When the Sum is 41

Welcome To What We Call Beginnings.

July 1996

Loud running and giggling can be heard outside my room.
I can't tell who or what it is but it sounds like my brother, Steve.

He's a bit of a jackass.

He's either hanging out with our schoolmates, Dave and Deryck, annoying everyone, or he's blasting it on the drums.
I still love him in a sibling way but sometimes I wonder how people deal with him.
I don't understand why he plays the drums so often,

Like,

What's the point?
The school doesn't make him play it,
He doesn't play in a band,
And he only uses his drum set to play the same damn songs from The Beatles. Of all bands, he chooses The Beatles. So many other bands are better. But I guess that's what he likes.

I just reall-

-Steve bursts open the door in a black metal wig with no shirt on.-

Stevo:
"GET THE FUCK UP WE'RE GOING
TO THE FAIR!"

Fall:
"What."

Stevo:
"You heard me."

Fall:
"Why the hell do you want me to go with YOU to the fair. I'll just come home with a slushie down my back like last year- and why are you wearing that."

Stevo:
"Because me Deryck, and Dave are going and you can't tell me what to wear you're not my mother."

Fall:
"Fine. But why do I have to go?"

Stevo:
"Because your lazy ass is stuck in this damn room all the time and mom told me to."

Fall:
"I hate her."

Stevo:
"Now get up before I throw a stick at you."

Fall:
"Steve, I'm not even laying down."

Stevo:
"I said up."

Fall:
"Fine."

-Steve leaves in the same way he entered. Loud and obnoxious.-

Great, I need to go to that fair again.
I've always hated it.
There's no point in going there if you're just going to come home sick from the janky ass food.
I hate this. I don't wanna go.
But whatever.

-Fall stands up, fixes her messy short ass hair, and grabs her CD Walkman with a fresh copy of Scenery and Fish.-

Well, whatever maybe something good will happen in the middle of it.

- End of chapter 1 -