Worlds Apart

Chapter Seven - Juliette

        "Juliette, Sweetheart. Juliette it's time to wake up." I hear my mothers soft voice call as she gently shakes my shoulder. I turn over to face her and see her smile when I do. "Hello honey, it is time for you to wake up now. I think you slept through your alarm. It's late. You need to get up now, okay?" She says in her low, soothing tone.

        I nod my head and slowly sit up to stretch. She leaves the room and I fling my legs off the side of the bed. I stand up and reach down to touch my toes. Then I stretch my hands to the ceiling, and twist my back.

        After grabbing some clothes from my closet and slipping them on, I head downstairs. I remember that I don't have school today because it is a Saturday, one of the only two days during the week that the Government allows us to rest.

        I find my mother sitting at the kitchen table with a mug of coffee. Same as usual. She looks up from her book and sees me. She doesn't say anything, only gives me her usual smile.

        That's probably the only thing that I hate about Arcadia, everyone is always so cheerful, and upbeat, and happy. No one ever complains, or whines, or gets angry. I have never in my life seen a single person yell at another. Only once, when I was at the market with my parents. I was probably only ten at the time. A mother and her son, who looked no older than about seven, were shopping, and the boy dropped a head of lettuce that the mother handed him. She picked it up and scolded the young boy. She kept her voice as low as possible, but not low enough. Protectors came and took her away. To where? I have no clue. But I hope I never figure it out.

        While shaking the thought from my mind, I walk to the fridge for food. When I open it, my mother speaks up. "There are eggs on the stove, and you can put some toast in if you'd like." She tells me without coming up from her book. "Okay, thank you." I tell her, and find the eggs. I pull the bread from the cupboard, and place two slices in the toaster.

        A minute later, they pop up, and I slather them with butter. Then I set them on my plate, next to my eggs. I sit across from my mother and begin on my breakfast.

        I eat in silence, the only noise coming from my mother when she slurps her coffee. She doesn't look up from her book, and I don't look up from my plate. Finally I speak up because the thought occurs to me. "Where is father?" Now my mother looks up to me and answers, "he was called in today. Some spur of the moment emergency that has to be taken care of immediately. He should be home soon though." "Oh." I reply, and instantaneously, the conversation is ended and the room falls silent again. When I finish, I pick up her plate as well, and bring them both to the sink and wash them.  "Thank you sweetie." I hear my mother speak up. "You're welcome." I answer, and turn the water off. "Is it alright if I go to Selena's house today?" I ask her before leaving the kitchen. "I suppose, just don't stay out too long." She replies, and with that, I leave.

        Selena Enders is my best friend. We have known each other for only a short period of time. Two years to be exact. I met her when I was in school. We had almost all of our classes together, and so we eventually got to know one another. She was the one to speak to me first. She was asking for a pencil. So I searched my bag for one, and finally came up with one with a broken tip after minutes of looking. We laughed quietly, and she got up and sharpened it.

        Since then, we have been friends, and we talk to each other a lot. We don't see each other too much, but sometimes on the weekends, and at school when we pass each other in the hall. This year we didn't have many classes together, only two, but we still talked sometimes after school and at lunch.

        I walk to her house, and she lives a little far away, so it takes me 25 minutes. Finally I reach her house, and I ring the door bell, as I do so often. It isn't Selena that opens the door, but her mother. "Hello?" she says, in her high pitched tone. "Oh, Juliette! It's so nice to see you again. Selena is upstairs in her bedroom, you can just go ahead up there. I'm sure she is not busy." She tells me as she admits me into the house.