Status: Updates Every Three Days
My Medical Romance
Six
I took in the room. Nearly everything was black, or near it. Art lined every wall and across from an extremely sloppily made bed was an ancient television set, complete with VCR and stack of horror movies on VHS.
“They’re probably getting snacks.” We could hear people walking about the floor above us. “Make yourself comfortable, I guess.”
Unsure of what to do with myself, I sat on the very corner of the bed. Mikey went up the stairs two at a time and came back down right after, toting a few bottles of soda. The three older boys came down with chips and some sort of aerosolized cheese and that’s when the plan was officially being discussed.
“Mikey, any progress on the mix tape?” Gerard asked, turning on the television to a rerun of an ancient talk show.
“Yeah, finished it up in Theory today. Fitz is really surprised that I was done so early.”
“Right, good. Iris, that’s really the only thing set in stone. Everything else is just your run of the mill hell raising. Think you can manage that? Next Friday, so we can get the hell out before spring break.”
For whatever reason, I expected it to be much more structured than that.
“Yeah, I think I can do that.”
“Right. Well, Mom said we could order a couple of pizzas, it’s a Friday night and we’ve got nothing better to do, what do you guys say to a monster movie marathon?”
“Sounds good,” Ray agreed, and I wasn’t quite sure what to feel. I’d never seen any sort of monster movie, let alone several in a row.
“Shit, Iris,” Frank giggled, pulling the blanket up to look at me. “You could’ve told us you weren’t into monster movies.”
We were in the middle of some Godzilla sequel and I was having none of it. Around the time of the previous movie I’d burrowed deep into the blankets of Gerard’s bed, leaving an inch of space to occasionally peek out of.
“We can go upstairs, if you need,” Mikey offered. “I think you’re staying over.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, looking at my watch to avoid the terrifying lizard monster on the screen. “This is one of mom’s late nights.”
“She’s okay with you being around four teenage boys late at night?” Ray asked.
“I think she knows that Donna will keep anything from happening. She works late a lot and it’s safer to be here than home alone. Mikey, do you have any fexofenadine? I forgot mine at home and if I want to have any chance of breathing tomorrow I need an antihistamine.” We went up the stairs together, leaving behind the other boys.
“It’s just on the counter over there. It’s my maintenance med too, so we get the value bottle. I’m going to go ask my mom if there’s anything you can use as pajamas.”
I was glad I’d brought my soda bottle with me because the thought of having to take his allergy medications and go rooting through his cabinets for a glass, then having to go into his fridge for something to drink was too much for my social anxiety. If he, or Gerard, or Donna were with me I could at least ask where anything was.
I popped two of the pills and downed the rest of my soda, shaking my head to clear some of the impending drowsiness.
Donna came down the stairs with a bundle of clothing a little after that.
“Mikey’s just getting into his pajamas too, and I’m going to tell Gerard to set up the air mattress. These are some of his old clothes so they might be a little big, sweetie.”
“Thanks for letting me stay over, Mrs. Way.” Suddenly shy, I hid behind the clothes.
“No problem, no problem. I’m divorced myself, you know. I know how difficult it can be. The bathroom’s right in here, Iris, why don’t you get changed?” I thanked her again quickly and slipped into the borrowed pajamas. The pants were a little long, and the shirt was baggy in the shoulders (decorated with some cartoon that I’d never heard of) but they were warm and comfortable.
“They’re probably getting snacks.” We could hear people walking about the floor above us. “Make yourself comfortable, I guess.”
Unsure of what to do with myself, I sat on the very corner of the bed. Mikey went up the stairs two at a time and came back down right after, toting a few bottles of soda. The three older boys came down with chips and some sort of aerosolized cheese and that’s when the plan was officially being discussed.
“Mikey, any progress on the mix tape?” Gerard asked, turning on the television to a rerun of an ancient talk show.
“Yeah, finished it up in Theory today. Fitz is really surprised that I was done so early.”
“Right, good. Iris, that’s really the only thing set in stone. Everything else is just your run of the mill hell raising. Think you can manage that? Next Friday, so we can get the hell out before spring break.”
For whatever reason, I expected it to be much more structured than that.
“Yeah, I think I can do that.”
“Right. Well, Mom said we could order a couple of pizzas, it’s a Friday night and we’ve got nothing better to do, what do you guys say to a monster movie marathon?”
“Sounds good,” Ray agreed, and I wasn’t quite sure what to feel. I’d never seen any sort of monster movie, let alone several in a row.
“Shit, Iris,” Frank giggled, pulling the blanket up to look at me. “You could’ve told us you weren’t into monster movies.”
We were in the middle of some Godzilla sequel and I was having none of it. Around the time of the previous movie I’d burrowed deep into the blankets of Gerard’s bed, leaving an inch of space to occasionally peek out of.
“We can go upstairs, if you need,” Mikey offered. “I think you’re staying over.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, looking at my watch to avoid the terrifying lizard monster on the screen. “This is one of mom’s late nights.”
“She’s okay with you being around four teenage boys late at night?” Ray asked.
“I think she knows that Donna will keep anything from happening. She works late a lot and it’s safer to be here than home alone. Mikey, do you have any fexofenadine? I forgot mine at home and if I want to have any chance of breathing tomorrow I need an antihistamine.” We went up the stairs together, leaving behind the other boys.
“It’s just on the counter over there. It’s my maintenance med too, so we get the value bottle. I’m going to go ask my mom if there’s anything you can use as pajamas.”
I was glad I’d brought my soda bottle with me because the thought of having to take his allergy medications and go rooting through his cabinets for a glass, then having to go into his fridge for something to drink was too much for my social anxiety. If he, or Gerard, or Donna were with me I could at least ask where anything was.
I popped two of the pills and downed the rest of my soda, shaking my head to clear some of the impending drowsiness.
Donna came down the stairs with a bundle of clothing a little after that.
“Mikey’s just getting into his pajamas too, and I’m going to tell Gerard to set up the air mattress. These are some of his old clothes so they might be a little big, sweetie.”
“Thanks for letting me stay over, Mrs. Way.” Suddenly shy, I hid behind the clothes.
“No problem, no problem. I’m divorced myself, you know. I know how difficult it can be. The bathroom’s right in here, Iris, why don’t you get changed?” I thanked her again quickly and slipped into the borrowed pajamas. The pants were a little long, and the shirt was baggy in the shoulders (decorated with some cartoon that I’d never heard of) but they were warm and comfortable.