Carey set the last plate of food down on the kitchen table, and took her seat.
Zack immediately started helping himself to the huge bowl of mashed potatoes, while Cody fixed himself a nice plate of broccoli and a piece of steak.
“Mom, there’s nothing to drink!” Zack complained, looking down at his lonely mountain of mashed potatoes.
Carey pushed the bottle of cranberry juice over to her son. “Here’s an idea, Zack, try some cranberry juice.”
Zack looked at her as if she were stupid. “Again I say, mom, there’s nothing to drink!”
Cody rolled his eyes, and started to pour his own glass of juice. “Cranberry juice is good for your urinary track,” He informed his brother.
Zack stared at his brother with a look of disbelief. “I’m glad we’re having this conversation!” He forced a sarcastic smile, and then dug his fork into the heap of mashed potatoes.
Cody just shrugged.
“You know, your brother’s right, and not only that, he knows how to eat healthy. I’ve noticed lately that you’ve been gorging on all that junk food.” Carey looked back over at Zack’s place at the table, which was now empty.
He had wandered over to the refrigerator, and was digging through it. Zack reappeared from inside of it, and said, “What are you talking about, mom?” Then, opened the can of pop, he was holding and took a long swig.
“Exhibit A,” Carey pointed to her son, as he sat back down at the table. “What kids drink pop for dinner?” She asked, more of a question for Cody than Zack.
“What boobs” Cody replied, happily, prodding one of Zack's slight man boobs, that were developing
Zack shot his brother one of those I-can’t-believe-you’re-on-her-side looks. “What do you know, Cody? Other than, ‘cranberry juice is good for your urinary track’!” He said, mimicking the way his twin had said it.
“Just leave your brother alone, Zack. Not only does he know how to eat healthy, unlike you, he also cares deeply about proper bodily functions,” Carey explained.
“Uh yeah, and there’s nothing wrong with that!” Cody reminded Zack, who just slapped his hand to his forehead, embarrassed of his dork of a brother.
Carey shoved the bowl of broccoli across the table to Zack. “Here, have some broccoli,” She offered.
Cody sat upright in his seat, and grinned. “Broccoli is good for your bowels!” He added.
Zack smirked. “Again, I’m glad we’re having this conversation!”
[Later that day]
Zack was practically passed out on the couch, in front of the TV, empty snack containers, and bags of chips strewn across him and the couch. His eyelids were beginning to feel heavy, and the weight of all that food he had just stuffed himself with was pinning him down to the couch. Zack knew that if he tried to move, his full stomach would ache even more.
He weakly reached over and grabbed the chip bag. Bringing it up to his face, he emptied the remaining contents into his mouth.
Just then, the door to the suite opened, and in strolled Cody, his usual smile plastered to his face, until he saw the mess in the living room and scowled. “Zack, what do you think you’re doing?”
“Binging on junk food,” Zack mumbled, as if the answer were obvious, which it was, considering the mess he had left of the couch.
Cody looked shocked. “Why, Zack? There has to be something you can do to stop these horrid eating habits. It’s an awful waste of energy and free time!” He shouted, bringing out a giant garbage bag, and hurrying over to Zack’s mess.
Zack sat up with a groan, as his stomach ache settled in. “Well, excuse me you cranberry juice and broccoli lover, math whiz, sweater vest-wearing, doofus!” He said, taking a long breath after saying of all that.
Cody frowned. “Well I’m not the one cleaning up the mess you made!” He glanced down, and realized that he had started tossing the empty junk food container and chip bags into the trash bag he was holding. He dropped it, and looked over at Zack. “Here you do it! It’s your mess to clean up!” And with that, he headed back into the kitchen, and dumped the contents of his backpack onto the table.
Zack looked over at his brother sympathetically. “Cody, what’s wrong? You always do homework when you’re upset.”
Cody opened his notebook and sighed. “Well, I could ask you the same question. You overeat when you’re upset, even though you don’t realize you’re doing it,” He explained.
“Really” Zack questioned, quizzically. “I don’t feel upset.”
“You may not feel upset, but obviously something is bothering you, and that’s why you’ve been doing this for the last few days. Now tell me, what’s on your mind?” Cody asked, calmly folding and resting his hands on the table in front of him.
Zack looked at his brother oddly. He wasn’t sure if he would ever understand how his crazy mind worked. “You sound like my psychiatrist,” He told Cody.
Cody grinned, and sat up straighter in the chair. “You see one, too?”
Zack shook his head, sarcastically.
Cody frowned and shrunk back into his chair. “N - Not the point,” He muttered.
“Well then what is the point, Cody? ‘Cause, you lost me here!” Zack said from the couch.
It wasn’t too often that Zack felt he had to look after his brother, but then again, Cody always seemed to be lost, and not getting anywhere without Zack’s help. Even though Cody was the smart and sensitive twin, Zack was still the older and in his eyes, cooler. Zack found nothing cool about being nice all the time and wearing those goofy sweater vests that Cody always wore.
“Look, man – it’s not too often that I would say something like this, but here it goes -.” Zack jumped up from his seat on the couch, and pointed at his brother. “Get some help!”
Cody looked over at Zack. “I’m not the one that has to fill up on sweets and junk food just to relieve stress!”
“You think I’m relieving stress?” Zack screamed. “Let me tell you this, little brother – eating does not relieve stress at all! If anything, it adds even more!”
“Then why do you do it?” Cody shot back.
Zack didn’t answer that one.
“Zack, for crying out loud, look at you!” Cody stood up, too.
“No one’s crying out loud!” Zack huffed.
“Yes, you are!” Cody fired back.
Zack threw himself back down on the couch, and crossed him arms over his chest.
Cody was already starting to calm down a bit. “Look, Zack, my point is – as your brother, I only want you to start eating a little healthier, okay? I’m not asking for you to change those habits all at once, but can’t you at least cut back on the snacks?”
Zack brought a cookie he had picked up from the couch, up to his mouth, and stopped as he heard those words. “Okay, starting with this cookie!” He angrily shoved it into the garbage bag at his feet, and dusted his hands off, as if he had just finished dirty work.
Cody smiled over at his brother. “There we go. That’s all I’m asking!” He looked back down at his homework, and prepared to start it.
Zack was still seated on the couch, next to a plastic tray of mini doughnuts. He silently eased his hand over to the sweets, and poked his index finger through the hole in one of the doughnuts, and quietly brought it up to his face. He just couldn’t resist junk foods. But, of course since his brother was so harsh about things like that, he had to be certain that Cody didn’t see him eating more junk.
Even though he didn’t look up from his homework, Cody still shook his head. “I saw that.”
Zack let out a long wail of defeat, and let the doughnut fall from his hands. “Come on, man. I didn’t think you were serious! I just can’t give up junk food! I mean – it’s everywhere!” He looked to his left on the couch, and grabbed the doughnut tray. Within half a second, Zack had stuffed most of the doughnuts into his mouth.
Cody just glared at him, disgusted. “Your loss” He warned.
[Who's version of the story do you want to see? Zack? or Cody? or both?]
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