Nothing but the sound of the feel

 "Do you have a brother?" It was the last question Pan was expecting when he went to get some diet soda from the fridge while he and Ari were taking a break from THE LAST OF US.

"What?" Pan drew a blank. Nobody had ever asked him that question.

"I thought I saw your doppelganger, other day when I was at the Stop and Go. He was getting gas for his scooter," Ari said.

"People are already out on their scooters?" Pan made light of it. He didn't want to talk about it. He gave Ari a shrug as if he was just being stupid now. He took a sip of his drink and wanted to hurry back to the game, but of course, Ari wanted to talk.

"It was unbelievable. He looked just like you. Do you have a twin?" Ari asked. Pan froze. 

"Seriously?" Pan's eyes lit. It was not something he liked to talk about. Besides, Ari would just think it strange. And it was strange. They might as well have parted at birth but it was third grade. He wasn't sure who had the worst luck. Besides, he felt numb about it now. He sipped on his diet drink. There was nothing to say. He couldn't talk about it. It was forbidden. Or so it seemed.

His mom was closed-lipped about it. Still, he knew she was sad. It was always that way. Perhaps, that's why he couldn't even face her. 

"Maybe..maybe we should track him down, so..so you could see for yourself," Ari said.

Pan kept straight-lipped. He couldn't even function. 

"Are you sure you even want to play the game?" Pan finally said.

"I'm cool." Ari looked straight ahead. Of course, he was. He forged on with the controller in his hand.

Pan did his best to focus on the game. Really, he always played better alone. But the game was intense and it was giving him a headache. He finally went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He nursed his dry bottom lip. 

Roxanne didn't even know about his brother. Suddenly, he just wanted to be left alone.

"I think I'm getting sick," he called from the bathroom.

"What?" Ari jumped up like a good friend would. "What do you need?"

"I..I just threw up," Pan lied. "You, should go home. I don't want to get you sick."

Rox was at Nonnie and Weezer's learning to crochet.

"What did you eat?" Ari of course would be afraid of getting sick.

"Probably a bad chili dog I ate at lunch," Pan told him from inside the bathroom. He clutched at his stomach as if he might really throw up. Although, he was faking. Still, he felt at a loss. He didn't know how to talk about someone he hadn't seen in years.