The two boys were a few minutes late coming home, and they quickly took off their sneakers and hung their winter clothes in the hall closet. Aunt Karen was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for the spaghetti sauce.
"Hullo," Milo called out to her, as he picked up his bookbag off the couch. Charlie followed him into their bedroom. They had a sturdy,wooden bunkbed that Karen had bought a year ago.
When Charlie first got here, he'd slept on the floor in a sleeping bag for two nights, while Milo slept in the single bed. Karen bought the bunkbed, and had it assembled for them by the time they'd come back from school. It had been way more comfortable then the floor, and had put a smile on both boys' faces.
Charlie sprawled on the bottom bunk, his face pressed into the pillows. Milo threw his backpack onto his bed, and scampered up the ladder. He sat cross-legged, his history book opened in his lap.
Charlie was suddenly reminded him of the first night he'd slept in his bunk. He'd been missing his mom, and his schoolfriends, and was feeling incredibly homesick. After waking up from a really bad nightmare, he'd started to cry, trying to muffle the sounds by pulling his new blanket over his head.
"Charlie?" Milo had whispered, quietly. The clock on the dresser showed it was past two in the morning. When Charlie hadn't responded, Milo crawled down the ladder, and sat on the bed beside him.
"Charlie, are you ok?"
"Go away, Milo."
But Milo hadn't gone away. Instead, he'd pulled the blankets back, and lay down beside him. Eventually, Charlie stopped crying and turned around to face his cousin. Milo watched him with concern.
"I'm just homesick, is all." Charlie told him.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
Charlie shook his head, and closed his eyes.
When Karen got up a few hours ago to wake up the boys for school, she found them both asleep on the bottom bunk, Milo's arms wrapped protectively around Charlie.
They continued this for a few weeks, until Charlie was able to talk with Milo freely about everything. They bonded over their midnight talks, Charlie talking about his mom and his old life, and Milo listening quietly.
By the time summer rolled in, they were sleeping comfortably through the nights, in their own bunks. They'd gone from cousins who only met up at a few christmas family gatherings, to best friends.
Charlie rolled over, and inched to the side, so he could look up at the bunk above him.
"I'm bored...and I hate doing homework." Charlie announced, hoping his cousin would respond. Milo ignored him.
"Mi...Mi..Milo," Charlie spoke, singsonging Milo's name to get his attention. Milo's face appeared over the bunk, briefly.
"I'm studying. Are you?" Milo asked, peering down at him.
"No, i'm not. I don't understand half of this stuff, anyway."
Milo rolled his eyes, and lay down on his bunk, holding the heavy textbook above him. Charlie took out his Science textbook, and spent the next half an hour on his homework.
Karen poked her head in, and announced that supper was ready. Neither Charlie or Milo had the heart to tell her that they'd already eaten at the diner. They often ate out after school, knowing that Karen was only able to make dinner at nine PM. She had started taking on the later shifts when Charlie had arrived, so that she would be able to afford to take care of him.
Milo jumped off his bunk, and out the door. Charlie slammed his textbook shut with a theatrical air, and bounded down the hallway.
