Brother and Sister

I woke up the next morning, got ready for school, then walked into Tyler’s room to see if he was awake. The room was empty, and then I heard stuff moving around in the kitchen. I walked downstairs and saw Tyler eating cereal.

“Morning.” I smile.

“Morning.’ He whispers.

I turn around and see he’s angry, “What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head, “Just having a bad morning.”

I nodded and walked away from him. Tyler never knew how to keep his angry bottled up when he was having a bad day.

After he ate he dumped his bowel in the sink, grabbed his bag and walked out. I shrugged, he’ll get over it. John came down soon after and kissed me before getting his coffee.

“Good morning.” He smiles.

I grin, “Morning.”

I dump my coffee and grab my coat, “Be careful with Tyler today, he’s angry. I don’t know why, he’s just having a bad day.”

John nodded, “Alright. I wonder what’s wrong.”

I shrug, “Don’t know. I just have one class today, I’ll see you later. You work today don’t you?”

I grab my bag and my purse; he shakes his head, and says, “No I don’t.”

I kiss his lips, “Ok, I love you and I’ll see you soon.”

“I love you too. Be careful.”

I open the door and yell, “I will.”

I jump in my car and drive off to school with the music low in the background. I couldn’t shake off the thought of kids plus John. Dammit. I didn’t want to think about this right now. I do want kids, but now? I’m still in school, I’m still working for a career, I’m just…..I don’t know.

If it’s a girl I could name her Emily Melinda Matthews. I like the sound to that, mom would cry if she heard about this. I smile to myself.

If it’s a boy well then that’s easy, Doug Tyler Matthews. Perfect. It has the three best names ever.

I pull into the school’s driving lot and rush out of my car, I didn’t realize I was a little late. I pushed through all the doors and finally finding my classroom. Lucky me the professor wasn’t in yet. I sit down next to some random guy starring at the ceiling with his arms crossed.

I open my history book and take out my notebook and pen. I hate this class, but it was required for my sophomore year.

“This class is so boring.” whispered the guy next to me.

I turn my head slightly, “You’re telling me.”

He chuckles and sits up, “I’m Craig White.” He hands out his hand.

I shake it, “I’m Rachel Matthews.” I like the sound of my new name.

“Where are you originally from?”

I smile, “Phoenix.”

He beams, “Wait….you don’t happen to be Rachel Walters right?”

I cock my head to the side, “Yeah. That’s my maiden name.”

He grins, “You don’t remember me? We used to live next door to each other and then I moved. We were best friends.”

I shake my head, “You said Craig right?”

He nods, “Yeah, remember? We used to make mud pies together.”

I giggle, but try desperately hard to remember.

“You’re mom and my moms were best friends. Their reason why we were best friends.” He laughs.

I shake my head, “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

He frowns, “Seriously? Come one Rachy.”
The name knocks me back fourteen years. I remember playing with Craig.

I clap my hands, “YES! I remember you now! Oh my god! CRAIG!”

I wrap my arms around his neck, “I haven’t seen you in fourteen years. How the hell are you?”

He lets me go and laughs, “I’m great! Just living here in Albuquerque now.”

I nod, “That’s so great. Wow what a small world.”

“Yeah this whole time and we barely start talking again.”

I laugh, “I know.”

“So how are you doing? How’s Tyler? I imagine he’s a lot older now and much taller. He
was only what? Three? Two?”

I smile, “Two. He sixteen now and a senior.”

“Wow. Time flys.”

I nod, “No kidding.”

“How are you? Married I see?” He points at my finger.

I laugh, “Yeah. Just two weeks ago.”

“That’s great. Congrats!

“Thanks.” I smile and gawk at this guy. “You know I cried every night for a month after you left.”

He frowns, “I did too. I missed you so much. I begged my mom to take me back, I wanted to live you guys.”

I laugh, “Wow. I just cried.”

He laughs with me. Then the professor walks in with a smirk. This means, its lecture day.

My little happy reunion with my childhood friend died when he walked in the room. I slumped in my chair and began taking notes.

“Why don’t you come over? I want you too meet my husband.” I smile.

Craig laughs, “Are you sure?”

I nod, “Yeah! It will be great.”

“Alright.”

I open the car and we jump in. I lower down the music from before.

“So how are your parents?” he asks.

The reason why I had the music so loud before, suddenly reminds me why.

I sigh, “They……….passed away.” I choke at the end.

He whips his head towards me, “What?”

I close my eyes briefly and snap them open, “In a car accident……on their anniversary.”

He sighed, “Oh man. I’m really sorry Rachel.” He touches my hand on the steering wheel, and then he drops it.

I nod, “Thanks. I’m ok, but sometimes it hit….you know?”

He nods, “Yeah. I understand.”

It was quiet for awhile, “So where is Tyler?”

“Staying with me. I took him in.”

“That’s good. How’s he doing?” His voice is barely a whisper.

“He’s alright. Same as me, whenever it hits him he gets angry. He doesn’t like feeling so vulnerable.”

Suddenly remembering this morning, I understand now why he was so angry before. He was missing mom and dad.

“Poor kid.”

I nod, “Yeah. It’s harder on him than me.”

“I bet. I bet it was hard when you got married.”

I close my eyes again, “You wouldn’t believe how hard.”

He touches my hand again and lets it fall, “I’m sorry Rachel. Can I tell my mom? She’ll be devastated but she needs to know.”

I nod, “Of course. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”

“Well we haven’t heard from them in a really long time. Your parents and mine lost touch with each other after we left.”

I nod, “Yeah. Mom missed your mom a lot.”

