Isolation (Book #1 of the Taylor Series)

Twenty-Four

The sound of pounding on the front door at 7 AM jolts me from the slumber I hadn't even realized I'd fallen into. My lack of sleep, is, of course, no surprise. Yet, even with my sleep-deprived brain, it was quite easy to shrug off the warmth off my bed and make my way quietly down the stairs. 

Once I make it to the downstairs floor, I'm happy that I put on my house shoes. The chill of the air burns my nose as I inhale it. Great. Today's going to be just as warm as the previous days this week. Just about as cold as the atmosphere will allow the Earth to be as global warming takes over.

The knock on the door is louder this time, much more annoying than it was previously. I roll my eyes as I open the door, and I'm immediately bombarded with family members. All seventy-eight of them pile into the house, loudly stripping themselves of jackets and bags. I shut the door and turn on the light, illuminating the previously dark living room.

"You guys think you could be any louder this early in the morning?" I yawn sarcastically, running my hands through my hair calmly.

Adam turns towards me with a childish grin, "Sure, yeah, if that's what you really want. How was your Thanksgiving break? Aunt Erica served us seasoned turkey, mashed potatoes, and banana pudding!" He shouts, and I shove him onto the couch. 

In response, he sticks his tongue out at me childishly. I see the tired frowns on their faces, and immediately feel a secret sense of happiness. Finally, I won't be the one to change Gavin's diapers or waking up at 2 AM to caress him back into hibernation. That's Ellie's job now. She'll probably force it on Julie though, honestly.

"I'm gonna make some breakfast." Ellie yawns, shuffling her way through the dim lit hallway. I feel myself oddly smile, a sense of comfort flooding into my stomach, drowning out my exhaustion.

Looking at Dad, I see him taking the beanies off of Elijah and Nathan's heads. He then moves on to their jackets, leaving them to take their adorable mittens off. At least one of our parents care about the physical health of the children. 

Lauren stares at me tiredly, before nodding to the stairs. I raise an eyebrow at her, but she grips my hand, leading me up the stairs into my bedroom. I flick on the light, and Lauren takes a seat on my unmade bed, smoothing her jeans. The silence overcoming the room doesn't take long, as Lauren is clearly very excited to tell me whatever she brought me up here for. 

Her white teeth gleam brightly in the dim lighting of the bedroom, and she runs a hand through her hair. Geez, she looks like a teen girl meeting their favorite boyband for the first time. 

"I might have a little bit of a dilemma." The ecstatic expression on her face tells me that this 'dilemma' isn't that big of a deal. At least not as big as she's making it out to be.

I pretend to be caring, raising my eyebrows and frowning at the thought that she could be in trouble, after all, it's entirely too early for me to actually care about anyone else's problems. All I really want to do is go back to bed, dreaming about weird things that reflect my subconscious desires, until I have to wake up and go to work. Is that too much to ask? In this household, yes.

"What is it?" I ask, sitting down beside her on the bed.

She smiles as she turns to face me, grasping my right hand, and interlocking our fingers. I try to ignore the callouses on her palms as she giggles to herself.

"Remember Danny? The guy who Mom didn't approve of?" She asks, and I nod. Of course, I remember Danny Monroe. He's the only trans person in the entire school, probably in the entire town as well.

She looks down at the ground, before laying down on the bed, letting go of my hand. I roll my eyes at her. It's crazy how feelings can make people act like someone they're not. I mean, Lauren Ruth Nicholson never acts this way. Ever. She's the calm and collected middle sibling, whom never allows feelings to get to her head. It isn't like her. At all.