PROMPT: REBIRTH
HUSH, LITTLE WHISPER
Could you believe Brent used to be the biggest loudmouth you ever met? Yeah, and now he barely talks any higher than a whisper. I guess that’s what a slash to the throat will get ya though.
Looking back, I’m not sure why I volunteered to let him stay at my place till the heat dies down. I know we used to be tight back in the day, but for most cousins that just sort of comes with the territory. Smash matches, backyard cookouts, the girls down the block, some mornings you wake up and can’t help but remember. I also remember his whining got old pretty quick, all that talk about he wasn’t making big enough moves here, I’m surprised his ass finally did something about it.
And now I’m here, picking him up at the airport, both of us way too old to be stuck like this and holy shit the Red Bull still hasn’t kicked in. That gnarly Adam’s apple scar helps me find him at a waiting lounge.
“What’s good.”
“What’s real good.”
We both bring it in for the hug. My guy’s practically a twig now.
“You hungry?”
“Heh, starving.”
“Say less. Anywhere you want, I’m buying, c’mon.”
Dead of Fall’s usually calmer minus all the families swarming in for Thanksgiving, and Brent still watches his back like I haven’t been noticing neither. We get to the dark corridors of the parking lot when something hits me out of nowhere-- Deja vu? Really?-- whatever it is, no way I’m going to linger on it as I unlock the car. We load up his luggage and get in, this enclosed space is the first best chance I have to hear him the clearest.
“So... what’s the move?”
“... let’s do IHop.”
“Aight, bet. You don’t want any music playing or...?”
“What? *Pff* Dude, no, blast away, please.”
“Nah you blast away, here.”
I hand him the aux, not taking no for an answer. The drive don’t last any longer than 15 minutes tops but it’s clear he still knows me all too well, name any big pop song from ’08 and I’m probably the biggest sucker for it. I sing along like an idiot while he bops to it.
We came by at a surprisingly slow time, thank God, they seated us at a booth right away. He figured it’s best we sit together on the same side for technical reasons.
“Y’know, it’s funny, I used to be quiet even before I got nerfed.”
“Bullshit.”
“No, really, you had to have been still sucking your thumb back then. Everybody’d always tell me to speak up, speak up, they can’t hear me, so one day I decided to just... overcompensate for good.”
“Flipped a switch, huh.”
A chatty waitress waltzes over and starts us off with drinks. I order the necessary coffee, but then she has to lean over to hear Brent order tea for probably the first time in my life. The lady’s gone now and I catch Brent just staring silently out the window. First instinct ought to be just go on my phone and scroll, but...
“You still see Paige?”
“Paige?”
He looks right back at me. Bro’s pushing 30 and I’m only just now seeing the first signs of lines setting in on his face.
“Yeah... well, kinda. It’s always been pretty on and off with her.”
“She never could figure out what she wants.”
Brent can’t quite hide his little grin, he knows exactly why he has the right to ask. She would’ve never been part of my life if it wasn’t for him all those years ago, nagging me at a rave to go spit some game at her after she complimented my Omocat jacket for crying out loud.
“So then, your roommate...”
“Yeah-- Merrick. Don’t worry, I told you, he’s chill. And the living space? Way more flexible than you’d think.”
“I still can’t see me sleeping in a bed.”
I wonder if I should ask what he means by that. Our waitress returns in the nick of time with those drinks and takes the rest of our orders. My ears pick up on the faint hum of the AC once it’s just the two of us again.
“Can’t ever run from that feeling--”
“Huh?”
“Can’t ever run from that feeling, can you.”
“What feeling?”
“That you’re running out of time.”
“... yeah, no shit, dude. What am I supposed to do about it?”
It’s written on his face he’s got a couple ideas in mind, before he just nods his head and mouths ‘Yeah’. He looks right back out the window and I’d honestly rather leave it at that too.
The food was fine, a bit dry, but fine. The drive home wasn’t anything special neither, just another couple minutes and Brent filled the space with some kinda world music played low. We get to the house, an old grayish blue 2-story joint me and Merrick swore we wouldn’t rent till we both had stable incomes, me at the hospital and him in IT. It’s nice when Paige is around to help with the bills, but maybe I need a different routine.
“Welcome to my humble abode--!”
We step into the living room and he sets his stuff down. I can clean up pretty nicely around the place when the occasion calls for it. The cabinets and shelves all around here are for the main purpose of trying to best contain all the geek shit we hoard; games, figurines, you name it, there’s plenty more where that comes from.
“You’ll get familiar with the layout in no time. I’ll show you how to work the TV later too.”
Brent just lingers a while on the couch, I strut on over and pat him on the back.
“It’s gonna be okay, bruh.”
“I know.”
He looks me dead in the eyes and points at his scar.
“The day this happened, my old life was pretty much over. But I’m still alive, aren’t I.”
“Yeah, you are.”
I swear I see the faintest glimmer of tears in his irises, something almost gets caught in my throat.
“I fucked over too many people, dude. I had a LOT of time to think about that.”
“... so what are you trying to say?”
“... guess I’m saying it won’t be easy.”
Nah. It never is.