Timeless Life

Chapter 2

     The morning was silent. Ethan awoke as the rays of sunshine radiantly shines brightly from the sky glass, just slightly touching his cheeks, he turns for a better comfort. Tired he was, he endured the wild night--he stubbornly shuts his eyes back. He hopes to be in bed today, the thought of having breakfast in bed served by his parents, was heaven.

     The door outside slams shut, as Ethan falls from the divan, upsetting his trance, he took a hard fall on the side, as he groans and kicks the blanket away from him. He then strolled across the room forward to his door to investigate the commotion with half opened eyes. With his bedroom door ajar, he peeps out for a look. The place was a real dump, knowing what his brother and friends are capable of doing, he wasn't surprise.

     At a distance, Ethan could hear his parents lecturing Max about the mess he had done. Like Ethan, he too had just woken up, though the hangover from the night was obvious in this one.

     "Max, I'm gonna ask you one more time. What the hell did you do last night?" Ethan's father, Mr Fred looks around while he questions the clueless kid. "You better give me a good explanation son." He continues, while he rests his arms on his waist, waiting for Max to speak out.

     "I thought you said I could bring some friends over." Max countered, trying to get support, he meets eyes with his mom, Mrs Fred.

     "I said you could bring some friends over, not the entire circus!" exclaims Mr Fred, while his eyes enlarge in bewilderment looking over the clutter, he sees an empty frame that was once a casing for Picasso's masterpice, Guernica. "Mother of god, Where did the painting go?" He gasp, moving slowly towards the frame, he grips it and glances back to Max. Now, the stolen painting fuels his anger more. "Do you have the slightest idea of how much this cost?"

     "A few millions?"

     "Your life, plus a billion more!" Mr. Fred blurted out. As he stood, he muttered incoherently, talking to himself, he was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. Storming towards the hall, he head towards the master bedroom, maybe a time out for him.

     "Look what you put your father into," Mrs. Fred breaks her silence though, with a calm voice. A sweet person she was, Max took her for granted. Yawning and glad to see his mom, he welcomes her with open arms. Instead, she walks passes him rolling her eyes. She brightens up after finding Ethan, busy readjusting his fridge robot. "What are you up to dear?" she questions him with a grin on her face.

     "Nothing... Just trying to hack my robot in cleaning Max's crap in this house." He smiled back to his mom.

     "My saviour." Max interrupts, his voice barely heard, absorbed by the overlays that covers his head which he slept on.

     Looking annoyed, Mrs. Fred sighed. "Nevermind your brother, let him scrub the floors by himself. Could teach him a lesson or two." She walked towards her room as she started to undress herself.

     Ethan eyes on her for a moment, and thought about the plans he made last night. "Mom, if it doesn't bother you, I would like to go for a trip to Switzerland... Maybe for a fortnight?" Knowing that he's building a time machine, it doesn't really matter anyway.

     She slowed her pace, as she turns her head halfway around, making sure her voice was heard through the hallway. "Why so sudden, what are you up to dear?" She questioned him.

     "Well, since the semester break had just started, a little travel wouldn't hurt anyone. After all, I don't want to be stuck with Max all the time."

     "Whatever makes you happy, just follow your heart Ethan," She said, as she took a moment to ponder upon last night for not celebrating the New Year with them. She came to a pause and turns around just as though she had something important to say. "I'm sorry if father and I, can't make time for you and Max, we're extremely busy this weekend." She said, as the felt of guilt runs through her.