Harry woke up to the sound of knocking at his door. The door forcibly opened, pushing his desk to one side. Matthew’s hand was on the doorknob, and he leaned into the tiny bedroom. He wore his usual nightwear of a white vest and red nylon shorts, allowing his toned biceps and calves some air. He rested the hoover against Harry’s bed, who sighed at the sight of it.
“It’s your turn.”
“Fine.”
“Dad says to do it sooner rather than later.”
“Whatever, I’ll do it.”
“Thanks. And, uhh…”
Matthew paused as he looked at the ground.
“I’m sorry I yelled yesterday. We can play later if you want.”
Almost immediately after apologising, he flew out of the doorway, slamming the door shut. Harry sighed again as he kicked himself off his bed, and grabbed the hoover.
**
The two boys sat in the living room, eating their lunch as they watched more news coverage of this new, mysterious virus. Just as Harry had the last bite of his sandwich, he heard his step-brother grunt with frustration. Matthew had his arms crossed, his fingers tucked into his hairy armpits.
“This is crazy. ‘Lock your doors. Close your curtains.’ You’d think it’s a zombie apocalypse out there.”
“Sorry you had to cancel your date last night.”
“It’s alright. Wasn’t really gonna be a date. We were just gonna go to hers and…well, y’know.”
“Oh, got it.”
“I really needed it too. Been pretty lonely the past few weeks.”
“Ok I get it you don’t need to-“
“Anything could set me off at this point.”
“GROSS!”
Harry pushed his step-brother off the sofa, as the 19 year-old laughed hysterically to himself.
“Good morning all!”
The siblings turned to see their father by the door, in a surprisingly cheery disposition. His purple and blue bed robe looked especially vibrant that afternoon. He held a cup of tea and a few biscuits. His mood almost eradicated the grumpy atmosphere Matthew had spent all morning creating.
“Someone’s looking upbeat today.”
“No point moping around all day! I think I’m gonna have a nice, long bath. If you need me just shout.”
He smiled as he left the living room. As he turned, Harry noticed something odd. Something…no, he was probably mistaken. Anyway, Matthew suddenly clapped his hands together.
“Right, I think we have that game of FIFA, sound good?”
To think, it only took a national quarantine to spend some time on the TV. To spend some time with his step-brother. Harry was excited.
“Definitely!”
**
They played for what seemed like hours, long after the sun had fallen below the horizon. Matthew won every game, but Harry didn’t care. He was glad he wasn’t spending his evenings alone in that sad little storage closet of his. He looked over to his older step-brother who was leaning forward, completely focused on the game, his long fingers making light work of the controller. Just as he lost another game, Harry could still feel a wide smile spread across his face. Matthew lunged for the console, grabbing a small pile of games from behind it.
“What next? Cod?”
He held a game case above him. Harry’s smile only grew wider.
“Finally! A game I might win.”
Meanwhile, Martin was in his room, looking at his mirror confusingly. His hands ran slowly along his scalp, which had now slightly darkened with hair. HAIR?! He looked at the assortment of bottles and pots on his desk. Skin creams. Lotions. Moisturisers. Miracle waxes. He reached for one in particular; a small orange bottle with bright yellow letters that spelt out “King Leonidas’ Hair-Grow!”
“Jesus! I can’t believe it’s actually working!”
He couldn’t help but gaze at himself. For a man in his 50s, he looked barely over 48. Whatever quarantine life was doing to him, he liked it. Even as he crawled onto his bed, his hands remained on his now slightly hairy head. He switched his lamp off, and tried to get some rest, excited about the fact that his hair is finally starting to grow back. The light of his phone illuminated the dark room, as he quickly texted Rachel, his cancelled date from last night.
“I probably won’t be able to sneak out again, but I just want to say last night was amazing! I hoped you’re doing well x”
After waiting just under a minute for a reply, he gave up and rolled over, quickly falling asleep.