Ted's parents still didn't know that he had dropped out of college. They had really high expectations for him: getting a job, paying his own rent...it was just too hard and three more years of school wasn't what he wanted. So Ted decided to lay low for a while and live off of the left over tuition money they'd given him the previous semester while he worked in as a valet part-time. Although money was tight, Ted generally found ways to get around paying for certain things. For instance, tonight he agreed to have dinner with his older brother, Dennis, who appeared to be avoiding him the last few weeks. Dennis was five years his senior and gainfully employed, so Ted counted on getting a free dinner out of the visit as usual.
Around seven-thirty, Dennis arrived at Ted's apartment and drove them both to Chico's, a Mexican restaurant on the sketchy side of town. Dennis looked unimpressed, but Ted insisted on stopping there because they offered a good beer menu. Bells at the front door jingled as they entered. Ted yapped away about experimenting with marijuana while Dennis stayed unusually quiet. They seated themselves before a tall, pony-tailed waiter came by and took both of their orders.
"What's up with you?" Ted asked, smiling as he took advantage of the complementary chips and salsa.
"I wanted to see you for a reason."
"Spill it."
"When were you gonna tell me about Brooke?" the older boy asked, referring to his fiancé.
"Brooke? What about her?"
"You already know what. She told me that you slept together."
Ted stopped eating for a moment.
"I know this doesn't make it any better...but I was drunk when it happened and it was before you guys were serious about each other. I was different back then, you remember," Ted shrugged in the cute way that always made his parents get off of his case. Wavy brown hair and deep blue eyes, he had a naturally angelic look to him that everybody fell for. He was used to being let off the hook for every lousy thing he ever didn't and expected Dennis to let this go too.
"Back then? It was only last semester."
"Oh. Well, I've changed. I'm way more grown up now. Promise."
"I can't believe you sometimes," Dennis said, staring down as their waiter placed a full plate in front of him. But he couldn't eat. He was too upset. "I'll be right back," he said, heading toward the men's room.
Ted waited until his brother was out of sight before ordering a couple of the pricier beers at Dennis's expense. By the time their waiter swung around with his drinks, Dennis still wasn't back yet. It'd been almost ten minutes. Another five passed by and the waiter, a broad shouldered Mexican guy circled the table, giving him a strange look. Ted threw the same look back at him. Ten more minutes passed without Dennis's return and Ted began to worry. Had his brother slipped and hit his head on the sink or something? Stranger things had happened. He got up to go check on him.
"Hey," said the waiter. "You forgot to pay your bill."
"No, I'm not leaving, I just want to see if my brother is okay. He went to the bathroom and—"
"I'll check for you. You stay here." Ted rolled his eyes and sat back in the booth. He started to notice that the restaurant was practically empty aside from one or two stragglers who were headed toward the cashier. His waiter came back looking perturbed. "No one was in the bathroom. Pay your bill."
"What? No. My brother Dennis just went in there. Maybe he's outside having a smoke. Go check."
The waiter squinted his eyes.
"Pay your bill," he repeated and walked back toward the kitchen.
Peeking out of a window, Ted now saw that Dennis's car was gone.
