“You’re not changing!” I exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. “You’re literally hiding five pounds of junk food from her.”
“Exactly. I love her enough to eat this away from her and never let her know.”
* * *
At the checkout, Keith pulled a trashy magazine off the rack with Jake’s picture on the cover. He shook his head. “What’s this bullshit?”
“More of the same, I’m sure.”
I watched Keith flip through the magazine until he came to the article featuring Jake. I studied his face for a reaction. First came the clenched jaw, then the furrowed brows and flaring nostrils. When would he learn? Keith had been gripping the sides of the magazine tightly before he slapped it shut and replaced it on the rack.
“Why’d you look in the first place?” I shrugged.
“I don’t know. I guess I was hoping it might be a positive article for a change.”
I shook my head. I’d learned a long time ago not to take the bait. Nothing that was written about Jake was true, so why bother stooping to their level and reading the lies? “Yeah, it’s not gonna happen.”
“Does he see this crap?”
“He can’tnotsee it.”
“How does he react to it?”
“I don’t know. He doesn’t say.”
Keith gave me a curious look. “Ever?”
“You know Jake. He doesn’t exactly share his feelings.”
My brother shook his head. “You’d think after all this time it would get easier.”
“For who? Him? Or us?”
4
Kyle: A Mind Reader
We woke earlythe next day to eat breakfast with the other half of Mitch’s family. Mitch was my half brother and my father’s oldest son. We didn’t see a lot of him growing up and whenever we got together it was always a little awkward. My dad and Mitch’s stepfather, Tony, had never really gotten along. I didn’t know the specifics, but the story I’d been told was that Tony had tried to force my father to relinquish his parental rights when Mitch was five. Tony was marrying Mitch’s mom and wanted to adopt her son. Dad refused, and a lifelong feud ensued. One thing was for sure: Tony had been more of a father to Mitch than ours, and their close relationship was clear to see.
By the time we arrived at the church for the rehearsal later in the day, my eyes were droopy. Keith and I had stayed up late into the night drinking and eating his junk food. Since nothing of significance was currently happening, I lay down on a pew and closed my eyes. I could not have been relaxing for more than a minute when I sensed an evil entity hovering over me. I opened one eye and then quickly closed it upon seeing who was standing there.
“What are you doing here, Emma? Did someone leave your cage open?”
There was dead silence. Clearly Emma was formulating a comeback but wasn’t nearly as quick as me.
“You know, Kyle, I’m jealous of the people who don’t know you.”
“That’s all you’ve got?” I shook my head. “So disappointing.”
“Get up.”
“No. Find your own pew.”
“I want this one.”
“Go away! I’m sleeping.”
“We got here two minutes ago. How could you possibly be asleep already?”
