A Day Before Tommorow

Chapter Four Daniel

I jolt awake to the sound of knocking on my door. The coffee I was holding before I fell asleep must have been spilled by my fitful slumber full of nightmares. I sigh.

"Daniel? It's me, Tess."

"Hold on!" I grab the coffee cup and throw it in the sink, cringing at the loud bang it makes.

"Daniel? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah it's fine." I pull my soaked shirt off and look down to my stomach. Goddy weight gain. My six pack is starting to soften. I throw the coffee stained shirt in a laundry hamper and pull a new one out of the dryer. As I open the door to let Tess in I pull it all of the way on.

"Did you see the news? Anden and June-"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard. To bad really. I thought they would make an excellent couple." The bitterness in my voice surprises me. Why do I care what either of them do?

Tess smirks. She's grown quite a bit. Her face has thinned out, her hair has gotten straighter and curve has been added to her boxy figure. Eden has noticed her. I saw him checking out her butt when we first arrived here. Funny how that shows how much he's grown too. In a slightly perverted way.

"Don't look at me that way, cousin." She says, playfully punching my shoulder.

"You've grown quite a bit, cousin." I say, imitating her use of slang.

"So have you and Eden. Speaking of Eden, what's he doing?" I can't help but notice the twinkle in her eye when she says his name. The knowing smile I give her makes her cheeks flush a crimson red.

"I hate to say it but poor Eden has gotten quite the stomach bug. I think he's asleep."

"How old is he again?"

"16. Your only two years older. If I were you, I would hop on The Eden Train before it leaves the station." Her face turns redder than I thought humanly possible.

"I-is it alright if I go check on him?"

"Be my guest."

Tess cautiously walks into his room. I watch from behind the door, through the crack between the hinges.

"Eden?" She whispers, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He moans. If he hadn't been sick I would have thought it was sexual desire. I chuckle quietly to myself.

"How do you feel?" She sits down on the edge of his bed.

"Like a goddy trot." He mumbles into his pillow. I swallow down a laugh.

Tess lovingly caresses his back. She plants a kiss on his forehead, and then lays her head on his chest. Before long her breathing evens. Eden, the sly little monster, puts his arm around her and gives me a thumbs up with his free hand. I put my hand over my mouth and snort a laugh.

Suddenly the doorbell rings.

Looking through the peephole, at first I see no one. But then, I see a familiar long brown ponytail.