Directions
make a move
I padded along the carpeted landing with my bare feet. This was one of the greatest moments of being home. I could walk around and not get cold feet. I could wander around in my pyjamas and not be sent back to my dorm to get changed. Home was a glorious place.
I half skipped, half walked down the stairs and the smell of breakfast reached me before anything else in the house could. Seconds later, I made myself hear the sizzling of eggs frying. Breakfast at home beat the porridge at school, even if I could feel my arteries clogging with oil and bacon rind.
"Smells good." I said, pushing the kitchen door almost closed as I walked in.
My brother turned around at the sound of my voice and smiled, "Morning, Hun."
I went to his side to watch him watch over the eggs and I just lent on him with my arm around his solid waist and his arm rested around my neck, on my shoulders.
This was the best bit about being home. My family, more specifically, my big brother.
The toast popped out of the toaster and I put one piece on each plate and put another two into the machine. There was another plate on the work top with a piece of white bread with the crusts cut off. I concentrated on the patheticness of the slice until the toaster had finished toasting our bread.
"Pass 'er plate." He said, referring to the one with the bread and he took two pieces of bacon out from under the grill and folded them into the bread to make a small sandwich. "I'll take it up in a sec." He told me, putting it back on the worktop and taking the other two plates. He put a fried egg on each and scooped the bacon beside it. He always had one more rasher then me.
"Put the beans on, yeah?" He asked, grabbing the bacon sandwich and he thumped his way up the stairs.
I took the beans out the microwave and poured them over the toast, trying to share out the bean juice equally. Both plates were on the table as he came back into the room and before his bum had even reached the seat, he had piled into his breakfast.
"Is dad at work?" I asked between my second and third mouthful.
He nodded, "Gone by six."
I looked at the breakfast in front of me, not knowing what to do with that information, so we continued to eat.
"You left early last night." He said, after the initial hunger had been half fed.
"I was tired." I lied, and put another mouthful of bacon and beans into my mouth and swallowed it down quickly. "What time did you get home? I didn't hear you come in." It only just occurred to me that I got home at half two and he wasn't home.
"We were at Jamie's for a bit. Walked home at five." His plate was near empty and he was beginning to slow down and find time to talk.
"Five? Have you slept?" I asked, resting my cutlery on the plate as I noticed the tired look under his eyes.
"No, but I'm okay." He polished off the remains quickly and turned to check the time on the oven. Standing up quickly, he dropped his plate into the sink, "I'll do that after work." I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or himself. "I'll be in town about two so text me if you're about. I'll give you a lift back."
He twisted his hand on top of my head so my hair messed and he left the kitchen quickly. I could hear him clattering in the hallway looking for his shoes and a coat and a buzzing sound came from beside the oven. His phone lit up and vibrated again.
"Stu, your phone!" I jumped out of my seat and lunged across the room to pick it up and dash into the hallway and he smiled at me.
"What would I do without you, 'ey?" He laughed and kissed my forehead, leaving for work on no sleep just to be paid peanuts.
I dragged myself back into the kitchen and slumped into my seat. The toast had soaked up the bean juice and the egg was now scrambled and I no longer felt hungry. Throwing the left overs away, I washed up the tools, ignoring what Stu had said about cleaning up himself and I wandered up the stairs to change and plan out the day exactly the way it wasn't going to go.
I half skipped, half walked down the stairs and the smell of breakfast reached me before anything else in the house could. Seconds later, I made myself hear the sizzling of eggs frying. Breakfast at home beat the porridge at school, even if I could feel my arteries clogging with oil and bacon rind.
"Smells good." I said, pushing the kitchen door almost closed as I walked in.
My brother turned around at the sound of my voice and smiled, "Morning, Hun."
I went to his side to watch him watch over the eggs and I just lent on him with my arm around his solid waist and his arm rested around my neck, on my shoulders.
This was the best bit about being home. My family, more specifically, my big brother.
The toast popped out of the toaster and I put one piece on each plate and put another two into the machine. There was another plate on the work top with a piece of white bread with the crusts cut off. I concentrated on the patheticness of the slice until the toaster had finished toasting our bread.
"Pass 'er plate." He said, referring to the one with the bread and he took two pieces of bacon out from under the grill and folded them into the bread to make a small sandwich. "I'll take it up in a sec." He told me, putting it back on the worktop and taking the other two plates. He put a fried egg on each and scooped the bacon beside it. He always had one more rasher then me.
"Put the beans on, yeah?" He asked, grabbing the bacon sandwich and he thumped his way up the stairs.
I took the beans out the microwave and poured them over the toast, trying to share out the bean juice equally. Both plates were on the table as he came back into the room and before his bum had even reached the seat, he had piled into his breakfast.
"Is dad at work?" I asked between my second and third mouthful.
He nodded, "Gone by six."
I looked at the breakfast in front of me, not knowing what to do with that information, so we continued to eat.
"You left early last night." He said, after the initial hunger had been half fed.
"I was tired." I lied, and put another mouthful of bacon and beans into my mouth and swallowed it down quickly. "What time did you get home? I didn't hear you come in." It only just occurred to me that I got home at half two and he wasn't home.
"We were at Jamie's for a bit. Walked home at five." His plate was near empty and he was beginning to slow down and find time to talk.
"Five? Have you slept?" I asked, resting my cutlery on the plate as I noticed the tired look under his eyes.
"No, but I'm okay." He polished off the remains quickly and turned to check the time on the oven. Standing up quickly, he dropped his plate into the sink, "I'll do that after work." I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or himself. "I'll be in town about two so text me if you're about. I'll give you a lift back."
He twisted his hand on top of my head so my hair messed and he left the kitchen quickly. I could hear him clattering in the hallway looking for his shoes and a coat and a buzzing sound came from beside the oven. His phone lit up and vibrated again.
"Stu, your phone!" I jumped out of my seat and lunged across the room to pick it up and dash into the hallway and he smiled at me.
"What would I do without you, 'ey?" He laughed and kissed my forehead, leaving for work on no sleep just to be paid peanuts.
I dragged myself back into the kitchen and slumped into my seat. The toast had soaked up the bean juice and the egg was now scrambled and I no longer felt hungry. Throwing the left overs away, I washed up the tools, ignoring what Stu had said about cleaning up himself and I wandered up the stairs to change and plan out the day exactly the way it wasn't going to go.