PEAS & CARROTS

fresh oranges . 1

AUGUST

monday
"kakarot, get up already! are you seriously going to be late for your first day of school, again? kakarot!!" my mother shouted from downstairs, calling out my name. it was about twenty minutes away from being eight o'clock, the time where my school started.

"i-i'm up!" i replied hesitantly, anxiously trying to quickly button up my black school uniform, covering up an orange tee. i kneed down to the floor to quickly tie my shoes, before heading out my room. it's monday on an august, and i couldn't be more tired. monday's weren't really my least favorite day, it's just a day i tend to forget that i have to wake up early for. sundays were always lazy days of course. everyone knows that, right? meanwhile, as i finished tying my shoes, i fast-walked to the bathroom to unfortunately find out it's occupied by non-other than my older brother. "hey can i come in! i need to brush my teeth!" i said, knocking on the door, hoping for an answer.

"get lost, i'm combing my hair." my brother snapped back, only leaving me more anxious to ask again. luckily, my mom came up and to my rescue— or so i thought.

"kakarot, why are you just standing there?" my mother asked frustrated. in quick hand response, i pointed at the door, and acted like i was combing my hair with an imaginary brush. she immediately understood what i meant, and started yelling at my brother, additionally banging the door. "raditz, let your brother in this instance! you're going to have to run to school if you don't hurry up! i don't want to see either of you downstairs by the time i finish getting dress!" my mother finished, and stormed quickly to her room.

not even a second later, and the bathroom door was unlocked with a click sound. raditz had opened it but didn't dare to look at me as he still was looking at himself in the mirror. "hurry up, before mom kills the both of us." he said, with annoyance in his tone. he wasn't very soft on me very often, in fact at all, but fortunately today he allowed me inside without hesitation. i nodded with a relief smile, and quickly grabbed my toothbrush, and toothpaste and started to brush my teeth. raditz and i finished nearly the same time, and quickly ran downstairs to have breakfast. we got out a few already cooked toasts, grabbed a knife, and covered it in butter. our father was sitting on the family table. he was just reading the newspaper of the day. just like any father- or any old man would i guess.

"you boys need to start getting ready early now, before your mother kills ya." he chuckled at the end, while continuing to read. raditz and i were usually always late to get ready every year, but oftenly on the first few days. i overslept, while raditz does his best to have his long hair nicely combed every morning before the day started. he normally did that anyways, even if he were sick. i have a weird brother that's for sure- especially one with ridiculously long hair. "hey kakarot, how are feeling for your second year in high school, eh? you won't be picked on anymore since you won't be a freshman anymore." that's right, i'm a sophomore now... i thought to myself, while chewing on my buttered toast.

"w-wait- hey! how long are you guys going to keep calling me 'kakarot'?" i questioned, with an annoyed tone in my voice. not just my family, but ever since eight grade, i've been called kakarot for just accidentally falling in a pit of spoiled carrots. cause of that, i smelled like awful, rotten carrots for the entire day. nobody even dared sitting or being around me. what sucks more is that i really love carrots... kakarot is a weird name the bullies gave me, especially adding in the strange spelling to it. guess they wanted to be spelled even dummer than calling it out publicly.

"till you die i guess or when a better nickname comes around. like sure, goku's nice and all, but kakarot is funny. hehehe." my father continued to chucked, enjoying every bit of teasing me. however, not just him, my brother raditz started chuckling too. in a way of showing he was agreeing with him. this made me even more annoyed. i quickly finished my toast, grabbed my packed lunch my loving mother prepared for me, and walked over to get my school bag by the front door. one toast isn't going to do me so good on the first day... i might as well get another. i thought to myself before exiting through the front door. i quickly turned over and grabbed some already buttered toasts.