The Other Him

He chuckled then stalked down the hall once again. At the end was his kitchen, complete with a refrigerator, stove, and everything, just like he said. I plopped myself down on one of the stools at the table.

Daniel took out his pan and ingredients and began assembling our Saturday morning breakfast. He mixed together the batter and poured an even amount in the pan, forming into a circle. Every few moments he would take the spatula and flip excessively.

“Let’s quick stop by the store and pick up some blueberry syrup,” I suggested as I dipped my finger in the batter then scooped it in my mouth.

Daniel glared at me and then to my finger for a few seconds. I smiled shamelessly. “No need.” Daniel removed his eyes from mine to flip the perfectly cooked pancake in the air once more before placing it on a large plate and starting a new one.

“Why not…?”

“I have some in the cupboard.”

“Huh…really…? Since when do you like blueberry syrup?”

“I don’t,” he replied bluntly.

“All right…Then why do you have it stocked?”

“In case you happened to come over and we end up eating pancakes.” Daniel replied matter-of-factly.

“Aw, you bought a whole bottle of syrup just for me? You’re so sweet and know me too well.” Placing both my hands over my heart I smiled sweetly. Daniel chuckled at my expression.

“I only suggested pancakes to get rid of the disgusting stuff.”

I chuckled.

A few silent moments had past as Daniel completed our breakfast. A large plate of steamy pancakes was placed in front of us, and I poured us both some orange juice. Daniel took out both my blueberry syrup and just plain maple syrup. After everything was set, Daniel finally took his seat next to mine. We picked through the pancakes, trying to find the warmest amongst the pile.

I smothered my fluffy flapjacks in my favorite topping.

“Would you like some pancakes to go with that syrup?” Daniel pointed at my plate. I looked over at his.

“Would you like some syrup to go with those pancakes?” I retorted, noticing the meager amount of syrup on his food that not even a single drop of syrup touched the plate. He snickered. I loved our pointless sarcastic fights.

I shoved a piece of syrup covered pancake down my throat; I hadn't realized how hungry I was. But while I was trying to enjoy my delicious pancakes a thought scratched at the back of my mind.

I swallowed my over-sized bite, “Daniel…? I was wondering…why you stayed at the hospital…I mean live there when you were a kid. I guess I never really knew why…”

“Uh, Riley, I’ve told you this a thousand times!”

“You know my mind: it’s an endless pit, once it goes in, it’s almost impossible to pull it back out.”

“Fine…Well, you see, my parents were both an only child. So, I never had any aunts or uncles, or cousins. Both my dad’s parents died when he was young. While my mom’s mom died of a heart attack,” Daniel sighed, “It seems that runs in the family…which reminds me…” He mumbled then pushed out of his stool toward a cupboard. He removed a small fluorescent orange bottle from the cupboard and pulled at the top of as it made a loud rattling noise. The container was filled with large white tablets. Daniel pulled two out and swallowed it with a gulp of his orange juice.

“Are those for your attacks?”

“Yeah,” he spoke strangely in a happy voice; I assumed he was just grateful to be preventing his heart attacks. He snapped the cap back into place before setting it in the cupboard. He then continued enjoying his breakfast.

“What about your mom’s dad? Is he still alive?”

“He has a disorder. They keep him in some place up in Wisconsin. He’s not really capable of taking care of someone, not even himself.”

“I see…” my words wandered silently. I took another large bite of my syrup covered pancake. “You know, I don’t really have any relatives either…” I bit my lip. I could feel the pancake in my throat become a lump of insecurity.

“I know,” Daniel said as turned toward me. My eyes were glued to the food in front of me. “Your mother was adopted, while your father’s parents moved to somewhere in Europe, no one’s heard from them since, even though there’s not really anyone for them to hear to. But, your father does have an older brother, Tom.” Daniel finished my family tree like he had recited it for some Broadway show. “We should go visit him sometime. It’s been a while since you’ve seen him. When was the last time?”

I had to think. I moved into my own apartment about…”A little less than a year ago…” my thoughts reached my lips. But, now that I had really thought about it, I hadn’t seen him in quite some time. It’s not like we had no contact, but he did live a while away. However, he would call periodically, you know, just to check up on me – protective as always.

“We should go see him soon, I haven’t talked him in a while either.”

“Yeah,” I responded numbly, like I hadn’t really heard him, but simply decided to agree with any suggestion.

Daniel chuckled under his breath.

“Something funny?”

“Oh, Riley, you are. I mean, haven’t you caught on by now?”

Another unanswered response from Daniel…

“Caught onto what?”

“You are just so amusing. And you don’t even have to try. Besides, it takes mere milliseconds for you to drift out. In fact, I think that was a new record for you, just now.”

