Butterfly Kisses
Chapter I
You can see it if you close your eyes long enough. Monarch patterns of red and black spread out across a white canvas. Twin tendrils stretching upwards as it stares a thousand miles past you into eternity. Its shape loosens, falling apart into languid streaks. Open your eyes, and it's gone.
"Thanks for holding the door."
At least, that's what he wanted to say as he caught the door about to hit him in the face. Arthur headed into the Sugar Bowl, one confident step ahead of him. They say that some things never change, but little things do over time. Buster paused. Did Arthur ever hold the door for him when they were younger? Maybe it's just how you remember things that changes. Or maybe, it's how you want to remember things that changes.
It was a pleasant day out. At least that was something that never changed in Elwood. Fall had come early, and the deep reds and soothing yellows blended seamlessly as they overcame the stark reality of the buildings and pavement, mellowing any feelings of uncertainty that may have lingered. Children played in the streets. Adults casually strolled down the walkway, pulled forward by their pets and by their busy, grown-up schedules. Buster watched the many faces as they passed by, half-listening to what Arthur was saying from across the table. Some were familiar, while others were merely vague remnants of a bygone childhood. Faces whose familiarity had faded with time, nearly indistinguishable from the crowd, fleeting reminders of life's instability.
"Should I ask her out?"
That was enough to catch Buster's attention and snap him back into the moment.
"Ah, yeah."
Buster hadn't been paying much attention to the details, but he didn't need to. It was the same thing as it was pretty much every weekend since Arthur had started college and gotten a taste of independence. Something or another about yet another exam, his new job at the library, or yet another girl he was chasing. Same story, different actors. The difference? Buster's name was always just a little further down in the credits.
"Buster, were you even listening?"
Arthur knew him well enough after all these years. He could be a little hard to reach at times. His mind had a habit of wandering. One might even say that he had a habit of letting it wander, especially when he didn't particularly like what he was hearing. It was a convenient arrangement.
Buster tried his best to listen attentively, or at least give the appearance that he was. Arthur carried the conversation into uncomfortably familiar territory. More complaints about his breakup with Rae. How she didn't seem to appreciate the little things he did for her. Sharing his jacket with her when it was cold. Texting her good morning hearts. Holding the door for her. How she just didn't give a lick near the end when things were falling apart, even when he made a point of eyeing other girls.
"Two strawberry milkshakes, comin' at ya!"
Tami made herself quite obvious, setting down their order with a wink and a smile. Arthur's eye caught her cleavage as she leaned forward and poked a straw into the his sugary pile of creamy-sweet goodness. Still eight years ahead of him, still hotter than ever. It'd take more than a kid out of wedlock to stop her.
Buster looked down at his milkshake, stirring it as it sloshed and melted in the afternoon sun. Arthur looked at Buster, expecting him to share in the moment. He forced a smile of approval as they resumed conversation. Arthur gleamed proudly about his new job at the library, steering dangerously close to the issue of Buster's own lack of direction. Thinking to ask if he had any job leads. Thinking to ask if he'd followed through with Bitzi's plan to enroll him in community college. Thinking to ask If he'd managed to make even a single new friend since they graduated from high school. But he didn't. He didn't need to. Each and every time, he knew it was just wishful thinking.
Buster exhaled, a silent response to a silent question. He stared down aimlessly, into the dull expanse of fading orange paint that coated the aging counter top. Arthur took in his slightly stale breath without being too taken aback. Like his recycled clothes and natural cologne, it was something he'd grown almost warmly accustomed to over time. After all, it was just one of those things that made Buster so unique. Only now, it was all starting to seem like just another telltale sign of Buster's languishing state.
His eyes sank down and joined Buster's for a swim in the orange abyss as the two shared a moment of silence. He remembered all of the fun times they had growing up together, when Buster still had the future ahead of him. When he still had the glow of life in his eyes. When he was every man's funnyman. Now, there he was. Little more than a throwaway plush bunny.
The center of Arthur's brow raised slightly as he felt a sinking feeling in his chest. He cleared his throat, and quietly excused himself to get a drink of water. Soon he'd be refreshed, and so would their conversation. He bent slightly to take in the cool stream as it sprung from the fountain, rising up just quickly enough for Buster to look back down at the tabletop. Arthur's eyes shifted in Tami's direction as she tended the glassware with her back turned, feeling over the tight fabric of her pink skirt as it stretched across both buttocks and creased slightly in the center. Passing her, he caught wind of a sharp odor. She saw him out of the corner of her eye as their glances met, looking back towards the rack almost immediately as if to pretend he hadn't noticed. Unpleasantly surprised, Arthur headed back to the table where he sat down comfortably.
Binky was outside watching butterflies.