If Only It Were That Simple

Chapter 32- Morning Light

Lorrie-

I wake the next morning to a warm draft from the vent by my head. I sit and look at the light that was on in the kitchen.

"Benny?" I whisper to my brother as he lay still sleeping the next sleeping bag over. "The powers on." No response. "Benny!"

"Five more minutes." He murmurs rolling over onto his stomach and burying his face in his pillow.

I check my phone. Oh no, no delay from the snow. And we're already extremely late.  "We've got school and we're late, like two and a half hours late."

"CRAP!" Benny darts up shaking Nikki awake. "Everyone up, we've got school!"

"Don't you think we've got some kind of delay because of all the snow?" Connor asks, "It'd make sense."

"Check for yourself." I tell him tossing him my phone. Johnny reaches up and intercepts it from the sleeping bag, not even bothering to sit up.

"Crap, we do have school." He confirms standing up and stretching before gathering his school books. Connor grabs the phone from Johnny and looks for himself.

"That doesn't make sense. How can you be the only house that had a power outage and eight inches of snow?" Johnny asks, "Who's brilliant idea was this?"

"Hey, watch it buster." Benny growls, "I may still be half asleep, but I can throw a pretty good punch even in my sleep."

"I've got to go make breakfast." I tell them standing up with a bit of difficulty and picking up my crutches heading to the kitchen.

"I'll help." Connor volunteers, since I don't feel like arguing I let him follow me into the kitchen. Connor watches me as I work silently, "What do you want me to do?"

"You could grab the milk, OJ, and grape juice from the from the fridge then start the coffee." I tell him not taking my eyes off the eggs and bacon on the stove. having a broken microwave that we can't replace is such a bother. I point out the coffee maker and go back to my work.

"Where's the-"

"Top left cabinet to the right of the sink."

"And the-"

"Bottom left of the top right cabinet to the left of the sink.

After a few more questions I can finally call everyone for brunch. We're never going to make lunch.

"Do you think the gas froze last night?" Benny asks Connor as they both drink a glass of coffee. Benny's is basically cream with a bit of coffee, but he insisted on the caffeine.

"Probably, and I've got to get Jacob to school, they start in fifteen minutes. It'll take a while for my truck to start in this weather."

"I'll take you guys." Johnny offers.

"And I'll take Nikki and Jacob when my truck starts." Connor says.

"NO!" Nikki exclaims, "No." Her voice drops to a whisper.

"You've got a new tutoring  gig in 45 minutes, I'll go with Connor and drop Nikki and Jacob off." Benny says. That's weird, my tutoring gig isn't until after school. And why would he let me ride alone with Johnny if he can't stand him?

"Let me go get ready." I tell them heading for the stairs, "Benny."

He stands and helps me up the stairs leaving me with my thoughts to get ready for school almost three hours late. As they always say, better late than never.