AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m driving toward the nearest Burger King. ”
He snorted. “Go straight two lights, before making a left. ”
I did what he said, and there were directions after that. We wound up in a diner at an area just this side of decent. I’d been here before, long ago, when Mom would drop Jake and me off at a forgotten arcade with a fistful of quarters to kill an afternoon. The arcade was gone now, but the diner remained.
“Well, this is a blast from the past,” I said, pulling into a small parking lot nearby.
“I thought you’d like it. ”
“Thanks. I think I do. ” He held the door for me as we went inside.
As I passed, I could see he was wearing nice clothes—he looked pulled together. It was hard for me to wrap my mind around this version of Jake: clean, polite, kind. The waitress took us to a booth.
“Just like old times. Want a chocolate milk shake?” Jake asked as the waitress waited for our drink order.
“Maybe a hot chocolate, instead. And a burger, please. ”
“Me too. A double. ”
The waitress took our order and went away.
“So,” I said, looking at Jake.
“Soooo?”
“Really, Jake. What is up. ” I took my hat off and set it down. It was nice and warm in here at least. Plus, there were no eyeless cyborgs.
“Does there always have to be something up?”
“With you, yes. ”
“I just wish you could trust me again. ”
“How many times have you stolen things from me, Jake?”
“I don’t want to hash over the past. ”
“How convenient. ”
“Do we have to have the same conversation every single time we hang out?”
/>
I squinted at him. “Unless we’re not talking that day. ”
He crossed his arms, and childishly stuck out his tongue. I couldn’t help but laugh. The waitress came by with our hot chocolates, and we busied ourselves stirring in marshmallows.
“I can’t blame you,” Jake began, and I expected one of the reversals that had followed the last few times he’d said those words. I can’t blame you for whatever problems you have, like not trusting me, he’d say, without ever owning up to his own flaws. But instead he continued, “I can’t blame you for being mad at me. But I want you to know, I’ve turned over a new leaf. ”
The irony that it was the dead of winter, and we wouldn’t see any new foliage till late spring didn’t avoid me. “How so?”
“For starters, I’m buying us dinner tonight. And then next month, I’ll be paying for my half of the cell phone bill. ”
I pursed my lips. If we were normal, these things would have pleased me; they’d be signs my erstwhile brother was getting back up on his feet. But if Jake had taught me one thing, it was that everything always came with a hitch. “How are you affording it?”
Jake shrugged nonchalantly.
“No. Seriously, Jake. I need to know. ”
“I’ve been working very hard lately is all. ”
“About that, Jake. ” I couldn’t very well tell my brother to quit hanging out with other homeless people—just white guys with dreadlocks who probably sold drugs. “What is it that you do?”
“This and that. ”
“Selling drugs,” I guessed, getting ready to scoot out of the booth. Was this the right time to make a scene? Was there ever a right time? Of all the things I would have thought that Jake could do to push me away, this was the last, biggest, final, straw.
“No. Energy supplements. ”
“Is that what they’re calling meth these days?”
He inhaled and exhaled. “I knew you would make this difficult, Edie. ”
“I’m sorry. I’m glad you’re doing well. But if you’re taking money for running drugs, and then trying to buy me dinner with it, I just can’t stand for that. ”
