Chapter Four – What Sort of Rabbit Has Feathers?

What’s a hero without a weakness? What’s an idol without chipped armor? Even the most—

“What exactly is this shit?”

“Would you get off my back already? And it’s not finished yet.” He set his jaw hard, hating how defensive he sounded. “And how am I supposed to develop my own voice if you keep hounding me like this?”

“You don’t have a voice. You’re not even close to getting a voice, and the chances are that you will never get one.”

The vituperative words burned iron-hot, but he needed to find a way to take it without showing any sign of impotence. “Says you,” he said petulantly.

“What have you done except for following in my footsteps, like a little fan?”

“I didn’t exactly ask for this sort of inheritance, did I?”

“Well, if you want to make it in the family business, I suggest you tone down that attitude. And come on, little bro, admit it. You love doing this. It’s about power, don’t you see? All these guys and gals, thinking themselves invincible, having fun like there’s no tomorrow, they need to be taken down a peg or two. And it’s healthy. It’s for their own good.”

He doubted that. He doubted it to the point that he wanted to say it.

“Redo this. You need to be like a Rottweiler, bite into them. Come on, show me your teeth.”

“What? For real? I’m not showing my teeth, what the hell? And Rottweilers have a bad reputation for no reason. It’s just pop culture,” he protested.

“Yes, pop culture. Now, the question is: do you want to be a maker of culture, or a follower? Come on, get to work and come back with a piece that will make me proud.”

“But I don’t have anything really bad on the guy. He’s hooking up left and right, but that doesn’t make him a bad guy. And he’s owning up to it. It’s not like he’s ashamed of it or anything.”

“Then, you should try a different angle. Don’t say you’re looking for a weakness. Say that you’ve already found one. Got me?”

“Yes, I got you. Can I go now? I have classes.”

“Go. And work on those grades. You don’t want to be the family’s embarrassment, do you?”

“God forbid,” he said through his teeth.

“Hey, chin down. To the outside world, you need to be invisible. Remember that. Always.”

As if he could forget a thing like that. But was that his true nature? He had come to ask himself that question over and over, especially during the last year. It didn’t matter. If he wanted to live up to his brother’s expectations, he needed to do better.

***