Darkness.

  Then faces.

  Robin on one side, MJ on the other. Everyone staring at me like I’d just grown horns.

  “Are you okay little brother?” MJ asked.

  “Yeah, no need to worry.”

  “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  I nodded. Dust drifted in the sunlight; the rubber ducks on the bar stared at me.

  “Good, I won’t feel bad for yelling—What the fuck just happened?!”

  “Promise you won’t get mad?” I asked.

  “You’re my little brother. Of course I’ll get mad.”

  Robin squeezed my hand then kissed my cheek. “It’s up to you, Riley.”

  I sighed. “I had cancer.”

  MJ exploded. “You what?!”

  “Six years ago,” I said quickly. “Rare type, only a couple cases in the world. Treatments weren’t working. Things got… bad”

  Morgan’s eyes went wide. “All those vacations you took—”

  River’s voice cracked. “We’d go weeks without seeing you…”

  I nodded. “Yeah. It spread fast. My oncologist heard of an extremely experimental treatment on Isle de Ligré.”

  Alison slammed her beer down. “That place is dangerous!”

  “I know. Those birds are ruthless. And the zebraloes? So angry.”

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  We chuckled, which helped lift the tension. For about three seconds.

  River leaned forward. “Experimental treatment?”

  “Right. So, I landed there. An indigenous leader took me to their doctor. Guy was ready with two cups: one with oozing purple sludge, and the other full of multi-colored powder. He told me to dump the powder in and drink it all. So I did. Tasted kind of like a jester’s hat.”

  Robin whispered, “I like this version better than the CliffsNotes you gave me.”

  “As soon as I swallowed, shit got insane. I’m flying through the jungle, animals waving at me as I pass. Then I spot a beagle—yes, a beagle—in a jeep. Ears flapping like banners in the wind. I joined him.”

  Blank stares.

  “I swear, this all happened. The dog licked my face, hopped out—boom. Jeep hits a tree. I go flying through the windshield—and tree—then suddenly I’m back in the hut. The doctor slathers me in fluorescent blue goo, claps his hands, and everything goes black. When I wake up—cancer free.”

  It was so quiet I could hear my heartbeat.

  “But the blackouts,” Robin said quietly.

  “After the first one, I called my doctor. Scans, scopes, and pokes—nothing. I went back to Ligré for answers. They told me it’s possibly a side effect, triggered by anxiety. Their doctor offered me another mix—yellow liquid, silver powder. I… declined.”

  MJ whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Then louder, angrier: “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?! You selfish little fuck!”

  River pulled her into a hug before she assaulted me.

  “I didn’t want to bother any of you,” I said. “Y’all have your lives. Your shit.”

  CP scowled, then surprised me with a hug.

  I held them tight. “You’re right CP. I just… I didn’t know how.”

  River wiped away tears. “We’re family, Riley. We take care of each other.”

  MJ’s anger broke into sobbing. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like we wouldn’t… I never meant—” She collapsed against me, crying so hard my shirt was instantly soaked. Between sobs, she kept saying, “I love you, you asshole. I love you, you asshole.”

  The door creaked open. Light flooded in. Josh and Garrett froze at the sight of all of us tangled in tears.

  Josh cleared his throat. “We were… uh… coming to grab lunch with Riley and Robin, but… this looks intense. We can come back later.”

  MJ whipped around, red-eyed and furious. “You have two more friends?! What the hell is going on?!”

  ~

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  The River and Friends Series - River and the Bug, The Adventures of Alison Alistair, and The Reaper Wears a Scarf. Please check them out!