GARBAGE

When the sun beams infiltrated my room in the early hours of the morning I knew it was time to roll out of the comfort of my sheets. My back was in rough shape, most likely from the old bed that had somehow lasted us all these years.

I stretched my aching limbs and pushed my hair out of my face in a sleepy daze trying to muster enough. Oh man I smelled, I should take a shower. I walked into the bathroom, which was in slightly better shape then the bedroom, and turned on the squeaky faucet. The pipes made this rattling sound before water shot out, spraying at a decent rate considering the pumps were still even working.

I quickly undressed, putting my dirty clothes in the basket, and jumped into the somewhat warm water. I washed quickly, wanting to be done with this. My hair was getting a little longer but I liked it a little long. It would cover my face when I talked to people and I didn't need to think so much about people staring.

I stepped out of the shower, and dried myself off with a towel that was stocked in the shelf. I walked out from the bathroom and opened my cabinet, pulling out some of the clothes that I could wear. I pulled on a pair of white boxer briefs and a grey t-shirt. I found a pair of black shorts and pulled then on, along with some black socks. I walked down the steps, in hope of finding Sam. But then I realized that he left when I was sleeping.

I would never admit it out loud but I missed him, a lot. I just wanted to be by him and hug him, he was my brother after all. I loved him. I would never wish him away, I just wanted him near me. To comfort me and tell me everything would be okay, like he used to.

I made it down to the kitchen smelling eggs; it seems we always have eggs, but I know we don't have anything else. I grabbed a plate and placed some of the yellow food on it.

"Sketch, how old are you anyway?"

I jumped, not expecting anyone to talk to me. I mean who would talk to me? Only Riley and Sam would, maybe Gracie but she would be with the other girls. And everyone here knew everything about me, well except the new guys but I wouldn't think they would talk to me either.

When I turned around, I noticed the blonde hair and those blue eyes. He actually looked a lot like my brother but of course I wouldn't think of my brother as handsome. Yes, Conner was extremely good looking but I would never say that out loud. Sam is really handsome but that's not the first thing that would pop into my head when I think about him; maybe loving or caring.

"hey Conner, I'm seventeen but my birthday is in a couple days."

He looked shocked for a second or was it maybe curiosity? Yeah, I wasn't sure. But I was sure that he was smiling, so that meant that was good.

"So you should be old enough to watch the borders?" he asked placing some eggs on his plate. I blushed even harder at that. No I wouldn't be; I know for a fact that Sam would never let me. I sat down at the table, Conner sitting across from me.

"No Sam wouldn't let me." I said taking a bite out of the eggs.

"I can see why." I don't really know if he meant for me to hear that, but it didn't really matter to me. Sam already told me why, it was because I'm 'fragile'. But whatever, I guess I'll always be a little kid in my brothers eyes.

I didn't know what to do for the rest of the day, so I helped everyone on duty with their sewing. I don't know where they get the material to make this stuff but I really didn't care. Maybe they found it in the house when we found this place. I mean we found a lot nice things in the house, the basement was full of stored up items. I know for a fact we will be set on toilet paper for the next year or so.

"Hey Sketch, Gracie's looking for you." I turned and nodded to the boy who we found with Riley that one day we were running through the woods.

I smiled at him and told him my thanks before setting out to find Gracie. I looked in the living room first and found her talking to the other girls. She was sewing something that looked like boxers. Don't ask me why I blushed, I just felt my face get hot and I used my hair to cover my embarrassment.

"Sketch! There you are, I have been looking for you everywhere!" she claimed throwing her hands in the air, to prove her point.

"um hey." I said softly, still feeling my cheeks burning.

"Why are you so nervous? I have known you for four years!"

"I-I don't kn-know." I said looking down at the ground. She placed the boxers down and smiled sweetly.

"Sam asked me to give you a haircut before he left." Of course he did! He always likes my hair cut short, but if it makes me look older, I should be happy about it.

I frowned touching my white hair. But then again I loved how long it was. I know she would only cut off an inch or maybe more but maybe I liked how it covered half my face.

She patted the chair that somehow showed up right in front of her. I silently gulped before walking over and sitting in the chair. She placed a towel around my shoulders which didn't calm my nerves. I felt jumpy and well kinda scared, even if I didn't want to admit it.

She took a a large pair of scissors and started cutting away at my hair, until it came about halfway down my forehead. I did like it short, I could see better. A lot better actually. As soon a Gracie finished I stood up to leave. One of the other girls cleaned up my white hair as the other girls surrounded me, cooing at me.

"You're so cute!"

I frowned and swiftly walked away, threading my fingers through my newly cut hair. I liked it, though. I didn't care who said that to me, just walked back upstairs into my room. I have a mirror up there, that I recovered from the basement. I hope I didn't look stupid.

Once I reached my room I quickly walked over to the mirror on the wall. It had to have been a girls mirror with these little Barbie stickers all over it. The stickers looked yellowish and faded around the black frame almost moldy. I stood in front of it posing like a model in the mirror.

I looked...well handsome. I could see my brothers good looks, then my mothers beauty that everyone comments on. I really noticed how blue my eyes were; they contrasted so nicely with my white hair. My hair looked neat but not bad; it looked soft and silky.

I crawled up onto my bed, feeling tired. I really wasn't hungry and there wasn't much to do. I just wanted this three days to be over and quick. I was excited about seeing my bother again. Even if he has been missing for a few hours; I still miss him.

He's the only family I have left, well as far as I know, so I'm going to be very insecure about losing him. I don't know what I would do if I lost him. I couldn't retaliate, I couldn't fight anyone. I couldn't run away. I couldn't track down the monster who killed him, even if I did, I couldn't take it on. I was too weak for that. I would never live with myself.

I mean I would have no use for living. But Sam is tough, he can handle himself. I bet he's worried about me right now. I wanted to sleep but then again my mind was racing. Maybe tomorrow I would have the will to do something or talk to someone. All I wanted to do was sleep and hope Sam was okay.

I curled into a little ball, as if protecting myself from something, pulling the blanket around me. I closed my eyes and dozed off into the dreamland of sleep. But my thought process never ended; I was alone yes but somehow I felt a presence behind me.

Maybe Sam? Or maybe someone else sleeping in my bed. But all I remember smelling was honey.