r e a p // michael clifford

Chapter One: Distortion

"Nellie! EJ! Time to get ready for school!" Lydia called up the steps. I groaned and turned, pulling a pillow over my face.

"I'm not going!" I called back.

"Yes you are, Eliza Jane! Otherwise you aren't going to Carter's later. Now come on! I made mini sausages!"

I groaned once more and rolled off my bed, greeting the hardwood with a thud. I'd give anything to not go to school today.

The smell of the breakfast sausages greeted my nose. Damn that woman, bribing me to get down the stairs with my favorite breakfast. I pushed myself up and made my way down the steps, before turning left into the kitchen.

Jason sat at the head of the table, scrolling through his phone with a plate of untouched food in front of him. He was in his well kept suit, his hair gelled into a perfect quaff. He ran his hand over his light scruff as he cocked his eyebrow.  He reminded me slightly of David Beckham.

Nellie came down the steps shortly after, her thin blonde hair slipping out of its pony tail. She looked so much like Lydia, her green eyes glowed when she smiled, and dimples indented to her cheeks. She was born 3 years after I was adopted, and even through where 9 years apart, we had a close bond. 

She sat next to me and smiled sweetly, her typical Nellie smile. She then yawned, and Lydia entered the room with mine and Nellie's plates . My stomach lightly grumbled as Lydia set the plate in front of me.

I grabbed my fork and immediately picked up some eggs. With the fork only centimeters from my mouth, Jason cleared his throat. I froze and looked up to see the rest of my family eyeing me from all angles of the table.

"Oh, right." I said slowly putting my fork down. I forgot about pre meal prayer.

"EJ, why don't you say prayer this morning for a change." Lydia said folding her hands on the table. This came as a slight surprise to me because usually Nellie or Jason say prayer.

I cringed slightly. "Uh, yeah. Sure, I suppose."

Lydia smiled lightly and everyone bowed their heads. I'd never done prayer before. What was I supposed to say?

"Uh, thanks, um God for this food. Uh. Um, I hope it's as good as it smells, which it probably is, but, um, just to be sure. Uh, amen."

I looked up to see Jason pursing his lips awkwardly, and Lydia sighed in what seemed disapproval. Nellie clapped lightly.

"Good job, EJ!" She said. "I liked it."

I gave Nellie a half hearted smile. The rest of breakfast was silent, beside the sound of us eating. I didn't eat much due to the embarrassment I had just endured. I was never real big into religion like my adopted family, it just never really clicked with me. A lot of the things didn't feel true to me. Especially with the past I had.

I got up and headed up stairs to get ready. I threw on some jeans, a baggy t shirt, and my beat up maroon Chucks. I then did my make up and didn't worry much about my hair and went down stairs. I stopped towards the bottom as I over heard Jason and Lydia talking.

"That was ludicrous, Lydia. It's like she didn't even care, like she wasn't trying."

"Oh Jason, hush. You know this week always impacts her. You have to remember where she came from. Her other family probably wasn't religious, by the way they treated her. The poor girl is probably depressed." I could hear Lydia picking up the dishes.

"She's been living here for 12 years. She should be used to it by now. She needs to learn to respect God and this family's religion. God put her here for a reason. There's a reason her parents had simultaneous heart attacks. She has to love God or that girl is gonna burn in hell!" Jason whispered loudly.