Adrian

Date: Saturday, March 25th, 2025

Time: 3:00 p.m.

Place: Sunshine Motel, Luna Suburbs

There were rats in the room. Adrian James could hear them skittering around on the dirty motel floor.

The window, slightly open, gave way to the rancid stench of the city. Car exhaust and metallic fumes wafted around his bedroom, mingling with the tobacco musk that had etched itself into the run-down walls and broken furniture.

His lungs spasmed in rebellion, a cough escaping his chapped lips. He struggled to sit upright but could not muster the energy, so he used his hand to feel against the counter by the bed, searching for the desired potion.

Rummaging recklessly, he tipped the crystal lamp off the counter, sending the heirloom crashing to the ground.

That did not deter him from his search, however. Instead, he craned his stiff neck to see properly. Sure enough, he immediately spotted the little badger lying at the edge of his bedside desk. Flexing his body toward its direction, he brought his precious possession to his chest.

He began to unwrap the covering lazily, but a loud crashing sound from the outside gave him pause. He peeked toward the window, the harsh sunlight pricking at his eyes... Such vehemence the world knows, such ever-churning energy, it rolls and rolls until it crushes your bones.

He too was once full of life, he was loud and burning with passion. He shook his head, cringing at the silly sentiment, then brought back his attention to the parcel in his hands. Amidst the piece of cloth lay a syringe and a liquid container.

The hooligans in the alley last night had roughened him up pretty good, so much so, that he doubted the usual dose would numb away the pain. A concerned face flashed in his mind momentarily, a lousy promise he had made echoed in his ears: “Don’t worry, I won’t go overboard,” he had said. “I won't be doing this forever,” he swore. Another memory flashed in his mind: “I'm not an idiot to get addicted, it’s just recreational.” He had been too cocky all his life.

The memories and promises were buried as quickly as they had been dredged up, and soon the burning urge in his skin overpowered any other thought. His mind was muddled, but his hands moved with practiced precision. He sterilized the needle with a slight tremor, another cough rattling through his chest.

Unfazed, he continued his ritual: cleaning the needle, then tying off his arm, and securing the tourniquet tightly with his teeth. He tapped at the flesh, out of habit more than anything, and after a few seconds, he found a vein. The needle pricked into his forearm stinging as it punctured the skin. With the ritual completed, he sank back onto the pillow.

His breathing hitched, each cough scraping at his lungs. His face flushed, his skin paling, then turning a sickly shade as the drug began to take hold. The world tilted and blurred around him, and the last thought he had before surrendering to the haze of death was, “Lived in vain, and died in vain, what a fitting end.”

...----------------...

A.J. was fuming, his face flushed, chest heaving up and down. Through the tears burning in his eyes, he could see the maids scuttering around to clean the mess he had made. Levi’s face was scrunched, his hands resting on his hips. With an air of annoyance, he chastised, “Seriously, A.J., you’re this old and still acting like a baby. You know you could’ve seriously hurt someone.”

Behind Levi, the TV screen was cracked, and on the ground in front of the ruckus lay an electronic game smashed to pieces. A.J. brought his hands to his eyes, rubbing them violently, then swallowed hard. His breath was still erratic but for all the wrong reasons. He felt like he might faint.

He almost did. The light-headedness crashed over him like a wave, and he held onto the couch for stability. His brother’s face looked boyishly young. Behind him, in the corner, another boy leaned against the wall, his lips pursed. Tears fell freely this time. This can’t be happening, A.J. thought to himself.

The head maid rushed over with a cup of tea, pulling him to the sofa. She patted his arm repeatedly, her voice wearied by stress. “It’s alright, child, it’s alright, drink now.” His lashes fluttered, but suddenly, his elder brother grabbed his face, looking down at him with furrowed brows.

“Are you crying?” Levi asked through gritted teeth. “You act like such a tyrant all the time, yet you dare to cry?” He scrunched A.J.’s face obnoxiously, but A.J. didn’t swat him away. Instead, his tears turned into a monsoon of choked sobs. Levi froze, releasing his brother’s face, his voice softening. “Dude, it’s not a big deal. You can borrow mine if you want.”

Levi wasn’t sure how to placate his younger brother; he never had to before. A.J. got everything he wanted by being a brat who made everyone miserable until they eventually gave in. But this wasn’t like his usual tantrums. The kid seemed genuinely distraught. “You know how busy Dad is,” Levi tried. “But brother will take you to the mall.” He tapped his chest reassuringly. “Whatever you want, I’ll get it for you.”

That made A.J. sob harder. Eventually, they coaxed him to his room to take a nap, promising they would take him out at night and make it up to him.

...----------------...

His bedroom was just as he remembered it: a messy exhibition of toys and posters. A Batman comic cutout hung on his mahogany closet, and video games and CDs lay discarded on his desk.

