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shaelashaela · 1 year ago

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Side Story: Foot in Mouth

Side stories are scenes that I wanted to write, but they don’t fit into the narrative of the main stories. They don’t advance any particular plot, but provide some more depth to the world and characters.

[reading time] 6½ mins.

Drowsiness threatened to overtake me. In a high-backed chair, I enjoyed a tome on magical ley lines, but the laziness of the afternoon blurred my focus. I couldn’t let myself fall asleep, though. Rayna would scold me if I took a nap in the middle of her store.

Ding-dong! The electronic chime announced a customer, the first one all day. I was in the back, though, behind rows of stocked bookshelves, so I couldn’t see them. Not that I needed to; Rayna was still the proprietor and preferred to handle shoppers herself.

I considered for a moment whether I should relocate upstairs to take a nap, but then her excited voice rang out from the front of the shop. “Sylvie! Sylvie, are you back there?”

The outburst piqued my curiosity. What could she possibly need me for? I set my book on the arm of the chair and stretched, coaxing my body into a standing position. “Coming,” I yawned.

Walking through the store was a treat, anyway. Old books on every imaginable topic crowded the shelves, and I enjoyed the bitter smell of their aging pages. I took my time getting to the front desk where Rayna spent most of her day. Now, though, she was standing near the front door with a man I didn’t recognize. He was about her height, with dark hair and eyes. His biceps reminded me of my friend Mal, built like sturdy tree trunks. He looked far younger than our usual clientele, and he wore a plain grey tee shirt and jeans.

I stopped a few steps away from them. “Who’s this?”

Rayna beamed. “Sylvie! This is my little brother, Robbie.”

He waved one hand, more of a slight tilt. “Yo.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Oh! Rayna’s mentioned you a few times. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Robbie laughed, a genuine sound of amusement. He definitely reminded me of Rayna. “Hope she only mentioned the good stuff. Can’t say I’ve heard of you before, though.”

He directed the latter remark more at Rayna, and she bowed her head in sheepish resignation. “Sorry, you know how messy my love life’s been. I wanted to wait a little while before I said anything. Not really sure what to say to Momma, either. I never got around to telling her I’m bi.”

His eyes widened. “You said you were gonna do that like five years ago!”

“I said I never got around to it!” She looked at me momentarily, and her tone turned apologetic. “I also don’t know how I’m going to tell her that I’m dating an elf. Maron’!”

“Fuhgeddaboutit. You know Momma’ll be fine with all that.”

He smirked and followed up with a quick whisper to Rayna in Italian. I mostly understood a more classical version of the language, so some of the nuance escaped me, but I got the gist of it. Indignation rose inside of me, filling my face with burning heat.

Rayna bit her lip. “Uh, Robbie… Sylvie speaks Italian.”

No waiting for a response. I pushed my way between both of them and hit the door so hard it rattled on its hinges, the cheerful ding-dong just infuriating me more. I stomped off down the sidewalk, suppressing an urge to light Rayna’s idiot brother on fire. He was lucky I wasn’t carrying my reagents, or I might not stop myself.

“Sylvie! Sylvie, wait!”

She ran and caught up to me quickly. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, but I couldn’t bear to look at her. Tears built up in my eyes as my fury turned to pain. Rayna slowed to a walk as she got close, and she reached out to put her hand around mine.

I shook my hand free of her grasp. “Don’t touch me,” I spat, choking on my own tears.

She slipped her hands in her pockets. “Sorry, I won’t. Look, I’m really sorry. My brother’s an asshole.”

The first tear rolled down my cheek. “Is it… is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“What he said. Am I just a new fetish of yours? Is that what this is?”

Horror spread across her face, and her arms moved to tell me she really wanted to hug me, but she kept her hands firmly in her pockets. “Oh, God, no! I know there’s no easy way for me to prove that, but I swear to you that our relationship is not like that at all.”

I wiped at my eyes with my sleeve. Passersby on the street stared at me, which made me feel even more foolish than I already did.

She continued. “If anything, Sylvie, I’m terrified. I’m terrified of your mother and what she thinks of me. I’m terrified of what my own mother will think of you. I’m terrified of growing old while you don’t. But despite all that, I still love you. You’re worth it all to me. This isn’t a fling or a fetish.”

There it was. I overreacted, but she had a way of putting things into perspective for me. My eyes rose to meet hers, tears still streaming down my face. “I’m sorry.”

The corner of her mouth turned up in a half-hearted smile. “Don’t be. We’re both a little messed up in our own ways. Do you want a hug now?”

I nodded. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me, and I buried my face in her neck. Quickly, I remembered why this felt like the safest place on earth to me. She was kind enough to let me stand there in the street with her, draining my heart of all its blubbering.

After I quieted, she placed a delicate kiss on my forehead. “Feeling better?”

I sniffled. “A little. Do you… do you really think about growing old with me?”

A nervous chuckle escaped her mouth. “Uh… sometimes. I promise it’s just a thought. I’m not getting ahead of myself.”

