more to a limbless, ooze-leaking amoeba, but wolf works too.”
“My name is Wren,” He says sternly.
“Do you like burritos, prez? There’s a burrito place around the corner. Saw it on my way here. They look huge! I can’t eat one all by myself. But I’m hungry as hell and it’s nearly lunchtime, so…” I jerk my thumb behind me. “I’m gonna go get one. I guess I’ll see you around.”
The burrito truck is situated in the middle of a ring of picnic tables, colorful umbrellas shading the parking lot and tired construction workers from across the street lining up to get a bite of cheesy, beany glory. I order a chicken and green salsa one. I cut it neatly in half and place one half across the table, and dig into my own. And I wait. It’s the perfect lure. Wren might hide his exhaustion well, but I know he doesn’t eat enough. He’s the kind of student who’s so busy buzzing around doing extracurriculars he forgets to eat constantly.
A shadow falls over my table, and Wren slides into the seat across from me. He pulls the burrito half to him, pleasant smile faint.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
“Nope.” I dribble lettuce eloquently down my shirt. He wolfs the burrito down with impressive speed. When he’s done, and wiping his mouth with a napkin, I clap.
“Very good, prez. There’s hope for you yet.”
“I didn’t have breakfast,” He admits sheepishly.
“I know.”
“You…knew?”
I nod towards his hands. “Your nails. See how they’re all translucent, and ribbed with those little raised spots? Mine used to get like that when I was dieting. Not enough iron. Hell, not enough anything, period. I can get you another burrito, if you want.”
“No, no I’m fine,” He says a little too quickly, and does the creepy eyelock thing with me. “You’re very observant, aren’t you?”
I shrug. “How else would I maintain such a fabulous awareness of human existence at all times?”
“You are like him.” Wren laughs, and stands. He starts walking back to the food bank tent, and I trash my napkins and quickly follow.
“Like who?”
“Jack. You two have the same eye for detail. The same eye for delving into what people are all about.”
I scoff, but Wren merely shakes his head.
“He already came to see me. About you. That just further proves you two think alike – except you might be the slower one.”
I shoot him a withering look, but he just smiles.
“I didn’t tell him much. If you want to know about him, I can only tell you a few things. There’s a lot I don’t know.”
“Who’s the girl?” I immediately ask.
“What girl?”
“The girl he brings books to.”
“Oh. You must mean Sophia.”
“Sophia,” I repeat quietly. “Is she his girlfriend?”
“I’m not sure. To be honest, he hasn’t told me much about her. She’s the one thing he guards very closely. I know she’s ill – she’s in the hospital almost always.”
“Sick Sophia. Got it.” I catch a falling can and hand it to blush lady. “Anything else?”
“He lives with his Mom in Coral Heights.”
“That’s that fancy gated suburb with the huge houses, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, a lot closer to Columbus.”
“Where’s his Dad?”
“Died in a plane crash, I believe.”
My heart sinks for absolutely no reason. I pull it back up by the ventricles. Now is no time to be feeling sorry for the enemy, heart! Get it together! Extremely together! Get it together so well you fuse!
“So what did you tell him about me ?”
“I told him about Will Cavanaugh.”
I flinch so hard I jolt into the table behind me. A pyramid of soup cans wobbles, and comes crashing down. I bite back a swear and hurriedly help them clean up my mess. When the pyramid is back on the table in a mass of tin and cheery labels screaming SODIUM FREE, Wren sighs.
“My cousin is kind of a cruel little shit. I can understand why his name affects you like that.”
“He’s –” I swallow what feels like
“My name is Wren,” He says sternly.
“Do you like burritos, prez? There’s a burrito place around the corner. Saw it on my way here. They look huge! I can’t eat one all by myself. But I’m hungry as hell and it’s nearly lunchtime, so…” I jerk my thumb behind me. “I’m gonna go get one. I guess I’ll see you around.”
The burrito truck is situated in the middle of a ring of picnic tables, colorful umbrellas shading the parking lot and tired construction workers from across the street lining up to get a bite of cheesy, beany glory. I order a chicken and green salsa one. I cut it neatly in half and place one half across the table, and dig into my own. And I wait. It’s the perfect lure. Wren might hide his exhaustion well, but I know he doesn’t eat enough. He’s the kind of student who’s so busy buzzing around doing extracurriculars he forgets to eat constantly.
A shadow falls over my table, and Wren slides into the seat across from me. He pulls the burrito half to him, pleasant smile faint.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
“Nope.” I dribble lettuce eloquently down my shirt. He wolfs the burrito down with impressive speed. When he’s done, and wiping his mouth with a napkin, I clap.
“Very good, prez. There’s hope for you yet.”
“I didn’t have breakfast,” He admits sheepishly.
“I know.”
“You…knew?”
I nod towards his hands. “Your nails. See how they’re all translucent, and ribbed with those little raised spots? Mine used to get like that when I was dieting. Not enough iron. Hell, not enough anything, period. I can get you another burrito, if you want.”
“No, no I’m fine,” He says a little too quickly, and does the creepy eyelock thing with me. “You’re very observant, aren’t you?”
I shrug. “How else would I maintain such a fabulous awareness of human existence at all times?”
“You are like him.” Wren laughs, and stands. He starts walking back to the food bank tent, and I trash my napkins and quickly follow.
“Like who?”
“Jack. You two have the same eye for detail. The same eye for delving into what people are all about.”
I scoff, but Wren merely shakes his head.
“He already came to see me. About you. That just further proves you two think alike – except you might be the slower one.”
I shoot him a withering look, but he just smiles.
“I didn’t tell him much. If you want to know about him, I can only tell you a few things. There’s a lot I don’t know.”
“Who’s the girl?” I immediately ask.
“What girl?”
“The girl he brings books to.”
“Oh. You must mean Sophia.”
“Sophia,” I repeat quietly. “Is she his girlfriend?”
“I’m not sure. To be honest, he hasn’t told me much about her. She’s the one thing he guards very closely. I know she’s ill – she’s in the hospital almost always.”
“Sick Sophia. Got it.” I catch a falling can and hand it to blush lady. “Anything else?”
“He lives with his Mom in Coral Heights.”
“That’s that fancy gated suburb with the huge houses, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, a lot closer to Columbus.”
“Where’s his Dad?”
“Died in a plane crash, I believe.”
My heart sinks for absolutely no reason. I pull it back up by the ventricles. Now is no time to be feeling sorry for the enemy, heart! Get it together! Extremely together! Get it together so well you fuse!
“So what did you tell him about me ?”
“I told him about Will Cavanaugh.”
I flinch so hard I jolt into the table behind me. A pyramid of soup cans wobbles, and comes crashing down. I bite back a swear and hurriedly help them clean up my mess. When the pyramid is back on the table in a mass of tin and cheery labels screaming SODIUM FREE, Wren sighs.
“My cousin is kind of a cruel little shit. I can understand why his name affects you like that.”
“He’s –” I swallow what feels like
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