He then crouched underneath his bed and pulled many things out, such as weapons and boxes. There was a blanket, and he paused as he held it. He unwrapped it to reveal a bronze object. Handing it to Jioni, he only briefly made eye contact.
“I was going to give this to you on your birthday—I know it’s a couple of weeks from July 7th,” Brandon said. “But if you’re serious about leaving, I want you to have this now.”
Jioni was initially puzzled, but she hid a smile and opened it to reveal a compass made of fake metals. Inside, it was chipping and had a rusted old chain attached. On the top lid part, there was a picture—a photo of Brandon and Jioni holding up peace signs; the atmosphere of the image was warm and bright.
“I know we were both fighting to see who would keep that photo Kathy took,” Brandon said with a smile. “But I think you should keep it now, that and the compass.”
