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Spring 2019
“How are you feeling now, Toby?” Brody Ingram asked his younger brother, Toby, in the hotel room in Door County. They were both hanging out in the hotel playing video games, since Toby was sick with pneumonia. “My chest hurts when I breathe in,” Toby replied. “Oh yes. Pneumonia sucks. Been there, done that.” “I’m just glad that I have someone to play video games with.” “Honestly wasn’t feeling up to going out anyway, so it all worked out,” Brody said. “What were we all planning to do today? I’m completely out of the loop since I’ve been so sick,” Toby asked. “I remember we all wanted to go to a fish boil. Not sure who all will be going to that now. I think otherwise they were gonna go on a boat ride.” “F*ck me, I wanted to do that.” “Honestly I’d rather not be on a boat.” “Yeah, I could fall asleep at any moment.”
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June 2016
“Toby, you alright?” Brody Ingram asked his younger brother, whom he saw lying on the couch in the common area. “My head’s pounding,” Toby replied. “Sorry to hear that.” “Yeah, well, I did it to myself.” “What happened?” Brody asked. “Idiot me decided to go on a run after taking a week off from it with this damn head cold going on,” Toby replied. “How do you feel, aside from the pounding headache?” “I feel okay otherwise, a little tired. It felt really nice getting my pulse up again, but I think I started back at it a little too early.” “Maybe a little, but at least you got a workout in. Do you think it went well today?” “No.” Spring 2019
“Toby, you’re awake,” Brody Ingram said to his younger brother. They, along with their three other brothers, were in Door County, Wisconsin for a road trip. Toby was sick with pneumonia, so Brody kept him company while everyone else explored the area. “I had a really bad dream,” Toby replied quietly, he was lying on his stomach, with his arms wrapped around his pillow. His eyes were half open. “Like a fever dream?” “Yeah, I think that’s what it’s called. I thought you went on a run.” “I did, but I’ve been back for about an hour. I’ve been playing video games since then,” Brody said. “My heart’s pounding. Like not really fast, but it’s beating really hard through my pillow,” Toby remarked. “It was really scary, wasn’t it?” “Mhm.” “Take a deep breath, and if you need to squeeze my hand, just let me know. You’ll be okay.” “I hope so. That was probably one of the worst nightmares I’ve ever had.” “You gonna try to go back to sleep?” “I need to, really want to fight this bug off.” Summer 2024
Toby Ingram just came back from a run, and his girlfriend, Alyssa, was waiting for him at his apartment. They were planning to spend the evening in and watch goofy cartoons. He needed a breather before taking a shower, so he lay on the common area floor with Alyssa, and he lifted his shirt up to his chest, exposing his ribs and belly button. Alyssa then put her right ear against his upper stomach. “Jesus Christ, Toby. Your heart’s thumping,” Alyssa remarked. “Yup, I can feel it in my chest,” Toby replied. “You’re so hot and sweaty, too. How did your run go?” “I think it went well. Ran up Halsted through Boystown and back and then a little past Fullerton and back.” “How crazy was it today?” Alyssa asked. “It wasn’t bad. It’s gonna be insane next weekend though,” Toby said. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Oh, can you do me one favor?” “Yea?” “Can you tell me your middle name?” “You know my middle name.” “I do, but I want to hear you say it,” Alyssa said. “Alright, my middle name is Matthew,” Toby replied. “What is it again?” “It’s Matthew.” “Again?” “Matthew.” “I just love hearing you say your middle name.” “Sure.” “You’ve got a strong and sexy heartbeat.” Summer 2014
David and Brody Ingram sat on the sofa, not saying a word. They knew how their mom was going to respond to their all-nighter. Not that she would at all be mad. However, she knows how they are when it comes to sleep. And these boys need all the sleep they can get. Their mom sat in the dining room with a cup of tea in one hand and a business journal in another. David and Brody peered over to see that she was there. She had a great appearance; her hair was neat for long and wavy light brown hair, given the fact that she is only four years older than her husband, who is fifty-eight. She wore a blue sweater and blue jeans. Mrs. Ingram was definitely ready for the day. “Did we play video games all night long?” Brody asked. “I think we did,” David replied. “I think we stayed