One of these Days: Chapter two

So this week, we are going to learn more about Seamus...

Some days you just know you should simply roll over and wait it out... I can´t believe I forgot to set the alarm AGAIN- wait, it didn´t go off, why didn´t Mom wake us yet?!
I curse under my breath and rattle the ladder of the bunk bed.
"Get up pixies, we´re late again!"

I know I should know better , but still, I carefully knock on her door
"Mom? Are you up? It´s past..."

"Shut the HELL UP why don´t you, and let me get some sleep? I am sick today, ok?! Now get lost!"

Great.
Just great.

Seems like it´s my turn to make sure the twins are fed befor school.
Again.
Ah hell with it, it´s not their fault, so I better get on with it...

When I am finally done preparing my own toasts, Kaine has already finished his and Jay is munching on the last bits
"Seam I am still hungry, can I have one of yours please? Just today?"
"Eh, sure... grab it..."

Kay has been feeding like a pig lately for real- I mean, hope he is not growing or something?! No way he can wear my stuff for another year or so, so where should I get him a new outfit?!

"Gee are you are so slow snails eat faster than you- if we are late today, we will get detention! No way I ´ll be late just because you are a caterpillar! I am getting dressed now!"

Minutes later, Jared waltzes into the kitchen again, stomping his foot.
"KAINE if you don´t come now I´ll kill you! I am SO off now without you!"
"Yeah, sure, whatever... coming..."
"Kay cut that shizz now, he is right. The bus will be there any minute now, so move it."
I send him off with a slap on the shoulder

Right. My toast.
I slouch a bit while I stare at my breakfast

And just as expected, again, my stomach starts to hurt when I as much as think about touching the toast...
No way folks, I am not eating this

I really don´t get it. Everytime I get hungry, I can´t eat?
Whatever, I am not that hungry anymore anyway. I shrug it off and wash the plates

"Seamus!!
Oh, she is in the bathroom. Great. Right now when I need to get ready for school, perfect timing

"Seamus, the toilet looks like World War III again!!"
Sure Mom, this is what happens when you puke into it all night and never even mind to flush

"This is disgusting, it has to be dealt with straight away. You take care of that, I don´t feel so good... I better lay down"
"Yes Mom"

I I don´t believe this, it´s blocked again! Shizz, shizz, SHIZZ I am running out of TIME!!

And of course, just as I wait for the elevator to come I hear a faint yet familiar noise

Great. Just great.
I missed the frigging bus

I pedal like a freakin´ superstarathlete, but there is just no way that I could possibly make it on time now. Thank you Mom

I lock my bike as fast as I can, but still, it´s obvious

I am to late.
The corridors are totally empty

I try to catch my breath a bit before I enter the classroom-if
I am late anyway, no use in showing that I care, right?

Finally, I push the door open and walk in
Not that anybody cares...
Exept...

Ms. Holland, my science teacher. Ms. "DS" Holland
"Ah Mr. Sweeney, how nice that you decided to honour us with your presence... would you care to let us know what kept you... today?"

"Well, if you really want to know, first thing this crappy alarm clock didn´t go off, and then..."

"You. Shut. Up. And take a seat. Now"

Whoah, Lady. You ASKED me, ´kayes?!
"Yes M´am. I am sorry, M´am"

This crazy, friggin´... stiffly I stomp towards my table in the back
I hear Lester snigger as I pass his desk
"No M´am, Yes M´am, kiss my..."
I pretend I didn´t hear. It´s easy. It´s much harder to ignore Penny´s glare
I swear that girl hates my guts

"I don´t get it, you stare at the loser all the time, what´s so interesting about him anyways?

"Don´t you busy your pretty little head to much Hope, you might get wrinkles on the forehead, you know?"
"Eeeeeeeep, really?!?"
"Yes..."

Thank god I always sit in the back row... might even get some sleep without the drill sarge noticing

I am dead tired , I have no idea what DS is talking about...

But Lester doesn´t look to happy, either.
Wonder what´s the matter with him, rare thing that he is so quiet in class, always plays the joker...

Phew, DS requested us to read something about vertebrae... I keep dozing off, but it´s so much easier to hide that with a book...

Finally, the bell
Felt like this class would never end..

As everybody heads for the canteen I go to check if there is still some apple or whatever in my locker, but nil... crap...

