You know the story You’ve heard it before Everyone has Now read it again A new twist A new gasp The story is told again TWICETOLD
1 Told by Carlo I'm in the basement again It’s dark down here and it smells like mildew and dryer sheets Light flickers at me from the huge flat screen mounted on the far wall It faces my couch Well I call it a couch It might as well be a bed I sleep down here I eat down here I play video games down here I Carlo It’s my mother I don’t bother responding You’ve been down there all summer she says Are you coming upstairs ever again Not if I can help it I mutter to myself Maybe she’ll just assume I’m sleeping with the television on Her high heels clomp down the bare wood stairs I quickly roll to my side and close my eyes to fake sleep I know you’re awake she says I heard the channels changing Fine I say What do you want
I’m going out now she says I open one eye first then the other She’s in a fancy black suit with her dark hair blown out in ridiculous waves She’s wearing tons of makeup too Have fun I say She puts a hand on her hip and sighs at me What will you do for dinner she asks I lift the remote and switch from some action movie with a guy in a suit to an action movie with a guy in a tank top I shrug I’ll ask Santino to make something for you she says Santino’s our chef He lives somewhere in the south wing I think I can make something myself I say It’s true I can I am an expert at preparing all types of cereal Then I’ll give Santino the night off she replies Whatever I say and I push the volume button up with my thumb Bye The next thing I hear is the front door slamming Great I say to myself after the house is quiet Now I’m hungry I swear I wouldn’t have even thought of food if Mom hadn’t mentioned supper I push myself up off the couch and manage to get upstairs The orangey light in the kitchen means it’s after seven It also means it’s late August It also means school starts next week I’m not ready for that
