GABRIEL'S POV
Finally back in Cassiopeia and still staying at Harris’ house, I was enjoying the blissful freedom of being away from my own chaotic home.
That is, until one fateful morning.
I was deep in the land of dreams, maybe fighting dragons or playing guitar with my favorite band—who knows?
But suddenly, the peacefulness was shattered by a voice that could only belong to a mom on a mission.
“There's still one boy right in our house, hey, get your lazy butt out of bed! It’s almost noon! Do you know what time it is? You’re such a burden! Do you know how much my son has done for you? He's cleaned the kitchen twice since you’ve been here! Twice! You think the dishes will wash themselves? You act like you’re the king of this castle! I swear, if you don’t get up right now, I’m going to kick you out of here you nasty moron! You're not even my son why would I even feed the hell out of you?"
What in the world?
I squinted my eyes open, realizing that I was indeed still in Harris’ house and not being charged rent—thankfully.
But seriously, did she just call me a burden? I mean, I didn’t even know I was that important!
“Gabriel! You’re going to miss breakfast! And by breakfast, I mean the last of the pancakes! Do you have any idea how hard I worked for those? You need to pull your weight around here! I’m not running a hotel!”
I tried to bury my head under the pillow, hoping that if I couldn’t see her, she couldn’t see me.
It was a foolproof plan—except that it didn’t work at all. Her voice was like a siren, loud enough to wake the dead, or should I said she should also join a rapping competition.
Oh wait, that's my mom's opportunity.
“Listen here, young man! If you don’t get up, I’m going to throw your guitar out the window! Do you want that? Your precious guitar—that I’ve heard you play a hundred times? And by play, I mean poorly!”
Okay, that was a low blow. I shot up in bed, adrenaline kicking in. “What? You can’t throw my guitar!” I yelled, half-asleep and half-terrified.
The door swung open, and there she was, hands on her hips, looking like a general ready for battle. “Finally! I thought I’d have to come in there and drag you out myself. I have a schedule to keep, and you are not part of it!”
I rolled my eyes at Harris' mom’s relentless morning pep talk. After finally managing to pry myself out of bed, I checked my phone and saw a message from Estelle.
< Good morning, sleepyhead! >
I giggled and felt my cheeks heat up. She always had a way of making my day brighter, even before I had my coffee.
I was typing back a cute reply when suddenly, a slipper flew past my head and hit me square in the shoulder.
“Get out of bed and start helping around the house!” Harris' mom commanded, hands on her hips like she was preparing for a military operation.
I groaned, rolling my eyes again. “Fine, fine! I’m getting up!” Lazily, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and dragged myself out.
“Good! Now get some flowers for the kitchen!” she yelled as I shuffled towards the door.
As I stepped outside, I took a deep breath, ready to embrace the awful day.
But then, my heart dropped.
