I spent all morning in my bathroom trying to fix my hair just right. My dark brown hair just won't lie flat. I eventually just gave up, slamming the comb against the sink. I decided to go downstairs and eat something, not noticing I was still in my plaid flannel pajamas.
Only my mom was downstairs, already dressed, hair brushed, makeup on. No one else was awake, just her and me. My dad and Elyse could probably sleep through an earthquake.
"You're looking nice...is it for Aurielle?" my mom asked me. "And also, blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes?"
"Blueberry. And no! Okay, maybe." I hated chocolate chips. I liked chocolate, just not in chip form.
"Look, Alex." My mom shook my hair out with her hand, so it looked normal.
"Mo-oooom!" I groaned.
"If you want Aurielle to like you, you gotta be yourself. Can you go wake up Ellie and your father? We need to go get haircuts in an hour.
"Thanks mom." I ran upstairs, into the room closest to the steps. I decided to wake up my dad first, because he can help me wake up Elyse, cause she's like a barbarian ready for battle when she wakes up. I start shaking my dad.
"Dad, wake up, mom's making pancakes and we have to get our hair cuts in an hour." My dad stretched out his arms, and opened his eyes.
"Kay, Alex. Let me guess, you came to me first so you would have help waking up El?" How'd he know? "Alex, you did the same thing last weekend." Is he reading my mind?
My dad got up and we went to the bright lilac room at the end of the hallway. It's actually the guest room, but Elyse, for some odd first grader reason, sleeps in her room on weekdays and in the guest room on weekends. I think it's because her room has a LOUD alarm clock, and she likes sleeping in when she can.
My dad shook Elyse. She slapped him. Hard. You could hear the sting.
"Elyse! You gotta wake up, we're getting our hair cuts in an hour and there's pancakes downstairs." I tell her. Once she hears the word pancakes, she shoots up like a rocket. Elyse LOVES pancakes. On her first grade survey, the three things she would take to an island were pancakes, her barbies, and her princess dress up trunk. She's so weird.
Elyse ran straight through me and Dad, her princess high heels dragging across the carpet. She almost tripped at the steps, but she caught herself.
We ate our pancakes in peace, only once Elyse mentioning "Alex is gonna see his girlfriend." The pancakes were delicious. I washed my plate, put it away, and went back upstairs, to get dressed, comb my hair, and all the other stuff.
I chose my favorite Minecraft teeshirt, a pair of dark jeans, and sneakers, my usual. I went into my bathroom and used a really minty toothpaste that my mom bought me last month because she thought it was my usual toothpaste. Blech, it tasted gross, but it was worth it. I combed my hair again, just not as much as I did. I sprayed myself with the tiniest spritz of Axe, stolen from my parent's bathroom at 2 AM. I ran back to their bathroom, put the Axe back, and ran straight back to mine, almost being caught by Elyse, who was walking up the steps as I landed safely in my bathroom, almost slipping on the tile floor. I went back into my room and looked at everything. I made sure my radio had the "Alex's Favorites" CD my cousin made me for my birthday and not the Mozart CD I liked listening to when I did my homework. I cleaned up my desk, and put the journal in my closet. I made my bed, making sure the black blanket was completely straight.
Just then, Elyse barged in.
"Whatcha doin'? Tidying up for Ariel?" God, Elyse is such a know it all.
"Her name's Aurielle, and what's the rule about coming in my room?" She walked out of my room. We have a rule in our family that we're only allowed in each others room with permission. I guess I broke that rule twice in the past 24 hours-stealing Dad's Axe and having to wake up Elyse and my dad. But, I had permission to wake them up, so I guess I only broke it once.
"MARC! ALEX! ELLIE! Come downstairs, it's time to go!" My mom shouted from the bottom of the steps. I went into my doorway, making sure my room was spotless. It was, so I ran down the steps. Once we had everyone's coats on and Ellie stopped arguing about her not being able to wear princess shoes out in public, we left.
I was so scared!
