Sarah tells me that my grounding is now two weeks. Honestly, I don’t see what the problem is. I mean, yes her house is a little covered in paint but it’s fine! She’s already called Stanley Steamer: Carpet Cleaner and they’re coming out tomorrow to clean up all the paint and what not. Well except for my room, because it actually looks really nice to me. There’s orange and yellow paint splattered everywhere, including the carpeted white floor.

It’s four o’clock p.m. now, and I’ve finally got all the paint off of me and out of my hair. I strip the bed of the sheets and duvet and throwing them in a heap on the floor. Then I push the desk back-since it actually wasn’t all that heavy, and then my bookcase back into their respective places No way am I moving that bed all alone. Will’s gone now though. Soon after we got back home, he told me that he had to go to work. He works virtually every day. I sit down on bare bed, which is sitting in the middle of my floor. Someone’s gonna have to move it; but not me definitely.

I open my door and walk out of my room in my pajamas. I figured that since I’m grounded for the next two weeks; I may as well just stay in my pajamas, so once I got out of shower; even though it’s only 4, I put them on. I go across the hall, and knock on Ryder’s door.

          “Yeah?” Ryder calls. That seems to be his favorite way of answering the door.

          “Ryder it’s me, can I come in?”

          “Sure.”

I push open the door, and walk into Ryder’s room. He’s lying on his bed with one arm behind his head and the other loosely holding the remote. I look down at him and he raises an eyebrow at me, “Problem?”

          “Can I sit down?”

Ryder sits up, scooting over making room for me. That’s not exactly what I meant. I mean, I was just asking if I could sit in the chair or something, but this works too. I plop down beside him and look over at him. His eyes are firmly focused on the television. He’s watching some kinda sit-com or something.

          “Is there something you need?” Ryder wonders, seeing me look at him.

          “Will you please please help me move my bed?”

Ryder looks at me for a second before saying, “I’d rather not.”

I roll my eyes, “Come on, please?”

          “Only if you do me a favor in exchange.”

          “Sure, what is it?”

          “Stop taking long showers.”

I scoff, “There are two showers in this house; if I take too long, why don’t you go downstairs to the other one?”

          “Because my room is up on this floor; ergo my shower. So I don’t wanna go all the way downstairs just to bathe.”

          “Well then why don’t you get in the shower before me?”

          “Because you come home and take one right then.”

          “Okay okay, I’ll take shorter showers. Now will you help me?”

Ryder nods, “Alright.” He says, getting out of the bed, and walking across the hall to my room. I follow him, and as he pushes my door open, he puts his hand on his head. “What the hell is what all the paint fumes? Oh my God.”

          “Well, Will and I were painting, ergo the paint fumes.” I explain.

          “I wouldn’t stay in here tonight if I were you.” Ryder says, pushing my bed back against the wall in one push.

          “Then where am I supposed to stay?” I ask.

          “You can sleep in my room. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

          “Are you sure?” I ask him, then I add, “You don’t have to leave your room on account of me.”

Ryder shrugs, “It’d be kinda bad if you died from the all the dead brain cells you’d get from inhaling those fumes. And I’ll just sleep on the floor then.”

          “No I’ll sleep on the floor; you sleep in your bed.” I tell him.

          “Whatever floats your boat McKenna.” He mutters, walking over to my drawer. “Are you hungry?”

I shake my head, “No. I’m not hungry.”

Ryder jerks his head towards his room, telling me that he’s going in there, but I can come if you want. I follow him into his room where we both sit cross-legged on the floor across from each other. I pull my legs up to my chest, cradling them. Ryder clears his throat and then I look up at him. “So you do know I was kidding about the whole ‘come in my room whenever you want’ thing, right?”

I smile to myself, “I know that Ryder. Ya know, just because you’re two years older than me, doesn’t make you anymore smarter.”

          “That’s true. What makes me smarter is the fact that I’m about to be a sophomore in college; and you’re gonna be a senior in high school.”

I roll my eyes, “So what are you studying to be?”

          “Don’t laugh.”

          “Why would I laugh?” I ask him. “Is it stupid?”

          “I’m studying to be an engineer.”

          “You wanna be an engineer?” I ask him.

Ryder nods, “Yeah.”

          “Well that’s cool.”

          “What about you?”

          “What about me?” I ask.

