Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER ONE: SOMEDAY
■■ ■ ■ ■
3 MONTHS LATER...
IT WAS A COLD, rainymorning in La Push, Washington. In the Sullivan-Ateara household, all except one was awake. Wren Sullivan-Ateara was at the dining table with dozens of test papers scattered in front of her, a bright red pen clutched between her ring-cladded fingers. Everett Ateara was at the stove flipping eggs on a frying pan, the local news coming from the radio beside him at low tones. Upstairs, the faint hum of a hairdryer could be heard in the bathroom as Vera Sullivan hurried to get ready for work. Every couple of seconds, the sound was disrupted by a sharp knock, followed by Dakota's annoyed demands for Vera to hurry up. Zeke was the only teen ready, kicked back on the lounge watching a re-run of 90210 with his school bag tossed on the ground at his feet.
It was business as usual for five out of the six Sullivans. As for the sixth, she was still upstairs in bed, using every possible minute she could spare to sleep. The rest of the Sullivans knew it too, Wren letting out a frustrated sigh when she heard Vera and Dakota's arguing pick up in volume.
"Zeke, wake Maggie for me, will you?" she asked, glancing across the open kitchen and living room to where her eldest nephew was laughing at the television. Under her breath, she added, "If those sisters of yours haven't already."
"On it," Zeke said, switching the television off before bounding up the stairs. As he reached the second floor landing, he was met with Dakota's fierce glare as she stared down Vera, who stood with a half-done face of makeup in the open bathroom doorway. "Bit early for a fight, don't you think?"
"If Vera didn't take so long, there wouldn't be a fight," his twin snapped, causing Vera to roll her eyes and slam the door in Dakota's face.
Choosing not to get in the middle of it, Zeke ducked past a seething Dakota to knock on the last door at the very end of the hallway. Waiting a moment for Maggie's response, he pushed the door open when he heard a faint "come in."
Sitting up in bed was his youngest sister, the blankets draped around her waist. Maggie Sullivan had a book in her hands that was almost finished, open to one of the very last pages. At the sight of Zeke, her eyes brightened. She delicately placed a Scooby Doo themed bookmark between the pages, casting the book aside as Zeke grinned at her.
"Morning, Mags," he drawled, taking a seat at the end of her bed and chuckling as Maggie's beloved dog, Scooby, moved to curl up beside him. "How'd you sleep?"
"Not too bad," she shrugged, and that was that.
"Did 'Kota and Vera wake you?" he sighed.
Maggie simply shook her head, "Scooby needed the toilet early this morning. I've been awake ever since."
