Tales of Gloomsdale #1: The Hidden Attic

Chapter Five

Matt rubbed his eyes as he went down to breakfast. Willow sat at the counter next to the window while her father braided her hair. She turned to Matt, waving to him while he took a seat at the table.

"Willow, stay still!" Mr. Davis scolded, tightening his grip on her frizzy curls.

"Matt, there you are!" Mrs. Wilson exclaimed. "I was just about to come up to wake you. Quick, make yourself some cereal – no, there might not even be time for breakfast. There's only a few minutes until school starts. Why couldn't you wake up earlier? Didn't you know today is your first day?"

"Of course I knew," Matt quipped while pouring cornflakes into his bowl. "It's Willow's fault. She barged into my room and demanded to sleep there."

Willow glared at him. "You're the one who knocked me into your closet and—"

"Shh!" Matt hissed, glaring at her. She went silent, not wanting to reveal their secret. "You left my things in your room, too."

"Oh, right." Willow jumped off the counter. "I'll get them now."

"Hold still," Mr. Davis scolded, attaching beads to the ends of her braids. "I'm not finished doing your hair. You need to make a good impression for your first day of school."

Willow reluctantly slumped back onto the counter. "Too bad you didn't arrive earlier," she told Matt. "Then you could've had pancakes for breakfast. Dad and I helped your mom make them. They were so good!"

Matt couldn't prevent the flash of jealousy, and not due to not getting to eat pancakes. Once again, they had all been doing something without him, leaving him out. They hadn't even bothered to wake him while eating breakfast together.

"Well, they couldn't have been that good if you helped make them," Matt muttered while shoving cornflakes into his mouth. Willow's face fell.

"Eat your cereal quickly," Mrs. Wilson scolded. "And Willow's right. You could've been eating with all of us if you woke up earlier."

"I'm glad I didn't," Matt quipped. "I'd rather have dry cereal than eat with all of you, even if you did make pancakes."

"Matthew!" Mrs. Wilson scolded, while Willow looked hurt.

"Come on, it's time to leave," Mr. Davis urged, trying to prevent a fight. "Didn't you bring your bag down with you, Matt?"

Matt groaned while shoving his cereal away. "I'll go up to get it."

"Don't worry," Willow interrupted suddenly. "I'll get your bag."

"And ruin all of my things?" Matt scoffed.

"Really. It's no trouble," Willow insisted, her braids swaying as she jumped off the counter. "I can get the things I left in your room, too." A strangely eager expression overtook her face.

"Matt, what's wrong with you?" Mrs. Wilson scolded. "Your sister is kind enough to get your bag for you while you finish eating breakfast. Eat the rest of your cereal and thank her instead of being rude."

"Okay, okay," Matt muttered, tipping milk into the bowl. "Thanks, Willow." But there was something about the excited gleam in her dark eyes that set him on edge.

Matt leaned against the side of the bus, rubbing his eyes. He was still slightly weary, despite sleeping longer than everyone else at home. And there were no empty seats left. At least he was standing near Kyle, who he had been speaking with since arriving on the bus.

"You wouldn't believe what Rachel did to me yesterday," Kyle complained.

"Can't be worse than what Willow did," Matt quipped. He couldn't help hoping they were in the same class. It would be nice to have at least one new friend here.