What Can You Not Buy With Money?

It was a Friday, and one of the few days that Burgess gave me the day off for. I was free to do as I pleased, and I pleased to please my friends. I called up as many people as I could to celebrate a momentous occasion: Adelmo’s video game was released and being sold nationwide. It was late January, the weather pleasant with soothing breezes that helped wipe stress away with a single breath. We were at a mall. I walked into a GameStop with Walker, Adelmo, Lucy, and Vern; my eyes scanning the many posters that were pasted all over the walls. Adelmo Bohr’s video game was in stores starting that day, and I was in the store to buy one.

Burgess and I had decided to give Adelmo Bohr credit, but we had given him the pseudonym Rob Homalde, an anagram of the young man. I believed that it wasn’t enough to protect Adelmo, but the boy had been ecstatic and eagerly agreed. Burgess felt it was a good slap to the face of Jonathan Bohr.

The only thing we had to worry about was the lack of notice to the public. Burgess had to bribe and pay a lot of people to suddenly advertise the video game on TV, the internet, on billboards, and explain through many interviews that the original video game had simply 'failed to uphold Burgess Incorporated standards'.

“So this game, is it any good?” Walker went to the wall that was dedicated to the creation, named The Keeper. Already, only four of the product remained.

“I think it’s going to be the next Game of the Year,” I grinned as I took one. “You did a great job with it, Adelmo.”

“Well, thank you,” The boy was pleased. “I’m already working on the sequel. I just started last night.”

“How? Isn’t your studio in Berlin?” Lucy asked, her curiosity was thoroughly peaked. She was holding hands with Vern, who was quietly looking around the store with polite boredom cracking on his face. He wasn’t much of the gamer, yet he loyally stayed by Lucy’s side. I was happy for them.

“Well, I met this girl named Marcie,” Adelmo began, “And when I told her I create video games it turns out she’s a devout gamer.”

“Is her last name Norton?” Lucy raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her face.

“Yes,” Surprised but pleased, Adelmo nodded. “Is she a friend of yours?”

Lucy let out a quick laugh. “She’s my cousin.”

We all made our purchases, leaving the outlet and entering the sparce mall. Most people were gone, working and not to arrive at the shopping center until after five in the afternoon. It was a ghost town, a fragile shell of a building.

“I’m hungry,” Walker and Lucy simultaneously whined as they clutched their stomachs and showed faces of agony. Their suffering made Vern and Adelmo laugh.

“You two could be twins,” Adelmo commented.

While everyone was buzzing with laughter, frolicking to the food court, I noticed that Walker was at a distant from the group, his hands in his pockets as he window shopped. There was a passive smoke in his eyes and I noticed how thin he looked. His cheek bones were beginning to point out of his face, giving him a gaunt appearance. I wondered if it had to do with the fire, the asthma attacks, or the Club, so I slowed down to walk next to him.

“Enjoying the lingerie?” I played the perfect comrade at ease. My voice was teasing, my face bright with all honesty for that day was a pleasant one. I didn’t want anyone to feel unhappy.

“Huh?” Walker looked at me with wide eyes, then back at the window he had been fixated upon to see he was admiring the Victoria Secret apparel. He let out a laugh, full of force and discomfort. It was as though he was trying too hard. “Yeah, just trying to think of a way of asking my future wife to put one on for me.”

“Who’s the lucky lady?” I put my hand on his shoulder, taking his place as the nurturing friend. It was a strange sensation, but it felt nice being the older sister. It made me feel like I was a guardian or a protector, watching over someone. It made me feel great; important. I always wanted a little brother or sister. The irony is Walker's more than four years older than me.

“Haven’t decided,” Walker shrugged. “But… oh… my… god.” Walker’s body tensed like an animal seeing its prey, his eyes wide and his mouth wide open in surprise.

“What?” My radar went wild as I looked around for a threat. I searched for Jonathan Bohr, Terra Slater, anyone I recognized but all I saw was a group of kids running after a man in a Barney costume, dancing in the center of the food court.

“Barney!” Walker eagerly exclaimed, his deep voice raised excitedly as he quickly ran after the purple dinosaur, a wide smile full of childish glee painted on his face. I watched with my arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in bemusement as I saw the curly haired blonde tackle the mascot and wrap him in a powerful bear hug.

It was hard not to grin and sigh in joy at seeing the man child molesting the childhood figure. All the children had stopped frolicking to stare at the grown up who was suffocating their precious leader. The dinosaur was desperately trying to escape Walker's grasp, pushing and shoving but all in vain.

A security guard came out of nowhere, grabbing Walker by the collar and pulling him away. “Wait,” Walker choked out as he was dragged from the scene, his face bright red from hyperness.

I came to his rescue, rushing up to the guards and trying to stifle the unbearable laughter that was hurting my back like an infection from the gods, my lungs sore as I choked and my face burned in embarrassment at how I was giggling like a hyena.

