Kid A
Fourteen.
So, things being back to normal made me happy and all; I think it made us all a lot happier which was really good. But, not everything was exactly as it used to. Thom came around to visit a lot like he always has, and that was always nice, but sometimes having Colin around even more than Thom got a little weird.
I guess that’s not good of me to think, though, because I grew up with Colin since he’s my brother and all, but now that we’re well of adult age, sometimes I wonder why he’s still staying here. Then, I remember what happened with his girlfriend, and that he needs this, and I feel a little better, but he just wears me out.
---
Thom came over one day when I was frantically cleaning. I don’t know how to describe it, I just got into this thing, like an obsessive-compulsive niche where I had to clean everything. I just get those sometimes. So Thom followed me around and he didn’t try too hard to stop me or get me to pay attention to him, but I could tell he was kind of confused.
“Jonny… You make a good housewife to Colin but… Why are you doing this so much?”
I shrugged. “I don’t even use this stuff. I just clean it because Colin doesn’t and I think the house needs to be cleaned.”
“Jonny, you look so tired. Let’s just sit down.”
“In a second, Thom. It’ll bug me if I leave this mess here any longer.”
He frowned and began to help me clean up. Colin walked by on his way to his room, but he didn’t really say anything to us.
“There, it looks clean!” Thom announced.
I shook my head, “No, no, there’s still all this…” I continued downstairs to the kitchen, “Colin’s an amazing cook but this kitchen…” I sighed, “A lot of times I just leave it but I don’t know it’s bothering me a lot right now.” I looked at Thom.
He sighed. “I guess there is random cheese on the counter and it looks like there’s stuff spilled… and dirty dishes all over… God, Jonny, why do you let Colin do this? It’s still your house…”
I shrugged. “He lives here too. Why should I be the one in charge? I mean he’s older than me and we kind of just live as equals…” I sighed. “I’m sorry Thom. You just came on a bad day. I’m so sorry.” I started to wipe the counters, and Thom picked up some dishes.
“Jonny, doesn’t all this work ever upset you?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know. I don’t mind being a house wife or anything it’s just that Colin never says thanks.”
Thom frowned.
“I’d rather be your housewife,” I smiled at him, “but I guess that’s kind of weird isn’t it?”
Thom kissed my cheek. “No, I’d thank you and offer to help out every day.”
I laughed. “You don’t have to do this, you know. I think Colin finally left the TV open if you want to put in a movie or something. I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” he went to the closet to get a broom and dustpan, “We’ll get around to it faster if we work at this together.”
---
Thom and I finished cleaning the kitchen in what seemed like 10 or 20 minutes, then we just sat on the couch and played video games together and it was really nice. Colin would walk by occasionally, but he didn’t really bug us other than the one time he showed us some funny pictures on his computer. After a few hours of video games, and a meal prepared for us by Colin, Thom went on his way back home.
---
Other than his constant messes I guess life with Colin was okay, but we just didn't talk much and I got lonely after Thom would leave. I couldn't figure out if maybe the routine patterns of the day were getting to me or what, but it was strange.
Sometimes I would just pace my room, I’d turn on some classical music and I’d just lay down on the floor and stare at the ceiling in some vegetative, nonresponsive state for hours. My brain would just shut down; I wasn’t even thinking about being happy or unhappy or wanting anything, I just lost it. Then sometimes I would start thinking again and I wouldn’t know why but I’d start crying and I just wanted Thom to be there, or anyone really probably would have been okay but it was always Thom’s face in my mind…
And sometimes Thom wouldn’t come around for days at a time and I just lost sight of what to do with myself…
I guess that’s not good of me to think, though, because I grew up with Colin since he’s my brother and all, but now that we’re well of adult age, sometimes I wonder why he’s still staying here. Then, I remember what happened with his girlfriend, and that he needs this, and I feel a little better, but he just wears me out.
---
Thom came over one day when I was frantically cleaning. I don’t know how to describe it, I just got into this thing, like an obsessive-compulsive niche where I had to clean everything. I just get those sometimes. So Thom followed me around and he didn’t try too hard to stop me or get me to pay attention to him, but I could tell he was kind of confused.
“Jonny… You make a good housewife to Colin but… Why are you doing this so much?”
I shrugged. “I don’t even use this stuff. I just clean it because Colin doesn’t and I think the house needs to be cleaned.”
“Jonny, you look so tired. Let’s just sit down.”
“In a second, Thom. It’ll bug me if I leave this mess here any longer.”
He frowned and began to help me clean up. Colin walked by on his way to his room, but he didn’t really say anything to us.
“There, it looks clean!” Thom announced.
I shook my head, “No, no, there’s still all this…” I continued downstairs to the kitchen, “Colin’s an amazing cook but this kitchen…” I sighed, “A lot of times I just leave it but I don’t know it’s bothering me a lot right now.” I looked at Thom.
He sighed. “I guess there is random cheese on the counter and it looks like there’s stuff spilled… and dirty dishes all over… God, Jonny, why do you let Colin do this? It’s still your house…”
I shrugged. “He lives here too. Why should I be the one in charge? I mean he’s older than me and we kind of just live as equals…” I sighed. “I’m sorry Thom. You just came on a bad day. I’m so sorry.” I started to wipe the counters, and Thom picked up some dishes.
“Jonny, doesn’t all this work ever upset you?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know. I don’t mind being a house wife or anything it’s just that Colin never says thanks.”
Thom frowned.
“I’d rather be your housewife,” I smiled at him, “but I guess that’s kind of weird isn’t it?”
Thom kissed my cheek. “No, I’d thank you and offer to help out every day.”
I laughed. “You don’t have to do this, you know. I think Colin finally left the TV open if you want to put in a movie or something. I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” he went to the closet to get a broom and dustpan, “We’ll get around to it faster if we work at this together.”
---
Thom and I finished cleaning the kitchen in what seemed like 10 or 20 minutes, then we just sat on the couch and played video games together and it was really nice. Colin would walk by occasionally, but he didn’t really bug us other than the one time he showed us some funny pictures on his computer. After a few hours of video games, and a meal prepared for us by Colin, Thom went on his way back home.
---
Other than his constant messes I guess life with Colin was okay, but we just didn't talk much and I got lonely after Thom would leave. I couldn't figure out if maybe the routine patterns of the day were getting to me or what, but it was strange.
Sometimes I would just pace my room, I’d turn on some classical music and I’d just lay down on the floor and stare at the ceiling in some vegetative, nonresponsive state for hours. My brain would just shut down; I wasn’t even thinking about being happy or unhappy or wanting anything, I just lost it. Then sometimes I would start thinking again and I wouldn’t know why but I’d start crying and I just wanted Thom to be there, or anyone really probably would have been okay but it was always Thom’s face in my mind…
And sometimes Thom wouldn’t come around for days at a time and I just lost sight of what to do with myself…