Before You Go | A Prequel

1.10 | The Park

The smell of eggs frying in a skillet wafted through the kitchen. Nico's lids were heavy, but he felt wired. Exhausted beyond belief, and painfully wide awake at the same time.

'PING!'

A bit of egg splashed over the side of the skillet when he flinched at the sound. He grimaced over his shoulder, where his siblings were sitting at the breakfast table. Gus and Ellie both chattering to one another as they colored their respective sheets, the boy in much better spirits now in light of his earlier accident. Across from them sat Claudia, who still looked just as peeved, and Caspar, who grinned into his laptop. The bright white screen reflected against the pitch black of the kitchen windows. They were eating a little later than normal, but later was always better than never.

'PING!!'

That fucking sound.

"Hey Cas? Get ready to put that up," Nico called over his shoulder, "Cas?"

There was no answer, only another 'PING!!' and Caspar grinned before his fingers went away at the keys, entirely tuned out. Nico had opened mouth to say something again, but he changed his mind. It had been a long day. Too long. He was picking his battles now.

Four pieces of toast popped from the toaster. Nico maneuvered quickly; he moved the eggs to another eye on the stove and turned the fire off under the sausages done cooking. He pulled several plates from the cabinet, and it shut just in time with the 'PING!!' that grated at his ears.

Each piece of toast was plucked from its slot and haphazardly scraped with butter, the crumbs falling to join the rest on the counter and the floor. Nico sighed. He wasn't going to bother with a broom— not tonight. Tomorrow could be Cleaning Day. After all, the living room was still in shambles (an unpleasant surprise to come back to). But that was how it always went. Spending the day out and coming back home to... home. It always felt a little unpleasant.

Nico rummaged through the pantry, sorting through box after box of cereal, most of which were mere crumbs— a result of some lazy soul who couldn't be bothered to throw the empty box away. Or they were so stale, from either being left open or gone expired, that they couldn't properly be considered edible anymore. He sighed. It looked like tomorrow would be Shopping Day as well.

He set the two salvageable boxes of cereal on the counter and threw the others away, or rather, found a spot for them beside the overflowing trash. He would make Cas or Claud take it out later— 'PING!!!' —definitely Cas.

"Hey guys, clear off the table. Dinner's ready," Nico said as he crossed the kitchen again. "Ellie, Gus, put the crayons up. Hey Cas? Cas!"

"Dude," Claudia nudged her twin— hitting him harder than she needed to with the elbow of her folded arms, "Deaf now too?" He scowled at her; she nodded over at Nico.

"Put the laptop up, please— and that," Nico shook his head at Claudia, "wasn't necessary." She flipped him off. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he went back to getting the dishes ready. Picking battles.

"Claudi, are you angry?" He heard Ellie ask as he was serving out the portions onto the six plates arranged on the island. He could do this with his eyes closed now. It had become a nightly routine in the past few weeks.

"No." Claudia deadpanned.

"You look angry." Ellie continued. She and Gus worked together as they dropped crayons into the trapper-keeper in the middle of the table.

"I'm not."

"Are you suuure?"

"Yes."

"Are you, are you angry, because- because Nico made you leave your skateboard, at the park?" Gus asked her between pauses. She cut her eyes at the little boy.