It Began with a Blog... (closed)

Robert Herriot beat his fist on the steering wheel of his rusty yet reliable '99 Honda Accord; "the Pouges" blasting from the stereo. Barreling down the the 202, he had been driving non stop since he put his pen down and closed the blue book on his Sociology final exam. Just about 5 hours ago. His travel mug was drained of it's last drop of coffee about an hour ago, just as he was passing the border into Connecticut.

As the boys pounded thru the last verse of "Transmetropolitan", Robert pounded the roof of his car with vigor. He always thought that this angry love-hate letter about London could easily apply to Philly. He was so happy to get out of Philadelphia. He loved that town, and sort of still does... but after four years (and one more to go) of putting up with the parking, the cops, the garbage, the @#$%ing idiots of his school's administration office, the parking, the UGLY public art, the drama, the cops, the asinine ancient liquor laws based on Quakerism that kept him from easily acquiring his alcohol (which made college that much more tolerable)... it was enough to make him want to burn it down. Or at least, leave it and go to the place that he originally LEFT.... his quaint little hometown of Summerfield New Hampshire.

The Landscape from Philly had gone from grey, to brown to green (back to Grey as he went thru New York) and even a more lush green as "Thousands are Sailing" came next on the loud speakers. The trees always seemed to get greener, the more miles he put behind him. It soothed his nerves. He finished a final bite of a granola bar and tossed the empty wrapper in the backseat; which contained nearly every item he owned from his apartment in Philly jumbled together in a heap. The only item in the front seat with him was his messenger bag which contained his laptop, external harddrives and the last of this semester's schoolwork. He was leaving Philly. Coming home to stay... at least for the summer, for the first time in almost 4 years. As he joined in with Shane McGowan's almost-drunken voice, and he thought about home.

He wondered if he would even have his old room, or if Nate took it, or if Mom had converted it into something "so god-damned wonderful" for the house. He blew out one last annoyed puff of his cigarette and tossed the butt out the window. In which case he could store his crap in the shed, and crash on the couch for a while. He had steeled and readied himself for an argument or fight the moment he pulled into the driveway, such was the nature of his entire existence with his Mom, Brother and Sister.

Home life wasn't always the best for Robert, growing up he had always clashed with his Mom, and was accused of picking on his younger siblings. His car sped around a bend in the highway and he thought about his siblings. He was fond of the relationship he shared with them, tenuous as it was.

Many conversations between Robert and his siblings often ended in arguments, fighting, or sometimes, crying. He's always reminded of the time when a harmless discussion about Spider-Man brought about his little brother Nathan's discovery that there wasn't really any Santa Claus. All Robert was trying to do was make sure the little guy never, ever had any the wool pulled over his eyes, and in the fight for truth the first thing that's gotta go is the "Santa lie".

It may sting, but the truth hurts! If someone had to squeeze out some tears to learn the truth, then so be it. He rarely ever sugarcoated things, and wasn't about to start.

His mind roamed and reeled over his spotty relationship with his family, when he saw the signs announcing the highway exits to Summerfield. As strong as his snarky, unfiltered and unyielding rebellious attitude was in his system, when he started to see familiar sights and smells of his hometown, a little nugget somewhere inside him began to grow warm. The Post Office on main street. The old pizza joint. The Grocery store, his first job. Phil's Barbershop, (and the memory of when he was in the 10th grade when he convinced Phil to shave off all of his hair except for two long locks... which he styled into antennae). Rob ran his hands thru his kinky unruly head of hair and chuckled to himself as he drove down the main street of Summerfield, on his way to the clutch of the towns oldest houses, and one house in particular.

He turned left off Fortune Pass and pressed on the gas lightly, driving a little more than the recommended speed limit than he probably should... Despite himself, a smile formed on the edges of his lips. It was a long ride down the windy Recoil Rd., but immediately at it's end was a T-Intersection, the little brick house at 462 Blossom Court that, help him, he called home.

OOC: physical traits/appearance of character
Name: Robert Herriot
Age: 22
Hair: Dark Brown, curly, unruly.
Height: 6' even
Weight: 173
Description: He's got a somewhat muscular, skinny, wiry physique. Due mostly to climbing, running (not athletic running, just high-energy messing about) and He doesn't necessarily make the conscious effort to keep in shape, and despite his love of foods-with-cheese-in-them and smoking habit, he is actually really lucky to have the physique he does.

Abby Herriot sang loudly along with the music playing from inside her room as she brushed her damp hair. Her voice echoed off of the walls of the shower and steamy mirror in the bathroom as the song ended and a new one began. There were several beads of water still falling from her long dark hair that landed on her drying legs. She stood up from the edge of the tub and dried off with her white towel, wiping away the random beads of water. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders and continued singing while walking down the hall into her room.

A few weeks ago she decided that a summer at home would be good after a semester full of stress. After finishing with exams and handing in final projects she drove home without calling her mother to tell her the change of plans. Her original plan was to fly to Toronto with her boyfriend, Nick, to visit his parents, but after having a serious argument she decided to go home. She knew that her mother would understand her situation and would comfort her until she felt better. That's exactly what she spent the past two weeks doing, moping around and occasionally throwing a temper tantrum after she couldn't get Nick out of her head.

