Fake Pretenses

          The room buzzed with laughter, colorful dresses sweeping across the ballroom floor, as men in expensive tuxedos swayed with their partners. The great diamond chandelier glittered down upon them and their expensive sloshing drinks. Cameras flashed capturing the glamor and dazzle of it all.
         I leaned against a wall sipping on a cup of sparkling grape juice carefully keeping a grip on my crutches. This miserable excuse for a charity event I'd been dragged along to was everything I expected. I'd been to many of these charity events, some fancier than this, but they were all the same. A fake pretense of doing some good in the world, of pretending you were a good person when it was just another way to waste money and higher your ego.
         "Dude your one glum sight, you know the point of this is to have fun right?" My cousin Riles walked up to me, taking his place beside me. He wore a tux with long tails and a dark tie, his gold-brown hair gelled back but still a single strand managed to stick out on his forehead. Despite wearing formal attire, he still had on his leather airstrike boots but at least they were polished, and he had left behind his favorite worn jacket.
         I took a long sip before answering him, "I thought the 'point' was to raise money."
         Riles rolled his eyes. "Who cares, we might as well have fun while doing it!"
          "Mmm," I respond, watching a waiter with shiny black shoes pass us.
         Riles snatched two pastries off the waiter's tray, tossing me one, before popping the other in his mouth.
         I quickly put down my drink on the end table next to me, its contents sloshing onto the lacy tablecloth. My fingers dug into my crutches and my legs trembled, as I reached out and grabbed the pastry from midair.
         Riles didn't apologize, but I hadn't expected nor cared if he did.
         "This is why you're never invited to these things," I mumbled, smiling.
         Riles grinned. "Come on, let's go find something fun to do." He brushed my shoulder lightly as he walked off.
         I grunted, "Hold on! I'm coming." I placed the forlorn pastry next to my wine glass filled with grape juice and hobbled after Riles on my crutches.
         He slowed down for me, falling into step with me as I dragged my feet along. I gritted my teeth and tried to move faster. We moved painstakingly slowly across the dance floor.
         Riles rambled on about some new jetliner, his light amber eyes glittering with excitement. His chatter blended with everyone else's.
         The grand expanse of a balcony overlooking the city's glimmering lights was enclosed by large glass windows intricately decorated with frosty swirls and streaks. Riles and I made our way to the doors leading to the balcony, he opened the door for me still rambling on. He was talking so fast that I had a hard time even understanding half of what he was about. I wasn't even sure if we were talking about planes anymore.
         I stepped out onto the fake ivory balcony, the cold night air hitting me, a cool contrast compared to the heat of the big room warmed by many bodies. I inhaled the fresh air when I made it to the balcony edge leaning against the railing letting it hold my body weight instead of my crutches.
         Riles stopped beside me chatting away happily.
         A few people stood on the balcony with us, but it was such a large balcony that they were far from us and their voices weren't more than a blur of laughter.
         Little cars raced by on the streets, their lights breaking through the night, off to a destination unknown.
          "So you see that's why the Antonov An-124 Ruslan is clearly-"
          "Why do you hang out with me?" I asked, interrupting his rant.
         Riles stopped mid-sentence tilting his head at me. "What?"
         "Don't you have anything better to do?"
         "Bro are you okay? You haven't been acting like yourself tonight."
         "Sorry," I murmured, transfixed on the city lights.
         Riles was silent for a moment, then bumped the back of his hand with mine. I turned my head to him, and he smiled.
         "It's fun to hang out with you man, that's why."
         I tried a smile, taking one more breath of air, "Let's go find some rich ladies to entice with our charm."
         A grin spread across his face. "That's my boy, with your looks and my charm-" he swept a hand in front of his face dramatically, "the ladies won't be able to resist." He feigned holding himself on the railing.
         I flashed a grin. "There is no way you're the one with the charm, charm is my thing."
         Riles stood up brushing off lint from his tux. "Let a man live his dream, would ya?"
         I roll my eyes laughing, "Whatever, whatever, you do your thing."
         Riles slapped my back and I choked on my spit trying to keep myself from falling. "Thank you, my good man."
         We walked off Riles' arm around my shoulder, laughing. But I couldn't help looking back one more time to the balcony before turning back to my life.