Sketches

6. Coffee Cups

Josiah

"Jessica, finish your breakfast first. You can play with your dolls after you are done eating."  My dad warned as he placed a few more strawberries onto Jessica's plate.

"Did you have fun yesterday?" My father's wife asked me.

I nodded my head and looked over at Killian.

Killian shrugged and topped his already full plate with more food. He was on some carb journey or something. Honestly, I didn't quite follow Kilian's logic when it came to food so I averted my eyes and focused on my own two waffles.

"So, Josiah. Any plans for today." My father's wife asked me as she cut through her bread.

I looked up in time to see Jacob snicker before he shoved some pancakes into his mouth. I shook my head and looked down at my food. Sunday's were the worst. The breakfast table was always full and for some reason, my voice didn't like to make guest appearances on Sundays. Kennedy, Killian, Jessica and Jacob sat across from me at the breakfast table and somehow I always ended up on the side with the parents. And to top it off my dad believed in sleeping in so breakfast was always during ‘Brunch Hours’ meaning between 11 am to 12 pm. The only silver lining was that the oldest Thomas twins were learning abroad so the only time they graced us with their appearance was at Christmas and sometimes easter.

I reached for the jug of juice before me delaying the inevitable, telling my dad and his wife that I had nothing to do. One would think I was the baby in the house with the way they treated me. Sometimes when my mind wanders I would think about what it would be like if James & Jude had not gone overseas, for whatever aquatic life degree they were to study. Would they also treat me like the child in the family or would they acknowledge that Jacob was twelve and Jessica was six? If not that, would they just crowd the table?

"Do you want to come with me to my knitting class? It's very relaxing." Father's wife continued handing me an extra plate of pancakes.

I shook my head and looked at Jacob. Usually, Jacob got dragged into these things and Jessica just tagged along like the baby she was. But today Jacob looked surprisingly smug like he knew something I didn't.

"Jacob is going over to a friend's party so I thought you could come with me instead." My father's wife continued giving Jacob the chance to smirk victoriously.

I glared at Jacob, that traitor living me out to dry and not even telling me. I sighed and took another bite of my pancakes. There was no easy way around this. I had to either refuse and watch her look sad the whole day or agree and hate it there.  I looked up at my siblings and they smirked, possibly thinking the same thing. Everyone except Kennedy.

Kennedy looked at me with a meaningful look.  Not a good thing when it came from her. Kennedy was not the affectionate sibling in my family so any form of affection from her came with a price. She smiled at her mother and rescued me before I could even process what that meant, "He has plans with me."

"He does?"

The shock in my Dad's voice mirrored most of the silent looks that were being passed around the table. Kennedy's manicured hand curled around her glass of orange juice and she took a long sip before answering, "Yes, he does."

My father's wife looked ecstatic. Kennedy's long lashes swept against her cheeks as she slowly blinked at her mother, Savouring the reactions in the room. Even my father was surprised. If we were ranking people with weird social problems Kennedy would rank above me. And it wasn't because she wasn't popular, She just found a lot of people irritating. More like almost everyone including us, her siblings.

"He is not so bad," Kennedy said, placing a few cucumber slices next to the watermelon on her plate.

Killian looked at his twin sister's shock dancing in his eyes despite his lips remaining silent. Jacob on the other hand wasn't as subtle, "Him? The guy who goes through all your makeup and wardrobe? He was wearing your nail polish last week? Didn't you guys fight about that?"