My Brother: Cupid

My Brother: Cupid Ch. 3

It was a few minutes later when the meeting was let out, I didn't really care though. What more could Chase do then what had already been done. Then it was time for the after meeting party where all the holidays sat around and talked to each other.

An old man sat next to me and smiled. He said, “I'm sorry.”

I looked up. I knew all the holidays, from our annual Valentine's Party, but this one didn't look familiar to me. “I'm sorry, who are you?” I asked.

“Don't you recognize me?” he asked.

I looked at him for a few seconds then shook my head, “Sorry, no”

“New Years,” was his response.

Then I took another look at him, it was New Years. “Oh, wow,” I said, “You've grown a ton.” Last time I had seen New Years, he had only looked a few years younger then me. Now he looked like an old man. I then remembered that every year New Years goes through an average life cycle. Chase told me that New Years is like an infant at the beginning of the year and a 100-year-old man at the end.

“You've grown as well, young man,” he said.

“Not compared to you,” I said.

“We've grown the same, age wise,” he said.

“But not look wise,” I said, “How old are you?”

“Not even a year,” he said, “About nine months.”

“I mean look wise,” I said.

“About 65 years,” he said.

"Wow," I said.

"Todd," said Chase walking up. "Look, we can go now if you'd like."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said, "It was nice seeing you again New Years.”

“Same, it's nice to see some kids at these dumb parties,” he said quoting me from the Valentine's Day Party.

I waved as I followed my brother out.

Unlike my brother, walking through that portal always scared me. For a few seconds you find yourself stranded in midair going lightning speed through flashes of light and color. And then it's over and you realize you've traveled miles in the time of a few seconds.

“What were you thinking?” Chase yelled as we wandered into out living room,

“Interrupting a meeting like that. You do realize that the results would have been the same after the meeting, right? The arrow still would have been gone.”

“You know what. Chase? It wasn't gone this morning, you could have taken it off then. Or even better yet not shot me at all,” I said.

“It was a harmless prank. Look I'm sorry. But it's not like I haven't done this before, what's so different about this time?” he said.

“I didn't like then either. But this time was different because I was starting out with a new slate. I could have been someone, just because you were a loser in school doesn't mean that you have to make me one too.”

“For the last time, I wasn't a loser,” Chase said, “I got a ton of girls.”

“Right, I highly doubt that you just started being a loser when you grew up. I mean even Mom thinks you're weird,” I said picking up a red rose from one of his vases, reminding him of her reaction when she first saw his house.

“I'm not a loser now either,” he said. “Look, I think we're done with this conversation now. Sorry about the whole arrow, falling in love, clean slate thing.” Then he started to fly away.

“You don't even care, do you?” I said. He ignored me.

As much as I love my brother, he may just be the most annoying person who ever lived.