Destined to Explode

It’s odd to wake up in a warm house the next morning, no noise of the city bustling outside, or Rick slamming around the in the rest of my apartment, just the peace that is silence, something I rarely come across.
Even Jack, who slipped into the room at around 3am, mumbling something about being lonely and cheese biscuits, was now quiet, not muttering or shuffling from his make-shift bed on the floor, and May had already vacated the room, probably to help her Mom prepare for the day ahead.
It’s when Rian pokes his head around the door, massive grin showing even in the still dim room, that I decide to get up and help.

“Morning Barakat and Barakat’s cousin, Mom of the house would like to know if you want breakfast?”

“Stupid question.” Jack mumbles into the floor, not moving an inch, “I’ll be down in five.”

“Pops?”

“I’ll make myself some toast when I’ve showered. Thanks Rian.”

He nods courteously, before he shuffles in quickly and kicks Jack in the leg, laughing as one of his best friends jumps at the contact, “Douche bag, Rian! Get out!”

“I’m gone!”

I laugh as I nudge Jack with my own foot once I pull myself out of the bed, protesting as he licks my ankle in return, “You never change do you, Jacky?”

“Not until it’s for the best, Popsicle.” He groans as he pulls himself off the floor, “Tonight, we’re all sleeping down in the basement and having some sort of movie night, because I know you, you’ll disappear back to Illinois before I can blink.”

“Could it also have something to do with your apparent fear of sleeping alone?”

“How dare you think such a thing?” He looks up at me, “You try living in a bus with loads of people most of your year and then not feeling abandoned when you have to sleep in a room alone!”

“Normal people would savour that Jack.” I laugh as I bundle everything in arms ready for my shower, “You hear that? Normal!”

----

“Jack! Bring back the cake batter, now!” I screech, chasing after him as he continues to shovel the sloppy mixture into mouth, grinning as he sprints around the house, his long legs carrying him further and faster than me, “Stop making sex noises as well, that’s just so wrong!”

“But it’s just so good! I’ve give up sex for this.”

I can’t help but double over in laughter at my ridiculous cousin, sliding round the corner on my socks thanks to the help of wooden flooring, Jack squealing as he heads for the front door, probably trying the age old trick of running up the street so I won’t bother to follow.
His plans are cut short as the door opens and he runs into Alex, the cake mixture going all over both of them, Lisa who stepped in seconds after Alex, and the floor.

“See what you did now, Jack?” I sigh, throwing my hands down exasperatedly, “Go get the mop.”

“I don’t know where it is?” He shrugs, crouching down to try and scoop the gloop back into the bowl, but Alex stops him with a swift smack to the head and a laughing shake of his head.

“You live-. That just-.” I stumble over my own words as I stare at him in awe, “What the hell? It’s in the hall closet, like it always has been!”

I go and grab the cleaning utensil myself, pointing Lisa to May’s room to borrow some clean clothes with what I hope is a kind smile, even though she’s making a fuss over nothing, while Alex shrugs off his jacket and throws it into the laundry pile before he sets out trying to help me clean up the mess.

“Joyce leave by any chance?” Alex laughs once I send Jack off to go make more mixture, hating that he feels the need to act childish even though right now isn’t the time for his hyper state.

“Don’t I just know it? She took May with her as well, to go pick up my Mom, so now, it’s like I’m babysitting him. Zack and Rian ditched as well to go find large amounts of alcohol.”

“I’m sure that’s what you planned for when you drove down here, huh? Looking after Jack like he’s five and trying to make sense of my life for me.”

“All in a day’s work.” I smile, nudging him out of the way, “Go get changed, Lex. I can get the rest of this, no worries.”

-----

Thanksgiving dinner seemed to go down a treat; Mrs Barakat’s cooking being as perfect as normal, as I’m sure the rest of the boys Mum’s is as well, even though I’d never had the opportunity to find out in the four years the families had been having joint dinners, seeing as I’d restricted myself to staying in Chicago.
No one consumes too much alcohol for once, and when the parents finally leave, minus my own Mom who takes the guest room for the night, (having planned a day for just the two of us tomorrow), we all traipse down to the basement, throwing as many mattress, pillows and blankets as we could have carried onto the floor, setting the space to look like a giant slumber party.

“Is Lisa not coming tonight then?” I ask out loud as I shuffle some of Rian’s clothes back into his suitcase instead of having them all over the floor, so I can spread out another comforter for someone.

Alex shakes his head in reply, “She said she was too tired to drive over after seeing her parents or something, I don’t know.”

I can sense the sour tone in his voice as he throws himself down onto a pile of cushions, yanking a blanket over himself, eyes settling on the TV that Zack is setting up on the opposite wall, but decide that maybe this time he doesn’t want to talk about his troubles with Lisa.

“POPPY! Come sit with me.” Jack whines, patting the spot next to him before making grabby hands in my direction, “We’re gonna watch Good Burger!”

“I’m surprised it’s not some shitty horror that Rian wanted.” I chuckle as I drag the fluffy blanket I’d gotten for myself and plonk my ass down next to Jack, silently apologising to Alex as I cause his blanket to shift off one of his feet, “I seem to remember that’s all you guys used to want to watch.”

“We’ve matured.” Rian winks but is quickly shushed my Alex whose eyes haven’t shifted in the slightest from the screen, “Well, except for Jack.”

I shift my eyes from the drummer and have to resist the urge to laugh at Jack, who’s sat crossed legged, a seemingly permanent smile on his face, looking like a child at the summer fair as he watches Kenan and Kel on the screen.

It's good to be home.