The Other Earth

by Amber LaShell

  I shrugged my shoulders, "I haven't spoken to him today and I had no idea that he had been chosen. That's some big news" I said with a half-smile.

  Sophie leaned in even further, "You sure don't look happy sweetie" she said, winking at me and turning back to the other women.

  I gave a half-hearted smile and turned to walk back to my office, wondering how exactly I felt about Brandon being gone for so long.

  I shook my head, trying to remind myself that Brandon was just my friend and nothing more, so there was no reason to be so upset that he may be leaving. I reached my office and stuffed my purse and jacket into the small locker next to my desk and sat down in my chair, looking over at my computer and sighing.

  The thought of exploring something new and exciting was enough to make a former workaholic want to sit and daydream. I wanted to be there in the space ship seeing things that nobody had ever seen before, and hopefully finding something that might help to save this sad polluted planet we all live on.

  I looked around and saw that there weren't many people actually working yet and decided that I did in fact need some coffee. I got up and walked over to the main break room kitchen and started to put my sugar and creamer into a cup when Brandon walked in.

  I looked at him for a few seconds before he turned and saw me standing there preparing my coffee, "Hey" I said, not sure what to really say to him, considering this was the first time I was seeing him after he had kissed me in my bedroom two days before.

  "Hey" he answered back. I smiled and went back to my coffee when I heard him clear his throat, "So I'm not sure if you have heard the news, but I have been chosen as one of the two people that will be going to the new planet" he finally said, grabbing a cup and pouring black coffee into it.

  I nodded, "Yeah I heard something about it this morning from a few of the ladies that were ironically gossiping by the water cooler" I told him.

  He smiled, "Wow that is so cliché. So, what do you think?" he asked me, taking a slow sip of his hot coffee.

  I looked over at him, "Can I be honest with you?" I asked him.

  "When have you ever not been honest with me?" he asked, his left eyebrow rising up higher than the other.

  I poured coffee into my cup, turning it a light brown from putting so much cream in, "Well I have some mixed emotions. First I am incredibly happy for you, and proud as all hell. But on the other hand, I don't want you to go. Besides Brandon, you are my best friend, and I would miss you like crazy. But, then I'm also super jealous of you too, getting to go on a mission like this; it's incredible" I said.

  He smiled, "Wow, you would miss me?" he asked.

  I rolled my eyes, "Out of all of that, that is the part that you heard? Not the part where I'm happy for you or that I'm totally jealous? You're such a dude, you know that?" I said laughing.

  He put his coffee down and put his arms out; I put my coffee down next to his and let him pull me in for a hug. "Thank you for being honest with me, and thank you for being happy for me, too bad about being jealous, you will just have to get over that. Finally, I will miss you too" he said as I sighed against his hard chest.

  We stood there hugging for a few minutes too long when another co-worker came in and we separated, I grabbed my coffee as Brandon shook the man's hand, thanking him for the congratulations and quickly disappeared to my desk.

  I had just sat down when Brandon came up to my desk and set his coffee down. "You didn't think our conversation was over did you?" he asked me.

  I looked up at him and nodded, "Yes actually I did."

  "Well it's not. I was thanking you for being honest with me about how you feel about me leaving. But, you have completely skirted around the issue of what happened this weekend."

  I fidgeted in my chair, "Brandon, look, we have been friends a long time and I just don't think it's in our best interest to start anything right now. Especially now with the fact that you will be gone for two years. Well, if you even make it back" I said.

  "Wow, you are going to throw that bullshit at me about how we are too good of friends. What's next are you going to tell me that it's not me it's you? Why do you keep denying the fact that there are sparks there between us?" he asked me, his voice raising.

  "Lower you damn voice Brandon, I don't need everyone in my business. Okay, yes there are sparks, I won't deny that. But the fact still remains that you are leaving. What am I supposed to do? Jump into bed with you right before you leave and possibly never see you again? No thanks. Been there done that." I said, becoming angry.

  "Dammit Randi, you are so fucked up in the head, you know that? Not everyone is going to leave you. How fucking long have we known each other? Twenty fucking years that's how long. Have I ever in all of that time let you down or left you?" he asked.

  I always knew when he was angry when he started to throw f-bombs my way. "No, in twenty years you have never let me down or left me. Do you know why? Because I have never had sex with you. Sex changes things, and don't try to deny it either." I said.

  Brandon crossed his arms, "Okay, so we haven't had sex. The thing is, I have had sex with other women. You have known every single one of my girlfriends I have ever had. Did I ever leave them?" he asked.

  I sighed, "No, you are just perfect. The problem still remains that you are leaving now, and I don't need another notch on my bed post of another guy that left" I said.

  Brandon shook his head, "It's not like you have all that many notches Randi, you have pushed people away from you for years. In fact, I have never even seen you get serious with anyone." He said.

  I could tell that he was revving up to give me another speech when his name was called over the intercom by Jessica's voice.

  "This is not over. We are going to finish this conversation later in private." He said before turning away and walking toward Jessica's office, so angry that he forgot to grab his coffee.

  "Not likely" I said to myself, knowing that he was well out of hearing range.

