3.58 – Nielson Brothers
“Oh snap, look at you,” Elias walks into our living room. “I
didn’t even need to prep you to get ready, you dressed yourself and not like a
bum either. Destiny really changing your life, I need to send her a gift or
something,” he continues.
I’m not eager to go out with Elias and his friends again,
but Destiny still hasn’t come back into town. I used to be completely
comfortable sitting at home and playing video games or watching anime, and I
still enjoy those things. I just enjoy going outside and doing other things
since I’ve met Destiny.
She hasn’t been returning my calls, and I’m getting worried
about her. Agreeing to go with Elias tonight was just so I could try to take my
mind off where she might be for a while. I know she’ll come back eventually, I
just don’t know when. It’s been two weeks since I heard from her, almost a
month since I’ve seen her. She’ll be fine, she’s almost invincible, but I still
worry when I’m not with her. Even when she’s a more capable fighter than I am.
“This party is going to be great,” Elias pulls up over the
curb into the grass.
“Where are we at?”
“Trailer park, little outside the city limits,” he smiles.
“Why are we at a party, in a trailer park?”
“Because cops won’t come when something, or someone,
inevitable gets set on fire,” he kills the engine and gets out.
“I thought that was you,” Elias’ friend Grant makes his way
over.
“You brought the shut in? You sure this night air won’t kill
him,” Doug asks.
“Good to see you too Doug,” I guess I need to remind them I
can speak.
We follow the music towards the center of the trailer park.
There’s a circle of trailers with a bonfire built around an American flag. I’m
still not a fan of beer so I grab a bottle of water. The guys point out which
girls they want to go after tonight. It’s weird, I know Elias is just a guy who
loves way too hard but Grant and Doug act like animals on a hunt.
“What about you,” Grant asks.
“I’m good, I’m just going to wander around and mingle,” I
respond.
“Not enough men here for him,” Doug adds.
“You really need to grow up,” he just doesn’t stop.
I take that as my cue to exit and wander around. I’m still
not a fan of parties and clubs, but at least I don’t feel as weird maneuvering
around anymore. A few head nods and I’m off, looking for a quiet place to relax
and people watch from. A woman catches my attention, she’s pretty but what gets
me is her ears. She’s an elf.
I follow her from a distance, curious how she’ll interact
with a bunch of humans. It doesn’t take long for me to realize how creepy this
is. Instead I just make my way over to her group of friends, that features two
more Elves, a man with a thrall symbol on his arm and a woman with what I think
are gills.
“How’s it going,” I greet them.
“Pretty good,” the girl I followed responds, somewhat
confused.
“Yeah, I’m having a good time too,” I think I’m making a
fool of myself.
“Great party,” the woman with the gills raises a cup.
“Nice tattoo,” I compliment the guy.
“You can see it,” he points to it.
“Yeah, a shield with some roman numerals and a, star maybe,”
I describe it.
“Oh, you can see, you’re one of us. How long you been awake?
I’ve only been around maybe for two years. Whole world is different,” he
starts.
“Sorry, he’s talkative,” the woman with the gills says. “So
how did you wake up?”
“I feel in love with a vampire,” I laugh.
“That’s so cute,” the Elven man finally speaks.
I hang out with this group the rest of the party. It’s
interesting to learn about things from their point of view. They just know the
world and keep it a secret, it isn’t a big deal for them. Everyone has their
own little communities. They interact with humans every day but unless we’re
awake, as they put it, they don’t go out of their way to become friends. The
reason being it might wake them up and it doesn’t always go so well. Sometimes,
people go crazy when they find out. I guess I lucked out. I didn’t know
mermaids were walking around on land, or half mermaids anyway. No matter how
much I learn, this world is so much bigger than I thought it was. As people
start to leave we exchange numbers, it’ll be nice to have some friends.
“Have a good time,” Elias is waiting on me at the car
finishing a can of beer.
“Actually, yeah. I had a good time,” I lean to catch the
keys he tossed to me.
“You find some good dick tonight,” Grant yells stumbling
across the grass.
“Nah, he’s going home alone as usual. I bet he didn’t even
talk to anyone,” Doug isn’t far behind.
“I’m just going to be the bigger person, and ask if you want
a ride home. Clearly, you’re too drunk to drive and I’d feel bad if I let
Elias’ friends blow up in a ditch somewhere,” I’m so serious.
“Yeah, you can give me a ride, but I’m not going to let you
ride me,” Doug responds and places a hand on my shoulder.
