Kori powered on her computer. She was able to get a little computer time with Komi ruining it since her sister was out on a pedicure. She searched up and typed in her brothers name. She roamed all the similar names until she found the one that was his Birthday. But it said the same thing. That he was dead. Kori breathed in as she crouched up. She knew she saw him. She could see her brother even after all these years not watching him grow up. She saw the way he inwardly pleaded to go meet her. She was absolutely positive.
She shut off the laptop in frustration.
She was in her fourth hour, Debate Class. She observed the way Rachel presented the information. She presented bits of information she didn't even pick up. She won.
Kori cornered her on her way to the library. "I need your help."
"What?"
"I need your help. I am offering to pay you 100$ for you helping me." She pulled out her purse and got out her wallet. Rachel watched in shocked horror as she pulled out a wad of twenty dollar Kori tried to hand her the money, Rachel pushed it back to her.
"That depends, with what?"
Kori looked around as if someone were over hearing. "I need you to try and help me find my brother. To see if he's still alive." she whispered.
Wasn't her brother dead? She had saw it on the news. She even remembered the very day she had came back to class and people casted pitiful looks at her. She also remembered what she had thought that day too. She didn't need pity, she needed her brother. Kori had gone completely from a social butterfly, to socially challenged. Her sister had used that year to gain her superiority.
"Kori, I don't know if I can help you with that. I can't see the dead, sorry." Rachel turned so she could continue down the hall.
"Rachel- wait!" Rachel stopped. Kori had said it as of she was commanding her yet willing to let her go. "Don't. You ever. Yell. At me." She growled.
"Sorry, but He isn't dead! I saw him at the mall."
"Impossible. You must be hallucinating."
"I am not. I had saw him while I was eating my mustard covered pretzels and he stared right back at me. And it wasn't of the normal stares. He was staring at me as if he desperately wanted to hug me. To catch up over the years. Please, Rachel. He might be still in Jump City or at the next state at the farthest."
"And what can I help you with?"
"I just need you to find him. On the internet. Maybe he changed his name."
Rachel stared at her for a long moment. She was deciding. She came to a decision.
"No." Kori's face fell.
"Not if your gonna offer me that big wad of cash. I'll do it for free."
Kori immediately brightened as she put the cash back in her wallet.
"Come on." Kori followed her to the library. She went straight for the librarian and politely asked if she could use a computer. After the librarian said yes, They got on a computer and pulled up . "I already tried searching him up. The device reported that he was still dead."
"Hey, genius, have you thought about him changing his name, as you stated earlier?"
"Oh, yes, I forgot about that. But what name could he possibly have?"
"Hmmm." Rachel tapped her chin for a moment. Then she remembered something. "I read in The Series Of Unfortunate Events, a thing or two about name changing. Perhaps he still used the letters in his name."
"Oh, I have gotten to book nine, Though it was such a elating series."
"Um, yeah, so, do you mind if we play book club later? I want to know the letters of his name."
"Oh." Kori blushed out of embarresment. "K-A-M- A-N-D-E-R-S."
Rachel tapped her chin once more. "Got it!" She typed in Mak Sander.
Kori looked at her. "I thought Mak was supposed to be spelled with a -C-."
"Pratically anythings a name. Anything you would name your child. Even poop could be a name." Only about 300 names showed up. She clicked one by one. All she had to do was show Kori the picture and she would either say yes or no. By the time they got to their 50th one she didn't answer.
"Kori?"
"Uh, Sorry, Yes, yes that's him." She confirmed.
He was born the same year as you?"
"No..." Good, because he looks like he's still 16. He now lives in... North Dakota." She frowned. How the heck did Kori's brother manage to get up there! In less than a day!
Kori looked over her shoulder for some reason. She saw her sister waltz in the library like she owned it with a bunch of birthday invitations in her hand.
Oh yeah, she was turning 18.
She quickly shut off the computer.
"Hey! I was still looking at the information-"
"And I am very grateful that you did. But I think that's enough for right now. Is there anything I could do..?" Rachel looked like she was confused. She quickly replaced that face with a blank expression.
"No. Glad to help, though."
As Rachel got up to go continue to read her book, Kori sighed. That was so close.
