Compelled (a Hat Films Fanfic)

Hornby Household

        Amanda seemed pretty peaceful when I had woken up, and there was no way I was going to disturb when we had nothing to do. It was almost odd seeing her so still and calm; she was always running around and doing some type of work and I hated seeing so stressed all the time. I only hoped that it would get easier once the livestreams were over and she could have a normal work schedule like the rest of us. Taking a second to brush a piece of hair out of her face and admire her sleeping form, I smiled down at her. When we returned I would have to talk to her about making us official, at least around the office. I was tired of introducing her as my 'friend'; it was awkward for the both of us.

          I slipped out of the bed and quickly changed in my room. Someone was showering, and after stepping into my kitchen and seeing both my parents, I knew Seb was using the toilet.

        "Good morning," my mum called from her position in front of the cooker, and my dad smiled at me over the newspaper. They couldn't have looked any more like stereotypical parents if they tried. "Is Amanda up?" she continued after we had all exchanged our greetings, "Breakfast will be ready in 15 minutes."

        "Uh, she's still sleeping," I said, jabbing a thumb over my shoulder towards the stairs. It was getting pretty late in the morning, so I knew she wouldn't be that way much longer; she was always an early riser.

        "Well I just put in the..." My mother paused to look at a piece of paper on the counter, reading, "Vegan french toast casserole... I hope she likes it." 

        I walk over to read over her should, my eyes instinctively being drawn to the calorie count at the bottom. Amanda had gotten me into that habit a while ago, and I couldn't help but balk at the 600 calories in a single serving. I know on her good days she would have at most 500, though she normally will exaggerate the number to hide how little she was actually eating. I felt myself grow worried as I thought about all the work my mother put in, and what type of excuse Amanda might use.

        "Ross," my dad said, setting down the paper in front of him and turning halfway in his chair, drawing my out of my own thoughts. "How are those two boys doing?" he paused to remember their names, "Chris and Alex?"

        "Great!" I said, making my way back over to the table and sitting down across from him, "Everyone's healthy and we've got some really good content going out for the channel soon."

        He nodded, apparently happy with the news. "And you said Amanda works for the company as well?" he asked.

        "Uh yeah," I hummed, thinking about the best way to explain her job, "Right now she's helping with the livestreams, but once those are over Lewis is going to give her a channel."

        "That has to be a lot of work," my father scoffed, "and going to school at the same time?"

        I nodded and was about to reply when we both heard a pair of footsteps coming down the stairs, signaling the arrival of the girl we were just talking about. I turned to see her in a pair of jogging trousers and a long sleeved thermal, and as she walked into the kitchen she finished tying her hair up. "Good morning," she greeted, giving us all warm smiles which we all returned. I stood up and walked over to her, silently placing a hand in the middle of her back; it was a small gesture, but I hoped she understood that I was here to support her for what was about to come.

        "You're just in time for breakfast love," my mother smiled, pulling the dish out of the oven. I tried to be discreet as I watched Amanda, but her face remained in a passive smile and gave no inclination towards her emotions. "I made a french toast casserole that I found on pinterest," she explained, seemingly excited for this girl's approval.