Michael's Cold

Chapter 4

My father wanted us all to rehearse, but Tito and I were sick, and he was also mad at me.
I was walking around the house with nothing to do but sneeze and cough, and I also tried to avoid Tito because he would tear me up.
"ACHOO!" I sneezed loud and openly. That sneeze kind of sounded high pitched, and Marlon joked about it.
"Bless you, Michaella," he said, very high pitched like my sneeze.
I jokingly slapped him in the arm and then I felt another sneeze coming.
"Ha..."
"BLESS YOU!" Marlon yelled.
"Dammit, Marlon!" I laughed. "You made it go away. Wait..."
I opened my mouth wide, stared into the distance, and put my hand up.
"Choo!" I sneezed.
"Why don't you ever stop sneezing?"
"Eh-choo! I don't know." Everyone laughed.
"Ok boys, time for school," my mother said.
"Do I have to go?" I asked.
"No, you can stay here with Tito."
I got very scared in that moment. Just me, Tito, and my mother.
"Ok, if you stay home today, you have to go in bed, because you are sick. And I want you better."
Those words were terrifying. In the same room with Tito, all day.
My other siblings headed off for school and my father left for work.
"Tito, Michael! Do you want some breakfast?"
"No," Tito yelled from the bedroom.
"Michael?"
"No," I said softly.
"Then go back in bed please," my mother said.
I slowly walked to the bedroom and lied down on the big bed where me,
Marlon, and Randy slept.
Tito slept on the top bunk with Jermaine and Jackie was on the bottom.
I didn't look at my brother when I walked in because it was too awkward. I just sat in bed and turned on our crappy TV set. Tito threw a shoe at me from the top bunk and I was really pissed now.
"Hey what was that for!" I yelled.
"It's for being stupid," Tito replied.
"I'm not stupid, your stupid!"
"Well at least I'm not ugly!"
"At least I'm not fat!"
I felt good about that comeback because Tito was fat, and in our family we never spoke of that.
Tito looked really angry now, his ears were shooting smoke out like a chimney.
"MOM!!!" He yelled.
"What is it? Is everything ok?"
"Michael called me fat!"
"Michael!"
"Well he called me stupid!" I yelled in defense. "And ugly!"
"Boys, boys! Calm down. Tito, apologize to Michael."
"Apologize for what!"
"For throwing a shoe at me and punching me!"
"No, you deserved it!"
"Why?" I asked.
"Because, you gave me a cold."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
Tito didn't say anything.
"Tito, this is silly. Your brother can't help it."
"Yeah, I can't," I said.
"Michael, I'm not talking to you. Now Tito, is there something you would like to say to Michael?"
"Sorry Mike," he said, quietly.
"It's ok," I replied.
"Is everything good now?" Asked my mother.
"Yes," we both said.