up longer last night than we did at school.” “Oh, when you and your friends would stay up and play video games on Friday nights?” “Yeah, but last night we didn’t order Chinese or anything,” Brody pointed out. “We did have baklava, though,” David remarked, trying to lighten the mood. “Oh yeah. I almost forgot.” “Do we have anything that we have to do today?” “I hope not.” “I hope not either.” David and Brody definitely could feel their eyelids getting heavy. So, with this in mind, they wanted to say “good morning” to their mom and then head off to bed. They could not remember if they had anything going to today or not. It was Saturday, so no one had to be anywhere today. Which was probably a good thing, given the boys’ circumstance, er….all-nighter. When the two boys seated themselves at the dining room table, they had an idea that their mom knew they were up to something. Nothing bad, but nothing saintly either. Just the fact that all four boys had basically spent the whole night playing their favorite video games. And that they would have to pay the consequences today. Unless David and Brody headed toward their futons now and slept in until at least one o’clock this afternoon. “Good morning, boys,” Mrs. Ingram said as she still sat at the dining room table. She still had with her a cup of tea. “Morning,” David replied. “Morning,” Brody responded. “You guys are still up,” Mrs. Ingram stated. “We pulled an all-nighter,” David remarked. “Why?” “We couldn’t stop playing video games, I guess.” “We were planning to go to your dad’s parents’ house today.” “Oh. Whoops.” “You should go to bed now since we were planning to go over at four o’clock.” David and Brody headed toward their bedroom. When climbing the stairs, they could feel their weight being brought down by gravity. In their minds, they couldn’t decide whether this meant that they were truly tired, or if they were truly lazy. The two boys couldn’t possibly be lazy. They just wanted their bed, and their bed just wanted them. David and Brody finally made it up to their bedroom, and then to their futons. In a matter of minutes, David was out like a lamp. Brody, however, could not go to sleep so quickly. As a matter of fact, it was his pounding heartbeat that was keeping him up. For some very odd reason. Brody walked back downstairs to his mom because he was feeling scared. “I can’t sleep,” Brody said sleepily. “No?” Mrs. Ingram asked. “I feel like my heart’s going to pop out of my chest.” “I believe you’re really slap happy.” “I’m so scared,” Brody remarked as he folded his arms over his chest. “Your heart’s not going to pop out of your chest,” Mrs. Ingram pointed out. “I hope not.” “Believe me. It won’t.” “Will you make sure?” “Okay.” Mrs. Ingram smiled and laughed to herself and put her hand on her son’s chest, so that she could clearly feel his snappy heartbeat. Brody put one of his hand over her hand so that he could have the reassuring feeling that his heart was not actually going to pop out of his chest. To Mrs. Ingram, this was pretty ridiculous. She was wondering why the boys had stayed up so late. She wondering why the boys would do that to themselves, since they are not morning people to begin with. “Is my heart going to pop out of my chest?” Brody asked, even more sleepily than before. “No, Brody,” Mrs. Ingram replied, quite amused. “Are you sure?” “I could feel your heartbeat, so I’m not worried about it.” “What should I do?” Brody asked. He was completely out of it. “I think you should try to get some sleep. I am not completely for all-nighters,” his mom stated. “Why? All-nighters can be fun.” “Your sleep schedule is destroyed, and you’re not a morning person to begin with.” “Oh yeah. Right.” “So, get some sleep!” Summer 2022
David Ingram and his girlfriend, Mia Charisse Boyer, were chilling at David’s San Francisco apartment for the evening. Brody, David’s younger brother, Brody’s girlfriend, Julia Jaconetti, Brody’s best friend, Andrew McCalsky, and David’s best friend, Adam Levistad, were out on the town for the evening. David and Mia were watching some goofy cartoons, and Mia got too into the moment. She wrapped herself around David’s torso and put her ear on his chest. David’s left arm was wrapped around her. His hand was already on his chest, most likely feeling for his heartbeat. “Hey David?” Mia got her boyfriend’s attention. “Yeah, Mia?” David answered. “I had no idea that anyone’s heart could beat this fast.” “Apparently mine can.” “I think you like me,” Mia said in a cutesy tone. “I think I do,” David replied, drawing in a deep breath. “Can you actually feel your heart pounding in your chest?” “Mhm.” May 2025
