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"Danielle, wake up! You're going to be late for school," I called to my sister, who was still passed out on her bed.
"Five more minutes," she mumbled sleepily, pulling the blanket over her head.
"You said that fifteen minutes ago. Let's go," I said, giving her a gentle shake to wake her up.
"Okay, okay, I'm up," she groaned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
She shuffled past me into the bathroom. I left her room and headed to the kitchen, opening the fridge and pulling out everything I needed to make sandwiches for the both of us.
As I was finishing up, Danielle came out of the bathroom and headed back to her room. I grabbed two plates, placing the sandwiches on them.
"DANIELLE, ARE YOU DONE? HURRY UP AND EAT!" I shouted, trying to keep us on schedule.
The door swung open, and there she was, dressed in her school uniform. She sat down at the table and started eating her sandwich.
"By the way, I'm going to be home late tonight because of work. There's food in the fridge, and I'll grab groceries on the way back," I said between bites.
Danielle nodded, her mouth full of sandwich. After we finished eating, she slipped on her socks and shoes, grabbed her backpack, and swung it over her shoulder.
"You ready?" I asked, grabbing my keys and sliding my shoes on.
"Yeah, let's go," she replied.
I was dressed in ripped jeans and a hoodie—nothing special for my shift at the library today, but it's always quiet there, and I liked that.
I unlocked the door, stepping outside with Danielle following behind. I locked the door behind us, and we made our way downstairs toward the exit. We lived in a small, affordable apartment, just enough for the two of us.
Once outside, we started walking. Her high school wasn't far, so we always walked. Even if we had a car, I'd still insist on walking her. I couldn't shake the fear of something happening—of her getting kidnapped or worse—and the thought that I'd be to blame.
When we reached her school, I gave her a quick wave and started walking back, this time heading to the library. As I walked, I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. Confused, I pulled it out to check—someone had texted me.
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Lil sis
Lil sis: I forgot to ask this while we was waking to my school but can I go over my friends house. After school?
Lil sis: or maybe sleepover because tomorrow no school.
