"Hey, can I have a few silver?"

"Mira, what happened to the cash I gave you a few days ago?"

I raised the pizza box. Nevermind I hadn't paid for said pizza, but it was a convenient prop just the same. "Had to buy food."

"You know, if you came back home, you'd have plenty to eat. A warm bed..."

"And I'd have to deal with them."

"Surely that's the end of the world, isn't it?"

"Maxie....c'mon. Please?"

My older brother sighed, stuffing a hand into his jacket to withdraw his wallet. Flipping the billfold open, he fingered a few notes and pulled them free. "Just promise you'll at least consider it' Mum misses you."

"No she doesn't. She's too busy making gaga eyes at Arlo to even notice I'm gone."

"That's not true and you know it."

"Au contraire, mon fr're. You don't even live at home anymore, don't act like you can stand to be in the same room as the guy for more than a few minutes."

"Eddelmira."

"Maximillian."

"At least text her to let her know you're okay?"

"My phone got shut off."

Max sighed again and pulled a few more bills out of his wallet, offering them over to me. I took them and stuffed them into a wad in my pocket.

"Thanks....I guess I could text her."

"Thank you. Maybe she'll get off my ass then."

Snerk. "Ha, right."

"Are you doing okay otherwise?"

I shrugged. "I'm fine, I guess."

"Fine like actually fine or fine like fine?"

That got a laugh out of me. "The first one. It's cool, bruh, I'm legit."

"Okay, just look out for yourself, Mira. The city's a crazy one, I worry about you."

"I'll be good, Max."

"Cross your heart?"

"Hope to fly."

"Good, if you aren't, I'm sticking a needle in your eye."

"Savage."