The Boy With The Football

Allow it

Josh's pov

I knocked on the door. "Ethan, we're having cooked breakfast, come and join us."
No reply.
"Ethan!"
Still no reply.
"I'll have your portion if you don't want it. Jo makes a really nice cooked breakfast."
Still no reply. He's probably asleep. But I knocked and shouted, surely that'd wake him up.
I stood there for another few seconds, then heard a cough.
Fuck it. I turned the handle and opened the door. Ethan was sat on the bed with his back against the wall, his legs tucked up in his chest. He looked up, and I noticed his eyes were red and swollen. Probably went to bed pretty late.
What's up with him, not answering me?
Wait...has he been crying?
"Ethan, are you alright?" I asked, even though he obviously wasn't.
"Yeah. Just tired. Sorry, I was...thinking...didn't answer you."
"Hmm. We're having cooked breakfast, downstairs, now." I said. "Don't take too long."
I went downstairs at sat back down at the table. "I think he just woke up." He's been crying.
A few minutes later Ethan came downstairs to join us.
"Jo this is really good, like always." I commented.
I looked up then realized she was looking at me, with a face I couldn't read. It seemed like she snapped out, then said a quiet "thanks" that I could barely hear, then lifted the corner of her mouth into a half smile. Does she know?
"Who's doing the dishes?" Simon asked, after we finished.
"Bagsy not me" JJ said.
"You can't bagsy that." Simon replied.
"Oh yes I can."
I'd say who washes the dishes causes the most arguments in the house.
"Well, I'm not doing them, I threw the leftovers out last night, after you," I nodded at JJ "left the stuff out on the table."
"I vote for JJ." Jo said. Everyone else agreed, then burst out in laughter.
"Fucks sake. Ugh." JJ got up and took the dishes to the sink.
We got up, and Simon put his arm around Jo's waist, then went down to the lounge.
I was about to go upstairs when I realized Ethan was starting in their direction. I sighed. I didn't like seeing Ethan like this, and I knew it meant a lot to him, but it just wasn't right.
I waited till everyone had gone off, and I went up to Ethan without looking at him. "Allow it man." I went upstairs to my room to carry on recording.