Into The Blank

Chapter I

Chapter I

I glance at the sunlit kitchen, particularly at the fresh cantaloupe, which Mum was cutting. Its elegant, wet beads of dew roll down the rounded side, like little teardrops. The knife moves steadily, slicing and chopping the melon into equal trapezoid shapes with curved tops. Every piece she places neatly into a blue soda can-like insulated tea thermos. It's my older sister's lunch.

My 16 year old sister, Thea, sits quietly eating a bistro wrap, with melted cheese and crispy ham bacon. The mornings I always look forward to. The smells of the kitchen drift out onto the deck, where we eat breakfast before school, and other yummy scents from our neighbor's houses, wafting through the sun speckled morning. Now... being a typical 16 year old-- junk food is the way to go. But, Thea is a big fan of fruit. She just...well, she's the athletic type.

She eats really healthy, and doesn't give into candy. I waver and lean side to side from my brother... who adores junk food. Candy, chocolate, chips, Lays, Ruffles, beef jerky! Anything, you name it. My brother, Tyler, is 16. Thea's younger by like a half hour, or something-- they're twins. Surprisingly, Tyler is still normal sized. Not fat, like those couch potatoes that don't have a life.

I'm waiting for my strawberry smoothie and chocolate brownie. A bit of Thea and Tyler. The bus comes in half an hour, and my bag is all packed.

"There you go, dearie. Brownie, and a smoothie!" Mum pushed a plate of chocolate brownie and a smoothie in front of me, which I begin eat.

"Thanks, Mum!" I say, happily.

"Where's Tyler? Is he still in bed? Oh, I swear, one of these days he's going to miss his bus." Mum groans. She walks into the house from the deck, and I can see her through the giant glass windows, walking up to meet my lazy sibling.

Tyler's window is open, so I hear Mum holler: "Tyler! Get up before you miss breakfast and the bus!"

Tyler groans loudly, the voices muffled from being all the way upstairs with only a window open to hear them.

Thea finishes her bistro wrap, and brings her plate inside. She walks to the front entrance, and I continue to eat my breakfast. When I'm done, I walk over to the counter and place my plate carefully as Mum comes down the stairs to clean up. I walk and prepare any unforgotten things in my Jansport bag which Mum ordered for me. It's pink, with candies on it.

Thea has a white one, except its literally star spangled-- the US flag. She wants to go so bad to go to the United States, and too bad for her, we live in New Zealand, nowhere close to America. It's her ideal. Her wish.

The bus comes in twenty minutes, and, Tyler isn't up. I zip up my little spring jacket, and amuse myself with sketching Thea, who is on her Iphone.

"Oh, dear. Another horrific day at school for teachers who still cannot pronounce my name at the end of the year." Thea groans.

"Did you tell them it's pronounced Theyah?" I suggest.

"Yep."

"Augh, Muuuummm!" A belching voice comes from upstairs.

"No, Tyler. I know what you're going to say. And no, you cannot skip school. Get dressed!" Mum hollers from the kitchen.

I hear Tyler shuffle to his room. 10 minutes later, I finish the sketch of Thea. Tyler scuffs down the marble stairs, holding the black iron railing. He's wearing a blue shirt saying, "Gamer Dude", and navy jeans. His black All Star sneakers are waiting for him in the front entrance.

"Tyler the bus comes in 10 minutes."

"Okay, okay... I did my homework this time. Just give me some beef jerky from the fridge." Tyler's tired, brilliant blue eyes are stormy. He hates school. Oh, boy- if you lived here- yikes! You'd really see the wrath of Tyler for school. He comes to prepare his bag. It's black.