It All Started With An Apple

Chapter 7

“Brianne, Kyla, it’s time to get up!”

I groaned, blindly grabbing a pillow from beside me and shoving it on top of my head.  It couldn’t possibly be morning yet.  I’d just fallen asleep.  It was much too soon to be morning, let alone seven-thirty.  If it were seven-thirty I’d be more awake than I felt—which was not awake at all, by the way.  I flipped the pillow off my head, groggily opening my eyes and glancing at my alarm clock placed next to my bed.

I blinked at the clock, confused.  No, that couldn’t be right.  My eyes narrowed.  I reached forward, grabbing my clock and holding it before me.  I pursed my lips, giving it a little shake as though that would miraculously change the time like an etch-a-sketch would erase a picture.  Finally I gave up, tossing it back onto the stand it sat on.  I sat up, rubbing my eyes irritably.

It wasn’t even six o’clock.

I huffed, kicking off my blankets and standing up.   I looked down at Kyla, rolling my eyes when I saw she was still sleeping.  “Kyla,” I muttered, nudging her with my foot.  “Mom says it’s time to get up.”

Kyla mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, “Duck off, Grasschole.”  With a deep sigh, I shrugged.  Oh well.  I tried.

I stomped down the stairs, furiously tugging out the elastic band in my hair and fixing my hair to look less like bed-hair.  I skipped the last step and rushed toward the kitchen, moving my shirt back into place.  It’d gotten all twisted up while I slept. 

“Mom,” I hissed, entering the kitchen and leaning against the counter.  My mom stood in front of the sink, doing the dishes with an infuriatingly cheerful smile on her face.  No one should be that cheerful this early in the morning.  “Is there a reason why you woke us up at five-forty-five in the morning?”

My mom smiled at me, sponge and plate in hand.  “There are three teenagers here,” she said simply.

I stared at her dumbly.  “And your point is?”

“My point is that we have to leave by seven, and there are three groggy teenagers who are probably going to be rather slow in getting ready.”  My mom pointed the sponge at me.  I flinched away as water flicked at me.  “If you want any free time before we leave, you’d better hurry and get ready.”

My dumb stare continued.  “We’re leaving by seven?”

“Well, yeah.”  My mom stared at me like I was crazy.  “The barbecue is two hours away, and we have to stop at Shaw’s to get some stuff.”

I sighed, rubbing my eyes.  So, bottom line, we were woken up earlier than a school morning for groceries.  She was forcing me to sacrifice my wonderful sleep for groceries.  That was rage-inducing.  “Is Dannon up?” I asked.  If my mom was allowing him to have more sleep than Kyla and I, I was going to be pissed.  Just saying.

“That I am.”

I turned.  Dannon trotted toward me, a smile on his face.  Even though his hair wasn’t brushed, it didn’t look at all messy.  I tilted my head to the side.  I bet that what girls meant when they said, “I bet he manages to stay sexy even when just waking up!”  Not that I thought he looked sexy or anything.

I looked him discreetly up and down.  He was in a plain white T-shirt and plaid pajama pants.  I inwardly thanked him for not being one of those guys that went to bed shirtless no matter who he was with.  I’d have smacked him if he did.

“Oh, okay,” I mumbled.  I turned back to my mom.  “So, what’s for breakfast?”

“Cereal.”