3.8. The Ballad of Two Brothers(Kleio)
It was getting obvious to everyone what Orpheus felt about his not-so-imaginary friend, and she didn’t seem to mind much. She was a social butterfly, always happy for the attention she got. She wasn’t unpleasant or demanding attention, but she sure didn’t mind the attention either.
It wouldn’t have bothered me so much with their obvious feelings, if it wasn’t like it bothered Orestes so much.
He and Orpheus were never very close – a fact that reminded me a lot of my own relationship with my twin – but now they hardly spoke and when they did, I sensed an edge to their words. It didn’t take a genius to put two and two together and figure out what the problem was.
And not just the two boys were on edge. Orestes and Galatea were having their issues as well, as I found out.
“… and you’re being horrible!” Galatea was so angry, I could see her visibly shaking, while Orestes kept his head down and was playing the piano as usual.
“I fail to see how I’m horrible.”
“You’re just mad because I’m going with Orpheus to the prom.”
“Please, I hardly care about-“
“Any problems here?” I asked, and Galatea froze. She gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“No, of course not. I’d better do my homework.”
She walked out of there so fast, I didn’t get a chance to talk to her. I spun to try and talk to Orestes but he was off, too, mumbling something about also having homework to do.
(Orestes)
I woke in the middle of the night to a strange glow that came from under my bed. Under there was a bottle, much like the one Minerva had given me, and even before I read the label, I knew that it was another elixir from her.
Galatea and Orpheus were both sleeping soundly in the other end of the room, and I soundlessly slipped out of bed to look at the bottle. The label said: “A little icebreaker. Throw at desired target. Don’t forget to sweep up the glass, there’s a good boy.”
I smiled to myself.
I wouldn’t have thrown the elixir at Galatea if I hadn’t recognised it – I wasn’t that foolhardy, even in my arrogant teens – but it was one I knew my mum had made at one point. She’d called it an “icebreaker” herself.
So I did exactly as Minerva’s label suggested. I threw it at her. At first she looked shocked, but when nothing happened, other than, I assumed, a feeling of serenity and pleasantness, she smiled at me.
“Orie, that wasn’t necessary,” she said. “It’s one of those friendship elixirs, right?”
I nodded shyly, but I couldn’t help but note that her smile was friendlier. At least more so than it had been for a while.
“We already were friends, you know.”
She kissed my cheek and danced off, leaving me to blush deeply.
Even if Galatea didn’t feel like the elixir was necessary, I felt the difference. These days, I’m not sure if that was actually because of the elixir, or if it was because she was touched that I would care enough to “cheat” like that. Back then I was convinced of the former, and whatever the reason, Galatea and I became closer friends.
Orpheus noticed, too. “You’re awfully chummy, you two,” he said, as we all sat doing our homework.
None of us commented on that. I was happy enough to be a friend of Galatea that I didn’t care to argue with my brother.
I even felt okay when we all went off to prom and I was on my own. I had a splendid evening, met some more people than I had most of my life and at the end of the evening I headed home, feeling like I was walking on clouds. I hardly noticed Minerva, sitting in our living room, when I entered, but then she spoke: “Here comes the prom king.”
“Minerva, hey. I’m not… really prom king.”
“Nah, I know.” She sighed deeply and she seemed depressed. “You got a moment?”
“How did you get in here?”
“Oh, does it really matter? Look I really need to talk to you, kid.”
She stood up and I noticed that she looked terrible, worn out, and she was visibly dragging a foot. Only a very brief glint of pain showed in her eyes, and then she was all Minerva again.
“Where have you been?” I asked. She
had been absent for long, now that I thought of it. She had appeared more when I was a kid but after our birthdays, she’d been strangely absent.
“I’ve been out of the country, in Egypt actually. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is I need a favour from you.”
“What kind of favour?”
“Your dad, I’m going to bring over another elixir and I want you to throw it at him, understood?”
“What kind of elixir?”
“Questions, questions, questions!” It burst out of her and I backed away involuntarily. “Right, right, sorry. Look, I can’t tell you right now. Just meet me down at the lake next Monday and I’ll give it to you.”
“I’ll… think about it.”
She sighed. “Your loyalty is stunning. Really, I’m deeply touched. Say, how are things with the little lady? That doll lady?”
For some reason it was another lady that sprung to mind. Ester Luck. She was a friend of Galatea’s and very… forward. She was nice. I wasn’t sure if I was actually in love with her, but she was nice. Minerva looked at me.
“So?”
“Galatea is my brother’s girlfriend.”
“Ah, I see, you’re letting petty things get in the way.”
“It’s not like that. I met another girl. She’s really nice. I mean, I guess…”
Minerva snorted. “Oh, bless. That’s cute. I guess I should have known you wouldn’t have the guts to go for what you really want.”
For the first time since I met her, there was something disturbing about her; she rolled her eyes at me and I couldn’t help but ask: “What’s up with you today?”
“Please, just meet me on Monday.”
She left me to ponder her somewhat harsh words. There was Esther. She was nice.
And then, did it matter that I couldn’t honestly say to myself that I liked her better than Galatea?
