Kill Your Darlings

Before: Retention 4

“I used to have a brother, you know,” Spencer says. The weather still isn’t great, but Spencer sits before you with a light tee shirt and some ratty jeans.

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” He shifts in the armchair. “We were going to be twins, but he died at childbirth. You know, every year for my birthday, my mom would buy two small cakes. They’d both have ‘happy birthday’ on them but one would have the name Scott on it.” He laughs, but it sounds disgusted. “Spencer and Scott. God help her.”

“Do you wish he was still here?” This is the most you’ve gotten since the day you met him.

“A twin brother? Fuck no.” Spencer pauses for a moment and thinks. “Well, maybe. We’d get into a lot of trouble I’d bet. I would’ve been older, so I’d probably make him go to class for me and stuff. I have the feeling he would’ve been a straightedge like you."

“I’m not a straightedge.”

“Yeah, right. Do you have any siblings, anyway? You never told me.”

Sighing, you lean back in the loveseat. “Yeah. Well, I mean, I did.”

Spencer raises an eyebrow in pure interest. “Did little Timmy die or something?”

“His name wasn’t Timmy.”

“So it was a brother,” he says, leaning forward. “Man, that’s insane. How did he die?”

You cough and look away from his scrutinizing eyes. “I’m not telling you that. Either way, I was young. The only thing I remember about him was playing stupid games—you know, things little kids do.”

Something sparks in Spencer’s eyes. His slow grin makes your back erupt in a cold sweat. “So he died at a young age too?” he asks, still smiling. “Sucks.”

“Alright, that’s enough. Anything else you want to tell me?”

Spencer shakes his head and stands from the seat, shoving his hands in his pockets as he moves towards the front door. “Nah, I’m good. I think I have all I need.”