𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 | ᴍᴊᴊ sʜᴏʀᴛ

𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐘

𝘋𝘌𝘊𝘌𝘔𝘉𝘌𝘙 23𝘛𝘏 1996
𝘊𝘈𝘓𝘐𝘍𝘖𝘙𝘕𝘐𝘈

𝘖𝘯 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺,
𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬

     Michael was shocked to see Shyori sat on the couch in front of the TV when he walked into the family room. This was around the time she'd tiptoed into his room a few days ago so he was surprised she hadn't done it again.

"Good morning, Applehead."

Shyori looked up from the TV quickly before returning her gaze to the screen. "Good morning."

"What's this you watching?"

"Hey Arnold."

"This a new cartoon?"

She gave him a nod instead of a verbal answer and he leaned over the back of the couch placing a kiss on the top of her head which was covered with her purple bonnet before walking towards the kitchen.

"Is your mother still asleep?"

"No, she's in the tub."

Michael looked in the refrigerator before looking in the pantry and switching back to the refrigerator when he found nothing. There was plenty of groceries, that wasn't the problem. He just wasn't sure what to eat.

"Applehead, you want some cereal?"

"Huh?"

"You want cereal?"

"Umm..." She dragged the word out while she thought about it. "Are there cookie crisp?"

Michael looked in the pantry once more before telling her that he did have Cookie Crisp. Shyori walked into the kitchen just as Michael set the box of cereal on the counter. He got two bowls and two spoons before filling both bowls up halfway with cereal—Shyori's with Cookie Crisp and his own with Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

He filled both bowls of cereal with milk and grabbed two spoons walking around the pillar. He helped her into a chair and the two sat at the table eating their cereal with the TV playing softly in the background. Shyori sat sideways so she could still watch the show and Michael admired the large Christmas tree in the corner of the room.

The only thing under the tree was the skirt. Solace had told Michael that she never put the gifts under the tree until the night before Christmas. Her parents had done the same to her to keep her from sneaking into the living and shaking the present to see what she'd gotten.

Solace walked into the family room, the sound of her house shoes scraping across the floor alerting the two of her presence. "What y'all eating?"

"Cereal," Michael mumbled from behind his hand.

"You got Cheerios?"

"The regular ones."

"Ew." She frowned putting her hands on her hips. "Who eats those?"

Michael started chewing slowly. He didn't eat them often, only when he called himself trying to be healthy. "...I don't know."

Solace pressed her lips into a straight line to hide her small smile. "Right." She nodded walking into the kitchen to look in the pantry herself.