I turn, and freeze. Just when you think the day is done with you

"Hey Seamus. Long time no see... don´t you love me anymore, little bro´? "

"Oh hay Malcom. Yeah yanno, I´ve been busy and... stuff... how´s the family?"

"The... family? Are you trying to bullshit me or what?"

"You know frigging well how the family is! Dad is on another overseas mission, and Ma went ballistic when your mother left that shit on the answering machine the other day!!"

"She what?! Man please give me a break, tell me you are kidding"
Mom called the Wrights?!
Please, please, no...

"Oh common, you practially run the place and she did not tell you? Dad did not file the child support for the twins before he left, and she threatened to sent the bill collector- again. Ma cried all night, with Dad away we just don´t have the money, when will you finally get that?!"

My stomach hurts again
"I don´t run the place, Malcom. I just do all the work to keep it going. Mom never tells me anything"
I wish she would

It´s scary how much he looks like the twins
My eyes start to burn
"Me thinks I am an idiot right now, but I think I could tell when you were trying to lie to me..."

"But god help you if I ever find out that you are in that shit with her. Trust my bro´, I can teach you a whole new level of sorry"

I swallow hard as he walks away
And we were almost friends before Mom totally had to lay his dad and get herself pregnant

My knees wobble, I am so tired...
I better splash some cold water into my face...

That´s better
So the child support for the twins is not likely to roll in this month? Fun. This month is going to be SO FUN

I cup my hands and have a few sips of the cold water from the tab... usually works

Today it doesn´t. I still hurt...
maybe I should try a milkshake

Shizz, the canteen is completely overcrowed, did a bus arrive from somewhere or what?!

No way.
No way I face them now.
I need some space

So glad I found out the door to the stairs to the roof opens if you kick hard enough

I am not... hiding up here, I am just getting some fresh air.
Yeah.
Fresh air, that´s it

I can even see the museum from here
The bell rings
No way.
No way I am going back in

Hey, who knows. Maybe today was crappy enough now. Maybe today will be the day?

The closer I get, the slower I walk
Maybe he will be in. Maybe he will, dunno, like to talk to me? Meet me?

Maybe not...
lost in thought, I at first don´t get what I am seeing

It´s him, Carella! But he is with some woman...

Joe Carella... I never saw him up close like this before...
The woman enters the museum. He takes one casual look around before he follows her inside, his eyes never as much as slowing as they pass over me

And why would he know me

He´s only my father, after all

I think today is just the day to take the twins somewhere fun, so I go to pick them up.
I am early, so I sit down and wait for them...
how long can it take...

"Hey guys!"
"Hey Seam!"

" Hi Seam, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

I fake a laugh
"Naw, all is fine. I... just finished early today and thought, eh, thought we could go somewhere, enjoy the weather and all that. What do you think?"

"YES!!! Let´s go to the park!"
" Yeah, let´s go to the playground, it´s been ages!"
"Yep, like, last sunday"
Jay grins madly... it´s good to see, he is always so serious beyond his age


"... and then I said, you be all firefighters, but I will..." "Jay, don´t hang behind..."

"But you are sure this is the way, are you?"
"Def yes, keep moving..."

And as soon as we get there, they start to fight about who is to use the swings first. I don´t get it, it must be a twin thing

I climb up the slide and keep an eye on them
Meanwhile I try to spot Nick, but he is not here today

"Ok have you both been to the toilet?
Sure? `kayes then, let´s go, it´s a long walk"

I can tell they must be tired, because they don´t argue
Or maybe they simply don´t want to go home, either

I hate coming home.
I hate not knowing if it will be worse if Mom is home, or better

She is not there. Again.
And no text message on my phone. Again.
I can hear one of the twins approach me hesitantly
"Seam? I am sorry... I am really really hungry..."
"No problem, I´ll fix something"

The fridge does not really offer much choice

So I cook some mac and cheese while the two of them do their homework.
Again

I probably should be doing mine now, too. But I think it´s more important to make sure they do their stuff right... I can still do mine tomorrow morning, on the bus...

Later, I put them to bed in the room we share
Again.

I can not help but smile as I get back into the kitchen. My cooking must have improved somewhat lately, they ate the whole bowl... so I fix myself a toast