What I'm Not

Chapter 14

We walked to the park down the street and sat down at a park bench. Takara took in a deep breath and let it go.

"So what do you want to do," I asked.

He closed his eyes. "I want to talk about your visit to the hospital."

I felt my cheeks flare like a wild fire. "What about it?"

"Right before you came in, they drugged me up with morphine or something to relieve the pain. Everything seemed to be really far away." He looked at his hands. "My body became too heavy to move. When you walked in, I wanted to tell you something. It was really important."

I felt my heart pounding in my chest. It physically hurt. "What was it?"

"I can't remember because of what happened next." I put a hand over my heart to calm myself down. "I saw you close your eyes and lean over me but that was when I blacked out. I saw a feather fall onto my chest and I saw the room get closer. When the morphine wore off. I sat up and saw that you were gone." He turned to me. "Did you hug me before I died?"

I couldn't lie to my brother, let alone my best friend. "N-no. I didn't."

"Oh."

We sat there awkwardly until I spotted Derrik jogging on the other side of the playground. I called him over.

"Hey, Brooklyn. Hey, Takara." Derrik sat down on the ground and panted. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Our mom told us to go and spend time together," I explained.

He shook his head. "Hold on. You lost me on 'Our mom.'"

"Principal Douglas didn't like me staying at Brooklyn's house as a friend in need so he gave me the option of being adopted," Takara explained. "It was either that or living off the streets."

"So you're siblings now?"

"Yes," Takara and I said in unison.

Derrik shook his head again. "You two are already good friends and now you're siblings. There goes my bet with Brianna."

We all laughed.

"Derrik, Winter Formal is tonight, right?"

"Yeah. Six o' clock. Why? You going?"

"Yeah. In fact," he turned to me, "we could go together as siblings if we ask our dad."

I felt my cheeks burn. "I don't think he'll let it slide. We can probably convince mom but dad'll whip you again."

Derrik's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Your dad whipped you!?"

"Yeah," Takara said with disappointment. "It was a misunderstanding."

"Not to be insensitive, but... can I see?"

Takara stood up and took off his shirt. The whip marks were a deep red now, as if they were blood stains instead of whip marks. They crisscrossed everywhere on his back. Derrik turned away.

"It only hurts a little bit," Takara said. "He probably won't do it again."

As soon as Takara sat back down with his shirt on, I laid my head on his shoulder. I have to take care of him. He needs me.

And I need him.