I ignored him, shoving more blueberry-syrup-covered pancake into my mouth.

Daniel smiled to himself as we continued talking about my Uncle Tom while eating plenty more pancakes. Then Daniel subtly changed the subject when we had finally finished eating.

”So what do you want to do today?” Daniel asked as he grabbed dishes and neatly set them in his sink full of hot soapy water. I put away the food while Daniel continued cleaning the clutter off the tabletop.

“Well, I’m still wearing the same clothes as yesterday and I feel filthy,” I disgustingly stated as I handed Daniel my plate smothered in gooey blueberry syrup.

He shook his head at the round plastic object. “All right, then I guess you can go to your apartment and clean up, then we can meet up and hang out in an hour or so. Besides, it’s going to take me forever to clean your plate, so there’s no rush.” Daniel peered down at my plate again, his face covered in disgusted fear. I rolled my eyes.

“Good plan, just one problem with that.”

“What? It’s going to take me longer than hour to get this thing clean?”

“No,” I emphasized. A short smile broke through my serious expression. Daniel’s face was priceless. “I mean, that I’m still wearing the same thing as yesterday.”

“I think we’ve established that,” Daniel said before dropping the plate into the sink with the other dirty dishes as if a sign of defeat.

I sighed. Daniel wasn’t getting what I was trying to explain to him. “I mean, if people see me walking out of your apartment wearing the same thing as yesterday…well…their going to think…” I couldn’t finish clueing him in, it was too embarrassing. I wasn’t sure, but I think I was blushing slightly.

“Oh,” finally he understood.

Gosh, for a genius, he sure was dumb.

“…Well,” Daniel started to resolve,” I’m sure I could find something here that you could wear. Or I could wash your clothes. Also, you’re more than welcome to take a shower here,” Daniel suggested over the deafening silence that left me feeling nervous.

“Thanks… if you don’t mind…” I spoke skittishly. I surely didn’t want to go back on the street without a change of clothes, or without a shower. It wasn’t entirely that I thought people memorized what I wore and would recognize it straight away. It was more the security of knowing that no one could even remotely come to that conclusion. Then, just as strangely, the thought of taking a shower here made me feel uncomfortable and fidgety.

“I’m insulted. We’ve know each other how long and you don’t feel comfortable taking a shower here?”Of course he’d noticed my out of place stability.

“I never said any such thing!”

“It’s written all over your face,” he explained, coolly.

Predictable as always, I suppose.

“You sure are,” he said to my thoughts.

Am I really that easily read?

“Yes, you are.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but also to question his mind reading abilities, but he cut across me.

“Anyways, let’s just see what I’ve got that you could borrow.” He left the sink and walked to his room at the end of the hallway. I followed behind and shuffled through the open door. My feet stood planted in the doorway. His room was clean all except for where I had slept. A monstrous pile of wrinkly sheets was forming at the foot of his bed. I backed away involuntarily. Luckily, Daniel hadn’t noticed.

Daniel scrambled through his drawers recklessly. He pulled out some old black sweatpants and threw them over in my direction. I just barely caught them as I grabbed at the end of the pant leg. Then, he meandered over to his closet and picked through his shirts. Silently, I watched him look at each shirt curiously. For long periods of time he would scan one shirt, shake his head, and then throw it carelessly of f to the side. I guessed he was imaging what they would look like on my short petite body. It would make sense if none of them fit me. Regardless, he finally grabbed a plain blue t-shirt. It was a medium blue and it seemed as if it could actually fit a little.

“This was getting too small for me. It will probably fit the best out of any of my shirts. Oh and don’t worry… it’s clean,” He smiled. He underhand tossed the blue shirt toward me. I caught it better than the last item of clothing he threw my way. The material was strangely soft. “It makes me sad, that used to be my favorite shirt,” Daniel frowned childishly.

“That’s too bad, it’s mine now.”

Daniel chuckled, one hard chuckle.

He slipped around me and out the door, back down the hallway. To his right was another room that he turned into. Again, I trailed behind and stood still in the doorway. The sound of water running started and Daniel walked up to me.

He smiled, “I think you know how to work a shower, but if you do have any problems…” he cut off and paused for few quick seconds,”…well, you’ll just have to deal because I can’t come in here and help you.” He shrugged rubbing the back of his neck, “Tough luck.”

I chuckled, “I think I’ll be all right… but just in case, have 911 on hand. You never know, I might zone out and drown in the shower.”

“Way ahead off you,” Daniel stated bluntly pulling his phone from his pocket. “Besides, they’re on speed dial, just for your safety.”

