Junior Year / {HS/POC} ✔️

Swim and Girls Day

The next morning Katie is sitting at the dining table eating a bowl of cereal. "Charlie and Dad will be upset" I note grabbing a bowl from the cabinet.

"I'm not dating Chris to make Charlie and dad happy" she says with a heavy sigh. I sit down across from her. "I'm sorry it's just too real for me"

She shows sign of compassion, "it's alright they'll find out soon enough."

"How do you plan to tell them?" I ask eating a spoonful of cereal. "Well tomorrow when we go to the airport" she shrugs.

"Chris won't be with us maybe they'll get the hint. Charlie may need some reassurance." As if on key Charlie comes down the stairs.

"Where's dad?" She asks pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Early shift possibly a delivery"

"Well looks like it's a girls day today" Katie says giving me a look as if to say don't mention Chris or anything about the breakup.

***

Katie was the backbone for the family. Or for her sisters I should say. She was the oldest and sadly she was traveling thousands of miles away to create a new life with new people and ideas.

Luckily over the past school year Katie wrote down notes of things I would now be responsible for since I would now be the oldest.

Some of the tasks were simple such as making coffee.

8 cups of water
6 spoons of coffee beans

Others were more challenging such as preparing mom's special recipe for red velvet cake.

Katie was the one who found out mom that day. She had been doing housework the three of us upstairs playing.

Katie was 12 I was 11 and Charlie was 6.

Our mom had slipped and fallen, thinking she was okay she continued cleaning later Katie found her in the living room.

She never woke up

I can say that all theee of us have a trait from our mother. Katie is organized, I am a great baker, and Charlie is energetic and loves competition.

I'm sure Katie wish's she was here to talk about the breakup

***

"Did you pack everything?" Katie asks opening Charlie's book-bag.

Charlie sighs out of urgency. "Yes ill be late if we don't get going" Katie fixes the swimsuit strap on her shoulder.

"Okay go to the car. Salem did you get everything?" She asks me. "Yeah I got snacks and your laptop for us to watch movies"

After a while of watching middle schoolers swim Katie and I had starting bringing her laptop to watch movies.

"Okay and remember don't mention it" she says holding a finger up.

"Alright" I say and Charlie honks the horn from outside.

I lock the door behind us making sure to turn on the garage light for us to see when we return home.

We pass Christians house on the way out of out neighborhood. Charlie speaks up. "Is Christian coming tonight?"

Katie looks in the rearview mirror, "He had to pick up a shift I meant to tell you earlier." She lies.

"He literally said he'd be there today" Charlie slumps back into the seat. "I know, he wanted to come but he couldn't"

The car is quiet except for the AC blowing. "How about we go for ice cream after your swim meet?" I say turning around in my seat.

"Ooh I want to get Mint and Fudge or maybe...." the rest of the car ride consists of Charlie figuring out her ice cream combination.