You Deserve to Thrive: A Dan Avidan Fic

Chapter 1: Dunkin Donuts

"Fuck!"

I lean against the wall and grasp my foot, cradling it in my hand as I inhale sharply through my teeth. I glare at the culprit, a box right next to the door. It's not even my box. It's my mother's. Or her husband's. Or one of my siblings, not that this is their fault. I roll my eyes, flip off the box, and exit my bedroom, looking for my younger sister, Cassie. I heard her door open about five minutes ago and wanted to say good morning before she went to school.

She's standing in the kitchen, checking the pantry and refrigerator for something to eat. I hear her sigh as I walk down the tiny hallway, past the bathroom on my left and the furnace on my right.

I have to do a double take when I catch a glimpse of the living room, freshly rid of boxes and totes, finally made up correctly with blankets and throw pillows. There are places to sit, the TV stand is clear of clutter, and my sweet old cat lies on the back of the recliner. I glance around and give a relieved smile when I don't see any messes from him.

"Hey," Cassie says, finally spotting me. She brushes her short blonde hair out of her face, and I can't help but think how well the color suits her. Not many people with brown eyes can rock blonde hair, but she does.

"Hey." I join her in the kitchen, squeezing past her to grab a cup from the cabinet. My throat is killing me, and cold water always helps. She shifts into the area just outside the kitchen, leaning against the washer as she holds a half-drank Dunkin Donuts iced coffee she'd retrieved from the fridge.

I roll my eyes playfully this time as I fill my cup with water from the sink. "If you keep drinking that stuff, you're gonna stunt your growth."

"You would know," she says before taking a long drink from the straw.

I hit my chest in mock hurt. "Rude."

"Truth," she says, tilting the cup in my direction pointedly. I shrug and grab some ice from the freezer, checking the time on the microwave as she asks, "What time are you leaving?"

It's 8:43 in the morning. "Not sure. Thought I'd wait til you were at school, honestly. I think the interview is at noon. Do you need a ride?"

"I might," she says, checking her phone. "I thought Kae was picking me up, but I don't know if she has free lunch today."

"I can get you there," I tell her, slipping the ice tray back into the freezer.

"Thanks."

"No problem, dude."

A comfortable silence falls over us as we sip our respective drinks. Eventually, we make eye contact with each other and just stare until one of us breaks. It's me this time, she's too good at this little game we've made.

I let out a small laugh and ask, "Have you gotten any work done online?"

"Little bit," she says. "Worked on some math, got stuck, needed coffee."

"Valid," I say. "Sorry I'm shit at math, I'd help if I could."

"Nah, no worries. I can always ask Michael, but I usually just use PhotoMath."

"Also valid."

The unspoken message between us is I wish he was here, but I don't blame him for leaving, because it always is these days.

A soft chirp from the living room catches our attention and I peek around the corner to see my cat stretching as he wakes up.

"Hi, bubba!" I say, cooing at my sweet baby. He hops down from the chair and joins us in the kitchen, meowing a good morning at us. I set my cup down and kneel to pet him, grateful that I had money to get him some medication for his fur loss.