by Jay Falconer
“Is it a two-bedroom?” Abby asked.
Drew slumped down in his chair and leaned to his right, using Abby’s head as a shield. If the jerk turned his way, maybe he could hide himself from view.
“Did you hear me?” she asked.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“Is your apartment a two-bedroom?”
“No, it’s only a one. Lucas and I share a room, just like we did as kids. What about you?”
“I live in Cochise Hall. It’s just on the other side of the science lab.”
Drew took a full bite of the chocolate muffin, and washed it down with another sip of the revolting coffee. His throat wasn’t working properly, making it difficult to swallow. If he choked or coughed, the rugby player might notice him. He took another sip to wash down the muffin, but he could feel a cough coming. He used his shirtsleeve to cover his mouth and muffle the sound. It worked.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
It took a few moments to get his voice working. “I’m fine. Just went down the wrong pipe.”
“I have a roommate, too. Her name’s Jasmine. She’s a pre-med student from Colorado. She’s really nice and we get along great. Her dad’s in the military, I think. I’ve never met him, but he calls occasionally. They seem close.”
“Are you from Colorado, too?”
“I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.”
Drew was not much of a sports fan, but felt confident he could fake it. “Oh, yes, the home of the Packers and the Wisconsin Badgers. Do you get home much?”
“Only during the summer when I can drive back home. It’s too expensive to fly over the Christmas break.”
Cool, Drew thought. She’ll be on campus over the break, too. He won’t have to wait long for another date. Hopefully, she’ll want another date. Just keep the conversation moving, he thought—no awkward pauses. “My Mom lives up in Phoenix. Usually she drives down and picks us up for the holiday, but she had heart surgery recently and can’t drive. So we plan to stay here and work on our project over the break.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s doing great. The neighbor lady watches her. She hopes to be back at work soon.”
Drew glanced at the counter. The rugby player was still chatting with the girls in line. So far, so good, except now his stomach was turning flips. He might need to make a run for the bathroom, soon. Not a bad idea, he thought. It would make a good place to hide—for a while a least. But what happens if that guy follows him into the restroom? He would be cornered, alone, and helpless. He decided to remain where he was—plenty of other people around.
“What’s your mom do?”
“She’s a Mathematics professor at Paradise Community College, in Phoenix.”
“And your Dad?”
“He died two years ago.”
She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry, Drew. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. How could you?”
She rubbed her soft forefinger across the top of his hand. He looked at her and she smiled back with a glaze of tears in her eyes.
“Dad went into the hospital one day for a routine test, and never came out. They were doing an angiogram on his neck and something went wrong. We never really got the whole story.”
“You must really miss him.”
Drew stared into his coffee while swirling it around with a thin, red straw. He looked up, but couldn’t see the bully through Abby’s head. “Yeah, very much. Besides my brother, he was my best friend. We used to spend all day working on his inventions in the shop. Those were great times.”
“Your dad was an inventor?”
“Well, he tried to be, but he never really had much success. He did come up with this cool, self-cleaning toilet, but nobody was interested. I guess electricity and bowel movements weren’t meant to go together.”
She laughed.
“Dad’s best invention was a sonic pest control system. He even found investors for it, but the EPA chased them away when their field testing showed it liquefied dog brains.”
“Gross,” she said, slurping from her cup. “Do you ever think about continuing his work?”
”Never really thought about it. But I guess I could. All his equipment is still in the garage back home. After he died, Mom couldn’t bear to part with any of it.” He thought he was talking too much about himself. “Are your parents back in Wisconsin?”
Her smile vanished and her shoulders slumped. “They passed away my senior year in high school. I miss them so much.”
Drew tried to respond, but the words ran dry. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t know if he should hold her hand or give her a hug. He did neither. He felt useless.
Abby wiped a tear from her cheek. “Mom died from colon cancer. Dad passed away in his sleep six months later. I think he died of a broken heart. They were together almost forty years.”
“I guess that’s pretty common when you’ve been married a long time,” he said with a soft tone in his voice. “Sounds like they loved each other very much.”
A smile washed over Abby’s lips. She nodded quickly. The joy returned to her eyes.
Drew took another swig of coffee. It didn’t taste quite as bad this time, still wasn’t pleasant, but at least he no longer wanted to spit it out. “Any other family?”
“I was an only child, just like my mom and dad. No aunts or uncles, either.”
“Yeah, me too. It’s just me, Lucas, and Mom . . . Oh, and Grandpa Roy. But we never see him anymore after we almost had to call the police on him.”
“What happened?”
“It was Thanksgiving—four years ago. Everything was going along just fine until Roy decided to open a second jug of wine. It wasn’t long before he and Dad were totally sloshed, and then all hell broke loose. They started cussing and shoving each other, then Roy took a swing at my dad. Next thing I know, they’re beating the crap out of each other and Mom is screaming at them to stop. Lucas jumped in to break it up, but he took one in the jaw—knocked him out cold. That’s when the fight stopped on its own.”
“What started it?”