“Does this piece of work belong to you?” The guard held out Walker, the large man’s grip still on the Itamae’s collar, as though he was a naughty puppy and being held by the skin on the back of its neck.

“Yes,” I nodded, my lips quivering as I almost died of overamusement.

The man glared at me, not pleased by my reaction. “Then please take him off the premises. Or I’ll escort him myself.”

I nodded, not daring to slip up. “Yes sir,” I cleared my throat. “Come on, Walker.” I took him by the shirt and pulled him gently, and the guard obliged and released him.

“What about everyone else?” Walker asked, his eyes large with innocence as he waved at the security guard and Barney one final time. All the sulking he had done a few minutes earlier had disappeared, all ancient history.

“Can you text them and explain?” I released him, and let out another laugh at reimagining the scene of Walker’s affection on Barney. “I’m glad I know you. You always make me laugh.”

“I’m glad I can make you laugh,” Walker grinned. “Hey, want to have lunch at the Club? I’ve been working on this new dish, and I want you to be the first to try it.”

“Okay,” My stomach was impatient, for I hadn’t eaten anything that day.

>

Walker pulled out a large collection of keys, idly rummaging for the correct one to unlock his restaurant. “We had to close the store this week because those assholes started getting serious. They started throwing maggot infested rice at our windows. Imagine, maggots!” Walker shook his head in disappointment. “I think I should just quit and look into a new place to work.”

I gave him a sympathetic touch on the shoulder. “Don’t give up yet,” I put all feeling into my words. “This means a lot to you. If you quit, they win.”

Walker found his key and dug it into the hole, turning it. When he did, he frowned and crinkled his eyebrow. “Weird. It’s unlocked already.” He opened it, stepping inside. “Hello? Lawrence?” I came in as well, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up like needles in my skin. It was cold inside, very cold.

“Mary, could you wait outside?” Walker pulled out of his pocket a switchblade, flipping it quietly.

I did a quick nod and backed away slowly. Looking around, I saw that there were enough people around to call for help if anything came up. There wasn’t a single antagonist in view, so I breathed easy. Until I saw that Walker went into the backroom, blade in hand. And I feared that he intended to use it. And he may have needed to.

I waited impatiently, jumping from foot to foot in my nervousness as I waited for what felt like an endless journey until Walker came back, closing his knife and putting it back in his pocket. “It’s fine, the only problem is someone turned the thermostat to the lowest temperature. Our bill is going to be through the roof this month.” Walker frowned again, but quickly shook it off like a dog would shake water off of its fur. “But it’s probably nothing.” The corner of his lips curved. “Come on, ever try salmon?”

I sat upon the bar stool as Walker went into the kitchen to wash his hands and collect the supplies. “Weird,” Walker’s voice was suspicious as though he suspected something. But again he pushed it away, explaining, “Lawrence must have been out of it. He put all of our salmon on the wrong shelf.” Quickly Walker opened the small container and deeply smelled the aroma. “But nothing seems wrong with the it… anyways,” Walker quickly laid all the ingredients on the table, tying his hair back in a ponytail. “So, what’s your favorite animal?”

“Rabbits,” I replied, watching in awe at the master in front of me who was showing off in shining pride. He spun a knife here and there, chopping away until he carved out thin slices of fish. Watching him work was more entertaining than television. It was a real life cooking channel, something so vivid I could literally reach out and touch it.

“One rabbit coming up,” Walker winked and after a few quick motions, molded a small figurine of a rabbit. It looked so crisp and clear, it could have been a marble statue. “Enjoy,” Walker concluded as he served it up for me.

“Thanks,” I gratefully took a pair of chopsticks, breaking them apart. I had practiced using them every time I visited Walker at the Club, and I had improved greatly.

“Sushi,” Walker began to clean his knives, “Is like life. Raw, strange, and at first you probably may not like the taste. Sometimes, you don’t like it at all. But a few people grow to love it. You know what I mean?”

I chewed thoughtfully, pondering his words and swallowed. “I think so. But that analogy could be applied to everything.”

Walker let out a laugh. “Yeah, it could.”

All of a sudden, I felt a wave of dizziness go through me, as though a curse had been placed to slice through my skin. I felt the blood rush from my face and I rocked a little to the side, clutching the counter to keep still.

“What’s wrong?” Walker quickly went around the counter to support my shoulders. “Mary?”

“I’m fine,” I shook my head and forced my eyes open. I felt weak, fatigued. “I think I’m just a little tired.”

“I’ll take you home,” Walker announced, biting his lip as he helped me off of the stool and toward the exit. “Maybe the fresh air will help.”

“Yeah.” When we walked outside, I inhaled deeply and felt instantly better. As we walked to the condos, my body stopped working. I could see, I could breathe, but I couldn’t control myself. I watched the ground grow as I crumpled to the ground, and I could feel my stomach heave as I threw up, my stomach acid stinging my gums, the smell of bile so strong I couldn’t help but continue vomiting.

“Mary!” Walker knelt over me, rubbing my back as he pulled out his phone to call an ambulance.