Spines

Brian sat at the table by the window, counting the red cars that passed by.

He didn’t particularly like red cars. His own car was blue. But the red ones were the easiest to spot. Ever since he was a kid, he’d counted them, to calm himself down when he was feeling worked up. Today, his technique wasn’t quite doing the trick. Brian stood up and flipped on the TV to distract himself from his thoughts, then sat back down.

Sixteen red cars drove by before Erica’s green Volkswagen turned off the main road into Brian’s apartment complex.

Erica came in without knocking and sat down next to Brian with her usual greeting. “What’s up, Bro!” She dropped a package of Double Stuf Oreos on the table.

“So, you heard back from Jason, huh?” she asked, opening the package and doling out two cookies to each of them.

“Look at this.” Brian flipped his laptop open and showed her the photos.

“Whoa,” Erica said, chewing a cookie as she leaned in for a better look. “Yep, you’re twins all right.”

“It’s crazy,” he said. “I know it’s been a whole week since we got that letter from the agency, but I still can’t believe this is happening.”

Erica shook her head. “I still can’t believe they never told Mom and Dad you were a twin. What the hell.”

“Yeah, and if it hadn’t been for that news story, and the court order, they wouldn’t even have told us now.”

Erica got up, crossed to Brian’s refrigerator, poured two glasses of milk, and brought them back to the table.

“He invited me down to Arizona to meet him.” Brian shook his head. “Mom thinks I should go.”

“Do you want to go meet him?”

“I don’t know. I feel weird about it. I already have a family.”

“So does he.”

“I know. But what if it’s super awkward? What if we hate each other? That would take this whole thing from weird to…”

Erica glanced at Brian’s untouched Oreos and milk.

“Hey, little brother,” she said. “We’ll always be your family, you know. You’re stuck with us nutcases. You just have an extra family member now. What have you got to lose?”

Brian was silent, staring at the photos.

“Which would you regret more… going? Or not going?”

He sighed. “Not going, I guess. I mean, look at this guy. It’s like looking at myself. I used to wear my hair and goatee exactly like that, remember? And I have that same shirt!”

Erica looked at the dress shirt in the photo. “Is that the one you wore last year to your graduation?”

“Yes!”

“I wouldn’t read too much into it, buddy. A lot of people have that shirt. It’s from the Gap.”

Despite himself, Brian smiled.

“I say go for it,” she said. “And try not to think too much about what it will be like. Just go with the flow.”

Three weeks later, Brian’s stomach fluttered as he drove out of the rental car lot and accelerated onto the highway. They’d given him a red car.

As the buildings grew further apart, Brian wanted to count cars. But there wasn’t a lot of traffic along this desert road.

So he counted cactuses instead. There were a lot of those.

He found the address and turned into the driveway, parking behind a blue Chevy.

Jason opened the door. “Hey,” he said. The sound of a TV drifted out. They spent a few seconds just looking at each other. They were both wearing blue button-down shirts.

Do I hug him? thought Brian. Would that be weird?

Jason smiled first. “This is so crazy,” he said, shaking his head.

“Totally,” said Brian.

“I’m glad you came. Come on in. I’m making some coffee,” Jason said.

The moment passed. Okay. No hug.

Brian stood in the living room. He couldn’t think of a thing to say.

“Have you been to Arizona before?” Jason asked him.

“Never. It’s beautiful out here. Lots of cactuses,” Brian said. Cactuses? You dork, he thought. Think of something intelligent to say. Instead, he blurted, “Twenty-eight cactuses between my hotel and here.”

Jason stared.

Great, Brian thought. Now I’ve blown it. Turning red, he mumbled, “Sorry. I… count stuff sometimes.”

“Naw, man. I get it,” Jason said. “Listen… eleven red cars drove by this morning before yours.” His face broke into a goofy grin.

Brian grinned back.

Maybe this trip hadn’t been such a bad idea after all.





Writing Prompts:

• Write a story using a particular and vivid item of clothing that connects two characters in some way.
• Include a cactus.