An iPhone 6 with a shattered screen was left lying precariously close to the edge of his bed. He tried unlocking it, but could not recall the password pin. In the end, he was left staring at the lock screen in a daze, "Saturday, March 25th, 2015".

He walked toward the vanity and saw his face reflected at him in the mirror: by some strange twist of fate, he had returned to his fourteenth birthday. The baby fat still lingered on his face, and his round eyes had not yet lost their luster. He moved toward his en-suite bathroom and turned on the cold shower. The water splashed down on him but did little to settle his restless heart.

If today was his fourteenth birthday, then earlier this morning, Ren Vera had been handed off to his family under the guise of “looking after a sick dear friend’s child.” That, Adrian knew, was utter bullshit. The boy had been taken as a hostage. Ren’s family owed a debt to the James family, and his father’s thugs had traded the child’s life until the payment was finalized.

Adrian and Levi had been none the wiser growing up, but Ren always knew. After all, Ren was partially responsible for his family’s downfall in his past life.

Adrian stole a second glance in the mirror. The furrow in his brows was the only thing that betrayed the change in his demeanor. Well, that, and the tension in his shoulders. But his absent parents were rarely around to notice any remarkable changes about him.

He had been given a second chance at life, and though, in his past life, nobody had believed he would amount to anything, in this one, he could have the upper hand. No, he would.

He rummaged through his closet and finally settled on a black top and jeans. When he walked into the gaming area, his brother was showing Ren a “spectacular move” in a video game. Ren’s eyes showed lackluster interest as he craned his neck to scrutinize A.J. as he entered.

They had kept their distance in his past life, mostly because of the two-year age difference. In the end, Ren and Levi become thick as thieves, while Adrian ends up left behind in their shadow.

He cleared his throat, unsure how to interact with his brother, but he pushed through the discomfort. “Are we still going to the mall?” he asked, his voice sounding timid. His cheeks flushed with color, and he cursed inwardly. He had been a hedonistic, detached young master in his past life, but it seemed his current self still knew shame.

Levi paused the game and looked up at his brother, who was loitering awkwardly by the door. He had sworn long ago that nothing that came out of A.J. would shock him, but for the second time today, his brother had managed to do just that. “Yeah,” he retorted, “yeah, sure. I’ll go get changed quickly,” he said, hurrying out of the room. Who would have imagined the little tyrant would actually take him up on his offer?

With Levi gone, Adrian walked toward Ren, who went stiff as he approached. Not surprising... Ren would continue to be cautious around him; he’d have to gently change that. Plopping down on the poof ottoman and resuming the game, he casually glanced at his senior. “How are you adjusting so far?” He didn’t mean for his tone to sound like a concerned uncle, especially with his current high-pitched teenage voice, but oh well.

Ren looked taken aback for a second but immediately composed himself. “I’m doing alright, thank you,” he answered. “I’m very grateful that Uncle agreed to take care of me during this time.”

A well-rehearsed PR answer, Adrian thought to himself. He couldn’t help but scoff. Ren pursed his lips at that.

Shortly after, Levi appeared through the door, provocatively holding a golden card in the light. He expected his brother to pout or show some reaction but received none. Resigned, he ushered them to the car, taking a seat next to the private driver while A.J. and Ren sat in the back.

As chatty as ever, Levi’s voice echoed over the pop tune, juggling a dozen topics in the span of minutes, craning his neck to engage Ren, then occasionally dragging the driver into the conversation. Noticing that the little tyrant had not said a word the whole ride, he squinted, expecting to see him sulking in the back seat. Shockingly, A.J. sported a contented smile. Levi did not catch the jab the driver had hurled his way; instead, he asked, confused, “Why are you smiling?” The question sounded strange to his ears, but A.J. smiling was stranger.

“Just enjoying myself,” Adrian answered simply. Levi felt goosebumps spread across his back.

The car parked in the underground mall garage, and Adrian, who was, contrary to popular opinion, not thinking about fratricide or any sort of evil -at least not the kind his brother was worried about- skipped out of the car with a lightness in his step. This was his chance to make things right. Another smile crept up on him, and he cupped his mouth with his hand, but he couldn’t hide the slant in his eyes.

Witnessing this, his brother was thoroughly creeped out. He leaned toward Ren and whispered a warning, “Not to scare you or anything, but make sure to lock your bedroom door tonight.”

Inside the elevator, Levi tentatively asked his young demon brother, “So, little demon,” Catching himself, he zipped his lips momentarily. “I mean, prince, little prince, what do you feel like buying?” He gave a lopsided smile, awaiting the impending doom of the typical shopping nightmare.

“Maybe we can watch a movie?” Adrian offered instead. Levi was jolted by a sudden thought. Perhaps the little demon’s new tactic of getting rid of him was by shocking him to death.

...****************...

Author's note: Nobody died at the movies.

♫ Your Blood - Aurora

Seen below are adult Ren (in the suit) and A.J. (with the man bun). AI-generated art on Gemini.

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