Abby turned off the music and threw on a pair of sweat pants and a t shirt. It was still light outside at seven PM but she couldn't figure out what to do. Everything that could be done around the house was already done, thanks to her mother. Every DVD had been watched, every video game had been played, and every friend had been called. Most of them were either still away at school or on vacation, and the ones that were here didn't feel like being around someone depressing. She didn't blame them. Her mother picked up a second job sometime last year to help pay for the family's bills and tuition fees, so Abby really was alone 80% of the time.

Although she felt miserable most of the time, she couldn't help but feel better walking around her home. So many different memories and feelings covered every single inch of this house that could make you smile or cry at any given moment. When her father insisted on leaving the garage as it was even though there were only two cars occupying the large driveway and when her mother decided it was time to remodel the whole house and turned it into a living room. When her mother sat her down at the kitchen table and tried to explain the divorce and when Abby began to cry because she didn't understand. Or when she packed up all of her clothing, personal belongings, and pieces of her childhood into boxes and moved away into a dorm.

Abby turned off her light and went downstairs into the kitchen. She took a water bottle out of the fridge and sat down on the table. It sat five but there were only four chairs. Only four because after a couple years her father decided it would be best not to come visit anymore. The house really needed only two now that Robert and her were living at college. It was only Nate and mom now on a regular basis and now even he was gone visiting his aunt. She tried not to think about how lonely her mother must feel every day when all of her children are gone.

Nate was almost finished with high school now. Somehow in the months that past he grew up into a young man and not the little kid she remembered. Every now and then she peaked into his room when she was bored and looked at the books he kept on his shelves. She hadn't realised that he enjoyed reading so much. When Abby was feeling extremely bored she crept into Roberts room to sneak around. Like herself, Robert packed up and took most of his things with him when he left. The only evidence left behind that reminded her of him was the window leading onto the roof. When they were younger she could remember hearing him open his window in the middle of the night and climbing onto the roof. She never told her mother, or anyone else for that fact because she knew that he would get into some serious trouble if she did.

Abby jumped down from the table and went to sit in the living room. She surfed the TV channels until she landed on a soap opera with a easy to follow story line. For now she figured she could get sucked into somebody's drama and not dwell on her own.

　

Name: Abby Herriot
Age: 18
Hair: Dark brown, wavy, goes down to about mid back.
Eyes: Dark brown
Height: 5'6
Weight: 120
Description: She's slim, not very athletic or trim looking, though she did used to run track in high school and play soccer for a local team. Her legs are longer than her torso and her overall look is soft, nothing is defined or shaped. She's over all healthy, never smoked or did any permanent damage to herself.


Picture : Abby

Seeing the small-yet-very distinctive house right at the end the road at the T-intersection, his smile broke a bit and he let out a sigh of relief that his Mom's red Toyota was not in the driveway. His little nostalgic smile broke to a wide grin, and he pulled into the drive and put his car in park. There was a second car in the driveway, one he didn't recognize. 'Mom would only get rid of her car if it were totalled or died... this must be Abby's or Nate's...'' Robert thought. 'Either way, This will be a muuuuch easier homecoming without Mom around!'

Robert swung his legs out the car door and his muscles strained and pulled awkwardly. A Straight-shot drive from Philadelphia to Summerfield is totally do-able... but not always easy when your body has grown accustomed to the sitting, and your leg pretty much pressing down on the gas the whole time (he never did get the cruise-control fixed...) He stood straight up, gave a big stretch and felt a bone or two pop in their joints. It felt good. He held the stretch for a moment, before shaking it off. As if by reflex or second nature, he leaned back in the car and grabbed his messenger bag and his computer. With his bag slung over his shoulder, enjoying being able to stand after 6 or 7 hours, he swaggered lazily to the front door. 'I wonder which one's home... Nate or Abby' He knew his sister was attending college, but didn't know when she got out for the summer. Nate's old enough to drive, but he didn't know if he could afford a car yet... or even had his license.

He pulled out his keys, fishing for the right one. He passed a number of them...a large jangling amount which were useless outside Philly (actually, many were useless inside Philly as well)... the ring was light about two keys... he left his old apartment keys taped to the fridge for his roommates to find and deal with. 'Aint dealing with that Landlord ever again...' he thought. There were keys given to him from the sociology department, copies of keys he got from friends on Campus security... keys to a defunct smoke shop he used to work for, which the City of Philadelphia shut down before he could collect his last paycheck. The last Key he came across was the one he was looking for: the key with the wide diamond bow, the one to the front door that stood closed before him. 'This'll all be for naught if she changed the locks in the last few years...' he thought before he turned his wrist to the right, and the door unlocked. For the first time in four years he was returning home.

"HellOOOOOooooohh!" Robert said in a loud singsong voice, knowing the only person who would be home would be Abby, or Nate, or both. He looked around for any signs of life... A pale glow from the TV flickered in the living room, and he heard footsteps from the couch. He took a few steps to the family room and saw his sister, who looked a little tired, but also a bit surprised looked back at him.

