and this is how it starts..
|cecilia|
I can hear Ashton talking on the phone in the kitchen, while I'm in the dining room, eating cereal. I'm not able to see the proximity of the room, but I know its a large place by what I've felt and how Ashton's and my voices echo when we have conversations. The table, with sharp edges that have hurt me many times, feels like glass by the coldness and crispness of the flat surface, and I know it's long because I've felt around the whole thing too many times.
When I'm not retrieving any more cereal from the metal spoon, and just milk, I know that I'm finished eating breakfast. I pick up the porcelain bowl and, being careful not to spill the remaining milk, shuffle back into the kitchen, one hand in front of me like always. Ashton gasping as soon as I step onto the cool tile, he grabs the bowl I was grasping and then the sound of running water is heard, indicating that I don't need to rinse it off, even though I'm more than capable of washing a dish.
"Luke, I know you need a job. Its like... Babysitting. Except, she's not a baby. And you don't need to watch her all the time. Basically I'm paying you to live with my baby sister."
"You just said I'm not a baby, you idiot." I mutter under my breath.
"What was that?" Ashton says, and I can't tell if he's talking to me or the person on the phone, who I'm presuming is Luke, so I feel the counter space around me as an excuse to ignore him, looking for where I know the banana rack is. I find some, rip one off the bunch, and feel around for the top, splitting the peel and pulling it down until I have a banana ready to eat.
"We'll talk about the details at lunch later... I know for a fact that you aren't doing anything... Well... Yeah... I'll see you then... Mm-hmm... Bye, Luke."
I hear the beep of the hang up button and footsteps as Ashton approaches me. He puts his hand on my shoulder abruptly, but I don't make a move of surprise. Instead I face my head to where I think his is (Ashton's voice has always come from above my head, so I've assumed that he's at least a few inches taller than me).
"Its eleven thirty, and he wants to meet us at noon. Come on." He links his arm through mine and leads me up the stairs slowly, taking each step one by one, my feet feeling up the steps.
"What do you want to wear?" Ashton stalks off away from me as we make it to my room, and I feel the air around me until I make it to my bed.
"Um... I don't care. I can't see anything you pick anyways."
"Don't worry, I'll make you look very cute." Ashton giggles his pleasantly charming school girl giggle. As a kid, that laugh would make me happy on the worst days. It still does, to be honest.
"Why would I need to look cute?" I cock my head to the side.
"You don't need to. You want to look ugly?"
"No, no, I don't! Just pick something out and give it to me." I groan. "Is this what I'm going to go through with your friend? Is he going to do the stuff you do for me?"
"Yeah, but since he doesn't love you like I do, he won't be annoying." He says, his words copying the ones I've said so many times. I've called my brother annoying so much, I can't count it on my fingers and toes.
And then something hitsbmy face, something soft, and I rip it away frantically. But, I relax as I stroke the thing that just smacked me and find out that it's just a piece of clothing.
"Did you throw this at me?"
"Yep. It's a dress. Put it on, and I'll be back to straighten your hair."
