Authors note: sorry for such a long intro chapter
I woke up to the sound of knocking on my door.
"John, are you ready yet?" I heard my mom say
I yawned and rubbed my eyes.
Knock, Knock, Knock
"Please tell me you're at least out of bed" my mom said again
"I'm at least out of bed?" I say
Letting out another huge yawn, I managed to stave off sleepiness long enough to pull myself to my feet.
"Gah, I fell asleep in my clothes again. I should probably stop staying up so late." I thought to myself.
"Are you dressed yet?" my mom said
"Technically I am" I thought
"Of course!" I said
There was a pause before the door opened and my mother Sandra came in, eyeing the disheveled shirt and pants I was wearing in lieu of my school uniform.
"You fell asleep in your clothes again, didn't you?" she said
My mothers a very nice and loving women, who keeps are family apart with her special brand of parenting. She's also a huge hypocrite.
"Hey, I didn't say what I was dressed for. Besides you're still wearing your pajamas." I said
"Well our faculty meeting was cancelled today so i still have the morning to myself. I've got another half an hour before I have to change!" she said
Incidentally my mom also teaches at my school, I don't have her class though. I think I'd die of embarrassment if that were the case.
"Breakfast will be ready by the time you get downstairs. Don't be late!" Said my mom
She left the room Her voice drifting in from the hall in an impromptu song about the virtues of staying home.
I sighed. "Whatever I need to get ready." I thought
*****
"Looking good if I do say so myself!" I said while looking at myself in the mirror
From outside the bathroom I heard somebody say "Hurry up in there."
"Man I thought her college classes started late today. Why is SHE already here?" I thought
"Just a sec, Sis!" I said
That's my older sister, Holly. We're on speaking terms, so I think that's a good sign.
"Move." said holly
I swear we get along. Really. She's just not a morning person.
Not much of a day person either.
Or an evening person.
The scent of bacon filled the air leading me down the stairs like some sort of cartoon cat.
*****
I arrived downstairs and saw Mom still cooking at the stove.
"You're the best, Mom."
"Oh, Slaving away day after day putting a roof over your head, and I'm only the best because I decided to cook bacon today?" She said
"Yeah, why else would I have you around" I said
She giggled at my faux seriousness
At that moment, Holly descended down the stairs.
"Hey." said holly
She began scarfing down her breakfast , ignoring everyone else in the room.
That's odd though. Between this and her throwing me out of the bathroom , she must really want to get out of here. What's her hurry?
I studied her eating habits, like an anthropologist observing a long isolated tribe. Noticing she glowered at me, and I quickly turned away, pretending nothing happened.
In no time flat she'd finished her food and was attempting a fast getaway. She'd opened the door only a crack before being caught by Mom.
"Ahem. Young Lady, aren't you forgetting something." said Mom
Giving out an over dramatic sigh, Holly walked up to mom and gave her a hug.
She then tried to escape again, sneaking towards the door like an experienced cat burglar, but mom cleared her throat again while flicking her eyes towards me, stopping her.
Holly gave mom a helpless look, readable at a distance: "do I have to?"
After a few tense seconds, she latched around me with a preemptory squeeze. It felt like the slackly tied corpse of an eel slung around me, but it was still kind of nice. She used to be super touchy-feely but that all abruptly stopped.
When I tried to hug her back, she recoiled as if I were a living eel.
"...Sorry, Bye" said Holly
I miss old Holly
"Well I'm off then. see you, mom"
"Goodbye honey! Oh just so you know, I'll be over next door at Leona's tonight after work, so don't wait up for me." said mom
"Sure, mom"