What you don't know

05 53 minutes dude

What you don't know (by oxala): Chapter 05 - 53 minutes dude

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Charles awakened even earlier than usual this morning. He was always up long before his brother or sister. Although he hated waking up so early, it was an effective strategy to avoid conflict over bathroom access on weekdays. He was up extra early this morning because he had been invited to have coffee and breakfast at a local diner with Becky and two of her friends, Genie and Clair. He knew each of the girls from school, but none of them well. Charles had learned this was a Friday morning ritual for the three of them, "Happy Friday Breakfast" they called it. In spite of his fears and worries, in spite of the slight embarrassment of Eric examining his hands each day, the week had been amazing. Charles had determined that even if Liz "knew", she would not say anything. Charles thought about Liz as he entered the bathroom and locked the door, and removed his underwear.

I guess she told me as much on Tuesday.

"You know I love to hear gossip Charles, but I don't create it" she had said to him on Tuesday morning before school, when she made a point of intercepting him exiting his truck in the student parking lot. "Eric told me to look for the ugliest car in the lot to find you, wow, he wasn't lying" she had added teasingly as they walked toward the school together. Having perceived Charles' many awkward and nervous glances toward her during lunch on Monday, Liz decided to do what she could to put his mind at ease without cornering him into a discussion he obviously did not want to have, probably not with anyone.

After turning on the sink, after waiting a minute for the water to get hot, Charles washed his hands. To his mind, it did not make sense to wash your face with dirty hands. He then proceeded to wet his face in the hottest water he could bear. Ritualistically, he wet a clean washcloth and applied his special soap to it, special in that it had almost no discernible odor. Lost into an almost meditative state of mind, he scrubbed his face with the soapy washcloth and then thoroughly rinsed his face. Setting aside the washcloth, his mind returned as he reached for the shaving cream and applied it liberally even though he hated the smell. His mind returned as he shaved, an activity that he truly despised too much to maintain his trance. As he shaved zealously, too zealously, he thought back to Wednesday night.

He and Eric had studied at his home that night, with books and papers completely covering the small breakfast table adjacent to the kitchen as usual. As was their habit, they relaxed into light conversation after finishing their work. Charles father came in announcing that he would like to speak with them. Charles reflexively felt his anxiety flare, "What did I do now?" His father's presence never bode well in his mind. Charles' father shocked him and thrilled Eric when he offered the boys use of the family's lake home for the weekend. "I spend too much money for it to sit unused", he explained to the boys. "Y'all are at the perfect age to really enjoy it", he added to clarify the offer as Eric observed the confused look on Charles' face.

After rinsing the remnants of stinky shaving cream from his face, Charles stepped into the shower. After rinsing the washcloth of dirty soap, he wet his hair. He reapplied his special soap to the wash cloth and very gently washed his face; the second wash, the one to ensure all remnants of shaving cream, every single molecule of substance, would be removed pained him a little each morning. He set the washcloth aside, rinsed his face under the shower, and wet his hair again. As he scrubbed his scalp, thoroughly rinsed his hair, applied conditioner, waited for exactly one minute for the conditioner to be "absorbed", and rinsed all remnants of the conditioner out of his hair, the soothing ritual allowed his mind to resume its previous musings.