Outcast

Weekend

**12:56pm**

I walk in the door of our family home, mum was probably out doing the food shopping with my sister and my brother was likely still in bed. Dad was at work and wouldn't be home for a couple hours yet. I climb the stairs up into my loft, it was cold up here since no one had been here for an entire night. I flick the light switch and chuck my bag against the wall.

Stripping down to just my boxers, I slowly walk downstairs to the bathroom to shower and get the grubby dust out of my hair. I could feel the grit falling onto my skin which made it feel like there was a bug crawling on me. The hot tap seems to run forever before finally getting warm enough to bath in without freezing to death and I get in and start scrubbing every part of my body to remove residue of dirt, dust and sweat.

"Ethan is that you in the shower can you hurry up I need a piss!" I hear my older brother yell as he hammers on the door with his fist. "Or I'm just gonna come in whilst you're showering"

"Okay I'll be out in five minutes" I shout back and wait for a reply but instead I just get two knocks on the door.

I finish scrubbing my entire body and then grab a towel from the rail before exiting the tub. Wrapping the warm fuzzy towel around my lower half of my body, I exit the bathroom to be rudely pushed out the door and hear my brother groan of the sweet release of finally being able to take a wee.

Now time to just be myself and relax and pretend that everything okay for a while.

**2.45pm**

I walk downstairs to the noise of my brother arguing with my sister about who's car should be parked at home. Ignoring the shouting, I make some toast and lather on the butter.

"and where the fuck have you been?" My sister shouts at me as I try to quietly leave the kitchen

"Out with a friend" I smugly reply

"As if Ethan! The only friend you've got is your bed"

"Hey! Thats enough leave him out of this" My brother loudly defends, never before have I heard him raise his voice. "Just cause you think you're billy big balls with your high end job, mass group of girlfriends and... oh wait."

"Marcus, leave it out" I tell him, he just looks at me

"You're in a mediocre job, the same amount of friends as a seagull, you live at home with your convict of a boyfriend who's own parents don't want squat to do with him-"

My sister charges at him, tackling him to the floor. My brother was tall and skinny, completely the opposite to my sister who was short and stocky but she always used this to her advantage, especially when they fought. I push her off of him and she hits her head on the metal corner of the drawer handle before slumping to the floor. .

"Is she.. dead?" I shakily ask as my older brother gets up off the floor and grabs a wooden spoon to poke her with,

"You're gonna pay for that you fucking cunt Ethan!" She screeches, both my brother and I dart up the stairs out of her way.

I place my toast on the bedside table in my room and switch on the game console attached to it just as the loading screen fires up my phone buzzes which is unusual.

BBC NEWS: The investigation into the death of teenager Samuel Myers has been called off as no further evidence can be found. Police would like to thank all for their help during this time and the Myers family have asked to be left to grieve their son.

Sucks to be that family doesn't it? I bite into my toast and wipe my hands on my jeans before using the controller to select Fifa... There was something that I'd always been able to escape in video games, even when I was younger - before I'd found a new hobby - I'd be in my brothers room playing on whatever new console he owned. Growing up playing on the PS1 to Crash Bandicoot trying ever so hard to beat his high score, or trying to unlock every single car in need for speed in just one sitting. I want to be back there, back when things were easy. When we actually acted like a family.

"Hey, what're you playing?" Marcus asks shyly standing in my door frame

"Just football" I shrug him off as I take another bite of my toast

"I'm going out for a walk, if you want to join."

I look at him whilst taking the last few bites of my toast and then jump up in one swift motion

"Lead the way"

**

We get in his car and drive towards the reservoir. The sun was hiding behind a couple clouds which gave every inch of shrubbery a new sense of warmth as we walked down the concrete bridge that led to the chicken farm.

"I'm moving out" Marcus drops as we reach the end of the bridge "We've found a two bedroom flat that lets us rent"

"Four men in a two bedroom complex, that'll be cozy I tell you" I chuckle

"Haha, it's not for me and the band - It's for Melissa and I"

"Wow you guys are serious. Wait why do you need two bedrooms?"

"If you ever wanted to stay, or if her family travels down"

"I'm happy for you, you're finally the big brother!"

We finish the walk with a couple of sibling pictures and laugh about the good ole days before jumping back into the car and driving back home. I cannot believe Marcus is moving out, all these years where he has been there and now he won't. It's Bizarre to me.