Tinkering Hearts

Chapter Twenty-Two

Zaelia

"I'M GOING TO ABSOLUTELY KILL YOU BOTH!" Les and I hear Zeke downstairs.

Les jumps onto my bed and we simultaneously put the covers over our faces giggling like three-year-olds before we hear the intense thudding of steps approaching us. It's 7:32am in the morning and Les woke me about half an hour ago whispering 'It's almost time!' in my ear.

The room to our bedroom door bursts open as Zeke jumps on us, struggling to get a hold of one of us through the duvet. Les kicks my butt and I fall off the bed. "Hey!"

She slides off the bed too and joins me on the floor. Zeke continues to find his way out of the covers. When he finally manages to put his head out, Les and I burst out laughing. His teeth were painted black. We roll on the floor hitting each other while we crack up like lunatics as he grits his teeth that kind of looks like he just ate an Oreo but worse.

"Zee, you're asking for a cockroach in your shoes now," Zeke smirks, although the black toothpaste foam around his mouth makes him look even more funny.

"NO!" I shout.

"Yes!"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"It's just harmless acrylics of mine. Will get off in about... a week at least?" I lie shrugging.

Zeke's nostrils flare and he gets out of my bed aiming for us both lying in the middle of the room. "You... little... piece of SHI—"

He crashes onto the floor, face-front, as Les and I move out of the way. Then dad shouts from downstairs. Les glances at me and we get hysterical all over again.

Zeke looks at the door and back at us. "What else did you do?" he asks, eyes narrowed.

Les shrugs and makes an effort to get up from the carpeted floor. "Nothing harmful, to be slightly honest," she grins.

The three of us head downstairs and see dad holding a wet right-foot boot in his hand near the main door.

"Why didn't I see that coming?" Dad facepalms as we giggle uncontrollably. "Just this one, yeah? Must be bearable," he says as he slid his foot into the other one and jerks his body. Water oozes out of the left boot too. Les slaps me on the arm and laughs like crazy. Seeing her laugh makes me laugh too and my glare at her suddenly doesn't mean anything.

"You dipshit! You went with the soggy shoes prank anyway. And without telling me!" I cross my arms across my chest, fake pouting. "If you pull anything like these on me—" I warn her, waving my index finger at her.

"You never know~" Les does the god-awful evil laugh which makes me crack up a smile.

"Way to start off some morning," Zeke mutters walking back to the bathroom.

"Tell me 'bout it," dad agrees.

We ignore the comments and head to the kitchen looking for mom and what's for dinner only to find the kitchen empty.

"Mom!" Les calls out but no answer.

Dad shouts from the front door that she is out to run some errands and will be back soon. "Breakfast's in the microwave by the way. Help yourself kiddos." And dad leaves for work, hugging us all goodbye. The Wi-Fi problem and the financial issues are at peace with us now. So dad hasn't been very snappy like he usually is, fortunately for us. Plus, it seems that he forgot about my online community issue. The sunny side was really looking up now and I could ask for nothing more.