Life Changes » Marcus Armstrong

Thirtysix.

"Here," Jack said and kept a glass of water in front of Jane's face. "You don't drink enough water."

Jane put the wooden pins on the ground next to her and looked up. "I drink enough water. You just don't see it," she mentioned, but grabbed the glass anyway. "Thanks."

"You've been here all day, and I didn't see you drink anything once."

"Stalker." She took a big sip. In fact, Jack was right, she barely drank anything today. Not when they were at the IKEA, not when they got at Jack's new flat, and not when they put the new furniture together. "I think it should be done by 30 minutes."

"And if it is not, we will call it a day anyway." Jack sat down on his new sofa. "It's not wonderful, but it's temporary." He just arrived in Italy two days ago. In those two days, he painted the walls of his new place, but stayed over at Jane's. Today they went to the IKEA to buy some cheap furniture, and now they were unpacking everything and putting together the bed, closet, table, desk and dresser.

Jane played down on the ground and took a yawned. "I like it." It was a two-room flat in the centre of the village next to Jane's town. "When are you starting?" She looked at her brother.

"In a week."

She nodded. "By the way, I like you with a beard much more."

"Right, thanks, Jane."

"You're very welcome," she widely smiled and sat up again. "Can you help me?"

Jack got up and walked over to Jane. He sat down across from her on the ground. "Not gonna lie, this is better."

They put together the frame of the bed. Some bad words were exchanged, just like the annoyance for each other at that moment. Putting together furniture from the IKEA was a test for couples, but it absolutely was a test for siblings as well.

"Why doesn't it fit?" Jack said annoyedly and sighed. "Did you do something wrong?"

"Why is it my fault?" Jane shot back and rolled her eyes.

"Don't show me that attitude now."

"Just try again, and then we will see who has the attitude, you unseasoned side salad."

There was silence. They looked at each other, and a grin grew on their face before they burst into laughter.

"You unseasoned what?" Jack gasped for air and closed his eyes.

Jane dried her eyes. "Side salad." She cleared her throat. "Just try it one more time. I followed the instructions."

They tried to put together the frame one more time, and it all fell into its place. The bed frame got moved to the wall, the slatted base was put into the frame, and the mattress got thrown on top of it.

"It felt like a whole delivery, my goodness. I'm not doing this again for at least the next ten years," Jane shared and laid down on the mattress. "But Jack, how is your love life going? There are no more updates..."

Jack laid down next to her on his side and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Well, yeah, no updates since there isn't something I can update you on. I travel and move around a lot, so it's difficult."

"Ow. Perhaps you will meet someone here."

"So, you and Marcus? I haven't heard you talk about him since I got here, and you usually cannot stop talking about him."

It was Saturday, the last weekend of the triple header. Jane and Marcus still didn't have the chance to talk. And there were just two more days left. "I don't know. We are not in a fight or... We just haven't spoken to each other since I got back from that first race."