Carousels and Cotton Candy Dream
Ihurry to clean up the kitchen.
My developing OCD is getting worse by the day. I can’t fucking stand the mess. My bag is packed, and I’m picking up Alana at Emily’s as soon as this apartment is in some kind of decent order.
I’m scrubbing a glass that has cigarette ashes caked on the bottom when I hear Sean shuffle in.
“Can you be any louder?” he gripes as he hauls himself onto the counter next to me.
“Can you be any more disgusting?” I splash some grimy water at him.
“Hey!” He tries to deflect it with his arm, but I already soaked his white tank with black speckles of ash all down the front.
“Need to be faster than that.”
“Whatever, bro. Face me when I’m awake. I dare you.”
“You don’t scare me, jackass.” I square off with him.
Sean grins. And I can see it in his eyes, the playfulness and the fury. He isn’t really anyone to fuck with. I’ve seen him take down guys twice his size and double his girth. He’s cunning and conniving, and if he had one working brain cell, he could be anything he wanted. He far surpasses me in the intelligence department, but I have the one thing he doesn’t, self-control.
I also wasn’t blessed with a bipolar disorder, which is where most of my brother’s problems stem from. He got the short end of the stick there.
“You going somewhere?” Sean asks, clearly noticing my packed duffle bag on the table.
“Nothing gets past you.” I wipe my hands with a dish towel. Finally done.
“So, where you headed?” he probes.
“Mac’s uncle’s place in LBI. He’s got it for the next few days.”
“Uh huh?” He eyes me suspiciously.
“What the hell is that look for?”
“You going alone?”
I freeze. I haven’t told Sean about Alana, but I knew I couldn’t hide it from him for long.
“What makes you ask that?”
“You’re different, bro. I can feel it.”
Twin telepathy. It’s a curse.
I chew the inside of my cheek, deciding if I really want to do this now. But I might as well tell him before he tries to beat it out of me.
“No. I’m not going alone.”
Sean’s face twists into a smug smile. “I knew it. Who is she?”
“No one you know.” I turn to grab my bag.
“Come on. You gotta give me something. She must be important if you’re keeping her all to yourself.”
“Or not.” I try that route.
Sean knows me all too well. He can see right through my screen. He hops off the counter and presses his hand to my chest, bringing me to a screeching halt. He looks me dead in the eyes. My own eyes staring back at me. “You in love, bro?”