In These Walls

Chapter 6

All of those times I listened to my dad ramble on about science have finally come to good use. Since I listened to all of those lectures, I understand how to work the pen that I'm now holding in my hands.

Why must Caleb be so stubborn? Well, to be honest, I guess he gets that from me. I'm really a bad influence for him...

Beep! Beep! Beep! "Turn right." The pen tells me, interrupting my thoughts.

I laugh silently to myself. I knew he was going to go to the library. He just can't get away from those darn books. Those books seem to be the only reason he wakes up in the morning. I know this is way off topic at the moment, but I just don't get it! Why does it matter if a book is hardcover, or paperback? For some reason Caleb thinks that you must always buy hardcover books. It just doesn't make any sense.

Through the window I can see that Caleb is sitting on one of the benches inside. I can't tell what specific book is that he is reading from this distance, but he is definitely reading something. Hardcover, of course.

Once I walk through the door I study his expression. It seems to me that he knew I would find him. He doesn't seem surprised at all.

"I knew you would be here" I tell him.

"I knew you would know I would be here" He tells me while still concentrating intently on his book.

"What ya' reading?"

"Nothing."

I sigh. Now he was pouting. Great. This is exactly what I needed right now. Even though I know my brother really well, I have no idea what's going on in his head right now. I can't tell if he's frightened by the whole idea of this, or he's more stressed about what the outcome would be. I give up and just ask him.

"What is going on in that little brain of yours?"

"First of all, my brain isn't little. Even though both of our brains are the same size, you and me both know that content wise, I have twice the size of a brain then you." I don't reply because I hate when he acts all smart and sophisticated like this.

"Second, someone has to do research on how we are going to pull this off" He tells me with a smirk.

"NO WAY!" I practically scream at him with enthusiasm. The librarian shushes me loudly at the information desk about ten feet away from us.

I speak slower and at a more reasonable volume. "Caleb, I can't believe you changed your mind! Your awesome!"

"I know." He replies with a wide grin.

"So, how are we going to do this?" I ask him very curious for what he has come up with.

"Okay so you know how Gramps said that we should go see him in a few days?" He asks me.

"Yeah.....?" 

"Well, we're just going to visit him a little earlier."

"Caleb....." I start but he interrupts me.

"I know what your going to say. 'We can't go see him because visiting hours aren't until Friday!' Well I have a plan."

"What's your plan?" I ask because now I just want to know instead of him pausing each time he tells me one tiny detail.

"We're going to break into the retirement home. Then, we are going to tell Gramps that if we are going to do this we need money. I don't know if you knew this but that painting in the kitchen isn't a painting at all. It's a safe. Now, I don't know how much money he has but it should be enough for us to get away with this."

I stare at him, amazed. My little brother is a genius. Of course I knew this already, but now he's just somehow even more of a genius. 

"I'm in!" I basically yell. The librarian gives me this look that I'm not even going to describe it's so rude. 

"Okay then, let's get out of this library and break into a retirement home." He tells me.