          “What do you wanna be when you grow up?”

          “I dunno. Maybe like a surgeon.”

          “Dr. Bryant?”

I roll my eyes, “I do plan to get married.”

          “Right, of course.”

          “Did I sense sarcasm in your voice Mr. O’Connor?” I ask jokingly.

          “How do I know what you sensed?” He asks with a slight smile.

My cell phone rings next to me on Ryder’s floor, and I pick it up, answering. “Hello?”

          “Hey sis.”

          “Hey Mase!” I say to my brother.

          “Well you sound much happier than you did last time I talked to you.”

          “I guess Vernon isn’t all that bad. I am grounded though; so that’s one thing.”

          “Sarah grounded you? What’d you do?”

          “I broke curfew, and then William and I kinda had a paint fight, resulting in the house being covered in paint.”

          “Wow, how badass of you.”

          “Yeah, not really.” I say, “How’s Florida?”

          “Oh Florida’s great. So what are you doing?”

          “I’m talking to Ryder.”

As Ryder hears me say his name, he looks up at me. Mason. I mouth to him. “You’re talking to Ryder? Let me talk to him.” Mason says.

          “You wanna talk to him?” I ask.

          “Yeah; we are friends you know.”

          “If you’re friends, you should have his cell phone number, but hold on.”

          “Mason wants to talk to you.” I tell Ryder, giving him the phone.

While Ryder and Mason chat, I use the moment to go to the bathroom. I quickly use the toilet, and then wash my hands slowly and deliberately. When we were younger; Mason and Ryder were pretty close friends. I go back into Ryder’s room and see him sliding his finger along the screen of my phone. I drop down beside him, looking over his shoulder, “Are you going through my phone?” I ask him.

          “I’m not interested in your social life.” He says, as he dials a number on my onscreen keypad.

          “Then what are you doing?” I ask curiously.

My phone rings, and I try to grab it from me, but Ryder hangs the phone up. "Who was it?" I wonder.

          "Me. I was putting my number in your phone. I know yours, but you don't know mine."

          "Ahh, well that's smart."

----------------------

Night time falls quickly, and Ryder and I are still in his room. Except now we’re lying on the floor watching a movie. We’re watching some kinda movie; I don’t even know the name of it. But apparently Ryder likes it, because he’s so into it. “I’m gonna make popcorn.” I tell him, as I get up from the floor. Ryder doesn’t say anything, but he nods to acknowledge the fact that he heard me.

I walk out of his room, going down the stairs to the kitchen. As I push open the door to the kitchen, I see Will sitting at the table talking on his cell phone. He doesn’t hear me come in; I guess, because he doesn’t say anything. He’s eating what looks like spaghetti from my limited vision distance.

I go over to the cabinet, and pull out the box of popcorn. I’m not sure if Ryder wants some or not; so I just decide to play it safe and take out two. I hear Will tell who ever he’s talking to to “Fuck off.” He sounds so weird when he swears. It’s laughable almost. He slams his phone down on the table, and as I put the popcorn in the microwave, and start it I go sit down beside him at the table and say, “What’d that poor iPhone ever do to you?”

          “Ahh, nothing. Just the person I was talking to. Anyway, I’m sorry about earlier.”

He’s referring to the near kiss. I wave my hand dismissively, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” And it really is fine. I mean, he’s cute and I wouldn’t refuse a kiss from him, but I don’t think I like him like that. He’s really nice and all, but I just couldn’t foresee us having a future together.

          “So you watching a movie?”

I nod, getting up and going to get the popcorn out of the microwave. I open the other one and start it as well. “Ryder and I are.”

          “Ryder, huh?”

          “Yes, Ryder. Your brother.”

          “Do you like him?” He asks smiling.

          “Don’t smile like that, it’s creepy. And no, I don’t like him.”

          “Are you sure about that?”

          “I am positive about that.”

          “Uh huh.” Will says, “Well I wouldn’t recommend you take that second bag of popcorn up there to him.”

          “Why not?” I ask.

          “Ryder’s allergic to Coconut oil.”

I raise my eyebrows, “What does that have to do with popcorn?”

          “The popcorn has coconut oil in it.” He says, “Read the nutritional label.”

I pick up the box, and turn it looking for the ingredients. There it is right there. This product contains: Coconut Oil, Soy, Milk, and Tree Nuts. “Since when is Ryder allergic to coconut oil?”

