During all the pitiful recapping I must have fallen asleep right there on
the bathroom floor. I sat up with a grunt, and immediately removed my arm
when it pressed up against cold porcelain, knowing exactly what it was. I
quickly flushed the toilet, and pulled myself up with the aid of the towel
rack.
I didn't know how long I had slept but when I walked out of the bathroom and into my room, Full House was still on. I was relieved that I hadn't stayed there all night for everyone to get suspicious and worried. I walked over to the TV, and reached out to turn it off when the announcer said, "Stay tune for more Full House on The Full House Marathon."
"Great..." I muttered and turned the power off. I then walked over to my dresser, where I opened up my sock drawer to take out a pack of Fruit Stripes gum, and pulled out a lemon flavored piece. I unwrapped the stick and popped it in my mouth. I looked down at the wrapper. The tattoo was of the Zebra riding the skateboard. I always liked that one. I went into the bathroom to place it on my forearm. I didn't dare look to Ralph, as I would often call the toilet. Get the pun?
I walked up to my door, and undecidedly reached for the knob a few times, before ultimately making the decision on walking out. I unlocked the doorknob and slowly crept out facing the door when I closed it. I could hear Mom, Dad, and Ryan talking downstairs, and silverware clanging against plates.
I slowly started to make my way down the stairs into the living room where I saw that the broken lamp and tilted coat rack were gone and upright, and I felt guilty. I stopped at the doorway of the kitchen, and watched them like a 17th centaury peasant boy.
"Seth!" Dad suddenly said happily, and me being completely caught off guard had jumped like an idiot.
"Hey..." I said quickly and smiled when Mom looked to me with bright eyes.
"Hey, Sweetie. How are you feeling? Ryan said you weren't feeling too well today..." Mom said in her usual motherly tone.
My eyes shifted to Ryan, who hadn't looked at me since my Don Knotts-like entrance.
"Uh... yeah... I just... had a headache... and a stomachy thing... ya know?" I struggled with the excuse and walked into the kitchen toward the refrigerator.
"Oh..." Mom began, "...well, are you hungry?" She got up from her seat and grabbed a plate from the counter.
"No..." I began,"I couldn't eat anything right now..." I set my good hand on my stomach, and rubbed it as if it were hurting. To tell you the truth I was starving but food was the last thing I needed.
"Are you sure?" Mom said concerned, and began to set the plate back down.
"Yeah... I'm sure." I said unconvincingly, and opened the refrigerator door to take out a bottle of water.
"Okay... well, if you're hungry later. There's plenty of food, okay?" Mom said with a slight smile, feeling bad for my unset stomach. She sat back down next to dad, and proceeded to eat. Each of their plates looked rather intact so I figured they had just been served.
Dad smiled at me, and took a slip from his wineglass.
I wondered if Ryan had said anything about what happened today. I wondered if he knew what I was doing in that bathroom. I wondered what he thought of me if he did know. My eyes darted to each of them, my heart started pounding anxiously like they all knew what I had done, and I abruptly blurted,
"Actually... I'm feeling a lot better now..."
Mom lifted her head, to look at me, and then to dad.
"Oh... good..." She started, not knowing exactly where I was going.
I walked over to the counter, grabbed a plate, and took a seat at the end of the table, away from everyone. I leaned over the table and grabbed the tray of lasagna, and started mounting it onto my plate. I set the tray aside, and grabbed an extra fork. I started to eat the lasagna in large amounts but slowly to not bring any attention to myself. I ate about half of the large helping, when I got the distinct feeling that I was being watched. I briefly saw my reflection beside smeared tomato sauce, before meeting Ryan's eyes studying me. He looked away when I caught him, picked up his plate from the table and took it to the sink to rinse it off.
"Thanks, Kirsten." He said politely, and mom just smiled at him warmly.
He then made his way back to the pool house, and I watched him until he made it inside. I looked down at my nearly empty plate, and suddenly felt sick. I pushed myself away from the dark wood table, sliding the chair back underneath, out of habit. I grabbed my plate and placed it in the sink.
"Thanks, mom." I said, and proceeded to walk outside to the pool house. I knocked on the door, and walked in without listening for an answer.
