Coexist: Keegan's Chronicles

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Keegan woke up late, as usual, after hitting the snooze button too many times. The blaring of the alarm had finally gotten on her nerves. Rolling out of bed and into the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her long auburn hair was a tangled mess. Mascara was smudged under her eyes, and all she wanted to do was crawl back in bed. She could hear her family downstairs having breakfast, so rather than disappear back under the covers, she decided to join them.

Her mom was standing at the counter pouring hot water over a mug of tea leaves. She was wearing a pair of pale blue jeans and a fitted white button down shirt, her feet bare on the stones of the kitchen floor. Glancing over her shoulder as Keegan trudged sleepily into the kitchen, Emerald was surprised to see her daughter. “What gets you out of bed before noon on a weekend?”

Keegan plopped down on the stool across from her father. “I have plans with Anna.” She reached over and grabbed a slice of toast off her dad’s plate.

“You’re lucky your mother burnt the toast or you’d be in trouble.” Dad grinned through a mouth full of eggs, his hazel eyes sparkling merrily at her. He had the local daily newspaper spread on the table before him and half a glass of her mom’s freshly squeezed orange juice in one hand.

“The toast isn’t burnt,” Mom said, laughing as she took a seat next to him and tugged playfully at his full, orange beard. As usual, she had put a plate of food in front of her husband and her son, but hadn’t made one of her own. Keegan’s mom stared at her over the teacup. “I’m sure you guys will have fun. Don’t stay out too long. Do you need any money?”

“Sure,” Keegan answered, snagging her dad’s other remaining piece of toast and making a funny face at her baby brother, Warrick. She loved the sound of his laugh. “I can always use a little more for Starbucks.”

While her mother ventured across the kitchen to rifle through her purse, Keegan looked over at her brother, Thaddeus. He was being no more silent than usual, lost in his own thoughts as he slowly ate his Cocoa Pebbles. “Hey Thaddeus, any plans today or are you going to do your recluse act and stay in your room?”

“For your information, Sam is coming over.” He gave her a dirty look across the table. “We’re going to play paintball.”

“You guys are lame. Get out of the house and around people instead of in the woods or locked in your room.”

“Whatever Keegan, just because I don’t want to go shopping all day and act like a fool with my friends.”

Keegan hopped to her feet and plucked Warrick from his highchair. She sang loudly as she spun around the room, the baby babbling happily in her arms.

“Mom, make her shut up, she sucks,” Thaddeus complained.

“She does not.” Her mother managed to tuck a folded up bill in the pocket of Keegan’s sweatpants as she twirled by.

“She only does that to get on my nerves.” Thaddeus slouched in his seat, crossing his arms angrily over his chest.

“Somebody is grumpy this morning!” Keegan sang brightly to Warrick, whose laughter was maniacal in return.

“That’s not true; she sings even when you aren’t home,” her mother said, sipping her tea. Her sparkling eyes followed her daughter around the room. She smiled. “Be careful, Keegan, that’s a baby full of eggs and bacon.”

Once Keegan finished the song, she swept dramatically across the room and, with one last spin, she handed Warrick to her dad. Running up the stairs, she headed to the bathroom to jump in the shower.