"Abby!" He said loudly, with a grin, and threw his hands way out to either side. "I am so happy to see you!" He took a few steps forward and said with a shit-eating grin "The one person in this family LEAST LIKELY to start yelling at me..." He changed his expression by cocking an eyebrow slightly, looking at her cautiously (but with twinkle in his eye) "or at least.. I don't THINK you would..."

Abby was mindlessly watching the show and wasn't really paying attention. She was weighing the pros and cons of if she should go out that night. Her friends that were around probably wouldn't automatically shut her down if she asked, but they wouldn't be too thrilled about it either. Thinking or doing something other than obsessing over what you don't have, or what you lost, or what you can't do to fix a problem is the best way she knew how to cope. When her father left, she injected herself into school. She joined sports teams, started to study longer and harder, and surrounded herself with a group of friends. It ended up helping her immensely in high school and eventually guaranteed her acceptance to the school she was enrolled at, Pace University.

Literature and creative writing happened to strike her interests when her grade nine English teacher assigned an essay about balloons. The point was to create a false reality that revolved around balloons and Abby ran with it. For the next four years she spent her nights reading and writing down short stories, that is, when she wasn't with her friends. Her friends weren't stupid or uneducated, they all eventually smartened up and graduated high school, but they wouldn't have understood her passion for English. She just finished up two courses about the art of creative writing and it's structure; she finally had a group of people that understood.

"Hello!"

Abby jumped up and grinned. She knew right away who it was by his loud voice that always seemed to make it's way into every crevice in the house. She was momentarily confused, her mother never mentioned that he would be coming home to visit. There weren't many things that her mother forgot, and this definitely couldn't have been one of them. Abby started to walk to the front door when Robert appeared in front of her with open arms.

"Hey Rob!" She closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly. "Why would I yell at you when this is the first time seeing you in forever!"

She wanted to ask what he was doing here but feared that it might push him away. She was glad he was home for a visit, no matter how brief it may be. He hasn't been home for years and she wasn't going to encourage another couple of years after this. It was hard on everyone when Robert had to leave for college, especially their mother. Robert reflected many traits of their father, some of the good ones and some of the bad ones. In a lot of ways Robert has always been a father figure for his younger siblings and a companion for their mom. When he left and didn't return for years, well it was a lot like when their father left. There was minimal contact over the phone and texts, but eventually it all stopped.

That said, Abby was a spitting image of her mother. Of course they shared similar physical aspects, both of them had dark hair, both of them shared the same body type, and they both had smiles that were considered toothpaste-commercial worthy. Luckily, she had a great pair of genes (including a spectacular metabolism) and appreciated her body for what it was, curvy at a 34C and hips that had rounded out. It wasn't only their physical appearance that connected them. From what Abby heard, her mother was quite the party-goer when she was a teenager and ended up in a lot of trouble. That trouble created Robby and everything that followed. Her mother was convinced that if she didn't keep her under strict watch that the same thing would happen to her. Abby loved her mother more than anyone probably, but sometimes she couldn't help but lash out about the way she was treated different than the boys.

Abby came to life once the surprise of his return passed. "Hey Rob!" She came in close and hugged him. Seeing her in person after four years of college, he was momentarily surprised with how closely Abby resembled his Mom, but there was a lot about her that was still very much "Abby." First and foremost, she was happy to see him! She didn't constantly have a look of admonishment or criticism on her face that he remembered their Mother having. Their Mom constantly giving him shit and throwing down limitations around him... well... "them" really. When he was younger he always accused his Mom of always giving him grief and turning a blind eye to Abby and Nate... but memories started to float back. Abby has had her fair share of Mom-scrutiny. Sometimes they'd commiserate together over junkfood and video games to work off the shared frustration of "Maternal Law."

"Why would I yell at you when this is the first time seeing you in forever!"

He returned her tight embrace and patted her heartily on her back. He said "Ohh, I dunno..." and trailed off, trying to honestly think why she would yell at him. Despite them getting along pretty well growing up, he remembered plenty of fights between them as well. Most of them frustrating debates... him bringing up hard topics, hard questions... ones that might... he paused. Questions and topics that HE felt were of utmost importance, but as he thought about it now, probably topics that were too heavy for his sister, four years his junior, to wrestle with.

Part of him considered launching into a proud yet self-depreciating tirade, about how much of a prick he has been, reason enough to think he'd be welcomed home with criticism... but just thinking about how much of a difficult brother he has been, he figured he'd keep the asshole at bay and just keep things light the evening of his return. "...maybe... Ah. I dunno. I'm wired, been driving for hours" he tapped his temple with his finger "The mind leaps to some crazy conclusions sometimes..."

Despite his usual salty sarcastic demeanor he couldn't help but feel warmed by being home. He felt that this feeling would evaporate once their Mom decided to arrive home... Or when he decided it was time to empty the mess from his backseat and trunk... and transplant that mess to his room... which gave him pause... and a question occurred to him.

"Hey, is... or... Did Mom do anything crazy to my room? Turn it into a gym or something?" When he left for school four years prior, he may have taken took every book, poster, knickknack & belonging he had, but left the bed, dresser and desk. he couldn't pack all that stuff in his rusty Honda. His return was not announced or planned... at least, not planned with those still living at the homestead. He didn't show it, but he felt the double twinge of nervousness of not having a place to stay, and his long-held resentment against his Mom, which he thought might bubble-over if she had indeed turned his room into a Gym, or library, or... water-slide, or whatever...

