Chapter 3: Sleep is for Suckers-1

I grab my remote, turning the TV on. I quickly turn the volume up before it can wake anyone. I go to the TV guide, and go through the channels, stopping on one show that catches my attention. Family Guy. Before Mason went off to college, we would stay up all night watching Family Guy. Phil and mom used to be mad me watching it when I was so young, but I mean what could they do about it? Nothing, or so I thought. But Phil, being the step father he tries to be, locked everything on my TV that wasn’t rated PG. Do you know how much stuff on TV is rated G? No? Let me tell you. Nothing! Nothing is rated G, except for those shows that come on Nick Jr. Ya know what I mean, like The Backyardiagins, Dora the Explorer, Max and Ruby, Go Diego Go!, and that stupid show with the bubble things. Bubble Guppies or something like that. Well I got smart, I found out the password-it was simple, it was 1234. So basically I just watched whatever I wanted, I just had to keep the volume on my TV down, so they wouldn’t know. As the Family Guy episode goes on a commercial, I get up from my bed, going to the bathroom. Ryder’s room is indeed right across the hall from mine, and I know this because the door is jet black, as opposed to the stark white that possesses everyone else’s door. Also it has an ‘R’ on it, so I mean, that was the main give away. I go to the bathroom, and quickly use it and wash my hands. As I’m leaving, I venture on downstairs. The house is large, but simple. As I walk through the downstairs area, I open the backdoor, and go out. There is a large pool that covers most of the O’Connor’s backyard. Even from the distance I can tell that the water is crystal blue, even in the darkness of the night sky. I sit down on the porch swing and swing myself slowly, pushing my body back and forth until I get a steady rhythm. “McKenna?” A voice calls. I turn to the source of the voice, and see a dark figure standing in the doorway. “Yeah?” I call. “What are you doing out here?” He asks, as he steps out into the light courtesy of the porch light. I see that it’s Will. He’s changed out of his jeans and the blue t-shirt he was wearing and into a pair of sweatpants and a grey t-shirt. “I could ask you the same thing.” Is my witty reply. He shrugs and sits down on the porch swing with me. Not too close, but not too far, I mean it’s a porch swing, it isn’t that big. “I don’t know; couldn’t sleep.” “Me either.” I say, pulling my knees up to my chest, and wrapping my arms around them. “So why’d you guys stop coming?” He asks a few minutes later. “It just got kinda hard after my dad died.” I tell him, as I look up at the stars. “I’m sorry about that.” He says softly. “It’s okay; I mean Phil’s nice I guess.” “Do you like him?” He wonders. I nod, “Yeah, he’s cool. I mean he’s pretty bossy sometimes but I like him.” “So how come you had to come here? Not that I’m not glad you’re here but why?” “Well,” I say, pushing my hair behind my ear, “Phil and my mom are going on a vacation to Brazil, and I didn’t wanna go with them, so I was planning on just hanging out at home, but they don’t think I’m mature to hold down the fort for three little months, so it was either I come here or Brazil.” I explain. “You passed up the chance to go to Brazil?” He asks in disbelief. “I would have been all alone, and Phil and my mom would have been all lovely dovey, and it would have been so awkward.” Will nods, “Yeah, I guess that’s true. So..” He says. “So, what?” “Wanna watch a movie?” “Yeah, sure. Where at though?” I ask him. “We can watch it in my room…or your room.” He adds after. “Or the living room.” “No, we can go to your room and watch it.” I tell him, as I get up. As we walk back in the door I say, “So where’s your room? I don’t know where it is.” “It’s down here, come on.” He says, going in front of me. William leads me towards his room; it’s past the living room. If you go through the front door and make a left, you come up upon three doors. “This one’s mine.” He says, pushing open the door on the right side. “So whose are those?” I ask him. He points to the one next to his, “That one is Jacob’s and next to Jacob’s is Asher’s.” “So that means in addition to Ryder; Hailey and Todd’s rooms are up there with mine?” I ask him. Will nods, “Precisely.” I sigh and say, “Great.” We go in Will’s room and I look around the large room. It’s pretty much what’d I’d expect any teenage boys room to look like. The floor is navy blue carpet, and the walls are the same shade. He has a big king sized bed centered in the middle of his room, and it’s covered with a blue comforter. He’s got a TV, similar to the on in my room, mounted on wall across from his bed, and a football on the floor. Also, there’s a white desk that holds a Mac, and there’s an iPad on bed. He flips on the light and goes over to his closet. I plop down on the bed; he pulls it open, and pulls something out, and then comes and sits next to me on the bed, showing me a large quantity of DVD cases. “Okay I’ve got The Hunger Games, Poltergeist, Harry Potter the Sorcerer’s Stone through Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Like Mike, Cinderella Man, Drive, The Avengers, Men in Black 3, and That’s My Boy.” He says. I think for a second before I pick up one. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” I tell him. “Alright then.” He says, taking the DVD case from me. Will puts the DVD in player, and sits back down on the bed. “You do know this movie won’t go off until like 2 a.m. You won’t get like any sleep.” I shrug my shoulders lightly, “Sleep is for suckers.” “Right of course McKenna.” He says, lying back on his bed, propping his head up on his elbows. He hits play on the remote as the movie starts. I pull my legs in his bed sitting Indian Style as the opening scene fades in. About three hours later, its 1 a.m. and Will and I are both still wide awake. It’s on the part I hate. The part that always makes me cry. I think we all know the part I’m talking about. It’s when Ron, Harry, Hermione, Sirius, and Neville are in the Ministry of Magic looking for the prophecy. I watch as Bellatrix apparates on the screen, and Bellatrix as ahe shouts out the line that always makes me sad: Avada Kedavra I watch as poor Sirius falls to the ground dead. It’s just not right! I mean first Voldermort kills Harry’s parents, right? Yeah, and so then he has to go live with stupid Aunt Petunia and Dudley, and the uncle on Number 4 Privet Drive. I just know that that address will always be permanently etched into my brain. But anyways, so he finds out he’s a wizard, and then he goes to Hogwarts. Then ya know he meet Sirius in year three, and in year five he freaking dies? That just sucks so badly. Poor Harry. “McKenna, are you crying?” Will asks from behind me where his head is. I sniffle, “Does that not get to you every time?” I ask, looking at him. “No not really. I mean yeah it sucks, but it’s just a movie.” “I guess you’re right.” I say, then I laugh as I think of something, “Do you wanna know what I spent my whole fifth grade year doing?” “What’d you do?” Will asks, sounding genuinely interested. “I spent it all counting down to my eleventh birthday. I was waiting for my Hogwarts letter. I cried for like an hour when it didn’t come at midnight.” Will laughs, sitting up, “Are you serious?” I nod, “I’m so serious. True story.” “Wow McKenna.” “How come you call me that?” I ask him. “What, McKenna? It’s your name.”