Head Over Heels ✓

19 / seeing triple

april, age 17

 There was nothing quite like a lie-in on a Saturday morning after a busy week. Halfway through the fortnight off for the Easter holiday, Lucas had spent the first week down on the peaceful island of Stowe-on-Sea with his father and that side of his family and although his A2 exams were coming up at the end of May, less than two months away, he had found the time away surprisingly relaxing. His sisters were growing up now: Isabella had almost finished her first year of high school while Matilda was just a year behind, coming to the end of her last year at primary school. With Lucas a few months away from heading off to university, it was a big year for the family.

That Saturday, the day after returning from the island after a painstakingly long journey, Lucas felt like he deserved the rest. The three hour ferry to the mainland had been ok, plenty of space to walk about and breath in the fresh sea air on the deck, but the five hours in the car had been hell. Cramped in the back seat between the window and Matilda, he'd had to have the window rolled down the whole way though the cool breeze hadn't stopped Isabella's car sickness. Halfway back, she had thrown up on the verge of the road and switched places with her mother. The backseat had been a lot more squashed with Lucas and Cora sandwiching Matilda.

The journey had been broken up by several stops thanks to Matilda's small bladder and Floyd's need for caffeine to get him through the drive, as well a longer break for something to eat, and it had been close to midnight before they had got home. As lovely as the holiday had been, that journey had spoiled it a little. They had enjoyed six and a half days of surprisingly mild weather, playing games on the beach and paddling in the cold sea. Lucas wasn't much of a fan of the sand or the water but he had enjoyed being with his family.

The forecast had said that Farnleigh would wake up to a torrential downpour on Saturday morning, the heavens opening above to throw down buckets of rain. The forecast had been perfectly accurate. The sky was a rainbow of grey, the rain sheeting down so hard and fast that Lucas couldn't see the individual droplets amongst the flood. Rivulets scurried down his window, the streaks of water chasing each other down the pane.

Lucas sighed. It was about time the April showers kicked in. The going had been too good so far after the balmy weather down south. Reluctantly rolling out of bed, he straightened his glasses on his nose and stuffed his feet into a pair of slippers. They were too small really, supposedly one size fits all though they were a little tight. Pulling on a dressing gown over his pyjamas, he headed out of his bedroom and down the narrow hallway that separated the rooms from the rest of the house.

His parents were already up. Cora was holding a load of bread up to the light to see if the mould was bad enough that she shouldn't eat it while Floyd sat with a cup of tea and the paper.

"Morning, sleepy butt," Cora said with a smile. "It's not like you to sleep in so late. I bet you really needed that."

"I did," Lucas said with a yawn. "What time is it?"

Floyd checked his watch. "Just gone eleven," he said. "Actually, I should get the girls up soon. What time's Tilly's dance practice?"

"Twelve forty-five" Cora said. "And Issy has cello at one, which is just about perfect. We'll leave in the next ninety minutes or so, I reckon." She untwisted the loaf, taking out a couple of slices that she picked the odd spot of mould off before dropping them in the toaster. "They're probably absolutely pooped, babe. The more they sleep, the better. Otherwise they'll just be cranky all day and dance tires Tilly out enough already."

She took a seat, a faint grimace on her face. "Maybe she shouldn't go today," she mused, glancing at the calendar. Still eight weeks to go until Matilda was due to showcase her talents in her dance recital. "She can afford to miss one or two, can't she? We got back so late."