Boys Will Be Boys (v.2)

chapter thirteen - major balls

chapter thirteen — major balls

MY ROOM WAS SPOTLESS. The smell of bleach filtered through my windows, leaving behind slick floors and blindingly white pillowcases. It smelt good, my head heavy from the fumes of all the cleaning products I'd just shoved back into the closet. I'd borrowed one of Mum's colorful bandanas. The longer bits of hair, on the top of my head, were pushed back so it looked like I was balding; a fake receding hairline mimicking my father's. I was wearing one of Mum's old shirts, a baggy Stones tee that would fit a small sumo. She said it had been a given to her when she was younger, and I assumed it was one of her school friends since my father was tone deaf and had no idea what good music was.

The sun was just starting to come up, and I slung the rag I'd been using for cleaning over my shoulder so I could pull open the blinds. My room faced East and the blue walls turned a weird orangey color around sunrise and sunset. I was always awake for both.

I pushed my window open a crack, the sweet, damp smell of summer taking the place of the scent of cleaning products. The smell of bleach left the room, leaving the scent of hot, wet tarmac in its place. It reminded me of summer camp in elementary school. It reminded me of basketball.

My fingers flexed into my palm as I fought back a yawn. I wasn't sure when exactly I'd woken up, but the sun wasn't up when I'd started my cleaning. I hadn't woken up intending to clean my entire room, nobody fucking does that. It'd really only started when I noticed a candy wrapper on the floor, which lead to some stray candy, which lead to some melted, funky shit attached to the floors. Which led to me mopping and dusting my entire room like some kind of crazed grandmother.

"Kieran?"

"Hmm," I hummed, a noncommittal noise, as I realized I had yet to make my bed. Maybe I'll wash my sheets. Lukas would be proud of how productive I was being. I smiled to myself, yanking the sheets off my bed.

"Kieran, honey, how long have you been awake?"

Mum's arms reached out from behind me, trapping me in a light hug. She kissed the top of my head quickly before trying to meet my eyes. She had her thick-rimmed glasses on, still in her pajamas and raggedy bunny slippers.

"Mum, I'm cleaning" I brushed her off gently, grabbing the pillowcases and tossing them into the sheet. I tied it all together in a fat bundle and Mum grabbed it from me, staggering a little under the size.

"I'll wash these for you, my heart," She managed to look at me over the top of the bundle, "Why don't you try to sleep a little more?"

I shook my head, trying to take the pile back from her. She carefully dodged me, surprisingly not toppling over like I'd thought she would. My adrenaline rush was starting to dissipate, and exhaustion hit me out of nowhere, my shoulders starting to droop as soreness settled in right between the blades of my back.

"Kieran, love, you need to sleep, okay?" She peered at me, concerned, and my skin prickled uncomfortably. I hated making my Mum worried. I didn't want her to worry about me. I was grown, I didn't need her to worry about me.

I could handle myself. 

"Sleep, my heart" She commanded gently, sidling up next to me to press another quick kiss to my forehead, "Lukas and his family are coming over in the evening for dinner, so you can help me clean before they come." She smiled gently, and I returned the gesture with my own smile, reserved for her.

Nodding, relieved that I'd at least have the motivation to wake up after I hit the bed, I grabbed my spare sheets from the closet, shoving the pillows in their cases with satisfying ease. Mum shut the door softly, somehow still balancing the large bundle of sheets in her hands. It wasn't the first time I'd woken up to clean my room in a mass exodus of dust, but it had been a while since the last time. Nearly six months, actually.