“Buckle up.”
Again, he’s my big brother, and I do what he says, but he’s laughing, and for the life of me I can’t figure out why. “What’s so funny?”
“You,” he says.
“Do you want to explain yourself?”
Brad shakes his head. “The look on your face when you saw my car, I thought for sure you were going to run back upstairs and profess your love for Elle.”
Sighing, I look out the window at the passing buildings and cars. “I thought about it, but no.”
“You need this, Ben. You’re better than the rest of us. You’re going to make all of us proud.”
“Thanks. Oh, by the way, I haven’t told Mom yet. I thought I’d call her from the top of the Empire State Building or something like that. Do you think she’ll want to come visit?” Once I left Beaumont and Brad followed, our mother sort of became a drifter. Not in the sense that she’s not taking care of herself, but more so that if a job transfer was up for grabs, she’d sign up, and would take whatever. After awhile, you start to lose track of where your mother’s living because she moves so much.
“Where is she these days?”
I shrug. “Delaware, maybe? Like I said, I’ll call her when I get to New York.” I would love to have the relationship Quinn, Elle, and Peyton have with their parents. I think Brad would too, but our mother has never been the type to stay in one spot. She gets bored and moves on. My father, while he made sure I had a college fund, has also been absent from my life. For the first few years he was around, but our relationship quickly became weekends, phone calls, and cards. When I entered high school, it was just cards. I suppose I could have a lot of resentment toward my parents, but I don’t. They just weren’t meant to be parents.
“Maybe I’ll come out and see you.” I look at Brad, wh
o has his eyes trained on the highway.
“You should. I’d like it if you did.”
Brad scoffs. “You say this now, but you’re going to get there and forget all about Los Angeles. Some socialite is going to set her eyes on you, and you’ll never come back here.”
“I highly doubt it.” Personally, I’ve had enough of the socialites.
“Maybe the girl next to you on the plane is a hottie, and you join the Mile High club.”
I laugh. “The last time I was on a plane and had to use the bathroom, I hit my head on the ceiling because we hit some turbulence. I plan to stay firmly in my seat.”
“A co-worker then. You’ll meet someone, and you’ll call me at the ass crack of dawn because you will have forgotten about the time difference, professing your love for whoever this woman is.”
“And you’ll mumble something I’ll never be able to decipher.”
“And the next thing I know, a wedding invite will be in the mail.”
“Brad, you’re sounding like a girlfriend I’m leaving behind.”
He laughs and signals to get off the highway. Anxiety starts to build as the looming airport grows closer.
“Which airline?”
“United,” I tell him quietly.
“You’re doing the right thing, Ben. This will be good for you.”
I hope. What if I get there and hate it? It’s not like I can leave and return to class. This quarter depends on this internship. If I screw up, graduation is in jeopardy. Brad finds a spot along the curb and pulls over. He hands me a white envelope.
“It’s not much, but maybe it’ll help. I did some research for you. There’s a corner store two blocks from your apartment, and the laundry mat is across from the store. The subway is three blocks in the opposite direction. Don’t splurge on anything unnecessary like Starbucks. Use the dollar menu whenever you can and eat ramen.”
I clench the envelope tightly in my hand. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.” He really didn’t, but I can’t embarrass him by telling him I’ll be paid while I’m there, plus I have the money from my work study and the stipend I get from my dad.
“Just be smart, Ben. Go out there and kick some ass.”
“I will.” We’re not an affectionate family, but right now I don’t care. I lean over the console and pull my brother into a hug. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be going right now. I’m taking his advice and spreading my wings. Brad lets go, which is my signal to leave, and I get out of the car and grab my luggage. I don’t wave goodbye or even watch him pull away from the curb. However, I do send him a text, thank you.