          “Do you not remember that summer when were like seven, and Ryder was nine, and he ate some popcorn, and nearly died? Then he had to go the hospitals, and they told him that he was allergic to coconut oil.”

I think back for a moment until that summer. The memory is vague, but I do remember. “Oh yeah! And Todd was like crying.”

          “Why was I crying?” Todd asks, coming in the door and opening the ‘fridge.

          “When you thought Ryder would die from his allergic reaction.”

          “Hey; I wasn’t crying, there was something in my eye.” He corrects me.

          “Yeah; tears.” Will says.

Will and I both laugh aloud as I pull the second bag of now popped popcorn from the microwave, “Anyway, since Ryder can’t eat this, do either of you want it?”

          “Not me, I don’t eat popcorn.” Will tells me, as his phone rings again and he answers it with an angry, “What?” As he retreats from the kitchen.

          “What about you Todd?”

          “I’ll take it.” He says, grabbing it from me and going out the backdoor.

Well, now I’m alone. I don’t like being alone. I pick up the first bag of popcorn, and leave the kitchen, turning the light out. I make my way back to Ryder’s room; closing the door behind us, since he likes it closed. “Did you get lost, or what?” Ryder asks, as I lie down on the floor beside him.

I pull open the popcorn bag as I look up at the movie. “No. I ran into your Todd and Will while I was making the popcorn. He reminded you that you’re allergic to coconut oil.”

          “It’s a blessing and a curse.” Ryder says, sitting up, and stretching his legs.

          “How so?”

          “Because when I go the movies, I can’t get popcorn. I have to get like candy.”

          “Well if it makes you feel any better; I’m allergic to peanuts.”

Ryder chuckles, “I know.”

          “You know?”

          “You ate a peanut butter sandwich once here when you were like five, and I was seven. It was the creamy kind, so you thought it’d be okay. But you started like choking, and you broke out in hives.”

          “How can you remember that?”

          “I’ve had a lot of fucked up shit happen to me in my life. I block them out and remember the bad things, and remember the good things.”

I raise my eyebrows, “Are you trying to say that when I nearly died it was a good thing?” I ask jokingly.

          “No, that’s not what I mean-“

          “I know, I’m just playing.” I tell him.

For the next hour or so, Ryder and I watch the movie. Turns out we were watching Tron: Legacy. How I didn’t catch on? I don’t know. “I’m tired.” I tell him.

          “Then get up there and go to sleep.” He says, referring to his bed.

          “I told you I’m not making you sleep on the floor.”

          “McKenna, get your ass up there. I’m sleeping down here.”

I sigh, getting up. “Alright, fine.” I pull back Ryder’s comforter and bed sheet, and get under. I pull his cover over me and rest my head on the pillow. Then I flip it over, letting the cold side lie against my face. Ryder gets a pillow off the bed and pulls out another comforter from his closet. Ryder turns the light out and lies the cover down where were laying, and turns the TV from the movie channel. Then he says, “Why are you always staring at me?”

          “I’m not always staring at you.”

          “You’re looking at me right now.”

          “You had to have been looking at me to know I was looking at you.” I retort.  

          “Not necessarily. It’s a scientifically proven fact that people can feel other people staring at them.”

          “You just love using your college knowledge against me, don’t you?”

          “I sure do.” Ryder says, chuckling lightly. “So do you have to go to work tomorrow?”

I nod, then remember he can’t see me because it’s like pitch dark in here and say, “Yeah. Are you going to the hospital tomorrow?”

          “Probably. I’m not sure though yet.”

          “So how long have you been going there?”

          “About twenty four months.”

          “That’s two years.”

          “I’m aware.”

          “Then why didn’t you just say that?”

          “I dunno. Didn’t wanna.”

          “You’re a little bit weird you know.”

          “I guess that’s true. But I think the more appropriate word would be: mysterious.”

          “You know what, I think so to. You’re very mysterious.”

          “And you’re very curious.”

          “But you already know that.” I remind him.

          “That’s right, I practically grew up with you.”

          “This is true.” I reply. “Thanks for letting me stay in here Ryder.” I add after a few minutes.

          “Sure. Goodnight Mickey.”

          “Goodnight Ryder.” I say, as I shift in the bed, turning on my side.