They had lunch at a McDonald’s, Cirrus already pulling out her book and poring over the pictures, showing off pages to Harper and reading descriptions out loud. This kid…getting so excited about learning things. The more he spent time with her, the more he was reminded of Sadie. The few times they had gone to the zoo and aquarium together. How they would both go into the gift store, telling each other they were looking for themselves, but always leaving with something for the other.
Even here, the way Cirrus nonchalantly took his fries, munching on them happily, gushing about the interesting flavor. The way she pointed at the pictures, exclaiming in awe at the different facts. He smiled the whole time, whether he realized it or not, just watching her, nodding at her discoveries and shrugging at her questions.
And then, something peculiar happened. His chest suddenly started to feel heavy, and he felt his throat get thick. Prickling sensations ran across his body, and his vision started to go blurry. He felt his face grow warm, and he bit his lip, trying to hide the trembling with his knuckles.
Yet despite his efforts, Cirrus seemed to notice. With a tilt of her head, she put down the page of manta rays she had been showing him and studied his face.
“Harper…” she started, concerned, “Are you crying?”
“What? No. Of course not,” Harper said immediately, leaning back and blinking rapidly, “Why would I be crying?”
He rubbed at his moist eyes with two fingers on either hand before inhaling strongly, crossing his arms and looking around. “Just got a little something in my eyes,” he lied with a sniff.
Cirrus continued to peer at him. Sympathetically, she asked, “Is it your sister? You miss her?”
He gasped out a short laugh before turning back to the table, plucking at the remaining fries. “No use beating around the bush with you, huh, kid?”
She didn’t say anything, and Harper wiped his fingers on a napkin. “You gonna eat the rest of these fries, or are we good to go?” he asked, changing the subject.
Agile claimed the rest of the salty snack, and they left the fast-food place with a dampened atmosphere hanging above them. Harper wanted to lighten the mood, but Cirrus’s words had hit too close. He did miss his sister. He wished he could be doing all this with her. Sometimes, if he wasn’t paying attention, he heard Sadie’s voice coming from Cirrus. Or he saw her brown curls in place of the other girl’s straight black hair. The two were so similar…he could already imagine them as friends, ganging up to pick on him, coddling Agile together, getting excited over books. He could hear the conversations, Sadie going on about Elgar and Rachmaninoff, Cirrus’s reaction to their music, and then Sadie listening intently to the foreign girl’s thoughts and stories from home. He figured his sister would be skeptical, but she’d still be nice about it. Ask questions. Maybe even believe her near the end.
As he neared his bike he tried to imagine what it’d be like piling his sister on as well. Where would she even fit? Maybe he’d have to prop her up on the handlebars…he could see it now. The four of them swerving dangerously around as he tried to look over his sister’s shoulder, everyone shouting and screaming.
He laughed. Quiet and subdued at first, and then louder and more uncontrollable. “What’s so funny?” Cirrus demanded, pulling out of her conversation with Agile.
“Nothing,” Harper wheezed out between giggles, “Just…just something I thought of. It’s nothing.”
She didn’t seem convinced, but said nothing.
“You ready for something fun?” Harper asked after they had all climbed on.
“What?” Cirrus piped up from behind him.
YOU ARE READING
Harper (NaNoWriMo 2014)
FantasyHarper's a man of few accomplishments and even fewer aspirations. He is perfectly content with his bicycle delivery boy job, his closet of an apartment, and his daily swim in the questionable town harbor. Being special was never something he had eve...
