Why did he call me? WHY DID HE CALL ME?
These were the thoughts going through Eran's head as he stood in the police station in front of his "cousin," Riley.
The officer cleared his throat and said firmly, "If you get into trouble one more time, then we're obligated to report it to your school." He pushed down his eyebrows with a pointed look as he added, "Whether charges are pressed or not."
Both Riley and Eran looked contemplative as they left the building. I get that he's without a guardian, but why does he keep getting into fights?
"Um... thanks," Riley uttered in a dismissive, obligatory tone.
Eran turned to look at Riley and with a bit of cynicism in his voice asked, "For what?"
"...For being my cousin." Riley smirked. "I won't bother you again," he said as he turned around ready to dash off again.
Eran grabbed the hem of Riley's blazer causing the teen to come teetering back. Riley stood still but didn't turn around.
"I don't know why you're fighting, but... "
"I know. I'll stay out of trouble."
Eran bit his lip. He walked past Riley ordering, "Let's go."
"W-where?"
Eran stopped and turned around. "If you run off again, I'll break your leg."
Riley took a hesitant step forward, unsure how much Eran actually would wound him. Eran, feeling that Riley already had it tough, would have at most given him a sprain lasting a few hours.
Riley followed Eran as they walked towards the very centre of Midtown. It was only a few minutes when Eran gently pushed Riley through the doors of Milton's.
Bubba noticed Riley first. "Wel—" Eran stepped around Riley to guide him by the sleeve beside his usual spot at the bar, on the side away from the door.
Bubba gave a strange, knowing smile. "So you were late because you brought him?" He looked at Riley. "I'm Bubba and this is my restaurant."
"I'm Riley and this is my wallet," Riley replied, pointing his thumb towards Eran.
Eran grabbed his thumb and bent it in an unnatural way, but Riley pulled his hand back before it really started to hurt. He held his hand to his chest and massaged his thumb.
"Funny," Bubba started, "'cause I'm his wallet."
"Haha, really?" Riley raised one of his thick eyebrows and grinned at Eran.
"I pay..."
At about the same time, all three said "Sometimes," with Riley phrasing it as a question. At having his shortcoming exposed, Eran clicked his tongue.
Bubba nodded as if saying, 'See? I told you.'
"Ha." Riley gave a short, mocking laugh.
"Whatever." Eran ended the conversation with that. His eyes met with Riley's warm brown ones. "Go get the book on that stand over there."
Riley looked at the book from afar mysteriously before getting up to fetch it. "This encyclopedia is the menu?" He set it down on the counter between Eran's and his seats. "How old is this thing," he asked, examining the discoloured corners of some lists in the front of the book.
"Tell him about it, Eran," Bubba urged, then walked away to serve customers.
Eran gave a confused frown but looked at the menu while he spoke to Riley in monotone. "This restaurant was started by Bubba's late father, Milton. When he passed, Bubba inherited the diner, renovated, and redesigned. But he still kept many of his father's best characteristics of the place, one of which was making custom orders. His dad had kept a list of the most bizarre orders in a personal notebook, and when Bubba took over, he put those orders together and began adding onto it. This is the extended menu. Eleven years of madness and genius. The End."
"Wow. Bubba's dad was pretty awesome. Bacon cheddar waffles? "
"Oh, I remember seeing that one."
"Have you eaten it?"
"No, I prefer pancakes."
"Then why didn't you order bacon cheddar pancakes?"
"Because that'd be gross."
Riley chuckled, "You're teasing me aren't you?"
Eran looked slightly confused. "Aren't you the tease?"
Riley was silent for a moment before looking down at the menu again.
I don't understand this kid.
"So you can order anything? But there must be limits, right?"
"When Bubba's dad was here, it was a system where a customer could order anything as long as Milton's Midtown had the stuff in stock to make it. And they had just about everything. Now, the town and economy are different so what ingredients Bubba doesn't have, he can usually get for the customer in less than 30 minutes from the grocery store or butcher. So customers can order almost anything and Bubba will make sure they get it."
