ODE TO THE END: A BALLAD OF BROTHERS

CHAPTER 21

"N-no," Brielle curiously replied. "It looks so new."

The trio's young age made them odd enough, but Naomi and Brielle could not spare a thought between them. Achim, pinched by the mounting attention at their table, quickly wiped the money out of sight. "Alright! You've compared riches! Just put it away already!"

The girls did just that, but only Naomi made a childish little face. Her antics alone were enough to drive him up a tree, attitude notwithstanding, but between her and Brielle? Achim felt a migraine coming on.

"Brielle. Please. Go to the counter and order for us," said Achim.

There was visible unease on the part of Brielle's face not hidden by her hair, but it did not stop her from doing as told.  Her compliance was innate, so she simply nodded before squirming out of the booth.

"Order me whatever you want. No pressure," said the encouraging Naomi. She then turned to Achim just short of seeing him roll his eyes. "She seems really shy. I like her"

"She seems really suspicious, and I don't like her," Achim replied. "But you're the one who made friends with her, so she's mostly your problem. At least I would like to say that."

"Well one of us has to be the social one," Naomi teased. She then paused before shimmying in her seat as if a bit unsettled. Achim glanced at the girl, and watched as she began to tap the table when she realized her curling locks were out of reach. "You're more popular with girls than I thought you were," Naomi bashfully confessed.

"What're you talking about," Achim responded.

At the question, Naomi fumbled into the next subject. "So is it true that you haven't eaten with anyone since you were a kid? No family meals? Not even with friends and stuff?"

Achim rolled his eyes and paid the girl little mind. "Uh-huh," he aloofly confirmed. "I don't have friends, and my brother is my only family that survived the...accident." Achim shrugged off the tale so that Naomi would not wonder, but even after saying so little, her face churned with empathy. Suddenly their roles were switched, the dark boy now discomforted by the subject. "Let's stay on track. Did you see Brielle's reaction when you said my name earlier?"

"I did." Naomi adjusted her veil as she set her head on the table. "I got her to react to your brother's name too. I'm pretty confident that she knows the both of you."

"Wait. That was on purpose?" Achim was in genuine awe.

"What do you mean? You weren't there..." Naomi then understood, and smirked. "Unless you were, Nosey-Nose," giggled the sun-kissed girl.

"Shuddup." Achim blushed.

Naomi smiled at the dark boy before continuing "Well, as I am sure you heard, she clearly knows a lot more than she lets on. I sort of feel bad for misleading her though."

"Why's that," asked Achim.

"I don't really know." Naomi's lips twisted with mixed feelings. "I guess it's because she's the most honest person I've met in a really long time." Naomi did not look directly at Achim as she spoke, but there was something poignant about her words.

"I take it you don't meet a lot of good people, besides bullies," Achim remarked.

"Nope," Naomi responded. She sighed and stewed before giving Achim an affectionate glance. "But things have been looking up lately."

When her bright eyes found Achim's, they twinkled something special. The dark boy quickly caught butterflies. His words then fell out of his mouth like loose spittle and, just like that, Achim's adolescence became apparent in his squealing voice and his awkward delivery. "So what's the plan, again?"