Abby took a step back and looked at Robert. There were pictures of the family everywhere, ranging from when they were kids, to birthday parties, and of Robert's and Abby's graduation pictures from high school. She had time to look through the pictures hanging on the walls and sitting on bookshelves during her time at home, and one picture she studied the most was Robert's graduation picture. It was a great day for the most part. Abby remembered getting her hair done and buying a new dress to attend the ceremony. Their father was supposed to meet them there, but it came to no surprise that he hadn't. Robert didn't let it show, but Abby knew that he was disappointed. It was a good thing that the professional graduation pictures aren't actually taken the day of, because Robert wouldn't have looked half as happy.

Point being, Robert looked different than the kid in that picture. He was an angry person before, and for good reason. Her mother never let Robert forget the similarities between her divorced husband and made him suffer because of it. Even back then Abby knew it was unfair to constantly remind him of his bad qualities. Which didn't really exist at the time, anyways. Robert was just a normal boy when their parents had split up. Sure, he talked back and had the occasional fight with his siblings, but what boy doesn't? Their mother didn't give Robert any choice but to behave the way she always said he did. That's when the real fights began between the two of them. It was almost like hearing the same fights that her parents used to have, glass shattering and usually ended up with someone storming out the front door.

"Hey, is... or... Did Mom do anything crazy to my room? Turn it into a gym or something?" Robert asked, shaking Abby out of her train of thought.

"She would never change anything about you're room without asking you first. She's been too busy to really think about it anyways. Did you hear that she got another job?" Abby rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. "She's been working really hard for us, you know."

She didn't want to bring him down, but she couldn't help but think about all of the things their mother has had to give up for them. She barely had any time to herself, she was always working. When she wasn't working she was cleaning the house, paying bills, going shopping for food, taking care of Nate, and now she was taking care of Abby. There wasn't any other choice though, there wasn't enough money coming in from her first job to support two kids going away to school. Abby did get a job during high school to try and help, but it barely made a dent in the tuition fees and dorm expenses.

"Anyways, you're room is how you left it." Abby scratched her neck for a moment and smiled. "You look better, Rob. Much better."

"Anyways, you're room is how you left it."

Rob was relieved, he had a place to sleep. He smiled and looked to the stairs, he could get all of his stuff moved in tonight and might not need to even see Mom until the following day. Before he could utter a smart-alec comment his sister spoke again...

"You look better, Rob. Much better." He looked back at her with a curious expression. She was just standing there, smiling.

"Better?" he said in mock-indignation "MUCH Better?" He looked down at his body and pretended to look hurt. He held out his arms and struck a grandiose pose that models or body-builders might employ "That suggests that I once DIDN'T look this good, sister..." He said the word 'sister' not in a way that he's addressing his sister, but in the way someone would irreverently address a female friend. But still, even though he was doing it for comedic effect, using that word while thinking about his physique crossed a wire in his mind, and he instantly regretted it.

Rob has never had a good self-image growing up. Although he never had a weight problem, he always felt he was too scrawny, too gangly for anyone to take seriously. Growing up, It seemed the only "successful" men were the ones who were either physically strong or had a strong personality... so he made up for his perceived lack of physical appeal by putting forth as strong a personality as possible. If Rob felt discomfort, he would cancel out those feelings by making others uncomfortable. If he was angry, he'd do what he could to make the person making him angry just as angry as he was. This often led to arguments or fights, but no matter the outcome, it always left Rob feeling as if he won.

A thought occurred to him... there's no reason for that now. There's nothing Abby's doing to make him uncomfortable or get his ire up, there's no reason for posturing or false bravado. Why is he putting on his annoying front? He didn't want this Summer to be an uncomfortable one. He didn't want to annoy the one person in the house he's likely to get along with.

Rather than show the embarrassment he felt, he coughed, adopted a casual stance, smiled and gave a slight bow. "Ahem. Joking aside, thank you, Abigail." He brought his hand down with a flourish "And you, of course, look so lovely, after all this time." He turned and started to walk toward the front door, and gave her a sideways glance as he went. "You must be breaking hearts all over the place." He swung his computer bag off from over his shoulder and dropped it onto the nearby kitchen table before opening the front door. "I'll just be a minute, Abby. Just going to move my shit from the car."

Abby immediately wished she hadn't commented on his appearance. She was mostly talking about how refreshed and calm he looked. She wasn't used to seeing her family members looking truly calm, because it never was in this house. At least, it wasn't when all five or four of them were living together. But, she's learned over the years that spending time with someone alone instead of in a group is how you begin to really know that person. During the few weeks she had been home, her mother never picked at her for leaving an empty glass on the kitchen counter or leaving her shoes lying around in the bathroom, because she could relate to the pain that Abby was feeling. She had a feeling that if it had been Robert that came home first with news of a heartbreak, he wouldn't get the same sympathy.