  ***

  I pushed open the door to my apartment, dreaming about a hot bubble bath and my bed. The rest of the day had consisted of nothing but people coming up to me to congratulate me on Brandon being chosen. I was starting to wonder why the hell everyone was lumping me with him. It was almost as though they were all convinced that we were a couple.

  The thought of that made me throw my purse down onto the couch in anger, muttering under my breath about nosy bitches and water coolers.

  "Randi is that you?" Stacey yelled from her bedroom.

  "Yeah it's me" I yelled back, and angry edge to my voice that I hadn't intended.

  "Whoa what's the matter with you?" she asked as she walked up to me.

  I sat down onto the couch, "Brandon cornered me and yelled at me for being fucked up in the head" I said.

  She laughed, "Which way was he talking about? There are so many" she said.

  I sighed, "I told him that I didn't want anything to go further with him because he is leaving and I have had enough men leave me" I said.

  "Okay, first of all, you are very fucked in the head. Second of all, you always dump guys. Third of all, where is Brandon leaving to?" she asked.

  I groaned and laid on the couch, burying my head into the sofa, "He got chosen to go to the new planet" I said.

  She gasped, "Oh my god. That's so scary, and yet exciting for him, but I can see why you wouldn't want to start anything with him in that situation."

  I looked up at her, "You agree with me?" I asked, surprised.

  "Hell yeah I agree with you. What are you going to do sleep with him and then not see him again for two years, or possibly never?" she said.

  I sat up, "Yes! That is exactly what I told Brandon! He told me I was crazy and that he would never leave me, but then he's leaving. It makes no sense." I said, savagely running my fingers through my short hair.

  "Well, if you want my advice" she said slowly.

  I nodded, "Yes I really, really do" I said.

  "I think that it would
be in your best interest at this point to not sleep with him. Go back to just being his friend, and maybe make out with him a little, but only when you're lonely or drunk" she said with a giggle.

  "Not funny." I said.

  "I'm being serious. Kissing and a little touching is no big deal. Just don't have sex with him, because he is going to leave, and for a long time" she said.

  I shook my head, "No, I am going to take your advice and just go back to being his friend, and nothing more. There is no time for kissing and touching or even having sex. He is just going to have to respect my decision. Besides, I think it will be better for our friendship in the long run anyway. It would get way too awkward." I said.

  Stacey shrugged, "Oh I don't know about that. It is possible for two friends to have a sexual encounter and not have it become awkward afterward." She said.

  I nodded, "I don't know about that" I said.

  "Hey it happens. I've had sex with lots of friends and it didn't get awkward. As long as both parties go in knowing that it's only going to be about the sex." She said.

  I looked up at her, "Maybe, but the problem is I don't think I would know what it is. I can't have casual sex with someone like him and have it not mean anything" I told her.

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "You really are fucked in the head Randi. Look, you relax for the night, I am going to go to dinner with my girlfriend. We will be back later if you need me" she said, grabbing her purse from the table next to the door.

  I looked up at her and noticed for the first time that she was wearing the dress that I had chosen for her, "Wow, you look nice. Have a good time, give Vickie my love, I'll see you later. I'm going to go take a bubble bath and disappear into a good book."

  She smiled, "Thank you. That sounds like a good plan to me." She said, leaning down and kissing me on the forehead. "We will bring you some dinner back okay?"

  I just nodded as I turned to head toward my bedroom, trying to decide which trashy romance novel to disappear into that night.

  ***

  I looked down at my phone, hoping for the courage to call Brandon. I needed to tell him that I had finally decided that as long as he was going to be leaving, we would go back to just being friends the way that we always had. I reached down, preparing to hit the send button, when it rang. A quick look at the caller ID told me that it was Brandon.

  I took a deep breath and answered the phone, "Hello?"

  "Randi. We need to talk" he said.

  I nodded, even though I knew he couldn't see me, "Yes I know. I have decided that as long as you are leaving, we are going to have to go back to being just friends. Two years is a long time and I don't want things to be awkward between us before you go" I said in one breath.

  "You have a hang-up on things getting awkward don't you?"

  I sighed, "I know, look. My parents' entire relationship was a publicity stunt, and there was never anything but awkward tension in my house growing up. You know all of this about me, it was why I spent so much time hanging out with you in your stupid tree house."

  "Randi, look I understand where you are coming from, I really do. I actually called you to apologize. No matter what my feelings for you are, it was selfish of me to try and start a relationship with you when I am leaving. I don't want to be another notch on your bed post either as you put it."

  I sighed, "Good. Look, I am really sorry that I let things get as far as they did. I have known you for twenty years and sometimes when I look at you I still see the dorky little kid with the glasses that tried to get me to play with his train set."

  Brandon laughed, "I was never dorky. You were the dorky one, always carrying around that damn microscope kit."

  "Can we go back to just Brandon and Randi, best friends forever?" I asked him.

  "Yes we can, for now. You see, I am leaving. But, I'm coming back. I don't want you to be some failed attempt at a one night stand, because you deserve more than that. You deserve all of me, and I deserve all of you, no matter how fucked in the head you are."

