Bewitched

“She has bewitched you,” I whispered to my brother.  He nearly jumped out of his clothes.  “What’s her name?” 

“None of your business,” Marty said getting into his jeep and slamming the door.  “Get in before I decide to leave you.” 

I ran to the passenger side and jumped in as he started to pull away. 

“I really was just giving you a hard time.  I don’t even know who you were looking at,” I said buckling my seatbelt.  Marty was my hero in all sense of the word and I really just wanted to know who he knew.  He is planning to to leave for college in exactly 86 days and I want to spend every second I can with him.  He didn’t respond and instead kept his eyes on the road. 

“Tell mom and dad I’ll be back in time for dinner,” he said pulling into the driveway. 

“But where -” I stopped when he turned and stared at me.  The fact he hadn’t spoken on the entire way home was unusual.  He usually asked about my day and told me about his chemistry class.  Science had somehow turned out to be my favorite but also worst subject in school. 

“I’ll be home for dinner,” Marty repeated. 

Turns out, Marty didn’t make it home for dinner.  And when I woke up te next morning, I knew he still wasn’t home.  And that he wasn’t coming home again.  And I knew that it was all my fault.