"I don't think this is normal."
I laughed, trying to keep myself as quiet as possible so as to not wake the neighbours.
"When have we ever constituted anything even remotely close to normal, Theo?"
My younger brother rolled his eyes over the top of the box he was lugging through the small pathway of the front garden, no doubt as thankful for his height and strong build as I was, considering the fact that I was sure it contained my book collection.
I felt sorry for him, really I did, but apparently not enough so to exchange the wheelie suitcase I had for something equally as daring as his game. I may be all for equality, but there is only so much my little arms could take.
Besides, what else are brothers for?
"Yeah, well this is a little weird even for us, Sis; what sane person moves in at three in the morning? To the smallest town in the world, no less?" He let out a low groan as his back arched uncomfortably and I followed him into the house, abandoning my pathetic suitcase to help him lower the box gently to the ground.
We both huffed in relief when it hit the hardwood flooring.
"The same person that just spent ten hours on a transatlantic flight, two in an airport and six in the car, with only the sound of a static radio and your obnoxious snoring for company." I shoved him lightly, grinning as he glared playfully in my direction, "Besides, it's already ten in the morning back in England; you can't be tired already!"
Theo shot back indignantly, "It's called jetlag, Callie – ever heard of it?"
"I have," I sauntered back out, replying over my shoulder, "But I thought that would only be a viable excuse if you'd actually been awake for any of the last twenty-four hours."
He grumbled lightly under his breath, following me back out into the lamp-lit street where one lone fox scampered across the road, sparing us only one cursory glance before deciding it wasn't worth hanging around.
"I've been awake."
I let out another laugh, lifting one of few boxes left in the trunk of my car; "Yeah, just in time to get a clear shot of the air hostess' in their uniform before you went right back into la-la land." Theo blushed slightly, rubbing a hand down the back of his tanned neck roughly to try and erase some embarrassment. I let up on him, not meaning to make him uncomfortable. "But hey, that's ok; you're a teenager and I remember – vaguely – what it was like to be that tired and hormonal."
He grinned this time, heaving a box up behind me and following my lead back into the two storage cottage that we now claimed our own, "And hungry," he added, "Don't forget hungry."
Amused, I smiled, "How could I, with the two Big Macs you scoffed all by yourself on our way over? I think that's nearly impressive enough to be considered a talent, y'know?"
"Oh please," he waved it away, "Like you've never done it?"
We headed into the kitchen to deposit our load this time, running out of room in the lounge doorway where the rest had been unceremoniously dumped, and I tried to not trip on my way back out, car keys in hand this time to shut the boot door. The last two boxes and then we were all done.
Finally.
I laughed a little, jingling the keys, "Maybe once or twice, back in the days of my youth." I joked, sighing dramatically, as I lifted out the last box, letting Theo grab one before me. I shut the boot as he rolled his eyes, a habit I seemed to have inherited also.
"Oh yes; because twenty-one is so old."
"Practically ancient." I joked, kicking the white-stained door closed behind me as delicately as I could manage without tipping over with the weight in my hands.
It doesn't take a lot to leave me unbalanced – comes with the territory of reaching only a pathetic 5'1. But hey, that's life. You learn to roll with the punches.
"Almost a fossil." He widened his eyes sarcastically, locking the door behind me and switching all the lights on downstairs, before relieving me of the box in my hands. I began to push the others into the living room itself, rather than the clustered hallway, in order to avoid a trip to the hospital in the morning. I really couldn't be bothered with that so soon into our arrival.
Besides, I'm not sure I had enough petrol in the car to make the trip just yet. I made a mental note to refill tomorrow.
I readjusted the sloppy bun my dark curls were loosely collected up in and rubbed my tired, itchy eyes. It had been a long day, but it was almost over, thankfully, and the beds had already set up previously. I walked back into the kitchen, leaning against the island as Theo chugged back a glass of water he'd poured straight from the tap.
I cringed: I'd tasted American tap water – and let's just say I hadn't quite adjusted my taste buds to it yet. I grinned, replying, "Compared to you, yeah."
He shot me a defensive glance, "Hey – I'm fifteen; six years is not that much of a gap!"
"It's big enough for me to tell you to march up to bed and get some sleep, love. I know how tired you are, despite the daylong nap." I said, taking his now empty glass and rinsing it out under the tap.
Theo grinned but rolled his eyes none the less; "Way to pull rank, Sis."
I shrugged, smiling, popping the glass on the draining board; "I always play to my advantage, besides, the car is hardly the most comfortable bedding."
"Night, Callie." He bent over – and he really did have to bend, his usual stance of 6'2 far superior to my own – and pecked my cheek lightly.
Smiling softly, I picked up a tea towel to dry off the glass and put it away; "Night Theo, sweet dreams." A distant 'you too' sounded from the staircase and I was well aware of the fact that that would be the last I heard of my little brother until noon the next day.
I wasn't sure how he hadn't filled his sleeping quota for the year yet but I had to admit I was jealous – what I wouldn't give to be relaxed enough to simply lie in bed all day.
But that's not me. I'm too fidgety for that, too restless. I like to be moving, and if not moving then thinking at least. My hands need to be occupied too, otherwise I get frustrated. I don't know why, that's just the way I am. It's why I gesticulate when I talk too – so I'm occupied.
It's a habit, but I didn't feel the need to try and break it.
Wistfully, I took another glance around the kitchen/dining area of my house. That was a nice feeling.
My house.
I'd never been a property owner before, not back in England were the market had been so difficult and the only two places I had ever lived were really no place I wanted to stay.
And they definitely weren't the location I wanted to raise Theo in.
He deserved better than that, we both did. So much better.
But I shouldn't think about that; not now, not before bed. I needed to sleep well that night, after all, tomorrow was sure to be a busy day.
So many places to go, people to see, jobs to hunt out and shopping to do. Not to mention getting Theo signed up for the school officially, since everything up to that point had been simple informal phone calls to warn the head teacher of our arrival.
Yep, tomorrow would certainly be an adventure.
My very first in La Push, Washington.
And I couldn't wait.
