Fresh Starts

Chapter Four

Today is the day I've been dreading most of coming here. The longest we have ever been at a school was the last one in California. We lived and went to the same school for about two years, but it didn't end well for anyone. I'm used to the motions of starting at a new school in the middle of the year. Everyone already knows everyone and the moment the student body sees someone new, the whispering and eyes watching your every move start.

I ran down the stairs, trying to keep on schedule since the last thing we need is to be late on the first day when we have never even been inside the school before.

"I made breakfast," he pointed at a plate of pancakes, and then another full of scrambled eggs.

"You did?" my voice was higher than I expected. My eyebrows were raised, and I gave him a confused look. My dad, the one who burns water, made that?

"Well, I had a little help. But don't look so surprised I can cook some things." I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. We always banter back and forth, but we aren't close enough to know each other's limits.

"Miss Parker was here this early?"

"She wanted to surprise you, so she came over about an hour ago. She even let me help mix, which is thankfully something that could not have impacted the flavor of the food. She says they came out perfect."

"That's so sweet. Tell her thank you for me." I started filling the plate that dad handed me, we don;t have enough time to watch anything in the mornings.

"What about me? I should get a thank you for my hard work. My mixing arm almost got tired." he had a playful smile on his face.

"Well then thank you dad, for all your hard work. And your arm is almost getting tired." I meant it, not just for mixing pancakes but trying to give us a home for the first time in a long time.

"You are very welcome belle." He opened his mouth to say something else, but got distracted by Ax who just tumbled down the stairs.

"Are you alright? Why haven't you started getting ready?"

"Food first." he seemed to have slept well. His hair was matted to his forehead, and he will still hardly open his eyes. I'm honestly just surprised that he got out of bed without one of us dragging him out of it.

He could sleep for three days straight if he could eat and sleep at the same time.

"Sit down, I'll get you a plate." He grabbed a very disoriented Axel and led him to one of the kitchen stools.

"Thanks."

"Look at that, Belle, he said thank you." He set a plate in front of Axel and then pointed at him like he was the family golden child.

"Wrong, because I said it for both you and Miss Parker."

"What about dad's girlfriend?" he said in between bites of food, not even putting the effort to look up.

"For the last time, she is not my girlfriend."

"That does not mean you don't want her to be." It's like Axel has nothing censoring his thoughts when he's tired. It's my favorite, because it's stuff I would normally say but don't have to.

"Just eat." his face started turning a pink color, and he turned away from us pretending to look out the window. Was dad blushing?

"What time does school get out here?" I asked, helping him change the subject.

"Sometime around three-thirty, it should be on your schedule. Why?" he was already refilling Axel's plate.

"I was thinking about going to the old bookstore. It is still there, right?"

"It is. You can take the truck after I pick you up. I have some yard work to do after then anyway, so I won't need it."

"That would be perfect, thank you."

"You might need to take your brother with you if he wants to go anywhere or needs anything else."

We both looked over at him. He was finishing his second plate of food.

"Actually, I do. The Bowling alley looks cool. We drove past it yesterday. Has it always been there?"

"It opened about a year after me and your mom split, right after you left." We all got silent for a few seconds. It has been over five years of this and it's always awkward.

"How about I drop you off on the way if you have plans to go with friends? Or you can go to the bookstore with me and then we can go to the Alley afterwords" I'm not planning on spending a long time at the bookstore." It would not surprise me if he plans on bowling alone, or meeting a group of friends. I'm sure he will make the second he walks into the school building.

"Works for me. I guess we'll just see how the day goes?" I glanced over at the clock on the oven. If we want to get to school before it starts, then we will need to leave in less than twenty minutes.

"Okay, we will talk about it later. We have to get ready, and quickly."