How To Find Your Future

7 - Pressure

Olivia

I groan as my alarm clock goes off. Why do we have to get up so early for school anyways? Can't we all just select what time we get to go at. I roll over and turn the alarm off. As much as my body and mind don't want to, I throw my blankets off and get out of bed. The cold bitter air greets me and a shiver runs through my body.

I go through my regular morning routine of getting dressed, eating, brushing my teeth. All the boring getting ready for the day, activities.

I pull my jacket on as Sasha thumps down the stairs. "Sh!" I urge her. "You know mom will still be asleep."

She rolls her eyes and grabs her runners. "So? Mom should be the one driving us to school."

"But dad's already up," I tell her.

"And at the bakery, getting ready for the day."

I cross my arms. I don't know why we're fighting about this. This has been the routine since we were little. "It just makes sense. He'll be in between batches right now and waiting for the first ones to harden."

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever."

"Why are you caring about this now?"

She shrugs, but I know there's a reason behind her question. I poke her in the shoulder. "Why are you asking?"

Again, a shrug.

Again, I poke her. This time in the neck.

She swats my hand away.

I poke her on the nose.

"Stop!" she cries.

"Tell me why." I cross my arms and try to appear taller than her.

She shoves her face into mine. "Why should I?"

I try to think of what I have to blackmail her with. "I'll tell mom that you snuck out of the house to go to a party."

Sasha's mouth opens and closes like a guppy. "How do you know about that?"

I smirk. "I have my ways." My ways were Naomi being at the same party and seeing Sasha.

She sighs. "Fine. I just don't understand why mom's never really in our lives besides when we're at the bakery."

I tilt my head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we never see her outside the bakery, when we do it's for the little amount of time we're in the living room or dining room with her. She never comes to school events and she makes dad drive us to school."

"Oh. I never noticed that." I place my hand on my chin. I hate to admit it, but Sasha's right. I don't know how I didn't notice it before. Maybe because I was okay with not having to see mom much outside of work, it gave me space to breathe and not worry about her worrying over my future.

Light shines in through the door's window. We grab our bags and leave the house. I lock the door behind us and hop into the back of dad's car.

"Morning girls," dad says as he pulls out of the driveway.

I finish buckling up. "Morning," we say in unison.

"Excited for school?"

I chuckle. "Nope. I've got a bio test today."

"Good luck, bug. And you, Sas?"

I can see Sasha's grin in the side mirror. "We're playing baseball in Phys ED today!"

Dad grins. "Bet you're excited for that."

She nods.

Dad glances at me in the rearview mirror. "How's your mother been?" he asks.