Remind Me

Chapter Fourteen

I wake up with a smile on my face. I don't even try to hide it from myself or anyone else.

Getting ready is easy, even now at six thirty in the morning. I throw on a pair of jeans and a floral shirt, then brush out my hair and braid it down my back.

When I next check the clock, it's nearly seven o'clock. It's a wonder my mom hasn't bursted into my room yet to make sure I'm up.

I silently creep out of my room and out into the hallway. The house is still and quiet. As if everyone's asleep. Maybe they are. I peer into Clarin's room, and find that though she should be getting ready to leave for school, she's fast asleep still.

"Clarin! Clarin, get up!" I say, hurrying to her bedside.

"What? What's wrong?" She asks, sitting up suddenly, rubbing her eyes.

"You're going to be late," I say.

"Late?" She asks, blinking at me a few times. "Late for what?"

"For school," I reply.

"School," she almost laughs, eyes falling closed. "It's Saturday, Brinley."

"Saturday?" I ask, looking down at my feet, feeling a little put out.

"Yes, Saturday. People generally sleep in on Saturdays, too," Clarin says.

"Right," I nod, trying to act as if I knew this all along. "Yeah. Okay."

"Okay," she says, looking at me apprehensively.

"Okay. I'll just... Uh... Go now," I say, before scrambling out of her room.

That's embarrassing. Saturday. It's Saturday... So that means I have to go the weekend without seeing Owen. And I guess that's not so bad... Except for the fact that it is.

I walk into my own room, sit on the bed, and let out a long sigh. What now?

I end up walking around the house aimlessly for about twenty minutes. Then I stop and pour myself some cereal. And watch TV for a few hours until my mom gets up.

"What's going on here?" She asks, eyebrows raised.

"I woke up early today," I explain with a sigh.

"You do realize you can go back to sleep, right?" She asks me, walking over and sitting down on the couch beside me.

"I couldn't," I say.

"What's up with you?" My mom says, eyebrows raised at me.

"What's up with me? Nothing," I say, confused.

"You haven't stopped grinning like an idiot since I came down here," she looks at me for a long time. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I say, trying to keep my smile at bay.

"It's Owen isn't it?" She says, smiling as well.

"No... Well, maybe," I say with a sigh. "Look, I know I hardly know him. But I think he's just so-"

"No, I get it. He's a good kid. You used to love him a lot, you know," she says. Then she puts on her running shoes, stands up, and walks off. "I'll be back in an hour."

Clarin drags herself out of bed about ten minutes later. Her hair is a nest on top of her head and her sweats cling to her body in awkward ways from sleeping.

She stops in the kitchen when she sees me.

"Did you come into my room this morning?" She asks, tilting her head.

"Yeah," I nod.

"Huh," she looks up thoughtfully, "I must have been half asleep for that."

"Looks like you still are."