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RENNA WOKE UP IN BED alone. She twisted and turned with confusion before quietly leaning over the edge, her bright eyes settling on a curly-haired boy lightly snoring on the floor beside her. She smiled - her teeth digging into her bottom lip - before she sat up, letting out a yawn. She stretched her arms out, hearing the bones in her arms click, before her hands accidently bumped into a pillow, it tumbling off the bed and landing perfectly on Atticus' face.
He groaned as he blindly reached for the pillow and threw it back at her, smirking as he heard it smack against her cheek. "Hey! I didn't mean to," she pouted jokingly, the boy beneath her biting back a grin.
"What time is it?" He asked as he ran a hand down his tired face.
"Approximately 7:03 in the morning," she read as her neck strained to read the clock before she turned back over, falling into the sheets as she let out a tired sigh.
"Jesus, Ren. Couldn't you have waited any longer?" He questioned, irritation lacing his strenuous tone.
"Nope, come on. We've got stuff to do." She got off the bed and walked across the room, pulling on the curtains to allow them to fly up. "Rise and shine," she sang as he groaned once again, moving the pillow beneath his head over his eyes.
"What's so important that we have to do it at seven in the morning?"
"We have to talk to Ms. Lana," she said as she walked over to his already open cupboard, grabbing one of his shirts and a pair of her shorts in the pile of hers at the bottom of his dresser. Atticus sat up immediately.
"I'm sorry, what? Ms. Lana is going through grief-"
"Which is exactly why we're going there. She's all alone, Atticus. She needs someone," she argued whilst throwing some of his clothes at him. They hit his stunned face before falling into his lap. "Get dressed, we're leaving in ten."
She left the room and closed the door behind her, heading to the bathroom. On her way, she passed by Alexander's room, which had himself and his mother inside. Sylvia was standing against the side of his small bed, laying clothes on the edge of his bed as he pushed one of his cars along the wooden floorboards by her feet. His mother looked up at the sound of her movements, smiling as she caught sight of the familiar girl in the doorway.
"Oh, Renna. Long time no see," she teased as Alexander glanced up with an audible gasp.
"Rennie!" Alex shouted as he ran towards her, wrapping his arms around her legs as he pressed his cheek against her warm skin.
"Hey, bud." She ruffled his hair with a grin.
"Can you play cars with me? Pretty please?" He pleaded as he looked up at the blonde, eyebrows raising as he pouted his bottom lip.
"Alex, Renna and Atticus probably have something planned," Sylvia reasoned as she placed the last item of clothing on his bed sheets, turning around to face her youngest son with crossed arms.
"You're right, but I promise I will next time. Thank you, Ms. Fletcher," she smiled, holding her clothes tighter against her chest as she nodded in thanks.
"Renna, for the last time, call me Sylvia. Ms. Fletcher just makes me sound old." Renna laughed before continuing towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and getting changed. It was when she was pulling her hair up into a loose ponytail that Atticus knocked on the door.
"You've got one minute, Ren," he called out as he rapped his knuckles against the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming! Just give me a second," she shouted back. He started counting down, only getting to three before Renna opened the door.
"Finally," he rolled his eyes before she jokingly nudged his shoulder, lightly pushing him backwards before he feigned hurt. "Ouch," he exasperated, the girl only laughing, before they both bounded down the hallway in a rush. They jogged into the kitchen, where they were originally going to pass through, until Atticus caught sight of the piled up toast on the bench.
Atticus quickly grabbed two pieces from the top of the stack as they ran past, Renna waving to the lady as she shouted out her goodbyes.
"Thanks, mum!" Atticus cheered as he sent her a grateful smile, jogging backwards towards the girl waiting by the door.
"Bye, Sylvia!" She yelled before rushing down the porch steps, hearing Atticus' heavy footsteps lingering behind her. When they got to the end of his front yard, Atticus - who already had a piece of toast hanging from his mouth - handed a piece to Renna.
"Can't we just steal Booker's car?" He whined after he'd taken another bite out of his bread, looking down the long, hot road that ran alongside his and John B's neighbourhood.
"No, mate. He might need it for the DCS," she reasoned with wide eyes before taking a bite out of her toast too.
"I doubt the DCS will be coming here now but- wait, did you just call me mate?" He voiced incredulously, eyebrows raised as his mouth parted in astonishment.
"Maybe," she shrugged with a grin before running off, toast dangling from her fingertips. It wasn't long before he followed behind her, letting out a scoff as he took one last glance back at John B's van before chasing after the girl.
They ran, and jogged, and walked, and ran, until they made it to Ms. Lana's house.
"I love what she did to the place," Renna whispered as they walked through the front entrance, eyes lit up as she analysed her surroundings. They quietly walked along the side of the building, dragging her hand across the colour-painted walls with a smile. It dropped when she heard the boy beside her scoff.
"I don't know how. Maybe she was high when she did it, or, you know, it could've been Scooter," he slightly-joked as he too looked along the painted walls.
"Shut up, man. This is art, cool art. It's better than your boring ass room anyway," she argued with a teasing grin.
"If anyone else was here, and I mean anyone, they would agree with me. This-" he gestured around the area "- isn't that cool."
"I don't see anyone anywhere, do you?" She turned around to convey her point, a hand held above her eyes as she pretended to scan the area.
"Yeah, right there." He pointed behind her. She turned around with wide eyes, the boy behind her letting out a laugh.
"Gotcha, baby!" He laughed as he patted her shoulder, brushing past her as she narrowed her eyes at the back of his head.
"I'll get you back for that," she murmured with annoyance.
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