Hate You, Love You. | Jenlisa

80

"Ella McKenzie Kim, if you don't come down this minute you're walking to school!" I yell as I hurriedly make my way downstairs and into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

I always use that threat on her but I've never actualized it before. Maybe if I leave without her one day, she'd understand the importance of waking up when I tell her to and being on time.

The appointed day has finally come, the day I resume the second half of my final year at Winterwood. After that, I can kiss high school goodbye and say hello to the next phase of my life.

My alarm woke me up by six, I forgot to get my school bag ready the previous night so I had to do that and it cut into the time I'd normally use for my shower and grooming. Now it's 7 and we're going to be late if Ella doesn't come down in the next minute because school resumes by 8 for both of us.

"Ella!" I grab 2 breakfast bowls from the rack, load it with Lucky Charms and Coco Pops in each bowl, grab the milk in the fridge and lay it on the dining table. Mom's shift ends by 12 today so she's not here and we'd probably see her when we get back.

"Ella!"

"Would you quit shouting so early in the morning? I'm pretty sure you woke up the whole neighborhood." I hear her say as her door slams. Footsteps come down the steps and she joins me on the table. "I'm not deaf."

"What are you wearing?"

She looks down at her outfit. "Clothes. I look cute, right?"

Wrong.

"You look like the bed covers wrapped you in a cocoon."

She's wearing a forest green, buttoned down jeans jacket that is probably about five times bigger than her small frame and what looks like dark joggers. Not to mention, she's wearing my boots!

"You stole my boots."

"I didn't steal it," she corrects and takes a seat next to me. "I borrowed it without your permission."

"That's stealing!"

She pours the milk in her bowl. "It's not stealing when it's from your sister."

I let the issue slide and instead shift my focus back to her outfit. "You can't possibly be wearing that to school."

Ella shrugs. "Why not? Everyone in my grade wears oversize stuff. It's Bille Eilish sheek." I close my eyes and count to 10. "Plus, Kristina says it's cool so, why not?"

Against better judgement, I decided to dead the issue again because it's too early in the morning to get into a screaming match. If I tell her to change, she'd rebel and say no, then she'd proceed to say that I'm not mom and I can't tell her what to do, then she'd be a baby and tell mom that I didn't let her wear what she wanted to. Mom would take her side and then the case would be closed.

Ella always wins anyways.

"Whatever. Eat your breakfast so we can go. School starts by 8."

"Yeah, yeah." She looks down on her plate and squeals. "You got me Coco Pops."

"I did," I confirm. "Bought it yesterday."

"Score!" She grabs a spoon and digs right in. "You're the best sister ever."

"I am." I grab my spoon too and slyly add. "You know I just brought your silence, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"It means you can't tell mom about what happened that day."

"What day?"

"The day I brought a guy to the house! That day."