Bryan and Steve - Brothers

"Mega Mall!" yelled Bryan Bodner in his usual overly-enthusiastic manor, "Yeah!"

Steve Bodner, Bryan's older brother by two years, rolled his eyes as the pair walked up to the gigantic shopping centre. Billy loved his brother, but he was tiring. Nineteen years old, tall, lanky, Bryan hadn't yet grown out of his teenage behaviours. Steve had watched his brother grow up and knew what potential he had, but until he began to settle down, he wouldn't be worth much.

Now Steve was a different story. At twenty-one, Steve already knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it. He had graduated from high school two years early, then completed his undergrad in a quick two years, much to the delight of his parents. Now, at the end of his grad school experience, Steve couldn't wait to get his career started, to conquer the world. And he would, too. Steve Bodner would be a name people would remember.

"We're not here to browse," Steve told his brother in a soothing tone to calm his brother down, "just remember that. We need to pick up dad's present at the golf store, then get out. I have too much to do to waste all day here."

It would be easy to waste the day at Mega Mall. The biggest mall in the state, it had been a coups to have it built in their small town. Probably because of cheap land and low taxes, their father had told them, but it still felt strange. The infrastructure expenses the developers had to shell out for such a huge construction job, expanded roads, new sewers, power and gas lines, it would have been cheaper to build it in a larger centre. Steve was sure of it. For some reason, though, the developer had been set on this town, this location. It had seemed fishy to Steve at the time it was built, but who would listen to a young guy like him. And anyway, if some rich idiot wanted to waste his money building a mall in his hometown, it served him right if it tanked.

It didn't, though. Very quickly the Mega Mall became a destination. The most stores, the most food the most attractions. There was a water park, rides, great bars, even a skating rink! Mega Mall was unlike anything Steve had ever been in before. When he had still lived at home, when he wasn't studying, Steve's friends would drag him out to the mall where he would quickly lose himself in the experience. Now that he was back for his father's birthday party, Steve couldn't help let his mind slip back to those happy times hanging out with his friends, being a kid. Not something he allowed himself to have anymore, not if he was going to be as successful as he planned.

The brothers pushed the doors open and felt the cool air-conditioning wash over them and walked inside, unaware of what awaited them.