She thought about why she hadn't made her remark a sarcastic one, or a lighthearted one at least. It didn't sound as bad in her head as it did coming out of her mouth. Knowing Robert, he would probably think she was hitting him where it hurts most. She didn't know why, but Robert had always been a bit self conscious of his appearance. He would never admit it to anybody, especially to someone that could, and probably would have, used it against him in an argument. The rare times that they had gone out to eat or see a movie as an entire family, Abby would think that other children would be jealous of her perfect family. At least they looked perfect on the outside. Robert never looked out of place in their family, no matter what his attitude was or how he changed his physical appearance by cutting his hair or changing his clothes. There was always room for him, even if he didn't see it.

"I didn't mean to, well, you know." Abby mumbled quietly and looked down at the floor.

She was glad that he dropped the act as fast as he picked it up. She didn't want to make either of them feel uncomfortable or confrontational at this point. It was nice to see he still had a sense of humor, though. Even if he was trying to be sarcastic and trying to annoy her, it wouldn't have worked. She was too happy to have someone other then her mom around. She hadn't asked how long he was planning on staying or what he was planning on doing at home, but she hoped that he wouldn't be gone every day out with his friends. The debate about going out tonight was otherwise silenced for the time being. She would much rather stay at home and play video games in her sweats then going out.


"And you, of course, look so lovely, after all this time." Robert said with an exaggerated bow.

She knew he was lying, but it was a nice gesture. She wasn't an ugly girl, she actually really liked her normal appearance. Her hair was still damp and her clothing was more suited for bed. Abby reminded herself that he hadn't really seen her for a long time. They had talked a few times over web cam, but even then it had to be a year ago. Nothing about her face had changed much, she lost some of the baby fat from her face, but other then that she still had a big smile and the same dark eyes. The most noticeable thing would be her growth spurt. She had grown a couple inches taller, her hair had grown longer, and her waist, hips, and chest filled out.

"You must be breaking hearts all over the place."

Abby stopped smiling and looked up quickly. She almost threw back a nasty comment but held her tongue. He couldn't have known about Nick, he would never had said that if he had. That's what she kept telling herself as she watched him walk to the kitchen and put his bag down. She thought that her mother would have at least told Robert about the rough time she had been having if she talked to Robert about coming home. The realisation hit her like a ton of bricks, their mother had no idea. She didn't take well to surprises, the good or the bad. Abby thought about calling her mom, just to give her a heads up, but decided against it. She wasn't planned to be home until somewhere around midnight, she would find out then.

She didn't want to let him know about what happened, not yet anyways. She also didn't want him to know about the instant pinch of pain she felt when he said that. So, Abby smiled again quickly and nodded when he told her he would be back. When he was out of sight she frowned and went into the kitchen. His bag was the only thing out of place. The stove remained where it had always been, along with the fridge and table. She put on a pot of coffee and sat down at the table.

Rob popped the trunk and grabbed a laundry basket brimming over with clothes, books, papers, and DVDs. he piled another box on top of it, hoping to make the emptying of his car go as quickly as possible. He was smiling, but knew that he has to tone it down a bit. He knew the sarcasm, the "mock-indignation" the mock-anything... doesn't solve anything. He knew those were out-dated defense mechanisms... In fact he found it odd that he snapped back into old behavior. It's probably because it's the first time he's been home since he left for school. He hefted the load and walked to the house.

It would take a few loads to get his stuff inside... he wasn't terribly concerned moving any of the stuff in past his sister, any embarrassing material was stored innocuously on his harddrives. Everything else he owned was either clothes, books and random DVDs and bric-a-brac that he had accumulated over the years. He pushed the door open with his hip and walked inside. Abby was sitting at the kitchen table, and she smiled up at him but also appeared a little sullen. He said "I'll just be a few trips, Abby. I want to get all my stuff out of the car and upstairs ASAP."

He readjusted his arm-load so he could better accommodate lifting it up the stairs. The stairs and upstairs hallway was exactly as he remembered them.... the same squeaky 5th step, the same lighting, the same colors. the only thing that was new was the plush running rug in the upstairs hallway. He opened his door and saw that the room was clean, dusted, and the bedsheets neatly made. He smiled to himself, put his load down, and ran down the stairs to get the second load.

By the time he took his last load upstairs and closed his bedroom door, the coffee was finished brewing and Abby had poured herself a mug and another mug was waiting for Rob. It smelled really good... Mom always kept the good stuff in stock. It was a welcome change from the swill he and his college roommates usually brewed. He took his mug, emptied a few sugar packets into it, and took a sip. It WAS good. He put his mug down and looked across the little kitchen table to his sister. 'No sarcasm, no lecturing, no bullshit, Robert.' he mentally reminded himself. "So, this is better than a webcam, eh?"

Abby sat quietly as she watched her brother move to and from the front door, bringing in boxes or bags full of clothing, books, and a couple random items. She thought about helping him, but figured that if he wanted her help he would have asked. It felt silly to be sitting around while she watched him work, so she stood up and started looking around in the fridge for something to make for dinner. The fridge was full of the regular vegitables and fruits, eggs and milk, some pudding and jell-o, and a box of left over chinese food from a couple days ago. Abby took that containor out and held it far away from her body as she threw it away. There were many possible recipes that she could pull out and cook, but she wasn't feeling very up to it. She wondered if Robert might be hungry or if he ate on the road.

