Tony was busy, watching their youngest handicapped sister Silvia, while
their mother got dressed.
Tony hated when Chloe said stuff like that. He tried to explain
that it was rare. That not everybody who was good got to start immediately.
“I don’t see you starting varsity!”
“I don’t play soccer. It’s a girly sport.”
Chloe lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. She sat on his
chest so he couldn’t move and flung her fists into his body. Her punches,
while full of resentment and muscle, did not hurt him. They kneaded his
body like a massage. No one entered the kitchen to try to stop Chloe.
Tony just sat that and took it, not even attempting to fight back. Eventually, Chloe got tired and cried, not long, but enough to bloodshot her
eyes.
“At least I’m not some pussy artist.” She went to the bathroom to
press cold water to her face.
Silvia, complacent in her wheel chair, clapped her hands during
the fight, drool dripping down her chin. Tony wiped it off with a napkin
and her wandering crisscrossed eyes rested softly on his forehead.
Tony woke up Saturday morning and decided it was a good day
to paint. He hadn’t touched his easel in a long time, causing an unrest
to grow steadily in his fingers, twitchy. He found himself cracking his
knuckles more and more each day.
He wanted to paint Lacey. He liked her after all, didn’t he? Lacey
was blonde, but he was out of yellow paint. His Lacey then had brown
hair, which grew steadily down her back, six inches with each stroke. He
then smeared it black to match his own… to match his sisters. It was
long like Jenn’s, who wore it wrapped around and around in a bun like
an orbit. He shouldn’t have done the hair first. You’re supposed to start
with the face. But he focused on Jenn’s arms next. Soft, lean, gentle, but
he added more definition. He lifted her biceps and curved in her triceps,
making perfect S-shaped strokes. Jenn looked more like Chloe. But he
saw Silvia hanging in the air, with arms and hair, legless. He gave Silvia a
wheel chair, apologizing for his lack of consideration as he traced a hump
for her stomach. Her belly bulged in the wheel chair, from the baby of
course. His mom wore a pink maternity shirt.
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