Burn in Water, Drown in Fire

Burn in Water, Drown in Fire ~16~ Who You Are Is Not Who You've Been

~16~ Who You Are is Not Who You’ve Been

(Brian’s POV)

Going out with my brother and his pack of friends isn’t the best choice I’ve made. But what else is there to do? But then again, I didn’t really know where the h3ll he was right now; which is a problem when it’s late out.

“Might not wanna do that, eh,” I heard his voice start to say. I looked around the corner of a corner store and saw Luke and Zac, of all people.

“Do what?” Zac spat.

“Go in there for liquor,” Luke answered with a smirk getting hit by the most mysterious street lights. Zac shifted positions.

“And why not?” Zac asked with a sigh as if preparing himself for nonsense. Luke started to pace around.

“I started to question why you’ve acted different—”

“Yeah, bro, I’m so sorry. It’s this whole new school thing and—”

“That’s not what I mean,” Luke interrupted.

“Oh,” I saw Zac mouth.

“You and Devin, huh,” Luke smirked once more and stopped pacing.

“What would I have with that nerd?” Zac snorted. My question exactly.

“Free grades? His sister—” Angel. “—or maybe his drug.”

Zac stood up straighter.

“I don’t know how you found out about that, but—”

“I have my ways.”

“What do you want with it?” Zac asked him, flat out.

“What do I want with drugs? Please,” Luke commented with arrogance. Luke is more suicidal than Zac. If there’s a drug, he’ll try it. “So…what is it?”

“I’d like to tell you—”

“But it’s a secret chemical, right?” Luke interrupted, again.

“Exactly.”

“So steal it,” Luke commanded with a shrug.

“It’s not that simple and it won’t do anything for you,” Zac said, but something made me believe that it was a lie of his.

“Oh really. And why not?”

“Because it cures diabetes. It has absolutely no effect on healthy people,” Zac told. I remembered in seventh grade during a physical when the doctor pulled him aside and I eavesdropped to found out that he had diabetes. No one else seemed to notice it though. Occasionally I’d catch him check his blood in the bathroom or at my house, but recently, I hadn’t seen that—considering the school situation and the fact that he’s been hanging out with Devin...and Angel…recently.

“You sure that’s all it does?” Luke muttered. Zac nodded. Luke stood up straighter and started to look around. “I’ll see you around. I’m trying to lose my brother…”

Luke left in a jog down the street and I presented myself to Zac as if I hadn’t been there.

“Have you seen my brother?” I asked.

“A bunch of times,” Zac answered, towering over me with a smirk that matched his sarcasm.

“Tonight,” I hissed.

“Maybe, maybe not,” he shrugged, looking away from me. “Why are you looking for him?”

“He’s my brother…” I reminded. Zac shifted positions and still held a smirk.