Blackout

2. First Day

Claire Carter | Before

My  hands slowly ran across the white ceramic walls of the upstairs  bathroom until they identified the cold metal of the outlet. Yawning, I  tried to plug in my straightener, but managed to miss.

"Really?" I muttered. I  kept my voice quiet for everyone else in the house. It wasn't even 6 in  the morning, and I was the only person awake. I set the  straightener down and splashed cold water on my face.

As much as I hated it,  the adrenaline from the water was exactly what I needed. I plugged the  straightener into the outlet and gave it a minute to heat up. I  placed my hand near the metal and waited until I could feel a gentle  warmth on my palm. Satisfied, I gathered a lock of my hair and placed it  in between the straightener, letting the contraption travel through it.

This was a process that I  was completely used to. It happened every morning, like a ritual. As I  gathered another lock of hair, my brown eyes locked with my reflection  in the mirror. I looked irritated, which was a general side effect from  waking up early.

I had dyed my hair blonde for the summer, but all that remained now were stray highlights. I was too lazy to dye it  again, and Mom was still mad from the first time. Sometimes I  contemplated just shaving my head and moving to the moon instead of  dealing with my hair every year day.

After hair was makeup.  Foundation, gentle blush, eye shadow, mascara, pink lipstick. Enough to  smooth the flaws beneath the surface, but not enough to outshine Sophie  Kim. Perfect.

"Claire! Time's up!" Brianna announced.

I didn't answer my sister and calmly adjusted my hair in the mirror. Taking my time, I  cleaned up the beauty products that I had littered across the  bathroom counter. Smiling sweetly, I opened the door to greet a very  disgruntled Brianna. She was still in her pajamas and thick-rimmed black  glasses, and her arms were firmly crossed.

"Do you want a ride to school or not?" Brianna asked me.

"Mom said you have to  take me, so I'm doing you a favor by letting you give me a ride." I  reasoned, not dropping my smile. Brianna playfully shoved me out of the  bathroom and slammed the door behind her. "Enjoy  driving while it lasts! When I get my license, I'll be driving you!" I  called to the closed door.

"You think you're a better driver than me?" Brianna asked, cracking open the door.

"I know I am," I responded smugly. Brianna rolled her eyes in response and shut the door again.

After spending a bit too  much time selecting an outfit and packing my bag, I passed the time on  my phone. Brianna joined me in the kitchen, and picked the seat that was furthest from me. The two of us ate breakfast in complete  silence. Correction: Brianna ate breakfast, and I tried to  avoid eye contact. I wasn't sure what I did, but I felt blocked off from my sister.

Brianna stood up  abruptly to put her dishes in the sink. She caught me staring at her,  and narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" she asked. "You're looking at me weird."

"No," My eyes darted to the floor.

I decided to put my bag in the car and avoid any more interaction with  Brianna. The Nissan was already unlocked, so I tossed it inside  nonchalantly. The bag landed with an unexpectedly loud thump. I winced at the sound, but everything seemed fine. While I  waited for Brianna to finish getting ready, I made myself comfortable  in the driver's seat.

It wasn't long before  Brianna threw her own bag in the back of the  Nissan. She then opened the car door and stared at me until I surrendered  the driver's seat.