Don't Trust The Weatherman

30 Minute Showers Can Cure Almost Anything

A morning person is a common title Joey had never had the pleasure of awarding herself with. It was not that she disliked the time of day; most of the time she was impartial towards it, seeing no reason to appreciate or depreciate it, but after a long night of tossing and turning only to wake and find her favorite cereal being finished off by her least-favorite person, Joey found herself considering whether or not to add the juncture to her ever-growing hate list.

"Oh! Hey, Joe!" Her mother, Melissa, cheers when she notices her daughter entering the kitchen. Joey merely offers a grunt of a greeting in response and slides into her seat at the table, planting her cheek down on the wooden surface once she's comfortable enough.

The girl observed the scene around her in an attempt to distract her mind from its own grumpy emotions. Levi was frowning at his plate as he struggles to cut up his waffle thanks to his cast; Melissa was humming by the stove, no doubt preparing a meal for her newly awakened daughter; and Joel and Eli were talking, their mouths full of cereal but neither of them seems to care about proper table etiquette or the increased risk of choking. Even Paul made an appearance, his tail standing up like a glorious white quill as he trotted inside in search of food.

The only person not present for breakfast that morning was Joey's father, Derek Rippley, though it wasn't uncommon for him to miss the mealtime. The family didn't mind though, to them, the faint sounds of his voice coming from the tv in the room over were enough to carry them until the evening.

"Here, honey." a plate slides into Joey's view and she raises her head, giving her mom a small nod of thanks which Melissa returns with a peck on her forehead. "Your father and I are going out tonight; I'll leave $30 on the counter for pizza."

Joey takes a bite of her food, humming a muffled "ok" towards her mother's words as the woman continues to speak about later events. "Eli, honey, are you staying over again? Because if you are, me and Derek can pick up some of those snacks that you like on our way back."

Eli perks up at his name and sweeps a hand through his hair, each strand equally as dark as the one next to it. He swallows, offering a small shake of his head with soft, bright-colored eyes following the woman moving through the kitchen so swiftly it could be considered dancing. He smiles politely, gently, though it's still enough for Joey to internally groan at the small indents in his cheeks that show.

"Oh, thanks, Melissa, but I should probably head home tonight —running out of clothes." The boy shares sweetly, every word rolling off of his tongue impeccably smoothly like fresh golden sap sliding down the bark of a tree.

"Well, you're always welcome to stay if you change your mind" Melissa invites before moving to stand behind her youngest son, taking his utensils from him and cutting up his waffle for him, pausing only when her phone begins to ring.

"Joey, can you help your brother please?"

Joey fights back a groan, dropping her own fork and knife to cut up her brother's food although the dark-haired boy on the other side of the table had the same idea. Eli reaches over, grabbing the fork and knife before Joey gets the chance, earning an eye roll from the girl and a grateful smile from her mother. She picks her utensils back up and cuts into her own waffle, finishing it as quickly as she possibly can before dumping the empty plate in the sink and rushing upstairs.

A shower, Joey figures, could be the solution to her problem. A nice, warm, tranquil shower to clean her skin and rid her of the vexatious feeling plaguing her system. She takes her time getting clean, making sure to scrub every inch of skin, lather shampoo throughout her hair, and let the peace of pouring water drown out her annoyance. After about a half-hour, when she finally feels better, Joey turns off the water and gets out.

The entire bathroom is filled with steam when she exits, though Joey always preferred it that way and found herself turning off the ceiling vent just so she could be surrounded with foggy water vapor whenever she finished showering. Joey wraps herself in a fluffy white towel and slips her feet into matching slippers to avoid trekking water around before opening the bathroom door; her once lifted mood falling drastically like the corners of her lips at the body blocking her path.

"Do you mind?" The teenage girl seethes out at the significantly taller boy.

He smiles back, though not the same smile he was parading downstairs in the kitchen when everyone was around. No; this smile was pernicious and reserved, as it seemed, just for Joey.

"Yeah, I do mind when you take 30-minute showers" Eli responds easily, his voice holding the same patronizing tone it always does with her.

Joey crosses her arms across her chest, neither she nor her adversary worried about her current lack of attire due to their ever-going quarrel, and she attempts to stand as tall as she can. When the two were kids it was easier for Joey to scare Eli, being taller than him and stronger than him, but since his growth spurt the tables have turned and all she could do is pretend they were still on equal ground.

"Maybe if you stayed at your own house for once you wouldn't have to worry about how long I take." Joey pushes past him; the both of them knew Eli let her, but just in case she didn't, he chuckles.

The girl slams her bedroom door behind herself, her mind finding a subtle comfort within the security of the pastel walls that enclosed the one place in her life Eli couldn't invade. Muttering to herself about her enemy's antics, Joey raids her closet for clothes, slipping on the outfit once she is satisfied. She would never call herself a fashion guru —a title loosely claimed by more than one of her peers— but, in her mind, she dressed adequately enough to look good without standing out, and that was more than enough for her.

Joey exits her room in a comfortable stride, her banter with Eli forgotten, and she maintains this pace as she, once again, walks down the steps. Her mother and Levi are already in the process of tying shoes and zipping up coats when she reaches the bottom step, so Joey follows suit, joining them by the door.

"Is your brother almost done up there?" Melissa asks, raising her head to acknowledge her daughter's presence. Joey shrugs, her attention on her shoes as she answers.

"Dunno."

More often than not, Joey left for school without the company of Joel, despite the two attending the same institution. While Joel didn't mind showing up to class upwards of 15 minutes late, Joey couldn't stomach the tardiness and habitually showed up 10 minutes early. Of course, to complete such a task she would have to walk alone, but Joey preferred the self-inflicted isolation and knew her brother would always find company along his way so the arrangement worked in favor of them both.

"Well, he's got Eli with him, he should be fine." Melissa concludes to no one in particular. She collects her keys and opens the front door before cupping her hand to her mouth and shouting loud enough for the boys upstairs to hear. "I'm heading to work! You boys be good and please get to school on time! I love you!"

Her calls go unanswered though the mother of three didn't expect much from two teenagers and instead sighs, kissing the top of her only daughter's head.

"Ace that test, Joe. I love you and I'll see you later."

Joey nods. "Love you too, Mom." And her mother and Levi walk out of the door to begin their days.

Joey finishes tying her shoelaces and zips up her bookbag, slinging it over her shoulder quickly when the ruckus upstairs gets louder. She slides her glasses onto her face, grabs her keys and her phone, and slips outside to begin her own trek to school in sweet sweet isolation.

Ok no more for a bit while I hunker down and write. Enjoy

-Slurpee :)