“Seems like every time Roy stayed with us, he’d harp endlessly on Dad about getting a real job. He didn’t agree with Dad being an inventor and working from home. He thought the husband’s place was to go off to work, while the wife stayed home and pumped out a gaggle of kids. Dad got tired of it and said something he shouldn’t have.”
“I can see why he’s not welcome anymore.”
“Roy’s a high-ranking Army intelligence officer and moves around a lot. I think he’s back east somewhere right now. The last time we saw him was at Dad’s funeral. He arrived late and sat in the back of the church. He left before the service was over.”
“That’s too bad. Family’s important and you’d think he would want to stay in touch, especially after your dad died.”
“Actually, he and Lucas are talking secretly via email. I stumbled across a few undeleted emails in Lucas’ spam folder last week. He doesn’t know I know, so don’t say anything.”
“I won’t,” Abby said. “Have you ever thought about calling him?”
“To be honest, never. He and I have nothing in common. I’m into science and he’s career military. Lucas is into all that stuff, but I could care less.”
“You and Lucas seem to get along well.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what I would do without him,” Drew said, missing his brother more than ever at that moment. He checked the counter line again. A painful beating stood only a few feet away from him and he had nowhere to run.
“I take it you’re older than him?” Abby asked.
“A lot of people think that. Actually, he’s six months older than me.”
“You guys look so different.”
“That’s because he’s Irish and I’m Italian. I’m sure Dr. Kleezebee didn’t tell you . . . but we’re adopted.”
“Oh, that makes sense. I thought you were fraternal twins or s
omething.”
“I’m sure a lot of people think we’re brothers from a different mother, which of course we are, just not in the way they think. But we don’t go around advertising.”
“I don’t blame you. It’s really nobody’s business, including mine.”
“Its okay, Abby. I want you to know . . . everything.”
She smiled.
“The state put us together as roommates when we were six years old. Lucas barely said anything to me the first month. But he finally came around. I guess I grew on him. We’ve been best friends ever since.”
“So your parents adopted both of you, together?”
“Yeah, we were a package deal.” Drew checked the counter again—the miscreant was next in line at the cash register. He thought about faking an excuse to go home, but didn’t want to leave Abby there all alone. What if the rugby player tried to hit on her? Or worse, spotted him leaving and followed him outside.
The Rugby player opened his wallet and handed a few bills to the checkout girl who was chewing gum and blowing six-inch pink bubbles with it. Drew’s heart sank. It wouldn’t be long before Mr. Mohawk spotted him. Sweat dripped from Drew’s temples and his hands were shaking. He decided to roll up his sleeves to expose his biceps. They were still pumped up from that morning’s pushups and might be enough to dissuade the troublemaker from stopping at their table. It was a long shot, but it was the only idea he could muster.
“Wow, you have really strong arms,” Abby said with a curious look on her face.
Drew felt blood swelling in his cheeks and forehead, certainly turning his face a beet-red color. He was worried that she might think he was showing off. “Uh . . . yeah, it’s a little hot in here with all the coffee and stuff. I’m still a little sweaty from my workout this morning. I hope I don’t smell.”
She touched his hand, again. “Sweetie, you smell really nice.”
“Thanks, I was a little worried there for a moment.” Drew dabbed and wiped the sweat off his face with the folded, red napkin sitting in front of him on the table.
She smiled back at him. “Can I ask you something? You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to.”
“No, go ahead. Ask me anything.”
“How did Lucas get that horrible scar on his face?”
Drew laughed. “Which one?”
Abby pointed to her right cheek, just under her eye. “The big one. It must have hurt.”
“That came from this boy, crazy Dave, who never stopped picking on us in the orphanage. He was a lot older than we were, but it didn't seem to matter. One day, when Lucas was protecting me, the kid picked up a piece of broken glass and stabbed Lucas in the face. Cut him all the way to the bone. It took sixty-three stitches to sew him up. Thank God this skinny, redheaded man jumped in to stop it. He held on to Dave until the police showed up and took him to juvy.”
“It must have been awful growing up in that place.”
“It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. Luckily for us, Mom and Dad came along and adopted us. I’m not sure either of us would have survived much longer.”
Just then, someone bumped into the table, lifting it up about two inches. Drew grabbed his coffee cup and Abby’s, catching them both before they tipped over. When he looked up to see who smashed into the table, the breath ran out of his lungs. It was the Rugby player. Drew ducked his head, figuring a punch to his jaw was next.
“Sorry, my bad,” the man said, trying not to spill the three coffee cups on his tray. He squeezed behind Drew’s wheelchair and scooted by. The two girls with him followed suit.
“Nice catch,” Abby said.
“Got lucky,” Drew said, trying to catch his breath. He kept an eye on the player as he walked through the side entrance and sat outside at a table on the terrace. The girls took seats on either side of him.
“Do you remember your biological parents?” Abby asked.
