Snippit!
10/01/06
Zachary
I held my breath as I tip toed down the hallway to Taylor’s room, peeking through a crack in the door to see if he was still awake. I sighed as I realised there was no light emitting from his room and with my shoulders slumped I headed back to my bedroom.
It was a good twenty-two minutes later and I still couldn’t sleep. I was ready to use my best kung-fu fighting moves when my door swung open slowly, but I stopped when I noticed it was my stupid brother standing there and not a burglar.
“Why is your face like that?” Came his sceptical voice accompanied by his ‘you-re weird’ stare.
“I thought you were a robber and thought I was gonna have to bust out my karate chop action.”
“Yeahhh, well, ah, no.” He said, in his stupid sarcasm voice, making a strange fake smile face and nodding quickly.
“Anyway, what did you want before?” His face returned to normal as he leaned against the doorframe.
“Nothing.”
“Well it must have been something because you got up out of your bed and walked all the way to my room.”
“Its like, two rooms over.” I explained, acting flippant.
“You’re like, Zac.” He said, imitating me and implying my laziness.
“Well you must be interested in what I have to say otherwise you wouldn’t be here asking me about it.” I countered, in my all-knowing voice.
“I was thirsty.”
“So where’s your drink?” I asked, grinning like a true smart ass.
“I’m getting to it…” Taylor shrugged. There was a skip in our beat before he spoke again, “I just, thought something was wrong.” He all but whispered.
I stopped being stupid then and looked up at him. “You worry too much.”
“It’s my job.” He gave a miserable smile.
“No it’s not.”
“Well, Isaac’s not here anymore and… and things need to be taken care of.” The walls went up again and he was back to being the Taylor that sticks to plans and has a organiser. The grown-up Taylor that had some how snuck in one day and made itself comfortable while no one noticed. Now it wouldn't go away, not with Isaac gone anyway.
“What things? Worrying?” I asked, not meaning to sound as sarcastic as it came out.
“Did you have something to say or didn’t you?”
“Do you worry a lot?”
His eyes tilted downwards, “Sometimes.”
“What do you worry about?”
“Lots of stuff.” He straightened, “Is there a point to this?”
“No.”
Silence.
“Ok.”
There was another pause, but Taylor didn’t make any motion to leave, so I sat up in my bed and rested my elbows on my knees with my head cradled in my hands.
“Your face is smooshed.”
I shrugged, “So?”
He shrugged back. “I’dunno.”
Taylor came to sit on my bed, “Sometimes I worry about you.”
“Why? I’m not doing anything stupid.”
“I know, I just,” His voice trickled off.
“You’ve been talking to Mom haven’t you?”
“No, but you’re my brother and brothers worry about each other sometimes.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m ok.”
Taylor looked down, “I guess.”
“I don’t ever worry about you.”
“Why?” Taylor took a slight offence to this. Maybe he thought I didn't care about him?
“Because I know that you don’t ever make mistakes. And even if you did, they were never big ones, and you always fixed them before any one noticed.”
“I never fixed them, Zac. I just hid them away.”
He glanced up at me, shame in his eyes. “You’re still young, you know, you don’t need to worry about your old brother. I need to take care of you; not the other way around.”
I huffed loudly and Taylor looked at me, I shrugged, “Forgot to breathe.”
Taylor nodded and checked his watch, “It’s late, and you should go to bed.”
“I am in bed.” I said, like the true smarty pants I am.
“You know what I mean. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
I frowned, “Yeah. I know.”
“It’s ok. I couldn’t sleep the night before either.” Taylor gave me a knowing smile.
"Wait," He looked up and I grabbed a scrunched up piece of paper from my nightstand, “Will you listen to my vows?”
The carefree Taylor came back as a genuine smile streched itself across his face and he nodded, “Of course.”
Zachary
I held my breath as I tip toed down the hallway to Taylor’s room, peeking through a crack in the door to see if he was still awake. I sighed as I realised there was no light emitting from his room and with my shoulders slumped I headed back to my bedroom.
It was a good twenty-two minutes later and I still couldn’t sleep. I was ready to use my best kung-fu fighting moves when my door swung open slowly, but I stopped when I noticed it was my stupid brother standing there and not a burglar.
“Why is your face like that?” Came his sceptical voice accompanied by his ‘you-re weird’ stare.
“I thought you were a robber and thought I was gonna have to bust out my karate chop action.”
“Yeahhh, well, ah, no.” He said, in his stupid sarcasm voice, making a strange fake smile face and nodding quickly.
“Anyway, what did you want before?” His face returned to normal as he leaned against the doorframe.
“Nothing.”
“Well it must have been something because you got up out of your bed and walked all the way to my room.”
“Its like, two rooms over.” I explained, acting flippant.
“You’re like, Zac.” He said, imitating me and implying my laziness.
“Well you must be interested in what I have to say otherwise you wouldn’t be here asking me about it.” I countered, in my all-knowing voice.
“I was thirsty.”
“So where’s your drink?” I asked, grinning like a true smart ass.
“I’m getting to it…” Taylor shrugged. There was a skip in our beat before he spoke again, “I just, thought something was wrong.” He all but whispered.
I stopped being stupid then and looked up at him. “You worry too much.”
“It’s my job.” He gave a miserable smile.
“No it’s not.”
“Well, Isaac’s not here anymore and… and things need to be taken care of.” The walls went up again and he was back to being the Taylor that sticks to plans and has a organiser. The grown-up Taylor that had some how snuck in one day and made itself comfortable while no one noticed. Now it wouldn't go away, not with Isaac gone anyway.
“What things? Worrying?” I asked, not meaning to sound as sarcastic as it came out.
“Did you have something to say or didn’t you?”
“Do you worry a lot?”
His eyes tilted downwards, “Sometimes.”
“What do you worry about?”
“Lots of stuff.” He straightened, “Is there a point to this?”
“No.”
Silence.
“Ok.”
There was another pause, but Taylor didn’t make any motion to leave, so I sat up in my bed and rested my elbows on my knees with my head cradled in my hands.
“Your face is smooshed.”
I shrugged, “So?”
He shrugged back. “I’dunno.”
Taylor came to sit on my bed, “Sometimes I worry about you.”
“Why? I’m not doing anything stupid.”
“I know, I just,” His voice trickled off.
“You’ve been talking to Mom haven’t you?”
“No, but you’re my brother and brothers worry about each other sometimes.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m ok.”
Taylor looked down, “I guess.”
“I don’t ever worry about you.”
“Why?” Taylor took a slight offence to this. Maybe he thought I didn't care about him?
“Because I know that you don’t ever make mistakes. And even if you did, they were never big ones, and you always fixed them before any one noticed.”
“I never fixed them, Zac. I just hid them away.”
He glanced up at me, shame in his eyes. “You’re still young, you know, you don’t need to worry about your old brother. I need to take care of you; not the other way around.”
I huffed loudly and Taylor looked at me, I shrugged, “Forgot to breathe.”
Taylor nodded and checked his watch, “It’s late, and you should go to bed.”
“I am in bed.” I said, like the true smarty pants I am.
“You know what I mean. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
I frowned, “Yeah. I know.”
“It’s ok. I couldn’t sleep the night before either.” Taylor gave me a knowing smile.
"Wait," He looked up and I grabbed a scrunched up piece of paper from my nightstand, “Will you listen to my vows?”
The carefree Taylor came back as a genuine smile streched itself across his face and he nodded, “Of course.”