"Did you decide what to eat?" Bubba leaned over the counter. "It's been over 10 minutes now," he remarked exaggeratedly.
"Can you make potato cakes? You know, kind of like latkes?" Riley tilted his head and looked at Bubba with naïve eyes.
"Sure."
"Why? How?" Riley prodded.
"Huh?" Bubba raised his eyebrows.
Eran spoke up emotionlessly again. "He grew up in the diner and also did a couple of years at a culinary school. Just give me what he gets."
"Okay, two orders of latkes, coming up."
Noticing the open grill space, Riley asked, "Can you make an onion volcano?"
"Don't patronize me." Bubba pointed his knife at Riley playfully.
Riley smiled. He continued looking at the menu for a few minutes, asking Eran if he'd tried this or that and receiving monotone one-word answers. "So you two are childhood friends?"
Eran shifted his eyes away and muttered, "We aren't friends."
Bubba set down their plates and clarified, "We met our last year of high school. I wouldn't say we were friends, we were just always near each other—in the same classes, seated near each other since our last names both start with K, and our test scores were similar too."
"We were both in the biology club."
"Yep. Want dessert?"
Eran said nothing and Riley agreed.
"How about strawberry cheesecake?"
Riley said nothing and Eran said, "You have some already made, don't you?"
Bubba ignored Eran and shifted the subject. "We actually ended up in the same field of study in university. But when my dad got sick, I left school and decided to take over the restaurant. Eran was a huge help at that time; I was pretty much on my own."
Eran watched Riley's eyes to find any hint of response that may give clue to the teen's own family situation. But Riley's eyes gave nothing away as he nodded in understanding.
Eran jumped a bit when Riley suddenly looked back. "What was Eran like back then?"
Has he ever said my name before? It feels strange... Bubba looked at Eran carefully and seemed to be somewhat aware of how he was feeling.
"Oh yeah. What are you, grade 12?"
Riley nodded.
"He was your age back when we met. Let's see..."
Eran could feel Riley's eyes on him. Is he looking for a reaction? Maybe he thinks I might try to shut Bubba up in a panic. But it's not like there's much to tell. And I trust Bubba not to say anything personal... Riley leaned closer and looked at Eran with concerned, yet curious eyes. Eran realized his expression had probably darkened and that he had anxiously started to bite his lip.
Bubba started, "If he'd been a few inches taller and less nerdy, he'd probably have had more girls going after him. Which would've made three. Haha."
That isn't funny.
"Girls like the mysterious type," Bubba continued. "And he has this smirk that he reserves for women."
Riley was giving Eran a different look now that Eran struggled to ignore.
"Though..." Bubba looked at Eran. "Maybe you didn't start that until university?"
Eran felt Riley's gaze getting heavier.
"He had more girls in university. Back then I heard he'd kissed more girls than—"
"Stop." Eran finally interrupted. "You make me sound like a playboy." Back in undergrad, Eran just agreed to date anyone who had the guts to ask him. None of the girls minded that their feelings were unrequited at first. Eran told them he'd feel something eventually. He never did.
Half ignoring Eran, Bubba explained, "He had some guys after him too. You still do though, right?" Eran glared at Bubba who was smirking teasingly.
"Guys?" Riley repeated, turning to Bubba.
"Yeah. He's just that type that attracts men and women, I guess." Both Bubba and Riley looked appraisingly at Eran. "Not to mention he's never outright stated to be straight or other. Just leading everyone on." Bubba shook his head.
"It's a pointless social construct. I don't care."
"And that is why you're a single heartbreaker who only talks to bacteria."
"You're calling yourself bacteria?"
Riley spoke directly to Eran for the first time in a while: "You look no older than me." He smiled. "It's a burden but a weapon, I bet."
"It's nothing compared to you," Eran replied. Eran noticed that sometimes Riley would have this look in his eyes as if he'd been alive thrice as long as he really had. It seemed like he understood just as much as Eran, and maybe even more. Other times he took advantage of his boyish charm. There were also occasions when he was just childishly stupid. Eran was sure he was never like that. Probably. "But one day soon you're going to have to pick a side."
