Exposed (#wattys2016)

chapter one ↠ hale

Just like every day before this one, the sun rays beamed through the broken blinds. My eyes were squinted as I opened them slowly, rolling around in bed to see my youngest cousin, Lilly, asleep across the room.

I untangled myself from the blankets and sheets, reluctantly heading downstairs to the kitchen. Where was breakfast?

My aunt Missy slept on the couch with an empty bottle on the floor next to her. I checked for a pulse, and grabbed the bottle to throw it away. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed a bowl to make pancake mix. I should have known it was my turn, again, to make breakfast for her children. The counters were even covered in last night's dishes, like nobody cared but me.

I muttered under my breath as I looked for a spot to place the bowl, "Nobody does shit here."

I angrily pushed the dirty dishes into the sink, causing them to clash and cling on impact of the others. I heard footsteps upstairs immediately afterwards.

"Why are you doing that?" I heard a soft voice speak from the stairs. Lilly was awake, carrying her blanket into the kitchen with her.

"Sometimes the dishes forget to be cleaned, so you gotta help them into the sink."

I glanced at Missy, turning the knob on the sink so water would flow over the piled dishes. Lilly watched.

"Okay." She blinked a few times, sitting down at the table, staying silent as Missy started to snore in the background. I cracked the eggs into the bowl, which barely fit onto the counter. Next the milk, then the mix. Lilly watched from the table.

"Do you ever wish Missy made breakfast for you?" Lilly stuck her thumb in her mouth, looking at me while I spread batter onto the hot griddle.

Of course I wish she made breakfast. "Yes, everyday," I told her.

Lilly is only six, she just doesn't understand.

The pancakes were finished by the time the rest of my cousins woke up.

Lilly, Joyce, Levi, Danny, and Melanie. In that order. We all sat at the kitchen table, enjoying our breakfast before school and work. Missy remained asleep, gasping for air between snores.

"I think she'll wake up before noon today." Joyce slipped a quarter onto the table.

"No way, I think she'll wake up after three," Levi smirked and slapped a five dollar bill on top of the quarter. Danny's eyes got wide.

"I say 2:00!" Danny exclaimed, contributing another quarter to the pile.

I watched their predictions, exchanging glances with Levi. We both knew she was not waking up until dinner time. More importantly, we both knew that $5.50 would be ours to use towards bills.

"Come on guys, time for school. Don't want to be late again. I'm sick of getting calls from that old principal," I rolled my eyes and abruptly ended the betting.

I slipped a cigarette between my lips and stood up to collect plates and utensils. More dishes. Levi escorted the kids outside, throwing the utility bills at me on the way out. More bills.

Once the dishes were barely in the sink, I had to head outside and make it to work on time today.

The weather was warm for fall. I didn't have to stick my hands in my pockets to keep them from freezing. I tried to ignore the envelope of bills in my back pocket, since getting to work on time was way more important.

I rounded the corner to the stupid, ghetto gas station I worked for.

"Hey kid, you're a minute late," someone said from not too far away.