Charade

Benji

I don't think my nose was broken, just sore as hell.

The conman's swing had hit my left eye more than it had my nose, leaving it swollen and the colour of a sweet plum. As for my ribs, I had no idea how long they would take to heal. All up the left side of my torso, splashes of purple and red were spilled across my flesh like a tray of upturned water colours. The pain had gone from excruciating to tender to annoying. Every single movement set them off. Like a patient who can't roll over without pulling out their stitches, once I found a place to sit or lay down, I was there for good.

Reluctantly, I lowered myself into the computer chair where I'd set up the laptop. With the press of a button, the computer loaded, and I waited for my nightly call. It didn't take long. Sure enough, not five seconds after Skype had loaded, she called. A little smile played on my pierced lips when I answered.

"Hey, Ash."

"Heyyy," She said, lollipop hanging out of her mouth, concentration strictly on painting her nails.

Ashley was my sister, even though we weren't technically related. She had soft, straight hair that used to be a mousy brown colour, but now she'd dyed it ombre, so it faded from a dark chocolate brown into a light blond. The dip of her nose usually fit into my collarbone when I hugged her, making her about 5.5, with the most gorgeous, pale, jade-green eyes I'd ever seen.

At the moment, she was in the Northern Territory, studying to be a vet at the same university as my brother. Sometimes I'd ask about him, but not often, and Ashley would either tell me or ask around herself, trying to see what he was up to so she could let me know. I didn't miss him though, not even in the slightest, but that didn't mean I didn't like to keep tabs.

"Notice anything different, Ash?" I asked, trying to get her to look at me.

Her long eyelashes flicked up and her eyes widened. She dropped the nail polish immediately and leaned in towards the screen, full concentration now on me.

"Benny, what the hell happened to your eye?" She asked, worry woven into her mother-like voice.

"Oh, you like that? Check this out."

Slowly, I rose out of the chair, wincing at every movement. I pulled up my shirt to reveal the deep, painful bruises.

"Holy fuck, who did that to you? What's his name? Do I know him?"

I laughed, but it was through the pain. I sat back down.

"Calm down, Ash. I took care of him. I'm not stupid."

"You got into another bar fight, didn't you?"

"Nah, not this time. It's kind of a long story, but it worked out just fine."

"Who was it?" She asked. "What was his name?"

I could tell she was digging for a name so she could figure out who he was, catch the next flight over here, and rip him apart. My big sister was as protective as a lioness when it came to me, just as I was to her. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she'd roughed up someone who crossed me.

I didn't want to tell her yet, though. Not only did I know she wouldn't like it, but I didn't know if it was real yet either. I didn't know if the conman really intended to teach me or if he was coming to beat out the money's location, which now I think about it, was a reason why I should've told her.

"Don't know his name," I said, "but he's a bit of a hot head. Doesn't like me much. But I think he ended up in a worse state that I did."

"No offense, Benny boy, but you're hardly fatter than a twig. Fights probably just aren't your thing."

"Coming from you," I laughed, "Miss five-foot-fuck-all-and-barely-fifty-kilos. Out of you and me, I think I'd come out on top."

"Don't make me hurt you," she grinned, "because I will make you bleed."

"Like to see you try. Hey, you dyed your hair," I said.

"Oh, yeah. You like? Hannah did it."

"Hannah – she's the roommate who plays too much screamo, right?"

"Yeah, and then she gets all bitchy because it upsets the animals. Davie and Bill hate her so much, whenever she walks in the room, they start both screaming. It's like they know she's behind the music."

Bill and Davie were Ashley's budgies. Ashley had a whole zoo in her room, from dogs to birds to fish to turtles to guinea pigs to a goddamn stick insect, all of which were named after her favourite stand-up comedians – Carlin, Titus, Burr, Murphy, and more that I couldn't name. She was just one of those people who couldn't help themselves when it came to strays. She never could leave us out in the cold.

"Aren't birds supposed to be dumb? Like, they have little pea brains and virtually no memory?"

"Huh," Ashley said, "sounds a bit like you."

"Shut up," I laughed, feeling the empty space inside me that missed our usual banter. "So how's the studying going? Is it hard?"

"Oh my god, yes. And we have this pervy-as-fuck new anatomy professor. I'm calling him Professor Pervert. I swear to god he walks past me just to look at my tits."

"Well cover them up a bit more and it won't be a problem," I said bluntly.

"I would but most of the girls in that class are pretty damn hot. Gotta give them a little sneak peak, if you know what I mean." She smiled mischievously.

"Damn, can I come join your class?" I grinned.

"Nope, all mine. You'll just have to put up with those city girls a bit longer. Most of them are alright too, aren't they?"

"Well, I told you about Hadley, didn't I? The one I work with?"

"Oh yeah, cute blondie from the country, right?"

"Yup. Oh, and we have this fucking useless new guy at work. Jayden. Thickest skull I've ever seen, swear to god. Because of the little prick, I had to spend my afternoon cleaning up after him. I swear a toddler would've been more productive. He went and spilled the garbage all over the tea room – mouldy food and rotting meat, the works."

Suddenly, the door to Ashley's room opened.

"Ash?" Someone called. "I got food!"

Ashley looked over the computer screen and grinned.

"Sorry, little brother, but the food – it's calling to me."

"Uh-huh. Why am I not surprised? Tell me, how is it you can eat three servings at every meal and thirty kilos of sugar between and still only get as fat as a rake?"

Ashley was already getting up, readying to wrestle her roommate for the takeaway. She smiled at me.

"I'll tell you if you tell me," she grinned.

I chuckled.

"See ya, sis." I smiled.

"Bye," she said.

And in the split second before she shut her laptop, I heard her scream, 'FOOD!!' and charge at the kitchen table.

© A.G. Travers 2015