I lay on the sofa, scrolling through my phone, looking at apartment listings while listening to music with one headphone in.“I’m guessing it all got eaten…perhaps you should buy some.”
He spun and glared at me.“I gave you some food money.”
“That was three months ago.It’s your turn to buy for the next three.”He wouldn’t.He hated grocery shopping.
He continued to glare at me.“You can’t do this.What are you going to eat?”
I stopped the music and checked the time.I needed to get ready for work soon, anyway.“I’ll grab something on my way to work.The same as I’ve been doing all week.”
“I can’t afford groceries.”
“I can’t afford to keep feeding you.We both work, and since you can’t be trusted to contribute to the groceries, I will not be buying for you.”I sat up in case he arced up and got physical.“If you shop and show me the bill, I will gladly pay half.”Which is more than what he’d done.All I’d gotten were promises from him and excuses about how he needed a bit more time to grow up from our parents.
Well, his plates had finished growing and hardening.He was an adult with a job and needed to act like one.Sure, it was common for siblings to live together until one married, but this situation was not working for me.
“Why are you being so hardheaded?”
“Because I will not eat into my savings so you can party every night.”
“It’s not every night,” he snapped.
It was most nights, even if it wasn’t until late.I liked that he went out, as it gave me the space and time to edit the videos and reply to comments.The amount of money in my savings account now looked a lot like freedom, but it was too soon to jump.
Not only that, but I hadn’t found the right apartment.Or was I being too fussy because I needed an excuse, because I feared the money drying up?
“If you don’t know how to budget, take a class, because I won’t be living here forever.Then you’ll need a roommate.”
His antennae twitched.“But you’re not getting married.”
“Savings.”I smiled, all sharp teeth and lies.I hadn’t earned that money on my own, but I had no way of giving anything to Timothy.Not in cash anyway.
“When are you doing laundry?”
I shrugged as I got up.“No idea.Feel free to wear your own clothes.”
“But everyone has already seen me in them.I can’t repeat stuff.”
“Ah…” That explained a lot.He was running with the rich crowd and needed to keep up appearances to remain with them.“Perhaps you need to find friends who don’t judge on appearances.”
“You wouldn’t understand; you work for Bridges.”
I scowled.“What does that have to do with anything?”
“So do they.”
I grimaced, not sure of the point he was attempting to make, though knowing him, there may not be one beyond him wailing about life being unfair and how he deserved everything he wanted without lifting a finger.It didn’t help that he was the youngest, and our parents had enabled him.“And?”
“And they haveScream and Steamaccounts.They have heaps of money.Iwanted to work at Bridges.Then I’d have a channel and be like them.”
Once again, he wanted the glory without the work.“You bombed out of Bridges.”Three times.“How did you even meet them?”
He gave a one-shouldered shrug.“Through another friend who’s a subscriber to one of their channels.”
“You’ll go broke running with those people.”
“But it’s fun, and they’re cool.You should create a channel, then?—”
“I am not funding your lifestyle choice.”I crossed my arms.“What was wrong with your old friends?”
