The girl behind her smile

- 1 -

ELIZA

I jolt awake, cold and wet and immediately my teeth start chattering. I bring myself to a seated position, frantically looking around the room. The sounds of a muffled laugh, echo's from behind my door, immediately answering my question.

I drag my hand over my water clad face, before raising my voice to speak, "Ezra Hayashi, get yourself in here right now!"

Black tufts of hair appear throughout the crack in my doorway, followed by the suppressed smile my brother was wearing, "What do you want?"

"What do you think?" I grit out.

"I just wanted to give you a nice surprise before our first day of school." He reasons.

I close my eyes briefly, feeling irritation swelling up inside me, "Explain to me, how pouring water on me is a nice surprise."

"Maybe not a nice surprise, but a surprise nonetheless. I think you should be grateful, not everyone has surprises in their lives."

I clench my fist around my soaked pillow, "Well you better look forward to the surprise I have for you."

Before I launch the pillow to his face, he snatches his head away from the door, closing it just in time for the water to stain my door, rather than his face. Ezra may be my twin, but there was no way I could get back at him when he physically overpowers me, it also didn't help that he had his MMA training in his defence. I grunt in anger, my fist generating a sloshing sound as it hits the small puddle beside me.

-

I see Ezra on the dining table already dressed and now eating cereal. I drop my bag and grab a bowl before adding cereal and milk to it. I didn't need to look at him to know he was giving me nervous glances. I slam my bowl on the table, drops of milk spilling out and I instantly regret it.

I start eating aggressively, shovelling the food into my mouth as Ezra pipes up, "C'mon Izzy, you're not still mad are you? It was like over an hour ago..."

I look up and glare at him, not replying to his voice of reason.

"I just wanted to give you a surprise, you know? You should learn to live a little."

"I hate you so much right now." I seethe out.

Mum walks in just in time, "Right, stop with this silly argument, Ezra, you'll vacuum and do the dishes tonight as punishment, and Izzy, if you don't want any chores, I suggest you eat the cereal without any more complaints."

Ezra groans, just as Elijah walks in.

He got off easy.

"Well that's me off the dishes duty tonight, and even more time to catch up on One Piece." Elijah laughs as he walks towards the table with his cereal.

"Haven't you watched that anime, like, a million times?" Ezra asks.

"The series hasn't even finished, dimwit." I mutter.

Eli shakes his head, "You have so much to learn, not to mention a disappoint our fellow weeb society."

Ezra looks up, confused, "Wait, you can't be a weeb, you're half Japanese..."

"It's called a joke." Eli shakes his head and sighs, "I swear I loose braincells talking to you."

Ezra reaches for the empty milk carton, only just grabbing it before mum walks in stopping him from throwing it, "Hurry up, you're going to be late on the first day, it's 7:45."

"Shit." Ezra mutters.

"Language!" Mum yells from the kitchen as we all pile in to put our dishes in the sink to leave.