Against the Stars

Chapter 27

Ginny snuck around to the back door of her house, praying her mother wasn't awake yet. It would be easier if her mother never knew she had gone out, that way, she wouldn't have to deal with a reprimand. Ginny could hear her mother's voice in her head scolding her, but she shoved it out and cracked opened the door. She glanced around, and to her luck, found no one was awake yet. She scurried inside, grabbed the note off the counter, crumpled it up, then headed upstairs to her room where she collapsed into her soft, warm, bed.

Ginny hadn't meant to fall asleep, but she ended up doing so anyways. She wrapped herself up in her thin blanket and tried to block out the wind. She knew when she fell asleep the fact that she was only going to get a few minutes. Yet she was unprepared for when Stephen shook her awake.

"Get up sleepy head!" he cried.

"Go away," Ginny mumbled, rolled over.

"All right then. Don't blame me when Mother's after you all day because you overslept."

Ginny jumped up at that, and kicked her blanket in Stephen's face. "All right then Steph."

"Wait," Stephen said, pulling the blanket off his face, "did you just call me Steph?"

"Yes! It's your new nickname!"

"Gin!" Stephen cried, as Ginny dashed downstairs, laughing.

Ginny entered the kitchen to find her mother preparing breakfast. Deciding to be a helpful daughter for once, Ginny went over and took the plates out of her mother's hand.

"Oh, thank you Ginny," Mother said pleasantly surprised.

"You're welcome!" Ginny said, unusually cheerfully.

"Why are you so cheerful?" Mother asked, confused. This wasn't typical for Ginny.

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. Maybe it was because of her time with Violet, or because of her ride, but Ginny had a feeling it was mainly due to her lack of sleep. Lack of sleep could make Ginny unusually giddy, or moody. The giddiness would wear off eventually, but for now, it was welcomed surprise.

"Ginny, go wake your sisters for me, Lottie and Becca are coming over and I want them to be ready before they get here," Mother said.

"Are Thomas and Alexander coming?" Ginny asked, confused.

"No," Mother said smiling. "We're going to have an all Miller breakfast, just like we used to."

Ginny couldn't help but smile at that thought. She hadn't had a meal like that since she was eleven years old back in England, when Miss Rebecca got married. It seemed like so long ago, yet at the same time it seemed like just yesterday. It was the odd concept of time, a concept that had been invented by humans themselves.

Ginny headed back upstairs to her room, and decided to have fun. She snuck over to Nelly and crept down by her ear and yelled, as loudly as she could, "Get up!"

Nelly bolted upright, nearly knocking Ginny over in the process. She looked around confused and then her eyes latched on Ginny. "Ginny!" She cried. Ginny put a finger to her lips and pointed to the stirring- yet still sleeping- Bess. Nelly's eyes got wide, and then she nodded. The two sisters crept over next to Bess, one of either side. Ginny mounted one, two, three, then the two girls leaned over and both yelled, "Wake up!" in Bess's ears.

Bess snapped up and glanced around, absolutely shocked. She shook her head and that glanced around, for a moment not noticing her two sisters who loomed over her. When she did, she screamed, loud and clear.

"Hey Bessie!" Ginny said, smiling.

"Why is the world would you do that?!" Bess cried, furious.

"If it makes you feel better I did it to Nelly to. Why? Lottie and Rebecca are coming over for the day, and Mother wants you downstairs."

"Wait, wait, wait, you didn't tell me that!" Nelly cried. "How could I not have been told!? Now I only have like fifteen minutes to prepare to tease Lottie!" Nelly cried, running to just dressed. Ginny laughed, and left Nelly to her shenanigans.

"They're up. Nelly is not happy about not being told about Lottie's visit, but she'll deal with it," Ginny said as she entered the kitchen, to see Stephen and Edward waiting there.

"Lottie's coming, and you guys didn't tell Nelly and me?"

"Charlotte," Mother said, putting an unnessissary emphasis on Charlotte, "asked for her viist to be a surprise."

"Do you know why?" Stephen asked.

"No, now that I think about it, she didn't," Mother said.

"Probably because she didn't want Nelly and Edward to know. Though I don't blame her, I wish they had been told. This could have been a very entertaining breakfast," Stephen remarked.

"Stephen!" Mother scolded, setting another plate of food on the table.

"What?" Stephen asked, loading up his plate.

"Stephen!" Mother cried again.

"What?" Stephen asked again, trying to act innocent, when he clearly knew he wasn't.

Ginny slide in her seat besides Stephen and Lottie's empty seat. "I think Stephen's wrong. This will be a very entreating breakfast even without Nelly's and Edward's preplanned pranks."

"Speaking of Edward, where did he go?" Mother asked, noting Edward's empty seat.

"Probably to plan with Nelly," Stephen said, shoveling food into his mouth.

"Stephen, wait for the rest of the family."

"Fine," Stephen groaned.

Suddenly, there was a very loud knock on the door. "I don't think you have to wait very long Stephen," Ginny said, smiling.