“Oh, ha-ha,” I replied dryly.

He smiled, not even the slightest response to my expression. I suppose Daniel was used to me being so sarcastic with him. Slowly he made his way past me and started out the door, then stopped mid-step. “Oh yeah, do you want me to wash your clothes?”

I turned to face him before setting my…er… his clothes on the bathroom counter. “Um…no that’s fine. I’ll just wash them when I get home.”

“Ok,” Daniel smiled sweetly before exiting and closing the door behind him. Click.

A towel was already set on the floor in front of the shower door, and another hung on a high hook on the wall next to it. Slowly, I undressed until I was in only my underwear.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I pressed my ear to it. “Yes?” I called to the other side.

It was Daniel, obviously. ”Are you dressed? I have something else to hand you. If you’re not I can just slip it in the door.”

Unwillingly, I unlocked the door and opened it slightly. My body was well hidden behind the door as Daniels hand squeezed through the thin opening to hand me yet another piece of clothing. In his hands were plaid red boxers. I gulped, I’m not sure why, it was just strange.

“I thought you might want these. I mean…I’ve never worn them before, but I just thought you might want some clean underwear.” Daniels perfectly smooth voice was mumbled under the water running. There was a part of me awestruck that he wasn’t even the slightest bit phased by handing me clothes that weren’t mine while I was half naked on the other side of the door. But then again, he was a doctor after all. He must have seen dozens of naked girls…. I blushed, finally realizing that he was patiently waiting for me to take the boxers from his grasp.

He was right; I just didn’t want to admit it, or face it. I did need something for
clean underwear. I suppose Daniel wasn’t that senseless after all.

Hesitantly, I grabbed the boxers from his grip. “You have good taste in underwear, Daniel,” I childishly commented trying to breaking the tension. It seemed to work because I heard a smirk from behind the wooden door. He slipped his hand back out and I once again locked the door behind me.

I stripped down to nothing and stepped into the small secluding box. The hot water rushed down my body in sheets. With my back to the shower head I stood motionless a few moments, taking in the warmth. I grabbed the shampoo sitting on the shelf and poured a quarter sized amount in my hand. Evenly, I spread the white colored shampoo it in my hand before lathering my hair thoroughly. After rinsing I did the same for the conditioner. Once I finished washing my hair I grabbed the bar of soap and cleaned my body.

Finally, I had finished. I stopped the running water, rotating the knob to the right. My hand reached out the shower door and grabbed the soft towel. I stepped out onto the towel that lay on the floor. The towel brushed smoothly over my sleek sopping body as I dried myself off, and then wrapped it around my body. My feet tip toed over to the steam mirror. I ran my hands over the mist and wiped away the fog, creating a small window of reflection. My hair was dripping and my make-up from the day before was smeared slightly. I rubbed my face to wipe it clean. I then ran my fingers through my sopping hair ruffling it a bit.

Eventually, I dressed, taking my time, examined each piece of clothing as I did so. It felt strange wearing guy clothes, especially the boxers. After an excessive amount of time, I had finished dressing. It truly didn’t look that off. Sure, I was never really one to wear sweatpants in public, but the t-shirt hadn’t looked that bad. In fact, it fit rather well, like a loose gym top.

When I had organized the bathroom back to normal I dragged myself out the room to find Daniel waiting for me in the living room.

He was lounging on the couch, same way as this morning, except he wasn’t
asleep. Also, Daniel was changed now. He was now wearing a crimson t-shirt and somewhat baggy jeans. “Wow…you look…” Daniel said as if my new wardrobe…or…his wardrobe didn’t look convincing enough to be pulled off as my own. He propped his head to side like he was going to get a different result that way.

“I look what?” I intervened, placing my hands on my hips.

“…dazzling?” Daniel attempted recovery.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” I sassed.

He pushed off from comfortable waiting position. My favorite jacket was tossed my way. I hadn’t even realized I wasn’t wearing it when I woke this morning. With more experience, I caught it.

“Ready to face the public?” Daniel questioned. I stood perplexed.

“Just so long as you promise to protect me from kidnappers.”

“In broad daylight?”

“Shut up! You know I don’t function well in the morning,” I reminded the smirking boy standing proudly before me.

“…or at night,” he added.

“Oh yes…thanks for reminding me,” I replied back, half-heartedly. I grinned to him cheekily and jokingly stomped past him down the hall to the apartment door throwing my jacket on, on the way.

“No problem,” Daniel smiled too sweetly, unlocking and opening the door before me. There was a hint of smugness in his grin. I rolled my eyes and walked through the opening.

‘You’ll be back to your place soon enough…’ I told myself helplessly.