Abby took out several apples and oranges and put them in a bowl. She rinsed them and took out a knife, three spoons, and a fork from the drawer. She put the bowl of fruit down in the center of the table with the cutlury and paper towels beside it. She lifted Robert's bag off of the table and put it down on a chair. She poured two cups of coffee and brought them to the table with the sugar and milk. Robert had brought the last of the boxes up to his room and was coming back down the stairs. She opened four sugar packets before stirring her coffee, her sweet tooth didn't stop at chocolate bars and candy, she liked her coffee and tee to be sweet as well.

"Of course this is better then seeing you over a web cam. That was during the semester and you were busy with school and stuff, now we can just relax." Abby smiled and took a shiny green apple out of the bowl. "How long are you staying?"

She took a paper towel and layed it down infront of her. She began to cut the green apple into slices with the knife, letting them group together in a pile. It was never an option to bite down into an apple, she just wouldn't do it. It would be messy and wouldn't look as appealing. Her mother called her OCD, but she just said it was being an individual. Being different was something that had always influenced Abby, she was always trying to stand out from the crowd. Truth be told, by trying to be an idividual she alienated a lot of her friends. While everyone was going to a party on the weekend, Abby wanted to make a point by going to a concert with a distant friend. While everyone was going to the prom, Abby went bowling with Nate. Smaller events were missed because she was so foucused on being different. She dropped most of her bad habits, but picked up on a few that stayed close to her heart. Such as spending at least an hour a day doing yoga, or instead of eating ice cream she walked over to the convience store to buy a slushie.

"Did you eat yet?" Abby asked and started eating a slice of apple.

Abby smiled and took a shiny green apple out of the bowl.

Robert drank his coffee and smiled to himself as he watched Abby methodically cut up and eat her apple, slice by slice. He always noticed that she was very focused, with certain things. It wasn't like she was OCD... she just did things a certain way and liked it that way. Or at least, that's how Rob always interpreted it. A few little memories popped into his head. That easter when they both got huge bags of jelly beans, and were determined to eat all the red ones first. Until Abby decided she liked the green ones... and it was a race to devour as many green ones as they could. They were sick the following day... and Robert never ate another Jelly Bean again... but he couldn't help but smile widely at the memory.

She asked "How long are you staying?"

Rob took a sip and replied "Ahh... well... I guess as long as I can before Mom either kicks me out, or kills me" still smiling, he winked at Abby, a clear sign to show he's kidding. He'd get into his reasons for moving back soon enough, he just wanted to keep things light for the moment. "But seriously, just... "The Summer"" Robert said with air quotes "Just until I have to go back..." again, vague. Don't mention the whole scholarship thing...

He looked out the window as he reflected on this past year. The new girlfriend at the beginning of Fall semester. The ill-advised "research project." The scandal with the schools web-server. The fact that anyone with a marginal amount of web-savvyness could dig up and exploit. The hearing with the school's disciplinary committee... and the fact that his last year of college hangs in the balance... his Exes... his most recent Ex... and the thing she'd do with her ...

"Did you eat yet?" Abby asked. Rob snapped out of it and looked to her, She was chewing on a bite of apple, her lips moving in a circular motion with her chewing jaw.

"Oh... Uh, No, not yet. WELL..." He gestured to the driveway "Yes, but just the standard stuff one would normally pack in a car... so... you know... salt and sugar and crap." He suddenly realized how hungry he was. He was getting a craving... not just one craving, but multiple cravings. A large pizza from Ellie's, or Trini's... a hot Roast beef sandwich from Joel's Deli... Summerfeild wasn't a huge city... but the food he grew up with was JUST OUTSIDE...

But he wasn't sure what Abby wanted to do. "You want to grab a bite? or have something here? What's Mom got in the fridge?"

It was hard not to notice how Rob watched her eating habits and the grin that passed his face a few seconds later. She absentmindedly wondered what memory or thought could have been triggered by her chewing on an apple slice. There were probably many memories that he had that she had idea about. There were probably a lot of things that she hadn't bothered to know about him. Abby looked down at her paper towel and finished off the last slice, chewing slowly.

"You know that mom is going to flip when she comes home and finds you here. I have your back though. Mom is sort of different now, more tranquil. I doubt she would kick you out, she knows I need some company." Abby folded her paper towel a few times and stood up, going to the garbage pale. "It's going to be hard to piss her off when she's never home, or when she is but she's passed out."

She quietly began humming a tune while leaning against the kitchen counter. Having him home all summer would be... different. She still wasn't sure what his plans were for this summer, he could be just as absent as her mother is. There wasn't much they could do together in this small community anyways. Things would return to the boring summer it has been leading up to now. There were only a few places that she visited regularly, a community center with a pool and a gym, a local park to run, and, in her opinion, one of the best libraries ever. The library is actually a bit outdated and wasn't very modern, but those components are part of the charm it possesses for her.

Those places were nice, and sometimes she could spend hours at either one of those locations, but those were things to do alone. Robert's smart, but she didn't think his idea of a fun summer would be sitting in a dusty library sorting through books. What is his idea of a fun summer in Summerfield? Abby looked at him and raised an eyebrow at the thought. What was her idea of a fun summer? It was then that she realised that he had finished answering her question regarding his hunger.

