now,” Mrs. Townson said, sending a wink in Kelly’s direction. “I think you can handle eating in your room. I’ll bring some up. Just try not to get crumbs all over the place.”
“No promises,” William said, gesturing with his head that Kelly should follow.
He did so, climbing the stairs and glancing at the family photos hanging on the wall. He saw a couple of older guys who looked like doppelgangers of William with slight variations. One had black hair instead of blond and wore the uniform of a Marine. Another shared William’s blond hair but sported a goatee, a woman standing at his side who bore no family resemblance. Finally he saw a full-blown family portrait, this one old enough that all three brothers were still little boys. In the photo, Mrs. Townson’s hair was shoulder-length instead of short, the man next to her sharing William’s build and the dark hair of the oldest boy.
“Coming?” William asked.
“Yeah, sorry,” Kelly said, hurrying to catch up.
William’s room was a couple of doors down a hallway filled with plants and bookshelves. Unlike the rest of the house, things were more orderly here. A twin bed was pushed against one wall, above it a large vintage poster advertising the Coast Guard. In it a sailor seemed to be jerking a thumb at himself while wearing a shit-eating grin; above him in the sky, italic letters asked, Going my way?
Kelly glanced with little interest at a small entertainment center and a flat-screen television. The other walls were taken up by shelves and a dresser. The bed was made and everything seemed to have its rightful place, prompting Kelly to wonder if William kept things so tidy or if his mother took care of it while he was at school. As an experiment, Kelly removed his jacket and tossed it carelessly on the bed before continuing to survey the room. On top of the dresser were a number of medals and ribbons, all of them relating to swimming.
“Now I see why you invited me up here,” Kelly teased. “You’re trying to intimidate me.”
“You’re not far off,” William replied. “Those are usually in a drawer, but when you came up to me last week...”
Kelly spun around, amused to see that William had picked up his jacket and was carefully folding it over the bed frame. “Seriously? I actually got to you?”
William shrugged. “A little. I put those out to remind me that you don’t have a chance.”
“We’ll see.” Kelly turned back around, noticing how many ribbons were for first place. “Would you say you’re the best on your team?”
“Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. I don’t worry about it much. What about you?”
“I worry about it all the time,” Kelly admitted. “I have a very competitive nature.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
There was a knock at the door. Kelly was closest, so he opened it. Mrs. Townson entered, smiling her appreciation as she carried in a tray. On it was a plateful of cookies and two glasses of milk.
“You’re not lactose intolerant, are you?” she asked.
“No,” Kelly said.
“Most people are to some extent,” she said. “I read an article about it once and switched the family over to soy milk. You wouldn’t believe the gas it gave us all!”
“Thanks, Mom,” William said, his face turning red. “I’ll bring the dishes down when we’re done. No need to come back up here.”
Mrs. Townson rolled her eyes and smiled at Kelly.
He smiled back, laughing after she’d shut the door. “My mom’s the same way. If you ever come over to my place, it’ll take her two minutes to show you a photo— Well, you’ll have to see for yourself, but my point is that it’s embarrassing. Moms love to humiliate their kids, I swear.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one,” William said, walking over to take a cookie. “Help yourself.”
Kelly nodded, more interested in further exploring William’s room. He checked the bookshelf, which only held a few volumes, most of
“No promises,” William said, gesturing with his head that Kelly should follow.
He did so, climbing the stairs and glancing at the family photos hanging on the wall. He saw a couple of older guys who looked like doppelgangers of William with slight variations. One had black hair instead of blond and wore the uniform of a Marine. Another shared William’s blond hair but sported a goatee, a woman standing at his side who bore no family resemblance. Finally he saw a full-blown family portrait, this one old enough that all three brothers were still little boys. In the photo, Mrs. Townson’s hair was shoulder-length instead of short, the man next to her sharing William’s build and the dark hair of the oldest boy.
“Coming?” William asked.
“Yeah, sorry,” Kelly said, hurrying to catch up.
William’s room was a couple of doors down a hallway filled with plants and bookshelves. Unlike the rest of the house, things were more orderly here. A twin bed was pushed against one wall, above it a large vintage poster advertising the Coast Guard. In it a sailor seemed to be jerking a thumb at himself while wearing a shit-eating grin; above him in the sky, italic letters asked, Going my way?
Kelly glanced with little interest at a small entertainment center and a flat-screen television. The other walls were taken up by shelves and a dresser. The bed was made and everything seemed to have its rightful place, prompting Kelly to wonder if William kept things so tidy or if his mother took care of it while he was at school. As an experiment, Kelly removed his jacket and tossed it carelessly on the bed before continuing to survey the room. On top of the dresser were a number of medals and ribbons, all of them relating to swimming.
“Now I see why you invited me up here,” Kelly teased. “You’re trying to intimidate me.”
“You’re not far off,” William replied. “Those are usually in a drawer, but when you came up to me last week...”
Kelly spun around, amused to see that William had picked up his jacket and was carefully folding it over the bed frame. “Seriously? I actually got to you?”
William shrugged. “A little. I put those out to remind me that you don’t have a chance.”
“We’ll see.” Kelly turned back around, noticing how many ribbons were for first place. “Would you say you’re the best on your team?”
“Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. I don’t worry about it much. What about you?”
“I worry about it all the time,” Kelly admitted. “I have a very competitive nature.”
“I hadn’t noticed.”
There was a knock at the door. Kelly was closest, so he opened it. Mrs. Townson entered, smiling her appreciation as she carried in a tray. On it was a plateful of cookies and two glasses of milk.
“You’re not lactose intolerant, are you?” she asked.
“No,” Kelly said.
“Most people are to some extent,” she said. “I read an article about it once and switched the family over to soy milk. You wouldn’t believe the gas it gave us all!”
“Thanks, Mom,” William said, his face turning red. “I’ll bring the dishes down when we’re done. No need to come back up here.”
Mrs. Townson rolled her eyes and smiled at Kelly.
He smiled back, laughing after she’d shut the door. “My mom’s the same way. If you ever come over to my place, it’ll take her two minutes to show you a photo— Well, you’ll have to see for yourself, but my point is that it’s embarrassing. Moms love to humiliate their kids, I swear.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one,” William said, walking over to take a cookie. “Help yourself.”
Kelly nodded, more interested in further exploring William’s room. He checked the bookshelf, which only held a few volumes, most of
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