yours | adam banks.

chapter seventeen

adam banks

Mom and Dad left on a last minute trip a few hours ago, a business trip for Dad with Mom accompanying him as his assistant. Daniel's been left in charge because of his age but he's nowhere to be found and I have the house to myself on a Friday night, the motive for my plans should be clear.

It would've been for anyone else apparently but me, as I was spending my time cross-legged on the floor of my living room, playstation set up on the television, ready for a solid ten or so hours of uninterrupted bliss.

The playstation came out last year in September and it had been one of the best days of my life come my birthday in November whenever I unwrapped the console.

The console is sick, the only thing I've been playing for the past few weeks is Street Fighter Alpha, the game's taking over my life man.

A bottle of cola and a bowl of popcorn is set beside me, just in reach for me to toss a handful of kernel pieces into my mouth between fights, yelling in frustration if I lose and cheering in happiness if I win.

A few hours must pass before the front door is rattled and unlocked, Daniel coming meandering in through the threshold before flopping his body down onto the sofa just behind me.

"Alright there Adam. Brilliant way to spend your Friday night." He quips just as K.O flashes across the screen, my character sprawled across the ground in defeat.

I poke the inside of my cheek with my tongue and turn to the older boy, frustration threatening to spill out.

"I'm so gonna kill you man."

Daniel laughs me off and ruffles my hair, my hands reaching up to swat him away. He stands up from his  seat on the sofa and places his hands on his hips, looking down at me with a condescending grin.

"Make yourself scarce, I have friends coming round. Stay the night at one of your little duckie pals or something."

I pause my game and swivel towards him.

"Are you kidding? How many?"

Daniel is barely listening, picking up my popcorn bowl and grabbing a handful.

"What's it to you?" He says.

I stutter random syllables in shock, frustration from the game turning into straight anger at my stupid brother.

"Are you kidding me?" I stand up and head towards the older boy, who is now fiddling around in the fridge. "You're throwing a party aren't you? If Mom and Dad-"

"But they're not going to find out. Got it?" Daniel cuts in, glaring at me.

I throw my hands up in frustration and turn off the console, going up to Daniel and shoving him in the chest as I walk past. The movement does nothing, Daniel doesn't even flinch which makes me even more annoyed.

"As long as you stay out of sight up in your room somewhere, I don't care. Okay?" Daniel questions even when my back is turned to him.

I don't bother to acknowledge him and shrug before heading up the stairs two at a time, the bustling of Daniel still in earshot even from up on this floor.

Great. Where the hell am I meant to go? The Ducks aren't speaking to me, it's a complete shutout. Apart from them, I haven't bothered to make more friends. They're all I have, I don't talk to anyone else. What am I meant to do, randomly pop up at Larson or McGill's house and act like we're best buds again?

I groan and surge into my bedroom, making my way through the mess that situates every surface of my room. I really need to tidy it up before Mom has a fit at me again. She has this view of everything needing to be perfect.

Which is hard for her to maintain when having a kid like a Daniel as a son. If he would just clean up his act maybe I'd be able to mess up every once in a while. Instead I have to satisfy all of Mom's sky high expectations, along with trying to impress my Dad, who I can never seem to do right by.

Mom had even mentioned it fleetingly before she left. She's never direct with it, she just brings it up subtly, chipping away at my resolve.

I slip on a pair of trainers and a jacket before also grabbing my skates, tossing them into a bag and slinging it onto my back. I'll probably just hang out at the lake until dark or something, maybe get some food somewhere.

I head back downstairs to find Daniel with stacks of CD's in his arms, moving swiftly about the living room.

"I'm heading out now, not that I have a choice." I say pointedly as I walk towards the door, hearing the steady footfalls of Daniel behind me.

"Okay, I'm going to the store now if you need a lift anywhere?" Daniel asks and I shake my head.

"I'll be fine."

Before he can say anything more I'm out the front door, ignoring Daniel's presence behind me as I hurry down the driveway.

"Be safe!"

Is he for real?

I don't reply and take off down the pavement. Screw him, if Mom and Dad knew what he'd been up to he'd have the argument of a lifetime.

I'm tempted to turn around and phone them but then I realise that the only thing that makes me is an annoying little brother. There's no point in making things worse, Daniel's already under fire every day of his life.

With an exasperated sigh, I halt in my tracks and sling my backpack off my shoulders, yanking the zip open in order to grab the skates that were beginning to show a bit of wear and tear. It'd be easy enough to get a new pair but the stupid things make me feel all sentimental, I can't bring myself to do it.

The sun is still high in the sky and it beats down on my back, my shirt clinging to me as I lace up my skates, body sprawled across the curb.

I've decided to sit here for a bit longer, weirdly comfortable. My walkman has been slipped over my ears, a cassette of Blur playing loudly into my ears, the music spilling out in a low hum just outside of the orange headphones.

A shadow looms over my head, my ears not hearing the footsteps coming towards me, before there's a loud scuffle and an all too familiar girl sits down beside me.

Her smile widens at my obvious confusion before she crosses her arms and balances them on my shoulder, head propped up on her hands.

"Alright Banksie?"