  My heart started to pound, "Look, let's not think about the coming back part. There is a lot that can happen in two years, why don't we just work on getting you safely to this new planet, okay?"

  Brandon was silent for a few seconds, "Okay, look I have a few things to do in the office. I'll talk to you tomorrow okay?"

  I nodded, and then realizing that I was still on the phone hit myself in the forehead, "Yeah okay" I finally replied.

  I hung up the phone and stared at it for a few seconds before I heard someone clear their throat from behind me. I turned quickly and saw that it was Stacey standing at the door with her arms crossed in front of her.

  I clutched at my chest, "Oh my god Stacey, you scared the crap out of me."

  She walked toward me with a stern look on her face, "What exactly did you mean when you said your parents were together for a publicity stunt?" she asked.

  I felt my face go red, "Um, I was just joking" I said quickly. "Wait, what were you doing listening to my phone call?"

  "Don't change the subject Randi. I came in here to check on you and that was the first thing I heard. Were your parents famous?" she asked.

  I lowered my head and sighed, "Yes." I said.

  Her mouth dropped open, "What the hell Randi. You never want to talk about celebrities with me because you say that they live superficial lives. You know how obsessed with them I am and here I have an actual celebrity's kid under my roof and I know nothing about it. Spill the beans, who are they?"

  I looked up at her, "Well my mom is Starla Monroe" I started.

  She screamed so loudly I had to cover my ears for a few seconds, "Your mother is the actress Starla Monroe, who has acted in five out of six of my favorite movies?" She asked slowly.

  I nodded, "Yes."

  "Oh my god. I should seriously kill you. All the times I made you watch her movies with me and you never once mentioned that you even knew her, much less that you were once inside of her body!" she screamed at me.

  I nodded, "Once again, yes. I didn't want you to know. I don't know her as the beautiful talented woman that you see on screen. The woman I grew up with was a depressed, sad alcoholic who never loved me or my father."

  "Your father huh. So I'm going to take a guess and say your dad was Nathan Rose. Of course, I never even put two and two together with the name." She said sadly.

  "He was never around. He was always on tour with his band, and like I said, their marriage was just for publicity. They got divorced when I was thirteen, and I have only seen him about four times since then" I explained.

  I looked up as someone knocked on the door, "That's Vickie. Look, let's forget about this for right now. You just got through telling Brandon that you aren't going to sleep with him, and that had to be hard. Come out with us, we are going to a new place that we found, so there is no chance that Brandon will be there. Have a couple of drinks and forget about your worries for a while. What do you say?" she asked.

  I nodded, "Yeah, I could use the distraction. Thanks for not pushing me for more details about growing up with celebrities" I told her, standing up and looking around for my shoes.

  She put her finger up, "Oh, believe me, this isn't over. I am going to get every single detail of every celebrity you have ever met, so get ready for it" she said with a smile.

  I laughed and rolled my eyes, "Good luck with that" I told her.

  She slapped me on the arm and ran away toward the living room to let Vickie in.

  Chapter Eight

  I woke up the next morning confused as to why I was up. I looked over at my window and saw that the sun hadn't yet come up and wondered what woke me. I heard a buzzing sound and realized that my phone was still set on silent and someone was calling me.

  I reached over and answered it without looking at the screen, "Hello" I said, groggy.

  "Good Morning Randi, I am sorry to wake you. This is Jessica and I needed to see if you could come into work an hour early for a specia
l meeting."

  I sat up in bed, my boss had never called me before so it must be something important to the company.

  "Yes of course. I will be there one hour early" I said.

  "See you then" she said, hanging up the phone.

  I laid back down and looked up at my ceiling, they only called special sessions for big reasons, and there was only one reason I could think of. They have found the person that was going to be going with Brandon to the new planet.

  I sighed, hoping for the sake of my emotions that they had picked a man to go with him. I knew that Brandon would keep his professionalism, but it helped to think that it would be someone that he would not be attracted to in the least. Six months with one person alone was enough time to start to look at them through beer goggles.

  ***

  I walked into work and looked down at my watch to see if I would have time to stop for a coffee. I sighed as I realized that I was already running late and would have to wait until after the meeting to get that cup of Joe.

  I walked through the hallway noticing has quiet it was, I wasn't used to the office being so quiet. Even though I was an hour early, I figured everyone would already be there for the special meeting. I shrugged my shoulders, figuring that they were all already in the meeting room waiting to get started.

  I turned the corner and walked into the large room and saw that only Jessica and Brandon were standing there down in front. I walked slowly up to them and when they turned and smiled at me, I looked behind me quickly.

  "Am I early?" I asked, confused.

  Jessica smiled, her perfect white teeth a contrast from her dark chocolate skin, "No, you are right on time" she said.

  "Where is everyone else?" I asked.

  "Well, there is no reason to beat around the bush about this. We have called you into a special meeting for a very good reason" she said.

  My heart started to pound as I realized that I was the only person invited to this meeting. The only thing I could think of is that someone had found out about the kiss with me and Brandon and that they were going to fire me for distracting him from the mission. I braced myself for the words that would kill me inside.