7th
Character
He walked with a limp, although no one knew why. In the 27 years he had been alive, he had never gotten hurt, not even sprained his ankle. His hair was patchy white. Not grey because of aging. White. Like he got really scared once. He wore it pulled back into a low ponytail that showed off the spots. His red wire glasses outlined his watery eyes. The wrinkles on his forehead and around his mouth made him look older than his 27 years.
He didn’t like it when his coworkers called his clothing choice “weird.”
Unusual. Or better yet, eclectic. But there was no denying that his choice in outer garments was different. He always wore overalls. One couldn’t believe the patterns and colors he owned. Blue, of course. But also pastels, stripes, dots, prints. His favorite was a ratty pair with holes at the knees. They had yellow and orange flowers covering the chest, and bottom. At work he wore the blue and white ones, similar to a train conductor’s. His boss told him that if he ever wanted to move up in the company, he would have to start dressing nicer. So, he swapped the t-shirts he usually wore with plaid and checked button up dress shirts. He thought they looked especially nice with his red overalls.
His routine never varied. He work up at 6:30 every morning, drinking a cup of coffee out of the Elvis mug he bought at the thrift store. He left his house at 7:45, wearing only his underware and flip flops. He wouldn’t dream of riding his bike in his clothes. They would get wrinkled. He ate a ham and cheese sandwich on white bread everyday at noon, and 9 club crackers at 2. At five, he rode his bike home. He took his shoes off as soon as he walked in his front door. After ensuring that they were lined up perfectly with the third tile from the door, he took 15 steps into the kitchen. He ate another ham and cheese sandwich for dinner with 17 potato chips. He drank two tall glasses of water (with three ice cubes), and took a shower that lasted him exactly 22 minutes.
He brushed his teeth; 20 strokes on the front teeth and 15 for each side, top and bottom. Then he changed into his navy blue pajamas and was asleep by 10:03.
Every night.
