George POV:
Looking up at the sloped ceiling, I reminisced about all the events that led me up to this point. There were few to be of any real significance, but the few were everything. I steal glances at my brother and Vincent as they are peacefully asleep. I think Vincent knows that I was lying when I told him that our parents were waiting back home. I think that he knew that were alone. Maybe that's why he took us under his wing; he may be the same age as us, but something about him makes me and Bill feel...a mix of confidence and comfort and...positive things.
I never lied about our parents owning the only library in the outer sector, but it wasn't the whole truth. I sighed. There were too many things to regret and no many to cherish. I slowly drifted into my dream.
***
My eyes opened to a low but comfortable wooden ceiling that stared down at me on my cotton stuffed bed. I shook the drowsiness off of me and did my daily stretches to prevent any crampings. My mom told us about growing pains; I sure as hell did not want to get those. Bill was sleeping on the other bed opposite my wall. I nuck over to him and flicked him on the forehead.
His eyes shot open before he rubbed his forehead in pain. "That hurts you bastard!"
I snickered and said, "That's what you get for not waking up first, just like how you weren't BORN FIRST!" I yelled in his ear. We both laughed at the pathetic remarks that I came up with and headed over to the bathroom. We brushed our teeth and went straight to the dining room. Our house wasn't that big, so we only had one floor. But, when compared to the rest of the outer sector, our house was like palace. As we reach the dining table, our father greets in his usual care-free manner, "What's up guys?!"
He was reading the daily news paper. I could see his pure, blond hair and his bright blue eyes. He had a strong jawline, a mustache, and a beard. He was kempt, and the facial hair made him look amiable. Which he was. He was basically the better-looking version of us. I could smell the sizzling bacon, eggs, and potatoes coming from the kitchen. The aroma swarmed the entire house like how bees would swarm their hive. Relentless. I saw my mother in the kitchen; she was wearing a bright green apron as she danced around the stove and cabinets. She was graceful as she made breakfast for the lot of us. Her light brown hair was tied in a ponytail, and it flowed naturally when she swerved her head. She saw us and said, "George, Bill, you better get ready for work! Sit down and eat your breakfast!"
We both replied in unison, "Okay, Mom." We sat down at the dining table, and I observed my dad for a bit longer. He wasn't like all the other folks of the outer sector; he didn't have strong, muscular arms or dozens of scars that ran up his arms and legs. He didn't wear haggard clothing or comprise with anyone or anything. Sometimes, I wonder if he even belongs in the outer sector at all. My dad worked at the library, but he was also an accountant that did cheap work for many middle sector corporations and businesses. Filing taxes, keeping the books in check, or teaching the ropes to new candidates were all part of his repertoire. He even wore thin, wiry glasses when he read the scripts, completing the intellectual look.
My mother came back with two plates full of steaming, hot foods. They made my mouth water as one of them was set in front of me. Bill took his time eating all the components of the dish while I kept shoveling one bite into my mouth after another. They all tasted even better together. I swallowed a glass of water after and waited patiently for my father to finished reading his section of the paper. Bill also finished his plate a few minutes after mine. When our father saw that we had wolfed down our plates, he tucked the paper into one of his many side pockets and beckoned us to follow him He called out to his wife, "Be safe, honey. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything!"
She answered back, "You too! And don't worry too much, or you'll get wrinkles before you turn forty!" He smiled. We all passed through the front door in neat, single-file order. Then, we diverged from the line and grouped together as a messy cluster.
My father talked to us, "You know, it's about time that I showed both of you the roped to the accounting thing."
We both looked at him with astonished eyes. "Really?" I asked.
He ruffled my hair and said with joy, "Of course! When have I ever lied to you?"
Bill broke the father-son bonding moment by letting him face the facts, "Well, remember that time you took that doll away from me 'cause you thought that it looked creepy at night when you tried to tuck me to sleep? You lied about the doll running away when in reality you gave it to some homeless guy down the street for six credits."
My father laughed, "But, then I gave you the six credits. And, you used them very well to buy another doll that looked exactly the same. That's when I gave up!"
Bill sighed, "That's another lie. The second time you flushed down the toilet but told me that the new one ran away to find its brother."
"Yo-"
"Don't deny it. The toilet got clogged the say afterward when I tried to flush. Guess what came back up the other end? A floating head with missing eyes and a twisted mouth." Bill shivered as he revealed the truth. "It gave me childhood trauma."
My father responded in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry that you felt that way, Bill. I never meant to hurt you; I just didn't want you to end up like that." He pointed to a middle-aged man digging through a heap of garbage. After three seconds, a large raccoon with three-inch long claws jumped on his face and scratched it violently. The man created disturbing noises before his mouth started to foam, and he collapsed to the ground.
Bill averted eye contact immediately and said, "Point taken."
Dad giggled, "Also, you have to admit that the doll was creepy. I mean, it had body parts that didn't match in skin color, eyes that looked like they were plucked straight out of a monster, and stringy hair that got caught in anything!"
Bill replied, "But, it was my childhood." Dad and I both laughed out loud. Some childhood it was.