“Not really. My bio-mom died in a car accident when I was only six months old. I was in the car with her, but I don’t remember anything. From what I was told, she fell asleep at the wheel, while we were on our way home from daycare after she’d worked a double shift at the hospital. The car flipped over several times and landed in a ditch. My legs were pinned underneath. Would you like to see a picture of her?”
“I’d love to.”
He reached inside the collar of his shirt and pulled out the leather pouch hanging from his neck. Inside was a pristine picture of a beautiful, dark-haired woman. He handed the photo to her.
“One of the orphanage’s volunteer workers found her picture and had it laminated. Lucas made the pouch for me.”
Abby studied the photo. “She’s beautiful. I see where you get your good looks.”
Drew was not prepared for her compliment and did not respond right away. “Her name was Lauren Falconio. She was an ER nurse and was studying at night to become a doctor.”
Abby gave the photo back to Lucas. He slid it into the leather pouch and tucked it inside his shirt. “I never knew my bio-dad. Mom was artificially inseminated at some fertility clinic. Apparently, she wasn’t into men and decided the turkey-baster method was the way to go.”
Abby laughed again, nearly choking on her coffee.
For some unknown reason, Drew felt very comfortable talking with her—even about subjects that were taboo with his brother. He couldn’t stop himself. “Lucas’ mom was a drug addict who died of an overdose, and his dad died in prison. I think he was a grifter. Lucas doesn’t like to talk about them much.”
Abby did not respond right away, obviously deep in thought. “Tonight my roommate Jasmine and I are going to the midnight movie at the Gallagher Theatre. Would you and Lucas like to join us?”
“Sure,” Drew said before thinking it through. He had never been inside the student-run theatre, even though he passed by it every time he ate in the cafeteria. The box office was just to the right of the Student Union’s main entrance. “Well, I should probably check with Lucas first. I’m not sure if he’ll want to go.”
“Jasmine’s really pretty. And she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
“Still, I’ll have to ask him first. Can I call you later and let you know?”
“That’s fine.”
While Abby went on to tell him about her parents and blistering cold winters in Wisconsin, Drew’s mind wandered. He envisioned their future together . . . They were on their honeymoon in Hawaii, sitting on the beach and holding hands. She was drinking a margarita and he, a virgin Daiquiri. Both of their glasses were garnished with tiny paper umbrellas.
The next two hours flew by quickly while they chatted about everything. She’d smile at him, which would send shivers radiating throughout his body. He never wanted to leave that coffeehouse.
* * *
Drew found Lucas sitting at the study desk in the apartment when he unlocked the door went inside.
“Nice timing. You just missed Mom’s call,” Lucas said.
“How’s she doing? What did the cardiologist say?”
“She’s doing excellent. Just needs to keep taking her meds.”
“Awesome news.”
“So how’d it go today? You were gone awhile.”
Drew considered telling Lucas about the encounter with the rugby player, but decided against it. It would only upset his brother. “It was actually really nice.”
“Did you get any?”
“No,” Drew said wholeheartedly. “She’s not that kind of girl.”
“What? Does she have a penis?”
Drew didn’t respond.
“Did you at least kiss her or get a hug? Something?”
“She held my hand.”
“Well, that’s a start. You gonna see her again, Romeo?”
“Yes, tonight, for the midnight movie on campus. Her roommate’s coming, too.”
Lucas laughed. “That sounds like loads of fun. Better you than me, brother.”
“Actually, I was hoping you might go with me.”
; “Sorry, I don’t do blind dates. Not my thing.”
“Please, Lucas. I really need you to go.”
Lucas closed his eyes and shook his head. He bit his lower lip.
“I’m way too nervous to go by myself,” Drew said. “Come on, I’d do it for you.”
Lucas took a deep breath and let out a long exhale. “What’s the movie?”
“Eraserhead. Some low budget surreal horror flick made in nineteen seventy-seven.”
“Never heard of it. Must be a lousy piece of shit.”
“It can’t be that bad. It’s been playing at the theatre for a while now.”
“Who’s her roommate?”
“Her name’s Jasmine. Abby says she’s really nice.”
“Anytime someone uses the ‘nice’ word, it means she’s hideous. So which body part is she missing?”
Drew laughed. “Abby says she’s very pretty. She used to work at the Pussycat Palace on Speedway.”
“Isn’t that an all-nude strip joint in the red light district?”
“Maybe. All I know for sure is Jasmine is a pre-med student from Denver, and she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
Lucas smiled and raised one of his eyebrows. “Okay, I guess I’ll go. Twist my arm. What time are we meeting them?”
“Eleven forty-five. They’ll be waiting for us in front of the theatre.”
* * *
Drew and Lucas were late as they made their way across campus to the student-run theatre. They would have left a few minutes sooner, but Lucas had to wait for Drew to finish combing his hair, and then spray it down. Once he was into his personal hygiene ritual, nothing could stop him from finishing.
“Why so gloomy, brother? This is supposed to be fun,” Lucas said, sidestepping a pile of dog crap sitting on the sidewalk. It was covered in flies and looked fresh. Lucas figured there might be more landmines along the way as the got closer to the Grassy Mall area.