(no subject)
Who: Alejandro Diaz (MOWGLI), Javier Diaz (Non-Tale, Al's Brother)
When: March 27, 2008
Where: Al's apartment and Corpus Christi, Texas, respectively.
What: Phone call. Javier is getting married; he wants Al to be the best man, but there are conditions.
Rating: G.
Al's phone was ringing. It had made its way through two cycles of its annoying, pre-installed ringtone by the time he'd fished it from his pocket, and once he spotted the number, he let it chirp the shrill tune a third time before picking up. It gave him a moment to take a breath and prepare himself.
"Hello?"
"Alejandro. Got time to talk?"
"For you, Jay? Anytime."
There was silence on the other end of the line. Al knew that his little brother was frowning; he’d seen the look on Javier’s face at too many family dinners. Disapproval. Or, perhaps, disbelief. It was hard to tell with Javier; he didn’t speak his mind the way Al did. Introverted, the aunts called him. He just frowned, leaving Al to guess at what he’d done wrong.
"I’m getting married."
"Really? You and Katy? That’s great."
"And I want you to be in the wedding party."
"Jay, I --"
"But I need you to be here for me, Alejandro. I need you to answer the phone when I call, and I need you to help me plan, and I need - I just need to know that I can rely on you."
Al squinted at nothing in particular and raked a hand through his hair. "Of course you can rely on me, Javier. Why do you even have to ask? I’m your brother, of course--"
"Come on, Al. High school graduation?"
"Jay. You can’t hold that against me, I didn’t have the money for the plane ticket."
"College."
"Jay..."
"Christmas."
"I came home for Christmas this year, I don’t know what you’re talking --"
"2005. When Tía Rosa made the big deal about getting all of the family together."
"I didn’t have the money, Javier. Yo no tenía el dinero. How many ways do I have to --"
"But you have the money now?"
"I have the money now."
"If I make you my best man, I want to know that you’ll be here. None of this 'I'll be there' if you just intend to back out. No excuses, no --"
"I’ll be there, Javier. I promise."
There was a sigh on the other end of the line.
"Mama wants me to do it. 'He’s your brother.' So I’ll do it. Just... answer your phone, okay? It won’t kill you."
"Jay. I answer it."
"Alright." Another sigh. "I’ll call you when we know more about the date."
"Okay. And Jay? I meant it. Congratulations."
"...thanks. Bye, Al."
"Talk to you soon, Jay."
When: March 27, 2008
Where: Al's apartment and Corpus Christi, Texas, respectively.
What: Phone call. Javier is getting married; he wants Al to be the best man, but there are conditions.
Rating: G.
Al's phone was ringing. It had made its way through two cycles of its annoying, pre-installed ringtone by the time he'd fished it from his pocket, and once he spotted the number, he let it chirp the shrill tune a third time before picking up. It gave him a moment to take a breath and prepare himself.
"Hello?"
"Alejandro. Got time to talk?"
"For you, Jay? Anytime."
There was silence on the other end of the line. Al knew that his little brother was frowning; he’d seen the look on Javier’s face at too many family dinners. Disapproval. Or, perhaps, disbelief. It was hard to tell with Javier; he didn’t speak his mind the way Al did. Introverted, the aunts called him. He just frowned, leaving Al to guess at what he’d done wrong.
"I’m getting married."
"Really? You and Katy? That’s great."
"And I want you to be in the wedding party."
"Jay, I --"
"But I need you to be here for me, Alejandro. I need you to answer the phone when I call, and I need you to help me plan, and I need - I just need to know that I can rely on you."
Al squinted at nothing in particular and raked a hand through his hair. "Of course you can rely on me, Javier. Why do you even have to ask? I’m your brother, of course--"
"Come on, Al. High school graduation?"
"Jay. You can’t hold that against me, I didn’t have the money for the plane ticket."
"College."
"Jay..."
"Christmas."
"I came home for Christmas this year, I don’t know what you’re talking --"
"2005. When Tía Rosa made the big deal about getting all of the family together."
"I didn’t have the money, Javier. Yo no tenía el dinero. How many ways do I have to --"
"But you have the money now?"
"I have the money now."
"If I make you my best man, I want to know that you’ll be here. None of this 'I'll be there' if you just intend to back out. No excuses, no --"
"I’ll be there, Javier. I promise."
There was a sigh on the other end of the line.
"Mama wants me to do it. 'He’s your brother.' So I’ll do it. Just... answer your phone, okay? It won’t kill you."
"Jay. I answer it."
"Alright." Another sigh. "I’ll call you when we know more about the date."
"Okay. And Jay? I meant it. Congratulations."
"...thanks. Bye, Al."
"Talk to you soon, Jay."