Ryan was sitting on the edge of his bed; he looked up at me, and said,
"Hey..."
I didn't know how long I had slept but when I walked out of the bathroom and into my room, Full House was still on. I was relieved that I hadn't stayed there all night for everyone to get suspicious and worried. I walked over to the TV, and reached out to turn it off when the announcer said, "Stay tune for more Full House on The Full House Marathon."
"Great..." I muttered and turned the power off. I then walked over to my dresser, where I opened up my sock drawer to take out a pack of Fruit Stripes gum, and pulled out a lemon flavored piece. I unwrapped the stick and popped it in my mouth. I looked down at the wrapper. The tattoo was of the Zebra riding the skateboard. I always liked that one. I went into the bathroom to place it on my forearm. I didn't dare look to Ralph, as I would often call the toilet. Get the pun?
I walked up to my door, and undecidedly reached for the knob a few times, before ultimately making the decision on walking out. I unlocked the doorknob and slowly crept out facing the door when I closed it. I could hear Mom, Dad, and Ryan talking downstairs, and silverware clanging against plates.
I slowly started to make my way down the stairs into the living room where I saw that the broken lamp and tilted coat rack were gone and upright, and I felt guilty. I stopped at the doorway of the kitchen, and watched them like a 17th centaury peasant boy.
"Seth!" Dad suddenly said happily, and me being completely caught off guard had jumped like an idiot.
"Hey..." I said quickly and smiled when Mom looked to me with bright eyes.
"Hey, Sweetie. How are you feeling? Ryan said you weren't feeling too well today..." Mom said in her usual motherly tone.
My eyes shifted to Ryan, who hadn't looked at me since my Don Knotts-like entrance.
"Uh... yeah... I just... had a headache... and a stomachy thing... ya know?" I struggled with the excuse and walked into the kitchen toward the refrigerator.
"Oh..." Mom began, "...well, are you hungry?" She got up from her seat and grabbed a plate from the counter.
"No..." I began,"I couldn't eat anything right now..." I set my good hand on my stomach, and rubbed it as if it were hurting. To tell you the truth I was starving but food was the last thing I needed.
"Are you sure?" Mom said concerned, and began to set the plate back down.
"Yeah... I'm sure." I said unconvincingly, and opened the refrigerator door to take out a bottle of water.
"Okay... well, if you're hungry later. There's plenty of food, okay?" Mom said with a slight smile, feeling bad for my unset stomach. She sat back down next to dad, and proceeded to eat. Each of their plates looked rather intact so I figured they had just been served.
Dad smiled at me, and took a slip from his wineglass.
I wondered if Ryan had said anything about what happened today. I wondered if he knew what I was doing in that bathroom. I wondered what he thought of me if he did know. My eyes darted to each of them, my heart started pounding anxiously like they all knew what I had done, and I abruptly blurted,
"Actually... I'm feeling a lot better now..."
Mom lifted her head, to look at me, and then to dad.
"Oh... good..." She started, not knowing exactly where I was going.
I walked over to the counter, grabbed a plate, and took a seat at the end of the table, away from everyone. I leaned over the table and grabbed the tray of lasagna, and started mounting it onto my plate. I set the tray aside, and grabbed an extra fork. I started to eat the lasagna in large amounts but slowly to not bring any attention to myself. I ate about half of the large helping, when I got the distinct feeling that I was being watched. I briefly saw my reflection beside smeared tomato sauce, before meeting Ryan's eyes studying me. He looked away when I caught him, picked up his plate from the table and took it to the sink to rinse it off.
"Thanks, Kirsten." He said politely, and mom just smiled at him warmly.
He then made his way back to the pool house, and I watched him until he made it inside. I looked down at my nearly empty plate, and suddenly felt sick. I pushed myself away from the dark wood table, sliding the chair back underneath, out of habit. I grabbed my plate and placed it in the sink.
"Thanks, mom." I said, and proceeded to walk outside to the pool house. I knocked on the door, and walked in without listening for an answer.
Ryan was sitting on the edge of his bed; he looked up at me, and said,
"Hey..."