here when Sam is and they aren’t together, so I have to ask, “You two still together?”
She nods her head. “He’s really a great guy once you get to know him.”
I laugh the sarcastic laugh sisters always do when girls compliment their brothers. “Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean I have to stick up for him.” But everyone knew I was close with all my brothers. You mess with any of us, you get all of us. And he really is a nice guy, if you get passed his competitive nature.
Melanie laughs along with me. “Okay, so maybe some of his ‘habits’ aren’t all that great. I just haven’t seen much of him since after we exchanged gifts at Christmas. He’s been incredibly sneaky.” I thought she might be referring to a chance that Sam could be cheating, but the smile on her face and glint in her eye let me know she thought it was cute and interesting.
“Well, there was that one time they decided to start a yogurt chain with no yogurt. Or the time they decided an all-vegan food fight in the cafeteria wouldn’t get them in trouble like a food-fight with meat would.” I say, laughing.
“Or,” she adds, “what about the time they filled up the town’s swimming pool with green pudding?”
We are laughing hysterically, getting looks from neighboring tables. I don’t care. It feels so good to laugh. We continue to exchange stories; the next one crazier than the one before.
Without us noticing, my brothers get close enough to hear our final story about the time they made a living room in the boy’s bathroom.
“Hey! The girl’s bathroom is so much nicer! It’s only fair that we at least get a couch.” Kyle interrupts.
Melanie and I laugh harder. “That’s because all boys do is pee on stuff and break things!”
The girls sitting nearest us start laughing and nodding their heads in agreement. My brothers pretend to get angry, pumping their fists in pretend rage.
“How do you even know what the girl’s bathroom looks like?” Teases Melanie.
My brother laughs. Even he knows when he is one-upped.
“Yeah, and a couch is understandable. The T.V. and cable you installed is a little bit overboard.”
“It was football season. What do you want us to do? Wait for score updates? Unacceptable!”
My abs start to hurt from laughing so hard. They haven’t hurt like this since before Bruno got sick again. Melanie stands to leave with Sam, while Kevin and Kyle help carry my bags to the car to head home.
I had forgotten all about my encounter with Tim, ‘till my own thoughts get the best of me in the car. I make a vow to myself to tell Bruno how much he means to me. Besides saying “I love you”, I haven’t really told Bruno just how much I love everything about him. I feel bad, he means the world to me, and it’s about time I tell him.
EIGHT
Bruno’s hands are colder than icicles.
I clench my teeth and force myself to keep squeezing them, trying to warm them up. I want them to feel like they have life in them again. His curls don’t look greasy anymore. They even smell nice, like he had just gotten out of the shower. His lips aren’t chapped anymore, either. His eyes are closed, and in a way I’m happy, because if they didn’t have the lively sparkle in them, I’m pretty sure I’d lose it.
Bruno’s parent’s had long since left his room. They were downstairs making the necessary calls to “make the final arrangements”. Alex left with them, too. I peek up at Alex’s favorite toy truck. It’s sitting on the nightstand. Bruno had given it to him when he was three years old. It was the first toy truck he ever got, and quite frankly, it’s the reason he loves them so much now. Bruno’s toy truck was the only toy truck of Alex’s that had lasted longer than six months. No matter how many times Alex clanked it or smashed it against things, it never broke. It still held tightly together. And now Alex was giving it up as one final offer to Bruno. Alex is such a
She nods her head. “He’s really a great guy once you get to know him.”
I laugh the sarcastic laugh sisters always do when girls compliment their brothers. “Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean I have to stick up for him.” But everyone knew I was close with all my brothers. You mess with any of us, you get all of us. And he really is a nice guy, if you get passed his competitive nature.
Melanie laughs along with me. “Okay, so maybe some of his ‘habits’ aren’t all that great. I just haven’t seen much of him since after we exchanged gifts at Christmas. He’s been incredibly sneaky.” I thought she might be referring to a chance that Sam could be cheating, but the smile on her face and glint in her eye let me know she thought it was cute and interesting.
“Well, there was that one time they decided to start a yogurt chain with no yogurt. Or the time they decided an all-vegan food fight in the cafeteria wouldn’t get them in trouble like a food-fight with meat would.” I say, laughing.
“Or,” she adds, “what about the time they filled up the town’s swimming pool with green pudding?”
We are laughing hysterically, getting looks from neighboring tables. I don’t care. It feels so good to laugh. We continue to exchange stories; the next one crazier than the one before.
Without us noticing, my brothers get close enough to hear our final story about the time they made a living room in the boy’s bathroom.
“Hey! The girl’s bathroom is so much nicer! It’s only fair that we at least get a couch.” Kyle interrupts.
Melanie and I laugh harder. “That’s because all boys do is pee on stuff and break things!”
The girls sitting nearest us start laughing and nodding their heads in agreement. My brothers pretend to get angry, pumping their fists in pretend rage.
“How do you even know what the girl’s bathroom looks like?” Teases Melanie.
My brother laughs. Even he knows when he is one-upped.
“Yeah, and a couch is understandable. The T.V. and cable you installed is a little bit overboard.”
“It was football season. What do you want us to do? Wait for score updates? Unacceptable!”
My abs start to hurt from laughing so hard. They haven’t hurt like this since before Bruno got sick again. Melanie stands to leave with Sam, while Kevin and Kyle help carry my bags to the car to head home.
I had forgotten all about my encounter with Tim, ‘till my own thoughts get the best of me in the car. I make a vow to myself to tell Bruno how much he means to me. Besides saying “I love you”, I haven’t really told Bruno just how much I love everything about him. I feel bad, he means the world to me, and it’s about time I tell him.
EIGHT
Bruno’s hands are colder than icicles.
I clench my teeth and force myself to keep squeezing them, trying to warm them up. I want them to feel like they have life in them again. His curls don’t look greasy anymore. They even smell nice, like he had just gotten out of the shower. His lips aren’t chapped anymore, either. His eyes are closed, and in a way I’m happy, because if they didn’t have the lively sparkle in them, I’m pretty sure I’d lose it.
Bruno’s parent’s had long since left his room. They were downstairs making the necessary calls to “make the final arrangements”. Alex left with them, too. I peek up at Alex’s favorite toy truck. It’s sitting on the nightstand. Bruno had given it to him when he was three years old. It was the first toy truck he ever got, and quite frankly, it’s the reason he loves them so much now. Bruno’s toy truck was the only toy truck of Alex’s that had lasted longer than six months. No matter how many times Alex clanked it or smashed it against things, it never broke. It still held tightly together. And now Alex was giving it up as one final offer to Bruno. Alex is such a
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