Dirty Laundry 42

Knock on the window made me jump five feet. My cousin Walsh was standing there. I let him in, wondering if everything was okay?

Walsh-:"Did you tape the show on Friday?" he followed me into the hallway to my apartment.

Me-:"Yeah, but I deleted it already."

Walsh-:"Crap. Kids were messing around with the dvr and I didn't get it. What were you doing?"

Me-:"Watching Cutthroat Kitchen. My chef just lost."

Walsh-:"Who's that?" he found the matches on the bookcase lighting a cigarette.

Me-:"Chef Marcel Vigneron." I pointed to the screen with my tv remote in hand.  My cousin just stood there for a second, taking a drag on his cigarette. He screwed up his face shrugging. "Then why'd you ask?"

Walsh-:"Why not?" he wandered around the kitchen. "Smells good. What's for supper?"

Me-:"Nothing. I was putting away spices, filling up the jars. Everything okay?"

Walsh-:"Yeah. Just thought you would have the wrestling still in the machine." he shrugged again taking another drag on the cigarette then stomping it out in the sink.  "So, what's going on with that new guy?"

Me-:"What new guy?"

Walsh-:"The one from the trash bin. Saw you posted about him."

Me-:"Ah, nothing. Haven't seen him since. Haven't seen Mr. Freeze either lately, starting to think he doesn't work at the grocery anymore."

Walsh-:"Huh. I wouldn't dwell on it too much, not like either of them are Mad Hatter."

Me-:"I'm so sick of talking about him. We need to find someone new to talk about. Like the Peacock. He should get bumped up to the Friday night show any time now."

He looked at me, not knowing how to read me. "Something happen?"

Me-:"No, just he's become too popular. Time to move on to someone new. Someone...worthy..."

Walsh-:"Okay, seriously what's wrong with you?" my cousin was opening and closing the cupboards looking for something to snack on.

Me-:"What if there is more then one Mr. Scratchy? What if I told you I think that The Celebrity checked in recently...and I can't get him off my mind."

Walsh-:"You think or you know?" he had found the baking nuts, eating them.

Me-:"Does it matter. The point is, he's on my mind the last while. Which is like bad right?"

He started laughing for whatever reason, shaking the pecans bag for the final crumbs. "It's only bad if you believe it's bad. Why would you believe it to be bad?"

Me-:"Cause. He's who I always thought for how many years was Mr. Scratchy, till you pointed out stuff to me, putting things inline with Mad Hatter. And, if there is another Mr. Scratchy...then that rips apart everything I have believed in. Starting to doubt everything."

Walsh-:"Ah, so this isn't really about Mad Hatter as much as it is...what now?"

Me-:"I'm not even sure anymore."   Walsh's phone rang, his wife telling him she had dinner ready. He headed out of the apartment, and was standing in the hallway about to say something else when one of the neighbours entered the building, carrying furniture. My cousin had to double back through the building to get out.