Precaution

It was moving day for Lucy and the two of us along with Marc, Sidney, Jordan and Max were at Marc’s place loading up her boxes.

She had stayed away from the apartment for two long, allowing her old things and new things that were recently purchased to clutter up. By the time we had everything packed and ready for transport back to our old place, it was already three in the afternoon. I sat around a box of Lucy’s tree encyclopedias, feeling the cool wood flooring against my bare legs as I sat on the ground in shorts and a Crosby T-Shirt. (Lucy wore a Fleury shirt, the two of us being forced to pledge our allegiance through clothing.)

The guys had left about twenty minutes ago to grab some food, which left Lucy and myself alone. This meant we were blasting our favorite songs, my ipod on shuffle. We packed through many Disney songs, each of us singing our own rendition of hit favorites like “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” as well as “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride”

But with no warning, Backstreet Boys “Larger Than Life” came on and we both screamed, remembering the old days of jumping on dormroom beds and singing.

“Bow wow wow wow ow ow ow. HA HA HA!” Lucy began, staring at me with a smile. I couldn’t help but join in. I jumped up on the chair and she went on the couch.

“I may run and hide when you’re screaming my name, alright.” I added, the two of us moving to the music like we were performing a concert.

”But let me tell you now there are prices to fame, alright!” she went next, grabbing a large sharpie marker that she used for packing to now use as a microphone.

“All of our time spent in flashes of light!” I continued before we both hopped off from our stages to the floor, jumping around as we collectively sang the next part.

”ALL YOU PEOPLE CAN’T YOU SEE, CAN’T YOU SEE? HOW YOUR LOVES AFFECTING OUR REALITY. AND EVERYTIME WE’RE DOWN, YOU CAN MAKE IT RIGHT AND THAT MAKES YOU LARGER THAN LIFE!!!” we finished off strong, bouncing around.

Just as we were gearing up for the next verse, we both felt a feeling of being watched so we whipped around to find Jordan, Marc, Sidney and Max all at the doorway of the living room, watching us with open mouths and a subtle hint of concern. Not the nice kind, but the kind that wondered whether or not institutionalizing us would be for the best or not.

But we only stared back for a second before returning to our song, Lucy pretending to play a guitar while I danced over to Sidney to get what I presumed to be diet coke from his hands. The two of us both mouthed the words and I gave Sidney a quick kiss as I took the beverage. Eventually the song faded out and the guys laughed, all of us sinking down to the ground to eat our lunches. We sat with our legs crossed on the cool floor, unpacking the McDonalds from it’s paper bags.

I took hold of a Big Mac and some fries, taking a bite of my burger while looking around. The house didn’t feel as lived in as it did before, with all of Lucy’s things there. I wondered how long it would be before the they moved back in together. Lucy hadn’t told me when she wanted the wedding and I didn’t know what would happen.

“You two, by the way, are freaks.” Jordan said, taking a drink of his soda. The rest of the guys stifled their laughter with their food as Lucy and I exchanged looks.

“Please, Staal. It’s called talent. Respect it.” Lucy replied back, and we high fived before simultaneously taking big bites out of our burgers. Sidney and Marc looked at one another, shaking there heads.

“I don’t really know what we got ourselves into with the Twisted Sisters.” Sid said and I threw a fry at him.

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Post lunch, there wasn’t enough energy left for moving any heavy boxes, so we all slumped around the house in various spots. Marc and Lucy napped on the couch together, while Sid and I softly talked as I lounged over his lap. Max and Jordan, however, being the complete freaks of nature that they were, horseplayed around the house with hockey sticks and an oversized ping pong ball.

But I didn’t really care about the noise and I don’t think Marc even cared when we heard a glass break in the kitchen. We were all enjoying company in the presence of our big, insanely strange family.