PK / PETER KAVINSKY

8.

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I froze mid-mouthful of toast as I heard the deafening beep of a truck horn. After sprinting into the lounge my worst nightmare was confirmed as I peered through the curtains. Peter. 

I quickly ran back into the kitchen to check whether Dad had noticed the noise from his office but the door was still firmly shut and I assumed he was probably on a call or something. 

I slid back across the kitchen tiles in my socks into the hallway and made my way to the front door, hoping I could slip out and get rid of Peter before Sam and I needed to leave. I unlocked it quietly and pressed down on the handle. Heavy footsteps on the landing stopped me in my tracks, I jolted back from the door just in time as Sam pelted down the stairs. 

He was not getting out of that door at all costs. Even if I had to lie down and block his path with my own body, I promised myself that Peter and Sam would not be seeing each other this morning.

"Hey, Sam!" I smiled brightly. He reached the bottom step and narrowed his eyes at me.

I realised too late that I probably sounded a bit too upbeat considering it was early on a Monday morning. Sam was more accustomed to either silence or nods from me on weekdays before 7am, so this energised behaviour was no doubt making alarm bells ring in his head.

"Hey J..." He replied suspiciously and began to yawn, rubbing some sleep from his eye. "Why are you by the door? We're not leaving for ages."

"Dad asked me to get the post." I lied, ushering him into the kitchen where he poured out a glass of orange juice.

I perched myself back on my stool at the breakfast bar, praying to every single god out there that Peter didn't beep that freaking horn again. I absent-mindedly nibbled at the cold crust of the toast I'd abandoned as Dad came in and flicked on the kettle.

"I still can't believe you left the keys in the car." Sam snorted at me over the table.

"Yeah well, believe it Sammy, your sister is an imbecile." Dad chuckled over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes, they had not stopped harping on about the key incident the whole weekend. 

"I just forgot. It could have happened to anyone." I grumbled.

"I know J, we're just teasing." Dad said soothingly, taking a seat.

"You were lucky Dad finished work so early otherwise you would have had to walk home." Sam chimed in.

Dad shot me a sly look over the rim of his coffee mug. I warned him to keep quiet with a stern glare. I had made him swear that he wouldn't tell Sam about Peter taking me home the other day but he had never been the most talented liar, mom would vouch for this. As ever, this morning Dad struggled to keep a straight face and had to get up from the breakfast bar, turning his back on Sam to hide his laughter.

"You know, I think Orange might be having some kittens soon." I said casually, making a ploy at diverting Sam's attention from the discussion at hand. It worked.

"Seriously! How do you know?" He shouted excitedly. "Dad, Dad!" Sam scrambled away from the stairs, down the corridor and into Dad's office where Orange's cat bed lay by the door.

"Nicely done." Dad winked at me and leisurely followed Sam to help him inspect Orange's belly. He stopped by the door, 

"Technically there isn't anything stopping me from telling him the whole story in here." He commented, knowing full-well that I would shout at him.

"Dad, if you dare-"

"I know! I know!" He held up his hands in surrender, imitated kissing sounds and disappeared through the door. The disadvantage of being close to your parents meant they knew exactly how to wind you up I thought to myself as I cleared Sam's finished glass of juice, placing it in the dishwasher.