The Skeleton In Me

Chapter Twenty-Eight

hi

Chapter Twenty-Eight

When I wake in the morning, Cousin is no longer in my bed, but back on the floor, as if he had never moved. I don't let that ruin my hopes, because he did, in fact, push himself onto my bed, though I know it was hard for him.

It is as if he is slowly conforming. He is attempting to learn how to live normally. It is a giant leap forward. I'm not going to devalue his progress because of my own impatience, and enthrallment of the idea of 'more'.

This shows that perhaps not all of him is eager to die so quickly.

I let myself contemplate the excitement that is so soft and warm in my chest. When I sit up in my bed, I turn to look at Cousin who is staring at me from the floor. "Good morning." I greet him, and he only blinks in response.

I hoist myself up and off the mattress. Cousin slowly stands up as well, and I can't help but notice it is as if he is motivated to move on with the day.

"I've decided." I tell him, as I make my bed neatly, "That maybe we can go to the park today. You can't continue to sit all day or we will lose all your progress." When I'm done making my bed, I move to the closet, where I begin to pick out today's outfit. Seeing all my old clothes is strange. I find myself missing the dramatic and elaborate costumes I got to wear daily at the circus. They were so much more exciting than T-shirts and unintentionally ripped jeans. 

Cousin peers into my closet as I pull out a simple outfit. I hear a knock at the door just as I'm about to pull my shirt off.

"Bexley." It's Katie's voice. "Mom left for work. You and your friend are safe for a few hours."

I opened the door, and let her in. Cousin stays put beside me, his eyes narrowing as my sister stares at him.

"Were you about to get dressed in here?" She asks me, as she points to the shirt in my hands. 

"Where else am I supposed to do it?"

"Uhh, I don't know, the bathroom? Away from all boys with eyes?" She says in a duh tone that makes me frown.

"You know he and I have been together for weeks right?"

"So you get dressed together now too?" She's using her 'mom-voice' that makes me roll my eyes at the role she is so terrible at playing.

"From what I remember, you've done worse when you were my age. Besides, Cousin and I slept in a train-car together, and walked across an entire state together. We once even slept beside a road, near the banks of a river, if something was going to happen between us, it would have already happened. It's not like that. Obviously."

She huffs, and I know she doesn't care enough about my argument to contemplate it further. "Go change in the bathroom, I'll stay with him."

I don't object, as I know it'll only make her more frustrated. I give one last look to Cousin who stares at me with an unreadable expression.  I run into the bathroom, and change my clothes as quickly as I could. I wash my face and brush my teeth, grateful to be able to do these simple luxuries after weeks of having a morning routine that consisted of pulling twigs out of my hair. 

When I finished making myself presentable, I returned to Cousin, and invite him downstairs with me. It doesn't take much to have him follow me down into the kitchen, where he begins to examine everything from the bowls on the counter, to the toaster that pops up two golden-brown pieces of toast. 

Katie pulls the hot bread from the toaster, and hands me a plate of already-cooked eggs. To my relief, she also had a plate for Cousin, and put a piece of toast on each plate.