Juliana

22. Limited edition

                                                                 *3 weeks later*

Juliana: Hey, Robbie. I know you're probably still asleep... lazy boy. :p And that this is probably gonna wake you up. Tehehehe. ;) Anyway. I was just texting you to let you know that I think I'm just going to hang out with my family today. Daddy has such a short time left, and I just want as much quality time with him as possible. Hope you understand where I'm coming from. I'll probably text ya tonight. Maybe we can video chat or something. If not, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a great day! :D

I read the message, still half-asleep. It was six fifteen in the morning. And I was up. On a Saturday. Why? How did Juliana function this early? I didn't even wake up at this ungodly hour on school days. I was the guy that set his alarm for fifteen minutes before I had to leave the house to get to school on time.

I tucked my phone under my pillow and pulled the heavy comforter over my head, blocking out all the cold air. I flipped my pillow back and forth until I found the cold side, and then closed my eyes again.

***

I opened my eyes again, only to see my little brother, Danny, in my face. He was poking and prodding me.

"Mommy says you need to get up."

I groaned and turned my back towards Danny. "Why..."

"She said that it's one thirty in the afternoon and that you're going to sleep your life away if you keep this up." He poked me again. And again. And again.

"Danny! Quit poking me." I wanted to slap him across the face, but I thought better of it because I knew he'd go tattletale.

"Get up then..." He poked me again.

"Get out."

"Robert James! You get out of that bed before I come up there and drag you out of that bed myself."

"I toldja so." Danny stuck his tongue out at me, and then he ran out of my room.

"Coming..." I got up groggily, bumping into my dresser on my way out of my room.

As soon as I walked into the kitchen, my mom gave me the glare. I didn't even know what I had done. Was it really that criminal to sleep in on the weekends? Apparently in my mom's world it was. Ah, women... can't live with them... can't live without 'em.

"I got an email from your guidance counselor saying that you have yet to send in one transcript request for college applications."

"Uhm. I know nothing about that. I don't even know what that is..."

"It's your grades, Robert. And I suggest you get to work on some of these applications. You need to get them turned in."

"Mom." I grabbed the bag of chips off the fridge. "Relax... I'm getting full-ride scholarship offers like crazy. If they truly want me, they won't care when I apply."

"Robert. Go work on your applications, now."

"I don't wanna."

"Robert. Get on your laptop and send in your application for at least one college."

"Ughhhh." I trudged out of the kitchen and up the stairs to my room.

"Thank you." Mom called after me.