Riley frowned in confusion and slurred, "'Side?'"
Eran nodded. "Do you want to be a boy? Or do you want to be a man?"
Riley froze momentarily. He then leaned on the counter, pouted, and whined, "Bubba, Eran's being mean to me."
Damn, why does him saying my name so easily feel so weird?
"Come on, Eran," Bubba pressed. "You lecture the kids too much."
Before Eran could respond, Riley abruptly asked in a peculiar tone, "He brings them here?"
Bubba began to shake his head 'no' when Eran spoke up, "No." He glanced at Riley who had also just turned to look at Eran. They both looked away. "You're the first."
"Why me?"
Eran stared at Riley. Looking away, once again, he explained, "I was hungry and you happened to be there." Eran looked at Bubba. "Bubba, you make it sound like lec—giving guidance is my everyday job. It's not a hobby."
"Yes, yes. Forgive me Sir Righteousness."
Riley's voice broke in. "Bubba, can I have another cheesecake?"
Bubba plated a mini cake. "Anything for Mr. Moral's first favorite."
As soon as he set the plate down, Riley cut it in half with a fork and stuffed the piece in his mouth. Eran and Bubba initially looked shocked. Eran turned away to snicker as Bubba looked proud. After collecting himself, Eran turned back around and watched Riley. With his cheeks stuffed, Riley struggled to chew and swallow the rich cake.
Eran smiled. "You're really something impressive." Bubba's proud look turned inquisitive, while Riley nearly choked. At last, Riley cleared his mouth and gulped down a glass of water. When he set the empty glass back on the table, Bubba applauded.
He made a mess, Eran noticed; the counter was covered in crumbs and Riley had a spot of strawberry syrup on the corner of his lower lip. Before Eran could tell him about it, Riley cleared it away with his tongue then sucked on the area briefly. He could have used a napkin, Eran thought while taking a deep breath. Riley stood up and declared, "I'm going to the restroom." Bubba gestured with his thumb towards it and Riley walked away in a faster than normal pace.
Bubba and Eran remained silent for some seconds. Something's bothering me. Eran stared at his own cup. "Strange kid."
"Yeah, but he's pretty easy to see through."
Eran looked up at Bubba. "You think?" Eran wasn't quite sure he could agree.
"Yeah," Bubba gave a small mischievous smile. "If you're looking in the right places."
"Right places? Am I an idiot?" Eran bit his lip. "I need to stop acting like the father to all these kids."
"You mean the older brother," Bubba noted in a gentle voice.
Eran frowned. His expression became melancholy as he blinked a few times.
"He's been gone a while," Bubba announced, perhaps trying to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Lactose intolerant? Sneaking a smoke?" Bubba raised his eyebrows.
Eran chuckled as he pulled Riley's remaining cheesecake in front of him. "Nope. He left," he answered nonchalantly.
"Left? You mean he left you here without even saying goodbye or thank you to us?"
"Yeah." Eran chuckled again as he stabbed a small piece of cheesecake off with his fork. "For some reason, he doesn't want me to know where he lives."
Bubba laughed quietly like he had a secret. Eran ate the rest of the cheesecake silently. I still feel bothered. He stood up and put on his coat.
"Going after him?" Bubba teased as he took up the plate and utensils.
"Going home." Eran took out his wallet and put a few bills on the counter.
Bubba took the bills while saying what Eran had expected to hear all night: "I told you so."
Eran responded with a wry smile.
"He's a good kid," Bubba said with a genuine look in his eyes.
"He's not a kid." Eran shook his head, coming to a strange realization. "He's a young man." A man, he really was, thought Eran. A man who is young. Eran's bothered feeling was coming back. He felt like he wasn't done with Riley, probably the same feeling Bubba had when he first heard about Riley.
Bubba grinned. "Yep. You're right."
"A strange young man."
"Yup. You're learning fast, grasshopper. Lookin' in the right places, sonny."
You're weird too, Eran thought as he sneered and waved his fist threateningly before exiting the place. Outside, he took a deep breath and subconsciously glanced around for any sign of Riley. Where else am I not looking?