I awaited in silence as my prey came approaching. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t show a sign of where I was or what I was about to do. The prey was closer, squirting the ink that it produced to mark its territory. Silently, patiently, I wait. A few more steps and I would be able to strike. Now! I sprung from the ink I was hidden in and yelled my battle cry. Bringing down the roller upon my prey’s head destroying the inkling where it stood.
My little brother, Ethan, sat next to me taking in a sharp breath as I squashed his character. I giggled, clutching the controller to my chest, as he was sent back to his spawn point. I couldn’t think about a better way to spend my weekend then with my brother. Ethan, or Shmeath as I call him, was maneuvering his character now trying to find me. I knew he wouldn’t be able to. I waited some more watching the game pad intensely as I heard him approaching. I sprung and he screamed, scaring our cat, DC, out of his slumber. We laughed as I killed him again, and apologized to DC after we were done. He didn’t seemed to care went back to sleep.
I glanced over at Ethan. He was small in stature; you would have never guessed he was fourteen years old. He had brilliant green eyes that shined with smugness and intelligence. Short glowing brown locks rested upon his brow. Ethan was a very kind lad. Many people would consider him “handsome”, but I think he's adorable.
We were in the playroom. There were three tubs filled to the brink with toys long forgotten. Light sabers, swords, Buzz Light-year's, and various percussion instruments were very prominent in these tubs. A desk holding our old, broken desktop was at our left; windows at our right. The TV and our various gaming consoles were in front of us. We could here the football game going on down the hall with occasional shouts of joys from our parents. Ethan and I sat in the swivel chairs that occupied the room spinning around whenever we could.  Petting the cat whenever possible.
This game of cat and mouse continued. Ethan was again approaching. My heart pounded as he got closer and closer. If I sprung to early I would die. I would have to wait for the perfect moment. Ethan was more careful this time; he got every spot of ink that was to be seen. I made my move. Screaming I went for Ethan, but I had made a fatal mistake. I had sprung to early and Ethan had got me screaming his wild war cry at the top of his lungs. He squirted me with his gun and I panicked. Screaming in return to his fire. Soon we were both screaming as I died and I went to my spawn point. We were laughing hysterically.
There was no fighting. There was no hatred in this game. It was a friendly competition; a way to pass the time. Ethan and I never fought. Yes, we would get frustrated with each other, but it always ended quickly. I had always loved being with Ethan; we have always enjoyed each others company. We always do things together. Video games, swapping stories, nerding out, and even helping each other with homework. It was just our relationship.
Many relationships within siblings, especially in teenagers, see an increase in conflict and emotional distance. While it is found that mixed sex siblings have a decrease in intimacy, Ethan and I do not have that problem. We find great joy in each others company. I find that we tell the same jokes and have the same sense of sarcasm. While we do enjoy doing different things, (for me sports, for him Legos) we always support each other. It has shown that those with positive sibling relationships have lower rates of depression later on in life.
Our day was spent playing games like this for several hours. Me killing him, and he returning the favor later on. It was one of the greatest things ever. As the hours went on we turned to single player mode. I wanted to play a different game. Ethan would be there to help me get through it as I would panic and not be able to focus. I listened intensely to the instructions he gave. Ethan’s voice was sweet and kind. It held a  sense of command and discipline, but also an authoritative intelligence that's not found in most teenagers. He was able to hold command and yet still seem like he cared about what was going on.
I laughed as I controlled the game. Ethan laughing along side me. Each one of us cracking jokes and making fun of each other as the day wore on. It was a magical experience. Life seemed good and simple, and the terror of all the homework I had to do went away. That's how it was with my brother. That is how we are together, and for hours we would be able to keep it going.
When people see us together, they think we are weird. Which is true but they don't understand that's just how we are. There is no other way I could explain it. I wouldn't say our relationship was good; I would say that it was awesome. We have a certain connection that other kids don't have or even understand. Many other people grow up thinking that they have to hate their siblings or fight with them whenever they can, but I know that's not true. When I am with Ethan all I can think about is the good. How we connect and love each other. Because I know that's what having a little brother is about.