Machine

I heard rustling in my room, which was the sole reason as to why I woke up in the first place. In the dim light of my little nightlight, I could see a figure. Now, I wasn’t alarmed because I knew this figure, but I was alarmed as to why he was still up. All squinty-eyed I lifted myself up on my elbow to look at my twin brother. He didn’t look tired at all, but I could tell, he hadn’t gone to sleep.
“You’re still up?” I mumbled towards him. Not even surprised to hear me awake.
“Yup!” he replied laughing a little.
“And how?” I looked at the time. 7:17 am.
“I’m a Machine!” he declared. I could see an earphone stuck in the ear opposite of me. And I knew instantly he was listening to something to keep his gears running. I never did understand his library.
“I bet you are,” I rolled over away from the direct light and him, “Well I have to sleep some more, because I’m not a machine.”
“Okay.” Was the last thing I heard from him and not long after I could hear the faint bass of the song he was currently listening to.
I dozed off for a little bit, but I can never know how much time passes when I’m just dozing. Could be twenty minutes; could be three hours. This time it happened to be half an hour. I rolled back over and he was still sitting on the couch he had in my room rocking out like he was on stage; which was quite cute, but would be killed if I shared that.
He sees me looking at him and pulls out and ear bud, “I can’t sleep” I tell him. He looks at me for a second, then smiles. His smiles differ at different times. This one was just one of those crazy smiles you just can’t help but smile back at.
“It is The Awesomeness.” Which was such an answer, from him, was a reply that I didn’t expect any less of.
“Well, I do like sleep.” I look at him questioningly. My hair, I’m sure, was a complete mess from the look he gave me.
“Well, too bad, because I’m up, hey.” Which was such an answer, again, was no less expected from him at this hour.
“What are you doing then?” I ask him, knowing that I’ll be passing out sometime soon. Just need to get the mind busy for a little bit.
“Listening to Five Finger Death Punch.” And then gives an evil laugh, which, at this hour, could’ve made me just crawl under the covers and laugh. Or else my brother would’ve thrown a punch at me and it would hurt a lot more. But I didn’t laugh, I just smiled.
“Sounds like fun.” I admit, if I had that energy, I would be doing that too. Sadly, I don’t have that kind of energy.
Before I knew it, I fell back to sleep. It wasn’t peaceful, because since I was already woken, I woke up periodically by instinct to get up. But I kept myself in bed, so I kept dozing back to sleep. I’d glance at my brother who stayed on my couch and rocked like a rock star when I woke from time to time, he didn’t notice me, but I felt safer when he was around. When I finally told myself that I had enough sleep, it was 12:32 pm. It was also partially because my brother got too much into the mood and accidentally screamed “I’m a Machine!” too loudly. I stretched and he looked at me. I looked over to him standing on the couch looking like he was battling and imaginary something. I smiled and continued stretching.
“Had a nap.” I mumbled sleepily.
“Eh?” He pulled an ear bud out to get me to repeat what I had just said.
“Had a nap.” I sat up and pushed myself up against the head board.
“Nice, I’m busy being a Machine!” he bounced around on the couch fighting the air. For all I knew, he was winning.
“I see that!” I pulled my knees up and hugged them. Leaning my head against my knees I watched my brother bounce around. He really seemed into it.
“It’s awesome I tell you!” he flopped back down on the couch and made it seem that he playing the drums. He looked like he was having a seizure actually.
“I believe it.” I smiled at him. He looked over to me and smiled back. His hair was growing out, not as long as mine, but long enough where he was just plain adorable. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was hot. He wasn’t large, but he wasn’t small, he just seemed to be him. He always had girls secretly wanting to be with him, but he tried not to think about it. He didn’t like any of the girls here; which I don’t mind at all. I don’t like them at all. The only female gender he ever trusted more then our own mother was me; and I him.
~
It was winter now and it gets fairly cold out. Not as cold as other places, but for me here, and having grown up here, I think it’s cold. The roads are too icy for cars to drive through, let alone a huge bus, which used to slip and crash into the banks almost once a week. So most kids around where we live, the reserve, either stays home or walks to school. My brother and I are one of the few that actually want to graduate. But thankfully we don’t have school today due to so much snow. But sadly our parents made us go out at five at night and get a few groceries for dinner, because they forgot.
“It’s cold.” I scrunched up my face and huddled myself closer to my brother as I carefully avoided a foot wide ice rink. I was wearing two sweaters with one of the hoods pulled up on my head, sweats and a few skirts for a little insulation, thick pair of socks stuffed into my one pair of shoes that did not acquire water on walking trips, my double-layered gloves that I had found just the other day and my home made twelve foot scarf wrapped multiple times around my neck. Yes, I was still cold. My brother was not so much.
“I don’t feel,” He had on a silly ‘Roar’ face “Machine.” He was wearing a t-shirt and an unzipped sweater, a pair of sweats which were worn from constant use, his normal shoes which didn’t have holes thankfully, no gloves, no scarf, and didn’t have his hood up. He was insane today.
“Have you even slept at all?”
He laughed and looked as though he was thinking. “Um, no, I do not think so.”
“Have you had any energy drinks?” I asked, as we walked into the convenient store. I walked down one of the two isles and looked at the canned soup.
“Nope,” He looked at the cooler “but one would be nice!”
“Not a chance,” I laughed I pulled some cans out, sugar, noodles, and rice. “Have you eaten though?” I don’t babysit him so I don’t know what he does all day.
I didn’t hear a reply, so I looked up at him to see him fidgeting. Trying to be funny he looked from side to side as if he really didn’t want to answer that. I knew what the answer was. I shook my head smiling at him.
“You should eat something, you know.” But when I finished that sentence I somehow knew what he was going to say.
“Machine.” He smiled and walked over to grab some milk and soda.
“Okay, now you’re worrying me.” We both walked up to the counter and placed our items on the counter. We said our greetings to the staff on shift tonight, paid for our groceries and started on our way home.
“You hear me in there? You worry me sometimes.” I looked at him. He looked at me. I was seriously concerned.
“Hold on, need more oil.” And he pulled out a can of Coke. He guzzled it in the current weather condition.
“Stupid.” We kept walking and he stuff the empty can in one of the bags.
“Odd thing is that my hearing has increased a lot.”
Must have been the sudden sugar intake he just had. “Have you been drinking soda all day?”
“No, that was the first.”
I didn’t answer to that because I knew he doesn’t like it when I nag on him about him needing to eat and then drink soda or have sugar. Instead I just changed the subject.
“You going to pull another all-nighter?” I opened the gate to our house and walked quickly up the steps and into the house; warmth at last.
“Depends; might need charging.” We took of excess clothing and hung it on hooks and the banister then made our way to the kitchen.
“You’re such a loser, do you know that?” I laughed and started to put things away. It doesn’t take long because our kitchen is quite small. Then he started laughing which means he’s got a comeback.
“Does not compute.” He replied like an actual machine.
“Oh, I could hit you so hard for that.” I was laughing though.
“Don’t hurt yourself.” Now he was giggling like crazy.
I made to seem to hit him and he flinched, protecting himself, but we couldn’t stop laughing.
“Where’s that off switch!” he ran over to my room and jumped onto my couch. I jumped over onto my bed.
“I could go on with jokes about machines!” he seemed really happy. Still laughing he flopped over.
“I believe it.” I was laying down the mirror side of my brother on the couch.
“That last joke may have gone pretty far.” I threw one of my pillows at him.
I love my brother to no end.