“We had a blast at the concert last night in Chicago,” David Ingram said on the phone to his friend, Levi Cranston. “Oh my god, yes! We went a few weeks ago,” Levi replied. “Wasn’t it awesome?!” “Much better than. Who all did you go with?” “It was Dawson, his wife, and their two kids, Brett and his girlfriend Kelly, Brody, Toby, and me. What about you?” David replied. “It was Jack, Asad, Kevin, Jing, Wong, Mackenzie, Rhody, his girlfriend, Ally Byers, his best friend Zach Niornski, my sisters Olivia and Evelyn Maeve, and of course me,” Levi said. “Before we went to the concert, we just chilled on a rooftop on the river, and I completely forgot how much I love Chicago.” “I like Chicago, but it’s been a little while since I’ve been there. How long are you in the area?” “Brody and I are going back to San Francisco later in the week, and Brett and Kelly are going back to Brooklyn around the same time. We are going to spend some time with our parents and then stay over at Dawson and Daniela’s for a couple nights.” “Sounds like a fun week.” Summer 2024
Toby Ingram just came back from a run, and his girlfriend, Alyssa, was waiting for him at his apartment. They were planning to spend the evening in and watch goofy cartoons. He needed a breather before taking a shower, so he lay on the common area floor with Alyssa, and he lifted his shirt up to his chest, exposing his ribs and belly button. Alyssa then put her right ear against his upper stomach. “Jesus Christ, Toby. Your heart’s thumping,” Alyssa remarked. “Yup, I can feel it in my chest,” Toby replied. “You’re so hot and sweaty, too. How did your run go?” “I think it went well. Ran up Halsted through Boystown and back and then a little past Fullerton and back.” “How crazy was it today?” Alyssa asked. “It wasn’t bad. It’s gonna be insane next weekend though,” Toby said. “Oh yeah, that’s right. Oh, can you do me one favor?” “Yea?” “Can you tell me your middle name?” “You know my middle name.” “I do, but I want to hear you say it,” Alyssa said. “Alright, my middle name is Matthew,” Toby replied. “What is it again?” “It’s Matthew.” “Again?” “Matthew.” “I just love hearing you say your middle name.” “Sure.” “You’ve got a strong and sexy heartbeat.” April 2024
“I wish David Savino could come with us to Boston,” David Ingram said on the phone to his friend, Levi Cranston. “Yeah, poor nutjob is down with a bad cold,” Levi replied. “I know he and his roommates are all sick with a cold, and they hung out together in the common area and watched TV for the whole day.” “Didn’t you and your brothers do that once?” “Oh my god, yes. This was when Brett was a junior in high school, I was a sophomore, Brody was a freshman, and Toby was in fifth grade, I believe. Fortunately, Dawson was on his own by then, so he didn’t have to deal with whatever germs we may have had,” David said. “Yes, I remember that. You all had a bonding day in your common area by watching TV the whole day,” Levi said. “Yeah, it was actually not a bad day, given the fact that we were all sick. We were all in the common area, wrapped in our own blankets. We watched TV and played video games. Then we also ordered pizza for dinner.” “We’ve done similar when we were sick.” “I remember it actually worked out quite well, since my parents were celebrating their anniversary that day. We called ourselves the Sick Boys Club. Just because we all happened to be sick.” “Oh my god. You all crack me up.” Spring 2019
“Toby, you’re awake,” Brody Ingram said to his younger brother. They, along with their three other brothers, were in Door County, Wisconsin for a road trip. Toby was sick with pneumonia, so Brody kept him company while everyone else explored the area. “I had a really bad dream,” Toby replied quietly, he was lying on his stomach, with his arms wrapped around his pillow. His eyes were half open. “Like a fever dream?” “Yeah, I think that’s what it’s called. I thought you went on a run.” “I did, but I’ve been back for about an hour. I’ve been playing video games since then,” Brody said. “My heart’s pounding. Like not really fast, but it’s beating really hard through my pillow,” Toby remarked. “It was really scary, wasn’t it?” “Mhm.” “Take a deep breath, and if you need to squeeze my hand, just let me know. You’ll be okay.” “I hope so. That was probably one of the worst nightmares I’ve ever had.” “You gonna try to go back to sleep?” “I need to, really want to fight this bug off.” |
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