ones there. I started to say
something, but, again, Brand held up a hand and stopped me. He stopped at the
door to the teachers’ lounge and pulled it open.
Pointing at the room, he said, “Get the hell in there! We’re
talking!”
Inside the lounge, I saw that the room had a soda machine and a
snack machine along one wall. There was a long couch in the middle, and lounge
chairs were set on either side. Brand turned on the lights and tossed my
parents’ coats onto one of the chairs as he came in behind me.
Then turning to me, he said, “What the hell, man? You looked
like you were ready to lash out at everyone! What gives?”
I looked away from him, not saying anything for a moment. I
decided to let him get a taste of his own medicine. No, I couldn't do it. I
always had to say what I felt. I said, “Why aren’t you pissed? Those convicts
nearly killed us! And we’re going to die! You’re the one who’s always pissed!
So why ain’t you now?”
For a moment, Brand just looked at me, and then looked around
the room. I didn’t wait for him to talk. Instead I brushed past him as I said,
“Come on, the parents will start wondering.”
Brand said, “Because!”
I turned back to look at him. “Because…what? Is it because
we managed to escape being killed just in
time to die from an asteroid impact? Because there’s nothing we can do?
Come on! Say it! Talk, Houseman! Or are
you too scared?”
Brand snarled. I gave him a sour smile and said, “There’s the
asshole I know and love!”
Brand shook his head. He looked at me with consternation. He
wasn’t used to me being the angry one. That was fine; I wasn’t
used to him being the calm one. Weird.
He sighed. “Look, I know this isn’t easy. I mean, I saw what
happened down south. People freaked out. But it’s the final day; people are
either going to celebrate or go crazy in places like this all over the world.
We can’t do anything to stop it. And those cons? Those
losers are in jail! What do you think they’re doing? Those
assholes are stuck in a room by themselves . They’re each in a ten-by-ten
square room with no windows! They will go insane worrying about what’s going on
until the very end.”
He grinned and said, “And that to me, makes for a fucking good
payback!”
“What the hell is good about it?” I snapped back at him.
Brand said, “You saw the sign out in front, right? Whoever put
it up is laughing. Why can’t you? It’s the way it is, man.”
I said, “Seriously? Come on! All this joking around is bull!
We’re going to die!”
Brand nodded. With a serene look, he said, “Yes, Vaughn, and
we’re going to die today. What, do you think that no one else has figured that
out by now? Come on, what’s really bugging you?”
I hesitated. I couldn’t say what I was thinking because it was
too ridiculous. But he wasn’t going to quit pushing me. So, finally, I said,
“It’s not fair. I…just…outside the hardware store, I thought how wrong all this
was. That it...”
Brand gestured, a half-smile on his lips. He said, “Come on…say
it.”
I looked out the windows for another moment before I finally
said, “It’s not fair.”
Brand gave a soft sigh before he answered. “Fairness stopped
being a problem for me on the day I said goodbye to my brother at his grave. I
knew life wasn’t fair when people said he had died while trying to run away
from his duty. So, yeah, now I’m just glad he isn’t here to have to see how…”
I looked at him when he stopped talking. I said, “He doesn’t
have to see how…what?”
He shrugged it off and came to join me at the door. “It doesn’t
matter. If God is real, or the afterlife, well, Kyle will see that he’s gonna
have lots of company.”
Brand walked past me into the hallway. On the way out, he said,
“Come on. The ‘rents will be wondering what’s up if we don’t go hang with them
for a bit.”
I stood at the door for a moment,
something, but, again, Brand held up a hand and stopped me. He stopped at the
door to the teachers’ lounge and pulled it open.
Pointing at the room, he said, “Get the hell in there! We’re
talking!”
Inside the lounge, I saw that the room had a soda machine and a
snack machine along one wall. There was a long couch in the middle, and lounge
chairs were set on either side. Brand turned on the lights and tossed my
parents’ coats onto one of the chairs as he came in behind me.
Then turning to me, he said, “What the hell, man? You looked
like you were ready to lash out at everyone! What gives?”
I looked away from him, not saying anything for a moment. I
decided to let him get a taste of his own medicine. No, I couldn't do it. I
always had to say what I felt. I said, “Why aren’t you pissed? Those convicts
nearly killed us! And we’re going to die! You’re the one who’s always pissed!
So why ain’t you now?”
For a moment, Brand just looked at me, and then looked around
the room. I didn’t wait for him to talk. Instead I brushed past him as I said,
“Come on, the parents will start wondering.”
Brand said, “Because!”
I turned back to look at him. “Because…what? Is it because
we managed to escape being killed just in
time to die from an asteroid impact? Because there’s nothing we can do?
Come on! Say it! Talk, Houseman! Or are
you too scared?”
Brand snarled. I gave him a sour smile and said, “There’s the
asshole I know and love!”
Brand shook his head. He looked at me with consternation. He
wasn’t used to me being the angry one. That was fine; I wasn’t
used to him being the calm one. Weird.
He sighed. “Look, I know this isn’t easy. I mean, I saw what
happened down south. People freaked out. But it’s the final day; people are
either going to celebrate or go crazy in places like this all over the world.
We can’t do anything to stop it. And those cons? Those
losers are in jail! What do you think they’re doing? Those
assholes are stuck in a room by themselves . They’re each in a ten-by-ten
square room with no windows! They will go insane worrying about what’s going on
until the very end.”
He grinned and said, “And that to me, makes for a fucking good
payback!”
“What the hell is good about it?” I snapped back at him.
Brand said, “You saw the sign out in front, right? Whoever put
it up is laughing. Why can’t you? It’s the way it is, man.”
I said, “Seriously? Come on! All this joking around is bull!
We’re going to die!”
Brand nodded. With a serene look, he said, “Yes, Vaughn, and
we’re going to die today. What, do you think that no one else has figured that
out by now? Come on, what’s really bugging you?”
I hesitated. I couldn’t say what I was thinking because it was
too ridiculous. But he wasn’t going to quit pushing me. So, finally, I said,
“It’s not fair. I…just…outside the hardware store, I thought how wrong all this
was. That it...”
Brand gestured, a half-smile on his lips. He said, “Come on…say
it.”
I looked out the windows for another moment before I finally
said, “It’s not fair.”
Brand gave a soft sigh before he answered. “Fairness stopped
being a problem for me on the day I said goodbye to my brother at his grave. I
knew life wasn’t fair when people said he had died while trying to run away
from his duty. So, yeah, now I’m just glad he isn’t here to have to see how…”
I looked at him when he stopped talking. I said, “He doesn’t
have to see how…what?”
He shrugged it off and came to join me at the door. “It doesn’t
matter. If God is real, or the afterlife, well, Kyle will see that he’s gonna
have lots of company.”
Brand walked past me into the hallway. On the way out, he said,
“Come on. The ‘rents will be wondering what’s up if we don’t go hang with them
for a bit.”
I stood at the door for a moment,
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