“Just shut up, and get in back,” I smack his hand away from
me.
“Don’t get so pushy with me because you’re gay,” Dough
pushes me.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Oh look, he’s mad,” Grant instigates.
“Yo, let’s chill out and get out of here,” Elias tries to
keep things calm.
“I’m chill, it’s your bitch ass brother who doesn’t know his
place,” Doug steps towards me again.
“Just get in the car, I’m not doing this with you,” I try to
walk past him.
“I bet you won’t hit him,” Grant yells out like a kid.
“Grant, stop man,” Elias still trying to be the calming
factor.
“Somebody needs to put your little big brother in his place.
He needs know he can’t just talk to people however he wants to. I’m just trying
to have a little fun with him. I don’t care if he likes to suck some dick,”
Doug keeps going.
“I’ve been to your apartment Doug. It smells like ass and
semen. You and Grant just masturbate on opposite sides of paper-thin walls and
you’ve got the nerve to run around making fun of people. You’re too old for
that. You need to grow up,” I can’t hold my tongue anymore.
I don’t know what it was that got to him, but Doug throws a
punch at me. I probably would have tried to run away a while back, or just took
it and smiled. This time, reflexes kicked in. Almost as if it was in slow
motion I stepped to the side and dodged his punch. Before I could stop myself,
I had landed a quick blow of my own to the side of his face. In his drunken
state it dropped him to the ground. Grant moved to jump in and I just kicked
his legs from under him. Before I knew it, I was looking at the two of them on
the ground trying to find their balance.
I reach into their pockets and grab the keys from both of
them. I link the key rings together and toss them towards the trailers. I hear
a feint metallic thud as the keys bounce off a trailer somewhere in the park. I
don’t wait for Elias response, I just get in the car and wait for him to join
me. He stands looking at me and then back to his friends, and repeats a few times.
Part of me wonders if he’s going to help them look for their keys instead of
leaving with me. I couldn’t leave him, but I can’t take them with us either.
“Hey, you guys call me and let me know you got home safely,
then never call me again,” Elias sighs and makes his way to the car.
Elias is sleep almost as soon as we leave the trailer park.
I’m fine with that, I’m not sure what I’d say about what just happened. I don’t
know what came over me, but I’m glad I did it. I might be becoming a more
violent person, or maybe I just stopped being so unconfrontational. They
deserved it, I feel bad because they were Elias’ best friends, but screw them.
They aren’t my friends.
“Hey, can you pull over, I have to pee,” Elias finally
speaks.
“Sure,” I pull over to side of the road. “Don’t go too far
into the woods,” I say as he gets out the car.
I check my cell phone, still nothing from Destiny. I want to
talk to her about everything that happened. I’ve decided I’m proud of myself
and I want to hear what she thinks. Elias makes his way back to the car and I
pull off.
“I’m sorry,” I break the silence.
“For what?”
“I kind of beat up your best friends back there.”
“You’re my best friend, you dweeb,” he laughs. “Always have
been.”
“I feel the same way. But, I did beat up your friends. I
probably ruined a good friendship for you and I’m sorry.”
Elias sighs, “I have to thank you for that. You saved me the
hassle of speaking to those assholes again. I should have stopped being friends
with them a long time ago. The very first time they made fun of you, I should
have stopped. Instead, I spent years trying to bring you into the group. Thinking
if they just got to know you the way I did, they’d really like you. So I’m
sorry, you shouldn’t have had to do that.”
“I guess we’re both sorry,” I laugh.
“Yeah but I’m sorrier. You looked so cool back there.
Coolest I’ve ever seen you look.”
“Don’t be sorry, you’ve always been my biggest supporter.
You encouraged me even when no one else would, so you don’t have to be sorry,”
Elias is the best sibling anyone could have.
“But you encourage me too. You’re at every art show I have
big or small, and always keep pushing me. You even got your job to purchase
some of my art.”
“Then we encourage each other.”
“It’s what brothers are for. I love you bro.”
“Aww shucks, I love you too,” Elias reaches over and hugs
me.
“Stop, you’re going to make me crash,” I try to push him
away.
“Then we’re crash together,” he kisses me on the cheek.
“Too much,” I finally break free from him.
“You know, you’ve changed, but you haven’t. I like it, you’re not hiding yourself anymore. Thanks for being my brother,” Elias mumbles and he’s back asleep before I can say anything.
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