Spinning at the Seams

“Marc?” I asked watching as my brother’s muscular body came in. “What are you doing here? I don’t think you’ve ever been in here.” I watched him mutter something which I hoped wasn’t “not that you know of anyway” and seeing his eyes glancing around the room looking uneasy I motioned for him to sit on my bed.

“So, um, what did you need?” I was still a little unsure about the fact that my twin brother, who has never actually been one to share his feelings or want to talk to me at all, was now sitting on my bed perhaps planning to do that exact thing. He sighed and ran his fingers through his blond hair.

“Where did you hear that Tiffany was pregnant?” He looked at me, with a look that I’ve never seen before, defeat.

“Um, through a friend, and a few people may have confirmed it for me.” Rule one of journalism: never name your source. “It’s not true is it?” I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear his answer, after all, he had been in the midst of it when mom came home, so the possibility it was true was there. The look he gave me was so angry I nearly jumped in shock.

“No it’s not true, at least the idea that it’s mine! You may not believe this but I’m still a virgin.” No, I didn’t believe it, the person he showed the rest of the world, that wasn’t a virgin. I’d been in the locker rooms before and after games, one of the perks of being a sports writer. I’ve heard what those guys talk about. So while I’ve never heard my brother mentioned his love life with Tiffany, I always assumed it was because I was there, and he didn’t want to say anything that I could use as blackmail later.

“You don’t believe me?” I looked up suddenly, my face must have betrayed my shock, I was never good at hiding my emotions.

Now it was my turn to sigh and push my fingers through my hair, something almost everyone in my family does. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s more that, I don’t think anyone would believe you.” He simply nodded, “But,” I continued, “I do believe you, you’re my brother, and I guess I have to believe you, but what did mom see then?”

Marc looked at me amusement spreading across his face, what is it with boys being so amused with me, first Adam, then Tristan, and now him, this was getting old fast. “She saw us making out, nothing else, she just thinks she saw something else because I had just come out for the shower when Tiff came over. I had only my jeans and boxers on, mom saw no shirt and freaked.” It was my turn to nod.

“So if she is pregnant and the baby’s not yours, whose is it?” I asked quietly, when he didn’t respond I looked up to see him looking at my wall full of pictures.

“I remember this,” I turned to look at what he saw, it was a picture of us at the zoo, we were eight and the twins were five. We were standing in front of the lions exhibit smiling, our teeth had gaps and were so crooked any orthodontist would be happy we existed. Marc’s arm was in a sling, and the good one was draped around me, tickling my side causing my face to be laughing in the photo. The twins were smiling at my mom, who was behind my dad making lion noises, while my dad took the photo.

“What happened to us?” he suddenly asked quietly. I didn’t get to respond as the song “Want to be like me” by David Banner began floating through the room. Marc reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“Dude, what’s up man?” he was saying as he got off my bed and walked out the door leaving it open behind him. I just stared after him then looked at the photo again, trying to determine when the break in our lives occurred.