Chapter 2 The Forgotten Birthday

Quincy's Apartment

An answering machine flickered on. "It's Ella. I'm sorry my roommates destroyed your day. Also, Professor Alana-Hope wants us to grade her papers as a favor...." the message cut off and continued through the next call. "Her co-professor experienced an allergic reaction to lip filler at a campus party. See you later."

Quincy ignored the messages. Alone in his cramped oak-paneled apartment, the crackling sound of the candles popped in his pointy Elf ears. He blew out the twenty-five black and white candles on his birthday cake. The aroma of wax, vanilla, and caramelized sugar filled the air.

"You're not here. Life is lonely without you. I miss your voice, and your cake recipe is delicious. I baked it in my bread machine because my oven broke." Quincy ran his fingers through his black hair to mask his despair. Not that anyone was there to watch. He forked mouthfuls of caramel cake into his mouth between sobs, each bite salted by his tears.

Quincy's trembling fingers shoved the rest of the cake into the refrigerator, moving fresh produce and his lunch box out of its way.

His eyes darted to his desk and empty bed.

Dusty and crumpled wedding invites covered his bookshelf. He walked to them shaking and dropped them in the trash can.

After washing up, he slid his glasses on and appeared fake-joyous again. Quincy resembled a hot librarian.

He gathered stacks of paper and crossed out the title, Letters to my Marked Sister, a Memoir. Quincy scribbled, My State-Kidnapped Sister instead.

*

Dear Mina,

I won't publish this until I find you, and you see the letters first.

You were right. My childhood sweetheart was a two-timing airhead because her lip filler migrated to her pea-sized brain.

My ex isn't an idiot, but cruel. I regret asking her to marry me, but I regret not grabbing you and your family and fleeing the planet more.

Quincy wrote four chapters for his next book, worked on grading papers, played a video game, and sent his father a text. Sleep didn't come, and he changed into a suit. Quincy selected a book to read until he fell asleep at his desk.

His alarm woke him.

Quincy grabbed his lunch box and a fistful of files and shoved them into a fake leather backpack.

He exited his apartment, and his gangly legs outpaced the students.

A hall guard waved at him, and Quincy waved back, but he bumped into one of the red and black boxes labeled Beauty Emergency that lined the gray walls.

"State the nature of the emergency," a voice said through a speaker.

"Sorry, I knocked into the box by accident."

"Be careful," the voice said.

Quincy ran down the stairway and opened the glass door into the outside world.

Apple-sized plums, called Crystal Alpha Fruit, grew on low-hanging trees. Students tore open the purple, pink, and blue delights, exposing the clear flesh of the fruit. A student tossed a plum to Quincy, and he ate it.

Raindrops fell on his face. He removed a tiny umbrella from his backpack and hurried through the courtyard of the college.