He stayed quiet while he called his mother; I drive off the lot and onto the freeway.

“Hey mom! How are you?” he smiles. I miss doing that.

“Good. Well I want you to sit down; I got some good news and terrible news.”

I could feel his eyes on me.

“Good news is I met up with Rachel Walters again, or Rachel Matthews.”

I could hear her voice cheering in the background.

“Yeah she got married two weeks ago.”

He frowned after she said something, “That’s the terrible news. You see…..god….Melinda and Doug….well their gone mom. They passed away.”

I squeezed the steering wheel, fighting not to cry.

“Don’t cry mom…….she’s ok…..he’s with her now, he lives with Rachel……..don’t worry, she’s doing better it looks like………..I will……..Don’t cry anymore ok? I hate it when you cry…….I love you too mom…..I will….bye.”

He closes his phone and sticks it back in his pocket. Right when I get off the freeway and stop at a traffic light he reaches over and hugs me tight.

“That’s from my mom.” He whispers in my ear. Then he kisses my cheek.

“That’s from me. I hope that wasn’t too weird.”

It was every ounce of weird, but it felt nice.

“Thank you.” I whisper. I smile at him.

He nods, “Anytime. Mom was not taking it well, she was screaming.”

I cringe, “I feel so bad. I should have told her.”

“No no, it’s ok.”

I take off as soon as the light is green and turn left down onto my street. “Are you sure?”

He nods, “Absolutely.”

I grin. “Ok.”

I pull into my drive way and let Craig in with me. “John?” I call.

Craig walks behind me and sits down on the dinner room chairs.

“John?” I call again. He walks out of the computer room and pauses when he see’s Craig.

“Um hi.” He raises his eye brow. “Who’s this?”

I smile, “This is my old friend from Phoenix, Craig. He used to live next to me when we were little.” I grin at Craig.

Craig stands up and shakes his hand, “Pleasure to meet you.”

John shakes his hand, “Pleasure is all mine. Glad to meet an old friend of Rachels.”

John kisses my forehead and sits on the other side of the table, “So you live here now?”

Craig nods, “Yeah. I just moved here last year.”

John looks at me, “So you barely meet up with Rachel now?”

I narrow my eyes at him, “Yes. I signed up for history barely and he happened to be in that same class.”

He nods, “Ah.”

“Yeah, it’s a small world.” Craig laughs. I giggle.

I look at the clock in the kitchen and see it’s nearly lunch time.

“So guys want to catch lunch?” I ask.

John shakes his head, “Nah, I got loads of work to do. But go ahead, have fun.” He smiles, but his eyes are threatening. Wow.

I nod, “Ok. Craig?”

He smiles, “Yeah sure.”

I grab my keys and swing back on my scarf.

“After you.” He smiles. He closes the door behind him and jumps into my car.

“God it’s cold here.” He shivers.

I nod, “Yeah.”

We drive off to Applebee’s getting there just in time.

“I’m stuffed.” Craig rubs his stomach after eating a huge hamburger.

I ate one too, but not as big as his, “Well I would too after eating a cow.”

He laughed, “I was hungry ok? I wish you would let me pay for my half.”

I shake my head, “No dice. I’m going to pay.”

He shrugged, “If you say so.”

I nod, “I do say so, so back off.”

He laughs, “What happened to ‘No Craig don’t mess up my pie!’ now its ‘Let me pay or I’m going to chop off your balls.’”

I laugh out loud, “Oh yeah, well what happened to sweet loving Craig who let me mess up his pie, and wouldn’t say anything like that.”

He grins, “Whatever.”

I hand the book with the money back to the waitress. She smiles at Craig and frowns at me.

I laugh, “I think she has a crush on you.”

He leans in, “I think so too.”

I stare at him and notice he’s not that bad. He’s got beautiful hazel colored eyes and blonde hair that was cropped short. He was decent.

He raised his eye brow, “What?”

I cock my head to the side, “You’re really hot you know?”

He laughs, “I like to think so.”

I roll my eyes, “Why are all guys to damn full of themselves?”

He chuckles, “Because we have to keep our self-esteem up because you ladies always shut us down.”

I stand up, “We don’t do anything. You guys kill our self-esteem.”

“Really? Well does this sound familiar, ‘Oh my god! Are you seriously wearing that to the prom? No you don’t look right, your stomach sticks out and your hair is a disgrace. Come on.’”

He flipped his ‘hair’ and walked away in front of me, I laugh.

While in the car we caught up on old times, talked about my wedding, talked about his life. He gave me directions to his apartment, when I pulled in front of the really nice building I cut off the engine and turned on him.

“So why don’t you have a girlfriend?” I ask.

His eyes widen, “About that…….well……” he starred at me for a moment, trying to read my eyes for any sign of….I don’t know, he just starred at my eyes.

“Just tell me Craig why a handsome guy like you is not snuggling up to some chick right now.”

He looked away and sighed, “How do you feel about gay friends?”

My mouth drops open, “You’re……..gay?” I couldn’t get the word out.

He nods, “Yeah. Is that a problem?” their was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

I shake my head, “No not at all.”

He stares at me for a moment, “You’re not lying?”

I raise my eye brow, “Really? NO! I’m perfectly ok with it. Jeez.”

He nods, “Ok. So I’m gay.”

I clap my hands, “That’s great!”

He chuckles, “You’re still a dork.”

“You’re still an asshole.”

He nudges me, “Whatever. Thanks for the ride. It was good seeing you again.”

I nod, “Yeah totally. Just call me whenever and we’ll hang out. Ok?”

He grins, “Ok.”

I hug him and see him off, he waves at me from the top, and I drive away