“No, no… that’s fine.” I gently disentangled from her embrace. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to spend some time alone in the park.”

She nodded. “I understand. I need to go back and give Robbie a good smack across the mouth, anyway.”

I laughed just a little, and Rayna shot back one of her usual toothy grins.

“And don’t you dare fall asleep out there again,” she chided. “It took me hours to find you last time!”

Night was well underway by the time I headed back to the shop. When I got there, voices carried down the stairs from above me. No doubt they were engrossed in their conversations, so I stayed downstairs and busied myself. I turned on the little lamp at the front desk and let it struggle against the darkened store.

I picked up a book I was working on yesterday and sat down at the front counter. By the soft glow of the lamp, I took needle and thread and wound them through the book’s spine, a comforting and repetitious movement of my hands. Repairing unloved books was a new hobby of mine since I moved in with Rayna. She told me it wasn’t necessary since most of them only sold for a pittance, but I wanted to treat every tome with love and respect. I didn’t mind giving them my time.

After but a minute, footsteps echoed down the stairs. Rayna walked up to where I sat, all smiles, as if nothing had happened earlier.

“Sylvie! You’re back. We were just about to head to the corner store. Can I get you anything?”

I glanced over at Robbie momentarily. He stood a few feet behind her, trying hard to avoid eye contact with me. I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

“Alright… well, see you in a bit.”

They headed for the front door, and I followed them with my eyes. The door shut behind them, triggering a soft chime in the still room, and I watched for a moment longer. I saw the outline of their bodies through the windows, silhouetted by the street lamps. Robbie smoked a cigarette while they talked. I was glad Rayna wasn’t prone to such habits. To my surprise, she eventually waved to him and continued on down the street, but her brother came back into the store.

My hackles raised as he approached. Why did she leave me here with him?

He stopped a few feet short of where I sat and scratched the back of his head, looking uncertain. “Uh, Sylvie? Mind if I say something?”

A petty part of me wanted to respond with “you already said enough,” but I stopped myself. I sighed, set down the book and my tools, and with some reluctance, I circled the desk to stand and face him. He seemed unnerved that I said nothing in response. Good.

He faltered for a second before continuing. “Look… I’m really sorry about what I said earlier. My mouth sometimes works faster than my brain. I hurt you, and I’m sorry.”

Well, it was a start. “Did Rayna put you up to this?”

Robbie laughed. “Nah, nah. Well, she did give me a what-for that I totally deserved, but I’m being sincere. She can’t stop talking about you. It’d be a shame if we didn’t get along. I also feel like a right dumbass. I know what it feels like to be othered, and I shoulda known better.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I guess Rayna wouldn’t have told you. I’m trans. Not that I’m saying it’s exactly like your situation, but I know what it feels like to have people say shitty stuff about you.”

My brow creased. “I don’t know that word.”

He chuckled, a little uneasily. “Oh, ha, yeah… um, I used to be Rayna’s sister, but now I’m her brother, if that makes sense?”

I considered that for a moment. “Oh! I think so… we have a word for that, zephorim.” I waved one hand in the air, searching my brain for the explanation. “Um… it translates to something like, ‘one whose soul struggles against the body.’”

Robbie grinned, pleased. “That’s poetic. I like it. Anyway… I’d love it if we could start over.”

“… Yeah, me too,” I relented after a moment to think. “I should apologize too. I think I overreacted a bit.”

“Nah, fuhgeddaboutit. You seem like a nice girl. Rayna’s really happy, yeah? I haven’t seen her like this in years.”

My cheeks warmed. It felt nice receiving a little third party validation, even if he might be biased. “Thanks. You seem nice, too. I never had any siblings. I’ll admit I’m a bit envious of Rayna.”

He beamed. “Ey, c’mere!”

Before I could protest, he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the floor like a grizzly bear. No one had ever hugged me so violently before. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, but it disconcerted me. Thankfully, he set me back down after only a second.

Robbie winked at me as I smoothed out my skirt in a fluster. “You’re practically family, yeah? I don’t mind being your bro, too.”

“Thanks… I think?”

The chime sounded again as Rayna walked back into the store carrying a six-pack. A wry smile crossed her lips. “Did I just see you two hugging? That’s what it looked like from outside.”

“More like I was hugged,” I complained.

Robbie guffawed and jabbed a thumb in my direction. “Don’t worry, we’re besties now.”

She set the beer down on the desk. “Well, that’s a relief.”—she pulled a small bottle out of her jacket pocket—“Even though you didn’t ask, I got you that green tea you like.”

I grinned sheepishly and accepted the gift. She knew me too well.

Her brother folded his arms across his chest. “Y’know, I was thinking maybe tomorrow we should all go over to Momma’s place for supper? I think she’d really like Sylvie.”

I looked to Rayna for guidance. “Oh, are you sure?”

“Why not?” She forced a smile, but her eyes said "hell, no."

Robbie grabbed us both in a hug. “Fantastico!”

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