While Nolan spent his day in his boring and uneventful classes Gabriel sat on a stool by the island in his family kitchen. Most 27 year old's would normally be pursuing the job of their dreams, or hiking in the Himalayas. Gabe however was scooping the remains of a mayonnaise bottle and shoveling it into his mouth.
As his parents were bustling around behind him completing daily chores briefly giving him distasteful glances Gabe ignored them and finished off the contents of the bottle. his mother stopped her work and turned to face her eldest son who was now scrolling through his Instagram.
"How long will you be staying for?" she questioned as Gabe set down his phone he looked over his shoulder.
"A week? I don't know Mum, aren't you happy to see your first born child?" Gabe inquired. His mother sighed and nodded at him.
" One week Gabriel Logan Simmons, one week." She stated as she turned back to continue on her work. Gabe sighed and slumped back into his chair. he slowly let himself fall off his chair and landed on the ground in a similar way a starfish would if it was out of water. Gabe eventually sat up and grabbed his bags that were beside the well broken-in couch that his parents had had for the past 23 years.
Gabe heaved his luggage up the staircase and into the guest room, placing his belongings on the double bed. He gazed around the room as old memories began to take over his mind. Pictures of Nolan, Gabe and their old dog Walter hung on the walls. The resemblance between the brothers was uncanny. Both of them received their fathers dark unruly curls and oddly placed freckles. Gabe had them all over his nose and Nolan had a huge one under his right eye.
With a difference of 11 years the two never really played together as kids. Gabe would be to preoccupied studying to play a board game with his younger brother. Even with a horrible attitude and personality Gabe still cared. He was never good at conveying his feelings, he didn't want people to get worked up over him.
Gabe shook the depressing thoughts out of his mind and turned towards his suitcase. He had already unzipped it and the contents overflowed and fell onto the dark cerulean sheets lining the bed. the clothing inside of his suitcase was messily thrown into it, piling up so high it was almost touching the clouds. he then picked up the suitcase and threw it on the mahogany floor, it skidded across and hit a chair in the far back corner.
Gabe collapsed onto the bed and laid there in silence. Gabe began to think, this dull colourless house that he and Nolan both grew up in and it needed a flair of colour. The only question was how. How should he do this.
Even though Gabe only arrived at his parents house early this morning he had been thinking about how bland his parents tastes were. As an art major his ideas seemed to be endless, although it might have something to do with the amount of free time that comes with not having a social life. Soon Gabe already had an idea in mind.
Only moments later Gabe sprang off of his bed. He stumbled around his room and managed to find his wallet and hat somewhere in the black hole known as his suitcase. He sprinted down the stairs missing a few at a time and immediately ran out the door.
He hopped in his dark red ford truck, turned the key and was off. As he drove he tapped his foot quietly as he wondered why this idiotic idea had popped into his head. Was it stupid? Yes. Would he regret it? Never.
Gabe pulled into a large parking lot with at least 20 different stores of all different heights and shapes filled the outer edge of the plaza. Gabe grabbed his wallet and stuffed it in his pocket and headed into a paint store.
As Gabe entered a small bell rang signaling a few workers to glance his way. A brunette girl looking about in her young 20's stood up from her stool at the front desk and she made her way towards the tall man.
"Hello sir, what can I do for you today?" She questioned as she looked him in the eye. Gabe glanced at her name tag with a messily scribbled Lucy written across it. Gabe's eyes then wandered around the store until they landed on a specific corner with cans of paint stacked in a strange shape that almost resembled the Eiffel Tower.
" Car paint," he started, " I'm here for car paint." She nodded. Lucy gestures for him to follow her as they began to walk towards the paint.
" Any specific colour choices?" Lucy questioned. Gabe places his hand on his chin as he began to stroke His nonexistent goatee.
" Blue, green and orange." He said as he
Pointed towards the splotches of colour that
He wanted. Lucy gave him an odd look but shook it off and grabbed some white cans of paint to mix with the colours. He walked with Lucy towards the paint mixer.
"Odd colour choice isn't it?" She questioned as she tried to engage in a small conversation.
" It's for my brother. When we were younger we both thought our parents never really had anything colourful around the house." He stated. Lucy looked up and left the mixer to function by itself.
" Then why car paint?" She inquired as Gabe fiddles with his fingers.
" Well," he said as he blushed slightly, "My brother and I used to watch this show together. I thought I might bring back the old memories." Lucy nodded and grabbed the paint off of the mixing station, she sealed the container and handed them to Gabe who in return gave her the money.
Gabe waved as he walked out of the paint store and once he got to his car he placed the paint down on the passenger seat and turned the engine on. He arrived home by 10:30 and placed the paint in the garage.
Gabe moves the van into the garage so he could start on his project. Yes his parents were probably going to get pissed at the fact that he painted their van but did he care? Hell no.
Gabe grabbed a speaker from one of the messily filled shelves that filled each side of the room. He plugged in his phone, placed it on shuffle and opened up the cans.
As he painted the truck his thoughts seemed to wander. His little brother had cancer. He had already gone through the pain of almost loosing his brother once and he would never let that happen again. Never.
By the time the clock reached 3:00 Gabe had already finished the base layer of paint. And the words that labeled the machine. Gabe set his paint brushes down and closed the garage. He slowly made his way back into the house and plopped down on the sofa and awaited the return of the little nuisance he called his brother.
Nolan arrived home around 3:15 and walked into his house to be met with a smug expression presenting itself on his brothers face. Nolan scoffed and kept walking, felling his brothers intense gaze lingering on his figure
"What" Nolan questions, with no response from his brother he keeps walking to his room and slams door behind him.
"Mother goose, when's dinner?" Gabe questions slumping into his chair. Katharine scoffed.
"Mother goose? I told you not to call me that Gabriel" She stated in an irritated tone as she stirred the pot.
Gabe gets up from his chair and heads back down to the basement. He goes over to the car and runs his hand across the side of the van. The paint was dry and now it was time for another coat.
Gabe begins to paint the words onto the car, adding accents and colours to the mix. He smirks,
"Oh they are going to be so pissed when they find out what I've done" he mutters to himself as he finishes up the letter e, the last letter on the vehicle.
With all of the painting at least 2 hours had gone by. Gabe leaned back and sighed in relief as he had finally finished painting. He closed his eyes only for a moment and then jolted up at the ringing of the doorbell. Gabriel slowly got up from his place against the wall and opened the door that lead to the house.
He walked in and saw his family getting dinner prepared and Nolan unpacking his things and starting his homework. His mother turned around and looked at him. "Where have you been?" she asked him as he sat down on the love seat. "Working on a project." he announced to them as his father and brother glanced up from their work. He smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Its a real mystery." he declared.
