunnar's Rubik's cube.

    "Bran, are you hungry?" he asked, nudging his side gently. Brandon shook his head, not bothering to look up as he twisted the sides of the cube. Ronnie tilted his head pensively, watching him for a moment. I wonder if he's really not hungry, or if he just doesn't want to go through all that effort.

    "You should eat something anyway; do you wanna share some french fries with me, at least?"

    Brandon paused, looking past the toy now and staring vacantly at the back of the seat in front of him. Finally, he sighed and shrugged, giving a tiny, half-hearted nod. Yeah, I think that's it, actually - just too much effort. Ronnie reached out and squeezed his knee gently, offering a tiny gesture of support.

    "I'm just gonna split some fries with Brandon, Tana," he called ahead. She nodded and pulled back onto the road in search of a drive-thru restaurant, and Ronnie turned his attention back to Brandon.

    "You know, Bran, none of us cares how long it takes you to eat," he assured him, touching his friend's arm. "Not even a little bit. I promise. You have all the time in the world. We don't mind at all."

    Brandon didn't react, and Ronnie sighed and leaned into his friend a little more heavily. After a minute, he felt the rise and fall of Brandon's chest as he took a deep breath, and then the tiniest whisper reached his ears, soft and tentative.

    "You don't mind."

    Ronnie blinked in astonishment, momentarily stunned into speechlessness. "Bran, what...? What do you mean? Who...who do you think does mind?"

    But Brandon only shook his head and curled in upon himself, his head against Ronnie's chest, and Ronnie sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around his friend.

    "I promise, B, not one of us minds at all. Don't listen to whatever your brain is trying to tell you, okay? Don't listen to it - just listen to me. We love you, and we're so damn proud of everything you've done. I promise," he whispered, kissing the top of his head gently. A shiver coursed through Brandon's body and he pressed his head more firmly into Ronnie's chest, as though he were trying to shrink away and disappear, but he didn't say another word.

    Finally, the van pulled into a drive-thru and Tana distributed paper-wrapped sandwiches and burgers, filling the vehicle with the mouth-watering scent of fast food. Ronnie reluctantly relinquished his hold on Brandon and watched as his friend sighed and sat up, allowing him to reach out and retrieve the bag of french fries from Ammon.

    He smiled softly and held the bag open for Brandon, murmuring, "You get first dibs, little brother." Brandon shied away from the bag, shaking his head, and Ronnie felt the smile slid off his face. "Bran, come on. Please. Don't you trust me?"

    Brandon shrank away even further, nearly on the other end of the van's seat now in his quest to put distance between himself and the food, hugging himself fiercely. He took a deep breath and shook his head vehemently, whispering, "It's not...it's n-not...I do. I do."