Everyday Combat

Summer. No being grounded. No pain from my arm. No arguing/warring (delete as applicable) friends. No shitty twin brother. No school. Plenty of fun.Plenty of alcohol. Everyone in California like they should be. This was how summer vacation should be spent.

No exceptions, you gotta spend it with your friends.

The smell of weed coming off Jimmy was strong so it was good and well we were inside away from the cops. I was currently upside down with my legs over the back of the sofa, Johnny one side and Matt B the other mimicking my action. Brian was laid on the floor before us. Jimmy and Matt S both had chairs and Jason was nearest the TV.

As for the other two, Zack was squished into a chair with Sarah. And we weren't really paying attention to them. I didn't really get interested in PDA, mostly because it wasn't me and because it was my brother for fucks sake. Who wants to see their brother eating his girlfriend?

"That was so a dive!" I whined, lobbing popcorn at the TV somehow since I was upside down watching the soccer.

"No it wasn't," Brian retorted.

"It so was ass face."

"How would you know? You're upside down."

"So? That Chelsea prick was so diving Brian!" I yelled getting worked up about the issue. "He looked like he jumped off a fucking spring board!"

"Well Liverpool must have put it there then, cause it's their grass."

"Why would Liverpool stoop as low as to put a spring board in the holy ground of Anfield?!"

"Faith, he didn't dive!" Brian sat up and looked at me. I reached a hand up and slapped his head. Rather hard. Everyone laughed, well except Zack and Sarah but I hardly expected them to react.

"Get out if you're gonna support Chelsea."

"It's my house!"

"I don't care get out!"

"You can't kick me out of my house!"

"I can when you're supporting an asshole team!"

"No you fucking can't!"

"Yes I bloody can, ho la Mafia sul mio lato, penso. Insanguinare la schiuma di Chelsea."

"WILL YOU TWO FUCKING QUIT IT??" Everyone suddenly yelled, making me jump and somehow fall off the sofa onto Brian. He let out an 'oof' but his hands shot up to steady me as we sheepishly grinned around at everyone. Wow, we'd even got Zack and Sarah's attention.

I mumbled an apology to Brian before climbing back onto the sofa, only it was short lived because Liverpool scored and I had to do a victory dance around Mrs Haner’s usually nice and tidy living room. Well, it was always nice and tidy till we all showed up and trashed it.

After the match which ended up a draw, Zack and I decided to head home. Or rather mom summoned us, the summons passed on by Suzie who daringly poked her head into her teenager-filled living room to let us know, somehow managing to raise her voice high enough above us all.

The moment we got in, mom sat me down to check my arm. She wasn't medically trained but she took charge of wiping it with antiseptic cream or whatever it was she put on it every morning before she went to work and every evening after dinner. It was starting to scab quite nicely now, and I'd be able to have the stitches out the day before school let back in.

"Hmm, you haven't been picking it have you?" Mom suddenly asked, dropping a dirty cotton wool ball onto the table so to begin drying it to apply the cream.

"What?" I asked looking up from my sandwich Zack had kindly rustled up for me. "No, I'm not that dumb. Besides it's really sore at the minute, and even if I so much as brush it on my jacket sleeves it itches like hell."

"Oh, it's just I swear you had ten stitches not nine." I glanced up at her from behind my glasses as we both shrugged. Then she looked at Zack who was feeding the old salami from our fridge to Danzig who was sat in the gap between our chairs. "Have you done that essay yet?"

He wrinkled his nose up, and didn't look at her. "School's not for like another week yet mom."

"Zack, you were supposed to do your homework at the beginning of the vacation," she frowned.

"Well I got sidetracked ... with stuff."

"I want it done by Tuesday young man, before I go to LA or you're not going to Anaheim." Then she placed her hands on my shoulders, ignoring his complaints. "Right missy, shower. You smell of Jimmy and I don't want your father coming in and thinking you've been smoking weed, alright? I'll put the cream on once you're out"

I got up and shuffled out of the kitchen to head on upstairs to the bathroom. I switched the shower on first before going to collect some underwear, a pair of shorts and a top for bed as well as my hairbrush so I could tame my mess of hair once I was out. I didn't feel like spending half an hour drying it tonight.

Monty Python was on tonight and I could not miss it.

After a while in which I removed my make-up I heard Zack's "homework" music start playing (don't ask; he just has this particular collection of songs burnt to CD he reckons are good for listening to whilst doing homework), telling me he was writing his essay.

My good mood flattened slightly at that. I already knew he'd write it about Sarah. Everyone knew it. I mean, they were back together and seemingly more in love than ever so why wouldn't he write it about her?

I didn't tell Brian or anyone I was bummed about it. I'd spent enough time complaining she was dating my brother it was now getting boring to me so for everyone else it must have been deathly. Besides, there was absolutely no reason I should hate her. Not a valid one anyway.

And she made Zack happy, so I guess that was okay.

Didn't stop me feeling bummed his essay was about her though.