REGULUS
I stood across the street from the café, peering in trying to see if James or Sirius were there. Unfortunately for me, the tea James had made was pretty good and the other café I used to go to was a couple blocks the wrong way to work.
I couldn’t see anyone I was scared of seeing so I crossed the street and pushed into the café. I ordered my tea as usual and stood by the counter, glancing over my shoulder every now and then to make sure I wasn’t going to run into anyone.
As I waited for my tea, I scrolled aimlessly on my phone, trying to distract myself from the possibility of another unwanted reunion. I was starting to regret going back to that café, there was probably one just as good near the school I worked at but I just hadn’t looked hard enough.
I sighed and looked up from my phone, the light from the device giving me a headache, just in time for the barista to call out my name. I took my tea gratefully, excited to finally be able to get out of the café. I walked to the door and, just my luck, as I opened it someone I knew all too well stepped through. “Regulus,” James said, barely above a whisper. “I didn’t think you would come back?”
I couldn’t deal with this again. I was berating myself in my head for going back to the café from hell. I pushed past James, purposefully knocking my shoulder against his and praying that he wouldn’t follow me down the block. But, of course, he did.
“Regulus! Wait!” His voice rang out from behind me, desperately calling me back to him. As I kept walking, his footsteps started getting louder, he was running to catch up to me. “Regulus,” he exhaled heavily. I thought he was a strong guy but I guess not if running down half a block tired him out like this. “Please stop.”
I sighed heavily and turned to face him. “What do you want, James?”
“I just want to talk,” he said, still out of breath from the chase. “I just want to ask… would you talk to Sirius?”
“What makes you think I want to talk to him?” I spat out. James bit his lip and jutted his chin out, making his classic I’m frustrated look. It was kind of cute, in an annoyed seven-year-old boy way, but I would never admit that.
“Here, I’ll just give you his number,” he took out a slip of paper from his pocket with a phone number written on it as if he had been waiting for this moment since we ran into each other a couple of days ago. “Just call him okay? Or text him. Let him know you’re okay.”
“And why should I, James? Please tell me why you think I owe him anything.”
“You don’t!” James’ mouth opened and closed trying to find something to say. “I’m not trying to say you owe him anything. It’s just that he’s really worried about you, you know?”
“If he’s so worried about me, he should’ve gone back to France to get me.” I pushed past James and quickly walked to the 4/5 train station. Just as I was about to go down the stairs to the train, I glanced over my shoulder at James still standing in that spot staring at me, his eyes wide with a mix of hurt and hope that maybe this collapsed bridge between the three of us can be built back up again.
I got to work early, as I always did, and started to tidy up my room. I was an elementary school art teacher, a job I would’ve never thought I would have. Growing up, I always assumed I would just follow my father and do whatever he did to get so much money, which he never told me or Sirius.
When I finished cleaning and setting up the room for my first group of students, I sat down at my desk and took out my phone and the slip of paper. I opened my texts and started a new text.
Hello Sirius. This is your brother, Regulus. James would like me to tell you that I am okay.
I quickly deleted the whole text and slammed my phone down, burying my head in my hands. I heard my door open and I quickly picked my head up in case it was students, but it was just Barty. “Oh, Barty, hello.” I sighed.
“Hello Regulus,” he grinned and walked over to my desk, sitting down in one of the kid chairs near it. “You alright? You seem quite troubled.” I rolled my eyes and picked up my phone, staring at the empty text thread.
“It’s nothing,” I replied dryly.
“Whatever you say,” he sighed. “Anyway, do you have Evan’s class first? His kids are a bunch of rascals. He can never keep them under control, you know?” Barty started rambling off about Evan’s class compared to his for a while but I couldn’t drag my thoughts away from texting Sirius. “Okay well, anyway, school starts in a couple minutes, see you later?” He said, finally ending his story.
“Yeah, see you,” I said to his back as he left my room annoyingly leaving the door open. I looked at my phone again and hovered my thumbs over the keyboard.
Sirius, this is Regulus. I ran into James and he wants me to tell you I’m okay.
I deleted the message again and restarted.
Hello! This is Regulus, your brother.
I deleted the message. I would never talk like that.
Sirius. It’s Regulus. I’m okay.
I was about to delete the message but kids from Evan’s class started filing into my room. I smiled and waved at them, glancing down at my phone and quickly hitting send before quickly throwing my phone into my desk drawer.