The Sweetest Baker

Chapter Six--Wake Me Up When The First Day Ends

The next morning, I ran outside with the majority of my younger siblings grabbing Kyle and Nigel by the hands as we followed Mom outside. Everyone other than Charlie and Lorraine had ran outside to say goodbye to her out there. I had to admit. When her taxi pulled up, I got a little teary-eyed. Mom had been panicking all morning so I had taken it upon myself to help her look through her suitcase while Dad got the kids ready. Still, she seemed like she was about ready to back out.

"Okay! I froze some dinners!" she announced going through the door. She turned to Dad next. "Please make sure everyone gets to school on time today. It's their first day. You know how nervous they're gonna be. Hunter. If you could just help with that aspect, that would be great sweetheart." I nodded as we arrived in front of the taxi.

"I'll also try and be the mother figure for the younger ones for the next few days," I reassured her.

"Thank you, honey. Just remember that you have a job, though. And kids. Please don't worry. I can be back in two hours if anything gets too out of hand. Really, it's just one hour with the time difference and----"

"Mom, slow down! We've got this covered," I reassured her, grabbing the black glove that Lorraine had put on her to match her outfit. How much of a fashion genius could my sister be?!

"Yeah, Kate! Relax! Just go!" Dad agreed. She sighed, beginning to slow down the littlest bit.

"Alright. Did I kiss everyone?" she asked before hugging Kim and Jessica, the closest to her. "And you two pass it on, okay?" She turned to Dad next, hugging and kissing him.

"I love you, sweetheart," he answered, guiding her to the taxi.

"I love you too. Do I have everything?" That caused me to chuckle.

"Mom! I've checked four times! You have absolutely everything!" I winked at that, even sneaking in a bit of surprise for her when she got to her hotel and started missing us.

"Okay! Okay! Bye! Love you all!" she called getting in. We waved sadly calling our goodbyes as the car slowly began to pull away. My heart broke even more when they kept waving. I even saw Mom look at us through the back window making a heart with her fingers. We were all about to go inside when Dad turned to us.

"Little vampires!" he shouted, making the twins jump from next to me still, still holding onto me. I glared at Dad, having been slightly scared too. He didn't change his tone though. "My plan worked! She's gone! Now I can raise you children the way I want to!" He made some creepy laugh making me cringe. He stopped though when he realized we weren't laughing. "Come on, guys! Live a little! It's gonna be fun! I mean, come on! Isn't this your dream?! Mom's gone. Weak old Dad is here. You can get away with murder. You can do anything you want." Our siblings still frowned, annoyed.

"Please, Dad! Don't give them any ideas," I reminded him knowing they would actually do anything they wanted. Dad nodded pointing down the road at Dylan's house.

"Hey! Isn't Dylan's birthday party coming up? You can get all hopped up on ice cream and sugar and cake!" He did his weird laugh thing again causing us to scoff heading inside murmuring our annoyance.

When I got inside, I turned around to see Dad with a frown on his face. Shaking my head at him, I let go of the twins and went upstairs to get two matching headbands for the older twins since I knew they loved that. I also picked up the kid's bookbags each from their rooms lining them up by the door. Ushering the girls over, I put the matching headbands in their hair with help from Lorraine. When we finished, we leaned down kissing each on the cheek before ordering them to get their backpacks. Everyone else followed suit meeting me outside while Charlie grabbed their newly packed lunches. Leaning down to them, they all gathered around me ready for another pep-talk.

"Look, guys. Let me just be honest here. I feel the same way you do. She's my Mom too and Dad is acting ridiculous. Definitely not helping," I murmured as they all chuckled in agreement. "But don't let it get the better of you guys. I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"But it will, Hunter!" Mike complained. Everyone else nodded in agreement. The only one who looked to see me actually trying was Mark. Seriously........bless that kid's soul. Between everyone making fun of him and always being excluded because of his glasses and red hair, he still found a way to smile through it all like it didn't bother him. It was the main reason why I stood up for him. I didn't even bother telling him to stand up for himself. He was perfect just the way he was.

"Um.........maybe Hunt has a point, guys. It's not like we've seen the school yet," he reassured them. I brought him close to me, taking his hat off to kiss his hair. For the rest of the conversation, I wrapped a very sisterly arm around him.

"Mark's right, guys. You need to have some confidence. Listen. I'll see you guys after my yearbook meeting. Kim. Jessica. If you two are still up for it, I can totally take you to Dylans later." Kim and Jessica looked up grinning for a minute before nodding. After that though, they put their heads back down.

"Why do they get to be the first to go to Dylan's with you?" Sarah complained for the millionth time. Um.......I don't know. Maybe because you're the ringleader? Of course, I don't say that despite wanting to.

"I promise, Sarah. I'll invite more of you guys when things get less chaotic." Just then, Charlie came outside with lunch boxes handing them out probably hoping everyone got the right ones. "Have a great first day today, guys."

Everyone hugged me together each thanking me while Dad came outside getting everyone in his car. He turned to the three of us still out there and kissed me and my sister's cheeks, patting Charlie's back before wishing us good luck. Running off, he got in the car as Charlie and I got out our own car keys. Lorraine rode with our brother while I rode by myself.

To be honest, I had no idea where I was going. Since Charlie had been to the school for the unspoken football tryouts, I followed him. I turned on my radio humming along to the lyrics softly as I took the five-minute drive to Lakeview High School. From what he had said about what the people there were like, I considered myself nervous. I started tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, desperately hoping that my nerves wouldn't get the better of me.

By the time I pulled in beside Charlie, I saw exactly what he was talking about. There stood no more than five popular kids glaring at the Cutlass as if it was the cheapest thing they'd ever seen. If they just knew who our Dad was, they'd one hundred percent regret thinking that. With a roll of my eyes, I grabbed my backpack and came out of the car right as my siblings came out of theirs.

"Moo," the lead guy, of course, in a Football jersey joked when they saw him. I didn't know why he thought making an animal noise was a smart remark but I knew it must've had something to do with the coaches making a joke about us being from Cowpie Illinois.

"I guess he's the funniest guy in the herd," Lorraine remarked with a smirk as she turned behind her. I motioned my siblings to go to the school and they hesitantly went inside, Charlie knowing what I was about to do.

"Let me get this perfectly clear," I announced to them. The leader raised his eyebrows.

"Get what perfectly straight?" he asked confused as if he didn't realize what he just did. With a roll of my eyes, I avoided his question hoping I'd answer it to some extreme.

"Your stupid coaches may think it's okay to bully my brother but just because they do something, doesn't mean you should." When they were about to answer me, I slapped their car hood causing the car alarm to go off. When they started laughing, I cleared my throat. "Do me a favor and pass that along to your coaches."

"Yeah, whatever you say," he said, obviously not quite meaning it.

"Good to know we agree on something," I nodded. "And I think he deserves an apology as well."

The boys nodded but started laughing again, the second I looked away. At that moment, I was feeling the same way my siblings were feeling earlier. At this point, wake me up when the first day ends.....