Page 44 of Lost
Brendan nodded, as if he knew what Lysander was thinking. They both sat for a while, watching the waves ebb and flow. A comfortable silence surrounded them, broken only by the sound of some giggling girls as they eyed up Brendan’s figure.
“Got a girlfriend yet?”
“I do,” Lysander confessed. “We’ve been going out since Saturday night.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s she like?”
“I think you guys would like her. She listens to your kind of music. ...actually, she listens to yourband.”
“She does?”
Brendan’s tone was cautious.
“She doesn’t know that I’m related to Zack,” Lysander said quickly. “I only know she likes your band because she told me when one of your songs played at the party we went to. Other than that, the band has never been mentioned.”
“As long as you’re sure...”
“I am. But thanks for caring.”
Brendan nodded, and let the conversation shift.
Being with Brendan was like being with a friend. He was easy to talk to and he made Lysander feel completely at ease, even when the occasional person started to stare. They talked about girls and what it was like back in Columbus, and they spoke of Mapleton Beach and where all the best places to go had been when Brendan had been a teenager. He spoke with heart about his days as a young adult spent in Pat’s parents’ garage, where the band had taken root. Lysander was wrapped up in the stories he told, so much that he didn’t even realise when his fifteen minutes had officially run their course.
“Sunny Rooftop Bar,” Brendan went on, lying back in the sand with his hands behind his head. “Oh, the stories I could tell you about that place. ...but not until you’re twenty-one.”
“Oh, sure. Because you never went in there before you were twenty-one, right?”
Brendan’s grin was all the answer he needed.
From somewhere deep within his pocket, Lysander’s phone began to ring. He pulled it free and his heart skipped a beat when he saw both what the time was and who was calling him. He gave Brendan a meaningful look before he answered.
“Hey, Dad,” he said, quickly adding, “I’m sorry I’m running a little late this morning. I’ll be home soon.”
“You’d better be,” came Zack’s voice over the line. “We need to pack.”
It took Lysander a moment to figure out what was wrong with that statement.
“Pack?” he repeated. “What do you mean we need to pack?”
Brendan raised an eyebrow. So he didn’t know anything about this either.
“We’re headed to Columbus,” Zack said, and then by way of explanation added, “They found Dakota.”
The words rang in Lysander’s ears.
They found Dakota. They found Dakota. They found Dakota.
How long had he been waiting to hear them? How long had he waited for this phone call, for this moment of victory? He should have been on his feet, racing back to the house. He should have been dancing for joy. Hell, he should have been saying something! But he was speechless, unable to form a coherent sentence. Even seated, his knees felt weak.
“Lysander?” Brendan’s voice was laced with worry. “Is everything okay?”
“Lysander?” Zack’s tone was equally concerned. “Are you still there?”
Wordlessly, he handed the phone to Brendan. He needed a moment to let the news sink in, a moment to gather his thoughts, a moment to find his feet and locate his voice. He barely heard a word of what Brendan said to Zack — the world around him was fading away, leaving him in his own little bubble.
They found Dakota.
He turned the words over in his mind, searching for a double meaning. He didn’t find one. These words were straight to the point. And they were exactly what he had needed to hear.
