Unusual Circumstances

Chapter 1

"ALEX! Wake up, wake up, wake UP!"
I feel a stuffed animal smack my head.
Who knew a three year old could have anger issues?

I look at the child next to me. My sister Lily is small, round & cute - just how most toddlers are. Her black hair, green eyes and fair skin make us look really alike in my opinion, regardless of the age gap of eleven years.

Sometimes I'm not sure if Lily was the 'surprise' or if I was. However, it's a bit odd knowing that your parents are sexually active enough to create a look-alike. Yeah, gonna need a physiatrist for that one.

"Alex, please, I want food!" Lily whines.

I sigh, "Fine, just stop hitting me already. Sheesh."
She bounces off and I roll my eyes.

Mum and Lily have a 'special' relationship. Lily won't do anything mum says, unless she thinks she'll benefit from it. And dad... He might be allergic to mini fidgeting adults. He always looks a bit scared of Lily, especially if she wants something; apparently he was the same with me, too.

So I'm Lily's feeder. And bather, and costume designer, and... You get the idea.

Hanging a child upside down by their ankles is a pretty good way of showing them who's boss.

I get up and head downstairs.
It's a miracle I made it alive, really. I'm so tired - I spent all night doing my English homework that was due today.

"Morning honey." Mum chirps.

Ugh, morning people. So perky and bright while I'm stumbling into the fridge.

"Caffeine. Just, push me towards the caffeine." I mumble.
Mum sniggers. Yeah, that's right, make fun of my misery, why don't you?

I'm given a steaming cup of tea, and wake up a little when the liquid burns my tongue. Ah.

"We love you caffeine, we do. We love you caffeine, we do. We love you caffeine, we do, oh! Caffeine we love you." I sing under my breath as I get out Lily's favourite cereal.

She digs into it once I've given her the right amount in the red bowl, not the blue, with half a cup of the green milk, never the blue - everyone knows that's ONLY for drinking before bed.

Spoilt brat that she is.

I myself prefer to eat whatever's there.
Isn't there excitement in not knowing what you'll have for breakfast? Although a bit of predictability is good. When mum was breastfeeding Lily she once put boob milk on my corn flakes.

I never quite looked at milk the same way.

"Come on honey, stop glaring at the milk and hurry up. You don't want to be late, do you?" Mum chides at me.

I grunt and inhale my weetabix. Too early for conversation.

I make my way upstairs and get ready for (dun dun dun!) school.