Page 14 of Act of Brotherhood
Clara held out a box of sour gummies for Nicolette. Her green eyes widened as she used her free hand to push her black-framed glasses up on her nose. “Here. I know these are your favorite.”
“When I was like ten,” said Nicolette with a wink as she sat on the sofa next to her friend. She put the salsa and chips on the coffee table and looked at the massive amount of junk food present, before putting her drink on the end table closer to her. “We are never going to be able to eat all of this.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Clara as she snatched a chip and dipped it in the salsa. “I ordered pizza for us too.”
“Of course you did.” Nicolette shook her head. “If I hadn’t known you for like, ever, I’d warn you about all of this and how you’re going to have to spend countless hours in a gym to work it off. Tell me again how it is you eat like this and stay so thin?”
“Pretty sure I have a tapeworm,” answered Clara as she ate more chips and salsa. Salsa fell off the chip and onto her silk pajama bottoms.
Clara, by all outward appearances, was a put-together, high-class, reserved young woman who was going places with her career. Behind the scenes, the real Clara was funny, loud, and didn’t much care if she spilled salsa on expensive pajama bottoms.
“That, or just watchingyouwork out so much makes me burn calories through osmosis or something. We could have started this movie an hour ago if you wouldn’t have insisted we take a walk first. You’re like living with a personal trainer. I’m shocked you didn’t bring out some sort of weird thing that you want to force me to drink—again.”
“I’m not that bad.”
Clara loaded another chip with dip. “Tell me again about the cupcakes you ordered for your class? Gluten-free, dairy-free, taste-free…”
“You know I had to order from the specialty bakery so that all the kids can have one and feel included,” chastised Nicolette.
She taught preschool and loved everything about her job. Children were amazing and excited to soak up knowledge, especially the young ages she worked with. Everything was new to them, and Nicolette made sure to make learning fun. They’d done so well recently that she’d planned a class celebration. They’d spent the week making decorations for it, and all the children pitched in, working hard to make the upcoming day extraordinary.
Clara had been with Nicolette when she’d stopped in the bakery to place a special order for cupcakes. Since they had to be something all the children could eat, regardless of their allergies, they were very unique. Or as Clara would call them “not actually cupcakes anymore.” Nonetheless, the children would enjoy them. Though, the specialty bakery even seemed put off by all the things the cupcakes couldn’t contain.
“The kids are so excited. They keep talking about it,” Nicolette said. “We’re going to discuss celebrations around the world tomorrow in preparation for our party.”
“I’m pretty sure most three and four-year olds just enjoy eating glue. Not learning about celebrations around the world,” said Clara.
“I’ve only had one child who likes to eat glue,” returned Nicolette. “I need to make a note about picking up the cupcakes. You’ll be gone on your trip for work, so you won’t be here to remind me, and we both know I’m terrible with to-do lists.”
Clara curled her lip. “You’re really going to make kids eat those things?”
“Stop it. They’ll love them and you know it. You saw them getting ready. Tell me they weren’t thrilled about the celebration, I dare you,” pressed Nicolette.
“I cannot believe you had me meet you at the school for our lunch date. You know how much I don’t like children. That place is crawling with them.” Clara wiped the salsa from her pajama bottoms and then had the nerve to lick the salsa from her finger. “That place is one giant flu bug waiting to get all over you the minute you step through the doors.”
“It’s crawling with kids because it’s a school,” stressed Nicolette, doing her best to avoid laughing. “A place where children gather to learn.”
“No clue why you picked that as a profession. They pay you crap and you’ve come home with snot wiped on your pant leg before from some kid,” said Clara before going for a box of chocolate-covered raisins. “And I know you dip into your savings to buy things for the class—like the cupcakes. I get you’re technically a trust-fund baby, but still.”
She wasn’t wrong. The pay was horrible, but the job fulfilled her in other ways. Ways that Clara simply couldn’t understand. “Tell me again how banking pays you as much as it does?”
Clara stopped speaking and glanced up at the ceiling. “Hmm. No idea.”
She’d always been vague about her actual job. The few times Nicolette had tried to go to Clara’s place of employment, Clara had given a lame excuse to keep her away. It was no secret that her job paid considerably better than Nicolette’s, and she wondered if her friend had guilt over that. She shouldn’t. Clara loved her job, just like Nicolette loved hers. Each was doing what they needed to be doing.
“Change of topic,” said Nicolette.
“Okay, back to you being insane about working out and drinking gray stuff.” Clara lifted the box of candies and poured some into her mouth. The act made Nicolette’s stomach churn.
Nicolette enjoyed running daily. It helped clear her mind and work out any stress she might be feeling. She also liked the routine of it. Liked seeing the same people in Forsyth Park, which was merely three blocks from their home. There were two women who ran at the same time each morning. She’d never said more than hi to either of them but they all nodded as they passed each other daily. Then there was the older man who walked his tiny dog. He always had a smile and a wave at the ready for her. There were countless others, and Nicolette looked forward to seeing each of them.
She’d always liked people. Plus, she felt a ton better after a run. She was curvy, especially in comparison to Clara, who always seemed to have the perfect body without having to do any work or watch what she ate. Nicolette wasn’t overweight, but she wasn’t rail thin either. She was what she was, and did her best to maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle. That was where running came in.
Though, she did have to run early in the morning or risk burning. Her fair skin was not a fan of sunlight. It didn’t take long for her to burn even with sunscreen (something she never went without), so she did her best to avoid direct sun during peak hours.
Clara was the opposite. She could be outside in noonday sun and never so much as pink up. She was also capable of eating all the junk before her without getting sick. Impressive for sure.
Nicolette took a sip of her gray drink and Clara made a gagging noise. “I’m going to be sick watching you drink that. It tastes like grass but looks like something you’d pull out of a murky bog or a backed-up sink. Tell me the truth, it’s really something you got out of a sewer or something, isn’t it?”
