Of Tea Cups and Twins

It was just another average Friday night of another average weekend leading into another average week. Or so I thought it would be, anyway.

Bill and I were watching some TV after a hard day of doing... well, nothing. Welcome To Humanoid City tour would begin very soon, so we were really just taking everything easy before we were whisked away on another grand adventure of stages and crowds.

“I’m so tired,” I whined, leaning my head back on the sofa. We were watching some crime show, though the name escapes me. I really don’t like these shows much, but Bill seems to have claimed himself the king of the remote, so I just went with it.

“Then go to bed,” Bill said without taking his eyes from the screen. I turned my head towards him. He didn’t even notice; he was too involved in this episode. He always tried to solve the murder before it was revealed.

“But I’m too lazy to get up and walk all the way down the hallway,” I whined. Bill rolled his eyes.

“Lazy ass,” he muttered. I stretched my arms out and laid my feet on his lap, putting my head on the armrest. Bill only threw them off of him without a single word. I groaned.

“Fine, I’ll go to bed.” I gave a huff and began to walk off. “Are you coming?” I asked him over my shoulder.

“No, I have something to work on. I’ll go to bed later,” Bill called to me. I just waved and muttered a goodnight, wondering what the boy was up to now.

The next morning, I was lying in my bed for minutes, just staring at the ceiling and itching my stomach. It was another day and another fresh start. I sat up and looked around again, rubbing my eyes as I did so. There was a pile of clothes on my dresser, and atop it, there was what looked to be a card. Strange? Quite. Bill’s doing? I can smell the oddity already.

I gave one last rub to my eyes before standing up and scuffling over to the clothes and oh-so mysterious card. On the front there were very elaborately decorated vines that covered the background with a very neatly drawn You’re invited! on a smaller white piece of thick paper. What? I opened it, and what was written inside was even odder than the front. Dear Tom, you have been invited to a Tea Party held in our very own dining room by your darling younger brother. It is to be held at 11:00am. Please wear these clothes that I’ve prepared for you. I really didn’t know what to think.

The time was 10:48am. I hurried across the hall to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. On one hand, having to rush myself kind of sucked, but on the other, I really was anxious to see what Bill has cooked up this time. Besides, he’d probably get impatient if I were ‘late’.

Four minutes later, I picked up the outfit that Bill chose and looked it over. It actually was pretty nice looking. There was a plain white t-shirt with a fancy electric blue vest and bandana. I was impressed.

Sliding the card into my pocket, I checked one last time at the clock. 11:03am, just on time. Bill knew just when I would get up, and I wasn’t sure whether to find that very intelligent or very weird. Probably both.

I walked through the living room and kitchen before coming to the archway of the dining room. Bill was standing there in the most unnaturally weird outfit I’d ever seen him wear, which is saying so, so much. He had this funky top hat on with a white long sleeved shirt and a periwinkle, oversized ribbon tied in a bow around his neck. He was also wearing these pinstripe pants that were pulled up way too high with the type of shoes that you would see in the 1930s or something.

“Good morning, sir! May I see your invitation?” Bill asked with a twinkle in his eye and a genuine smile. I took it out and handed it to him. He looked it over as if he had to make sure I was invited to a party held in our own home. A moment later, he led me into our dining room. My mouth fell to the floor.

There were twisted tissue paper pieces tapping on the ceiling of all sorts of eye-catching colors, balloons of matching colors tied to the backs of the chairs, and a lot of stuffed animals, all seated around the table for six. In front of them were their own teacups of all different sorts of colors and designs. There was one teapot in the middle of the table surrounded by small plates of delicious treats. And my bear! Bill took my bear and placed him in the seat next to the one with my name on it! I turned to him in disbelief and wonder, but Bill was just looking at his work with pride.

“Bill, when... how?” His smile turned into a very large grin before grabbing my hand and leading me to the chair on the opposite side of the table with my name on it.

“I worked all week putting this together! Here, Tom, sit!” Bill said with no hesitation or room for me to say a word. I sat down, glancing at my bear once before looking over the table again. I was in total shock. Bill sat down in the chair next to me and immediately began to pour some tea into my teacup.

“Would you like any sugar with that, Tom?” he asked sweetly, grabbing the cup of sugar.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Two please.” One spoon, two, and stir. He handed me the cup. I took a sip, and it actually tasted really awesome. Bill poured some tea for himself as well, also taking two spoonfuls of sugar.

“Would you like any of these cakes? I made them myself,” Bill said, reaching for the plate of small cakes. They looked really delicious, but I was still so confused. Why would he be doing this? Does he want to poison me? I bet he wants to poison me.

I said yes anyways.

And they were damn delicious.

Bill looked so proud; the smile he wore stretched from ear to ear. I just stuffed another one of those little cakes in my mouth.

“How do you like my tea party, Tom?” Bill asked, looking as innocent and hopeful as he ever has in his life.

“This is really neat. And the tea and cake is amazing.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you like it!” Bill squealed, clapping his hands together with an even bigger grin, if it were possible. I think if he tried to grin any bigger his face would just end up tearing in half. “Would you like some more tea?” I nodded since I was in the middle of finishing up my second cake.

As he was pouring more tea into my teacup, I said, “I only have one question...” Bill nodded, so I continued. “Why are you doing all of this? I mean, what is it for?”

Bill’s smile left and he looked up at me. Now, instead of the pure happiness and pride that I saw in his eyes just a moment ago, there was something quite the opposite. Did I say something wrong?

“I just... wanted to do something special for you is all,” Bill said so quietly that I almost couldn’t hear him. I frowned.

“I think this is very special, Bill.” His eyes rose to meet mine, keeping his head down. His hat fell off of his head, landing on the floor right near my feet.

“Really?” I bent over to pick up the hat and dusted it off. Smiling, I pulled him over to me and wrapped my arms around him. Bill reacted almost immediately and hugged me back.

“Really,” I assured him softly, and I could feel him smiling. Bill pulled away and once more his excitement had returned. I handed him his hat, and he threw it back onto his head.

“Well then,” I started, standing to reach the teapot. “Would you like some more tea?” Bill smirked.