A Helluva Ride

Danny

"Oi, who the HELL is wearing my socks right now?!"

"Are you kidding, Danny, their JUST SOCKS."

"Oh, so it was YOU Darryl, huh?!"

"Calm down guys!"

"Shut up, Darren!!"

Ah, the joys of brotherhood.

Less than 20 minutes after getting ready for school in scratchy white shirts, trousers and a tie, which was a bit short, (thanks to a spontaneous growth spurt during the summer - fucking puberty), we were all at the dining table, very nearly at the brink of starting Triplet War 3 (Don't get me started on the other two). We exhausted every insult to throw at each other before silently glaring at each other for ten minutes.                                                                                                                                                                                       

I finally looked away, feeling a tad bit annoyed, and instead, watched the corridor to see if Dad would come out. But of course, he doesn't, because he believes that we need to "Solve our problems in a calm and mature manner." 

As if. 

I closed my eyes and slouched in my chair, suddenly feeling small and insignificant in our blindingly white penthouse apartment, and wishing to be anywhere but there. 

"I'm gonna make some waffles." I heard Darryl sigh, and then the sound of his chair scraping against the tiled floors, before he shuffled away. 

I could still feel Darren watching me, probably with that disgusting look of disappointment he somehow picked up from adults. Well, he was getting no apology if he was expecting one. There was a lot more anger where that came from.

"Morning boys. You good?" I opened my eyes at Dad's voice, glaring at him as he walked into the room, shrugging on his lab coat over a crisp blue collar shirt and jeans and looking as disheveled as I was, minus the stubble. 

He responded to my glare with a slight smile that infuriated me even more.

"Mostly..." Darren muttered, giving me a look I promptly ignore.  

Dad ran a hand through his messy dark brown hair nervously, before heading to the kitchen, not giving me a second glance, even as my eyes bored into his back till he disappeared through the door.

I have to admit, it stung a little when Dad obviously avoided getting on my bad side by avoiding me all together, but it's better than him slipping up and saying anything about Mum and making me blow my top. 

5 minutes later, we were all at the table, munching on waffles in deafening silence, caused mostly by my dark aura of annoyance.

Dad cleared his throat and we all looked up to watch him.

"Uh, you boys should have a good first day, OK?"

"Uh-huh." "Sure" "Thanks Dad."

More silence.

The three of us stood up, getting ready to leave the house. I was the last, slinging my bag on my shoulders, reaching for the door, when Dad called out to me.

"Hey, Danny?" I turned to look back at him my eyebrows raised.

"What, Dad."

He started to speak, then stopped. He looked a lot more nervous than usual, wringing his fingers together, but then he just smiled shyly.

"Its nothing. Have a good day." 

I watch Dad for a moment more, trying to gauge what he thought was so important, but his face was unreadable. 

"Yeah, ok." I muttered, before slamming the door of the apartment behind me. 

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