"Well, mom has everything in there. I don't really feel like cooking. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not really in a productive state of mind." Abby held her hands away from her sides slightly and looked down at herself. "We could go get a pizza or something. I would just have to go change and maybe fix my hair a little bit."

Rob finally noticed the slightly damp hair and the comfy in-house clothes.... and the lower lights in the house... the drawn curtains... and even though Abby was smiling, there was an underlying sense of...melancholy? Abby was not in the mood to go anywhere, even though she offered to change and get ready to do so. "Nah.. you know? Let's see what's here, instead." Rob sauntered over to the fridge and opened it up. "Hmm... Hm hm hmm...." There was plenty of good food... but nothing he was craving...and today was a day to indulge in cravings.

He remembered when in the middle of his senior year of high school, that weekend that their Mom was stuck at their Aunt Lucy's place and couldn't make it home because of a NorEaster storm it was too dangerous to drive. Rob was delighted, having a weekend free from Mom, but Abby and Nate were bummed out. So he "borrowed" their Mom's emergency credit card and trudged through the snow and returned with 3 large pizzas and a ton of candy and popcorn from the convenience store right next to Ellie's.

Back in the present. He smiled to himself and thought to himself 'why not...' As he fished out a bottle of stout he said "I think...." and he turned to his sister with a smile "I'm going to order a large Extra Cheese with peppers, pepperoni... dipping sauces... and have it delivered from Ellie's." He turned and smiled at his sister "What do you think? You know you want some..."

He fished around in his pockets and pulled out a wad of receipts and bills and coins all crumpled up together. He put his beer down and sat at the table to separate the useless paper from the money... it came to about Seven dollars and change. Damn. It must have been the various toll-roads that sucked up the cash he thought he had in his pockets... "One second..." Rob stood up and ran to the car. Fishing in the passenger seat and back seat he was able to scrounge up another $15 in loose bills and coins.

Rob slapped the money down on the table with a big grin. "Oh yes. Pizza will be had..." He snatched a menu from the fridge and started dialing. "You have any requests Abby?"

Already thinking in advance, she had decided that throwing on a pair of jeans and shaking her hair out wouldn't take too long. That wouldn't be nearly as time consuming as preparing a meal. Whatever they decided to get, whether it be a burger or a sandwich, anything and everything tasted better when it's someone else making it. That thought alone almost had her moving to get ready, but something held her back. She wasn't ready to put on a fake smile and answer questions about her schooling or her younger brother. In a community this small, everyone knew everything about everyone, and most times she took pride in that fact.

Thankfully, it sounded like Rob wasn't very into going out either. She watched him move to the fridge beside her and search through the shelves. It reminded her of when he would come home after a late night out, later than their mother knew about, and she could hear him rustling around in the fridge. Sometimes when that happened and she was feeling like a late night snack, she would join him. Snacking on whatever he had taken out of the fridge. At the time she thought she was annoying him, something she aimed for usually, but now looking back on it, it was probably a bonding experience for them.

Something, she wasn't sure what, finally snapped back into place once Robert looked away from the fridge and at her. The awkward reunion phase was over and they could return to being family again. It was a little more than that, because she knew that they could go back to being friends too. It was random, and they weren't left alone often, but when they were alone as kids it felt different. He didn't fight with her, she assumed because there weren't any witnesses, and she didn't fight with him. It was almost like they were a normal family. Since that was something she strived for, Abby held onto it for as long as she could.

"I can't believe you would doubt my eagerness for Ellie's." She rolled her eyes and held back a grin.

Of course he would pull out a bunch of crap from his pocket. It was so him. She obviously understood that having a purse was completely out of the picture, but that didn't mean he had to be so unorganized. Once he started pulling everything apart and into groups, Abby saw what looked like gas receipts, crumpled up bills, a few coins, and what appeared to be a piece of fluff. He was out of the room sooner than she could look up from the absolute mess he left on the table.

"It's not like I have any money, of course." Abby mumbled to herself and got her wallet from on top of the fridge. She had money, not a whole lot, but money that she had earned. She put a ten in her pocket and put the wallet back. If the bill ran over whatever he had, she had it ready.

"I haven't had anything from there since... last time I came home." She said and looked over his shoulder at the menu. It listed toppings and different drinks, but she already knew what she wanted. "I want cheese and pepperoni, please."

"I can't believe you would doubt my eagerness for Ellie's."

As he rifled thru the folded mass, lifting the occasional dollar out, Rob chuckled and said with a big grin "Oh my God, I know... what was I thinking?!?"

Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew Abby would offer to pitch in. He was having none of it... he'd been gone for so long, he wanted to do a little something for his little sister. Because despite his history of sarcastic and aloof behavior, he really loved her and he missed her, probably most of all, out of everyone in the family. When he excused himself to root thru the car, he caught glimpse in the window, Abby reaching for her purse and taking out a bill. He smiled.

"I haven't had anything from there since... last time I came home." Abby said.

Rob ran put the money on the table and ran a hand across it, sweeping all the receipts and phone numbers and buisness cards into his other hand... and unceremoniously crammed it back in his pocket. "Same here...but that was three years ago" He dialed the number and raised his eyebrows and stuck out his tongue playfully.

