#cseavers

darn  it  .      he  really  wanted  the  waffle  cone  .        ❝        sunset  harmony  is  a  good flavor  .      i'm  pretty  sure  it's  ,      like  ,      an  orange  sherbet  ,      banana  kind  of  flavor  .        ❞        he  hasn't  tried  sunset  flavor  before  in  his  life  :      he's  just  arguing  for  the  sake  of  arguing  .      stupid  colt  ,      always  knowing  exactly  what  he  wants  to  get  so  he  can  take  it  away  from  him  .      grace's  hopes  and  dreams  :      dashed  .      all  because  his  brother  is  in  town  .      and  where  there  is  a  brother  ,      there  is  also  an  incredibly  disconcerting  ,      borderline  telepathic  ability  for  either  of  them  to  know  exactly  what  the  other  one  thinks  and  feels  and  make  it  the  other  brothers'  fault  as  much  as  possible  .      like  ,      for  example  ,      how  ryland  is  now  stuck  with  the  regular  cone-shaped  ice  cream  cone  instead  of  the  waffle  cone  he  forgot  to  call  dibs  on  when  they'd  got  here  .

ryland  grunts  ,      stepping  up  to  the  counter  to  order  first  .      he  will  graciously  forgo  the  waffle  cone  and  sprinkles  ,      since  colt  wants  it  so bad  ,      and  he  isn't  about  to  overstep  their  childhood  pact  of  calling  dibs  on  toppings  .      just  before  he  orders  ,      he  turns  his  head  back  to  look  at  colt  .        ❝        i'm  older  than  you  by  nine  minutes  .        ❞        apparently  unprompted  .      but  he's  not  .      he's  actually  prompted  by  all  the  annoyance  he  has  in  his  head      (  colt  stole  his  waffle  cone  ,      just  as  a  reminder  to  himself  )  ,      so  naturally  that  means  he  has  to  remind  his  brother  about  the  precious  fragility  of  life  and  time  .

the  cashier  is  looking  at  the  both  of  them  like  they  can't  discern  which  one  is  which  .      an  insult  to  ryland  ,      who's  clearly  more  put  together  than  colt  .      he  gets  the  cherry-chocolate  this  time  around  ,      with  chopped  peanuts  on  top  and  an  extra  few  small  squares  of  fudge  wedged  into  it  .      in  a  boring  ,      regular  cone  .      some  of  those  chocolate  chunks  are  going  to  be  pushed  into  one  of  colt's  scoops  the  first  chance  he  gets  anyways  .        ❝        your  call  ,      baby  bro  .        ❞

 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪ ㅤ*ㅤ CONTINUED .  /   @cseavers .

hey ry-ry

you  know  you  can  send  me  things  without  also  sending  images  ,      right  ?      like  that's  a  thing  you  can  do  .      you  can  just  text  with  words  .      there  doesn't  have  to  be  an  image  .

ㅤthere doesn't have to be an image with your message , colt .

 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪ ㅤ*ㅤ UNPROMPTED .  /   𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜  𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 .

it's a family emergency ,   he'd told the district when he had been asked to provide his reasoning .   then ,   to the principal ,   a more personal explanation for a more urgent beg :   my brother broke his back .   he'd known ,   of course .   he'd known the millisecond colt's safety cables had loosened up too far and he'd hit the ground .   he always knew .   they've been here for each other since birth .   colt ,   nine minutes and fourteen seconds later ,   clutching to the umbilical like a lifeline before they could cling to each other .   they've been together ever since .   sure ,   one's in san francisco and the other's in los angeles between projects .   but they're always nine minutes away ,   no matter the physical distance .

colt is in pain .   ryland knows colt is in pain because his fingers shake too .   he doesn't want to admit the real reason is because he's scared .   even now ,   a week after colt's discharge ,   he still sees him in that hospital bed ,   barely able to move except to lift a finger ,   tubes stuck in every hole and limb the doctors could find .   ryland had cried forty-two times while his brother slept .   spinal fractures are hard to come back from .   colt's survival was a miracle .   but he's scared .   it comes and goes in waves .   today ,   his anxiety is particularly bad .   tomorrow ,   he may go the entire day without a bit of nausea .   his brother has metal in his back and a brace holding his back up straight ,   so it doesn't crack again and kill him .

my little brother broke his back .   my brother broke his back really bad .   my brother almost died .

❝    did you not take them when i gave them to you ?    ❞    that was forty-five minutes ago .   the answer is obviously no .    ❝    come on ,   the sink water isn't going to kill you .   idiot .   i've got them .   stay there .    ❞    ryland digs his nails into his palms and stands ,   hoping he cuts his skin open before his brother can see the fright in his hands .   then it's off to the bathroom .   the pill bottle sits next to the sink .   stupid colt .   he drowns his face with water ,   staring at the reddening rims of his eyes .   not colt . stupid industry .   it's a stupid industry !

colt gets the filtered water this time .   the pills in the bottle sing when ryland returns ,   carrying it and the fresh glass he'd fetched from the kitchen .   he tilts one onto his palm and offers it out .    ❝    take this .   and don't put it under your tongue ,   all right ?   i want to see it gone when i check .    ❞

 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪ ㅤ*ㅤ CONTINUED .  /   @cseavers .