CLOSER • Wattys2016

R

Eleanore

"Mmm.. Ughh.. God! Aahh..." he groans.

"Oh my fucking ugh, Daniel! Shut up!" I scream, "I'm studying! If grandma hears you, she is going kick you ass! I don't want her to think I'm having sex with my cousin!"

"Exactly," he says shaking his head and popping a Cheeto in his mouth, "We're not going to make her think, we're going to make her know we're having sex" he winks.

I grab my thick chemistry textbook and whack him behind his head when he wasn't looking, "You bastard, it's not like we're having sex or anything!"

"Honey, I know you're not having sex,"

"Holy-"

"Language, Daniel!" Screams our grandmother, she turns back around and puts down the tray of cookies she was holding, "Do not worry, dear, I know you're cousin was just faking those moans and groans," she winks.

"Grandma, could you not just suddenly barge in my room? What if those moans and groans were real?"

I grab a pillow and throw it at him, aiming for his head. Unfortunately, he caught it. "Be respectful!" I say, grab a cookie, then go back to my studies.

"Well I'd say, I didn't raise you right," she says to Danny, "No grandchild of mine will engage in sexual intercourse before they get married!"

Oh my god, I think while chewing on my cookie. I rub my temple and close my eyes. I grab my stuff and head out of the room, away from Danny and Grandma's constant bickering. I head to the library, a small quiet room, with bookshelves lining the shiny brown wooden walls, and a huge painting of my grandfather on one of the walls. Under my grandad's painting is a small urn containing his ashes.

"Hi Grandpapi," I say calmly. When I was younger, my parents would tell me to keep it down or else grandfather would get mad at us. It was true. Grandpa would lecture Danny and I whenever we were too loud. After his death, I valued silence more than before. "I'll just study here while Grandpa and Danny argue in the other room."

The silence of the room was calming and relaxing, however dull. I grabbed my pair of earphones and put them on.

Kiss me out of the bearded barley,
Nightly beside the green, green grass

In a span of four minutes, I finish my homework and reviewing for the upcoming quizzes. Thanks, The Fray.

I contemplate on whether I should pack up and check on Danny or study a bit more. I choose neither and decide to read a book. Danny could deal with his cocky ass on his own.

I walk over to one of the walls with the ceiling to floor bookshelves. I cover my eyes with my left hand, and stretch out my right to touch the books. Slowly, I move due east of me. After counting to ten, I grab the book my right was touching at the moment. I opened my eyes to Dante's The Inferno.

With the book in hand, I walked back to the chair I was using and sat down. Choosing to forget reading it, I flip through the pages using my thumb. I stop abruptly at a random page, then use my left index finger to point at a random verse. Whichever verse I point two, shall I use to predict my future, I think jokingly.

Do not be afraid; our fate
Cannot be taken from us; it is a gift

I smile at the verse, then put the book down. The song has long changed. After the Fall by Kodaline was now playing. This was probably why I smiled, not because of some silly old verse.

Tiredly, I walk over to the very royal looking couch, and lay down. Slowly I drift off to sleep with Kodaline playing about how he could remember the good old days, where they used to hide away.

*

Kiss Me - The Fray
After the Fall - Kodaline
Talk - Kodaline