"Ah! Yes! Hello... I would like" He looked at the menu and did some quick calculation... we can grab drinks here... Hmm. can't get two mediums, but I drop the green peppers... "One extra large, with extra cheese and Pepperoni... an order of Chhhheee-nooo-Garrrrrlic Bread with all the dipping SAUUSS...." He pronounced sauce oddly... it sounded more like a an unintelligible utterance than a word... Rob chuckled to himself, thinking of the wild internet cooking show he coined that from... as he awaited the total over the phone. "Okay, perfect. Yeah. Delivery. Four, Six, Two, Blossom Court. It's a Brick house, right at the T. Can't miss it." A brief pause, and then he said loudly.... "NO!!!" And then sweetly and kindly..."Thank YOU!" and beeped the phone off and looked to Abby with a grin. "Twenty minutes!" he said airily and his smile got even wider "Let's watch something horrible on television."

As they waited for the pizza, they flipped from channel to channel, either making fun of what they were watching. Sometimes leaving it on some ridiculous program, as they ignored the show and just told stories from their lives; recounting stories of things they've gotten up to... things that just bubbled to consciousness, stuff they may have forgotten. Just goofing around and enjoying each other's company. Rob was laying on the floor, with a pillow under his head, and Abby on the couch. When the doorbell rang, Robert raised his feet up as if he were doing a crunch, and leapt up. While he was laying on the ground, getting comfy on the plush carpet, his tShirt had folded up and rode up on his back a bit. As he walked to the front door, part of his midriff and lower back was exposed, just above his belt-line. a little trail of hair ran down his chest to the waist of his pants.

Moments later the room was filled with the aroma of hot crust, sauce, garlic and cheese. "Dinner..." He spun the box open on the coffee table and plopped the box containing the sides and sauce right next to it. "Is a-served..."

It was hard not to think he was crazy, or suffering from some sort of personalty disorder. This lighthearted, care free, joke making Robert wasn't who she remembered. Of course, he often made jokes and acted like he didn't care about anything before, but that was a facade he put on for his friends and girls. Now, he genuinely seemed to have his guard down. They returned to the couch she was lounging on before and decided on a comedy show. He told her stories about his time at school and she told him, rather enthusiastically, about her first year away from home. She hadn't expected him to really listen to her about her room mate or about the one particular professor who was a little too touchy, but he did.

Although his appearance hadn't changed much, she realised that he had grown up and moved on from the past. So, when she laughed at his reference to a silly, but remarkably successful internet cooking show, it felt easy.

Abby hadn't noticed just how hungry she was. It was probably that she was anxiously awaiting the delicious taste of Ellie's special, super secret pizza sauce. Time passed surprisingly fast though, and what in felt like minutes, the doorbell rang and Rob was up. The way he had a bounce in his step, literally, reminded her of the energizer bunny from the commercials. After a long car drive and an even longer school year, you would think he'd be exhausted. She stood up and stretched, listening to the exchange between the delivery person and Rob.

She gathered up plates, napkins, a couple beers and water, and made her way back to the living room. Cheese and garlic suddenly dominated her senses, along with the sight of Rob walking in with several boxes. She wondered how much time she would have to add onto her running cycle to work these extra calories off, but it didn't seem important. Gaining a pound or two was worth it for this. Abby sat back down on the couch and put the items in her hands on the remaining space on the table.

"Thank you very much. I wasn't sure what you wanted to drink, so I just got these." She looked over the the beverages on the table and up at him. "Lets get to eating."

She gathered a slice of pizza, a garlic bread slice, and a small amount of sauce onto her plate and took a water. . Her legs were tucked under herself and there was room for Rob to sit down if he wanted. He looked comfortable on the floor earlier, his head was on a pillow and his shirt was rumpled up from turning around to talk to her between breaks in the show. The same comedy lineup was playing and she could feel herself slipping back into her comfortable haze she was in moments ago. Abby could absolutely deal with Robert being home if it stayed like this.

"Dinner..." He spun the box open on the coffee table and plopped the box containing the sides and sauce right next to it. "Is a-served..."

"Thank you very much. I wasn't sure what you wanted to drink, so I just got these." She looked over the the beverages on the table and up at him. "Lets get to eating."

"Yes, Lets!" He took a big slice and let it flop on his plate. Rob wasn't terribly invested as to what was actually ON television... he sat up on the couch with his little sister. There's a small list of things in life, a list of things never change... and hanging out, relaxing with his sister and the taste of this small-town Deli's pizza are two things that he's glad are on that list. His cynical demeanor is already well on it's way to being completely melted away thru this wave of good feelin and Nostalgia. His recent girl and school problems seem really far away.

"Mmm." Rob said while chewing... swallowing... "I think I shall gorge myself on Ellie's for as long as I'm here..." Taking another bite and rolling his eyes around, savoring the taste "I don't care if I don't have a lot of money. I'll sell myself on the streets to get another hit of this stuff..." The mention of money started making him think... Would he be able to live here? Would Mom ask him to pay rent? Rob wasn't against the idea of finding work and paying his way, but he was sort of hoping that Mom would let bygones be bygones, at least for a few weeks... while he just decompressed after the roller-coaster year he barely survived.