Circling Stars

🌟Chapter 11🌟

    "Brandon, hand me the salt." He did and I sprinkled it in the soup while he kept kneading the dough. For about a year after his parents died he and I tried to get together once a week and make nutritious food; those two boys on their own couldn't be trusted to eat correctly. We hadn't done it in awhile because as we'd gotten older Brandon saw the value of a balanced diet. It felt good to spend this time with him though we hadn't planned it. He just asked to come over and we'd fallen into this old habit. "Thanks." I set the temperature down to a simmer, and went to see how he was coming along. "That's probably good. If you over do it the bread won't come out right."

    He continued with his assault of the dough. "I know," he said. Often times when Brandon was in a bad mood he'd take it out on the dough. Today it was being punched and kneaded into misery. He left the goo alone to rise. It was just the two of us, Shirl was in Canada visiting her dad's family, and my parents had gone to the next town over to pick something up. "He didn't come home last night."

    "Should we call the police?"

    Brandon sighed. "No. He hasn't been home most nights. It just bothers me."

    "Maybe I should track him down and talk to him."

     Brandon shook his head. "I don't think that'd do any good, and honestly I'd be worried for your safety. I hardly recognize him anymore. He's not the Riley we grew up with."

    "Do you have any idea what started this?" I asked.

    He pursed his lips. "Not really. We didn't spend much time together this summer. I worked a lot more since George quit. But I guess, towards the end there was some weird stuff. He was texting a lot and coming home later at night. At first I thought he was seeing someone but when I asked he said no. He's still texting a lot so it could have something to do with it."

    I rested my cheek against my palm. "Maybe. But if we don't try and talk to him nothing will get better. Brandon can I ask you a weird question?"

    "Sure." He opened the freezer and pulled out some ice cream. He offered me a spoon and together we began devouring cookies and cream.

    "If you were walking down a beach and found a genie in a bottle, and the only thing he could offer you was immortality would you take it?"

    "Where's this coming from?"

    I shrugged. "I don't know I guess it's just been on my mind."

    "Immortality?" He asked while looking at me strangely. I nodded. "Just me?"

    "Yeah, you can't take anyone with you."

    He ran his hands through his hair. "No."

    "Really?"

    "Yeah. Why would you want to be alone forever? That sounds pretty shitty to me."

    "Okay. What if there were a group of immortals you could hang out with? Strangers."

    He shook his head. "Still no. They could be complete bastards. Besides what if some plague breaks out and kills all the regular people? No electricity, no movies, nothing but a bunch of immortal assholes? Count me out. And besides do you have any idea what that actually means? Forever is a long ass time. The sun will eat our planet eventually and then where will we be? And watching Shril, you, and Riley die while I go on? Fuck that."

    "You have a point."

    "Would you take immortality?" He asked me with a crooked grin. "You might make friends with aliens eventually if you did."