Nor (Wattpad Featured Story, WriteAffair finalist)

Chapter 10: In The Dark

I feel better the next morning. Accomplished, if a little drowsy. I catch sight of Brian's untamed hair while walking out of the parking lot. I do a slow run to catch up. "Hey."

"Oh, hey, Nora." His voice is a little dead, and he stares at the ground as he walks.

"Everything OK?"

"Yeah. I'm just bummed cause I'm broke."

"Really? What'd you buy? I didn't think you were the type to splurge."

"I'm not. I broke my brother's cell phone, and I had to pay him so he can buy a new one. It wasn't even really my fault; I knocked into the table and it fell. Why do some people have to point fingers whenever something bad happens? Fate, karma – what happened to all that?"

"What about your parents?"

"They may have lived through the hippie age, but they weren't exactly on my side with the karma thing either."

I shake my head in amusement. "Well, sorry, Brain. But if you really do believe in karma, you should make some money back at some point to restore the balance. Or your brother should walk into a door."

"I'll be waiting."

We pass by a group of girls planted in front of the porch, five listening to one telling an animated story about how she was mugged last night. " … she managed to get out her Amex before he saw it, but he got everything else, so yeah, I'm following my mom to make the report today."

I nod at my cousin. "At least you didn't lose your money that way."

"I guess." He sighs loudly. "Actually, it's getting pretty bad."

"What is?"

"The crime. One of my dad's friends was mugged just last week too. Do you know that robbery cases have doubled in our district in the past five years?"

"Really. Next thing I know, you're going to be telling me the size of Greenland and the top speed of the African lion."

"I can find out."

"Spare me."

He grins as we head up the steps. "So how's it going at home?"

"Fine. My death-day went pretty well, in case you'd like to know."

"Good. I guess that's … good."

"And my dad brought home a girlfriend yesterday."

"He what?"

"Yeah. I don't think they're exclusive, though."

"Oh. OK. So what's she like?"

"Hot. Nice, but probably not very smart if she's with him."

"Is she your dad's age?"

"No."

"Oh. So it's one of those?"

"Yep, one of those."

"Wow. That must be so weird." He squints quizzically at me. "So are you OK with it?"

"What can I say? It's his life." I laugh emptily to myself. "I wasn't even supposed to meet her in the first place. It was by accident, like the thing with your brother's cell. I think when they came back, he was hoping I'd be in my room, but I wasn't, and he looked kind of embarrassed about it. He didn't even introduce her properly to me or anything."

"Maybe he's worried that you won't accept her."

"He, of all people, should not care what I think. Anyway, he told Wes. Why couldn't he tell me?"

"Wes?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know about him, Nora?"

"What?"

"I know what a great guy you think he is, but he's not, you know. My dad told me he used to do a lot of things before he started working for your dad."

"Oh yeah, what kind of things?"

"Things you probably wouldn't like."

"Like what?"

We come to my locker, and he stops for a minute to gaze at me. "Before he met your dad, he was just a regular guy."

"So?"

"A regular guy growing up the regular way in Kendall City. How do you think that pans out?"

I don't know what to say. I'm not sure that I understand what he's trying to tell me, but I'm slowly getting an idea. Brian sighs, nodding at me. "Look, I'll see you at lunch, OK?" And he waves, taking off on quick legs.

Years. I've known Wes for years.

No, that's wrong. I don't know him. I don't know anything about him at all, just like I don't know anything about my father.