The Byrd

1 : sage, home

"hey sage come on you gotta get up or else you'll be late!" alfie yells banging on my door.

peace. all i want is some peace, i can't get up right now. ugh why do i have to get up so early.

after lulling the idea of having to meet new people around in my mind, i get out of bed, my back stiff as a board. i do a small stretch, my back cracking like an old person's, i need to do something about this or else i won't be able to move at some point. i head to the bathroom and splash my face with some water. it's so cold, i think to myself while finishing up my makeup.

mom's making breakfast in the kitchen, i'm guessing it's eggs, cheese, and toast by the smell of it. after i've changed out of my pyjamas, i knock on alara's door "lara. brekkie." she swings open the door, "what's for breakfast?"

"does it really matter?" i tort back.

"yeah. if it's runny eggs, i'm not having any."

i pull her into a hug and ruffle her hair, she knows i mean well. alara gathers the rest of her schoolwork and shoves them into her mottled beige bag. i head down to the kitchen where mom gives me a quick hug, "morning sleepyhead. ready for today?" she nudges. "not really, but i'll be fine. don't worry about me," i say, honestly. i grab my plate and pull out one of the chairs from the table sitting facing mom.

"what are you going to do all day? it's not like you're coming to school with me, unless..." i joke.
"you sure you'll be okay?" mom asks, concerned.
alfie walks into the kitchen and kisses mom on the cheek, "she's going to be fine, mom, and you better stay outta trouble essie, though i doubt you'll even get into any."
"bugger off," i say back in a terrible english accent. alfie's only a year and a half older than me but we're best friends. we talk about anything and everything, we could have been twins.

a crash interrupts our jokey mood and an "ugh god!" follows. alara must've dropped something. "all good! my textbook slipped from my hands," alara yells into the hallway. she's clumsy sometimes but it happens to all of us. alara is three years younger than me, top of her class, and a little distant sometimes. we're closer than most sisters usually are because alfie refused to babysit her when she was younger so it left me stuck with her a lot. anyways, she's almost fourteen now and mom doesn't make us watch her as much.

i glance at our dusty clock and notice it's almost eight o'clock, school starts in an hour, i scarf down the eggs while they're piping hot, nearly choking in the process.
"whoa, slow down there hon, no need to rush. i can still drive you there," mom says.
"no thanks, i'm good," i manage to say through a mouthful of toast.

alara walks into the kitchen and scrunches her nose when she sees what mom made. she gracefully pours herself a glass of iced coffee and some cereal, one of her more recent habits. alfie sneaks a piece of cereal into his mouth when alara's not looking.
"alara, honey, do you want some eggs?" mom says.
"uhh, it's okay mom, i've got a small appetite this morning," she replies cautiously.
something is off, i can tell, and mom does too but she makes no mention of it.

once we're all done and ready for school mom insists on a first day photo, it's become a tradition of ours over the years. we all grumble but obey nonetheless. right before we head off alfie whispers something in mom's ear, she nods and gives him a hug. alara gives mom a quick squeeze and a peck on the cheek, "love you," she mumbles. mom signals for me to come closer, i oblige. she pulls me in for a hug and surprisingly says, "your dad has something for you when you get home later, make sure to say thank you."
"i- uh okay. i wasn't expecting anything, but tell him i said 'hi'," i reply.

"essie! hurry up!" alfie and alara shout in unison.
"coming!" i yell back.

and we're off. it's my first day at Byrd high and i'm not sure what to expect. alfie and alara both went to Byrd before me and remind me not to overthink it. i still think about what motions to go through and what to say in advance, it calms me a bit.

i shoot a last look at our house before tearing my gaze away and looking at my moving feet.

/ i hope you like this short preview! let me know how y'all like it :P
and the house is how i picture sage's home