We're Almost There

Chapter 1.

She was doing it again. I had done what I would say a rather damn good job and here she was, nagging her way around the room in circles like a headless mother hen. Maybe if I was lucky, her wings would send her to Mars. Then she would be the aliens' problem. But that would be pretty unfair, so perhaps I'd attach a cupcake to her leg as an apology gift. Oh, with sprinkles and M&M's on them! Yeah, that'd be sweet.

"Julie, are you even listening to me?" I heard the usual screech in my ear coming from the cave bat I was currently living with. Don't get me wrong, though. My mom was a very gentle and flattering woman back in the Stone Age. You know, when she wasn't living with me.

I sighed deeply as I slowly raised my head from the table to meet her accusing glare, "It depends if you're done talking so I can finally leave."

Mom gave me a disapproving look and nodded towards the kitchen sink. I had to peek over her shoulder to see the chaos she had oh-so-calmly discussed with me in the last ten minutes. When I thought of it, it was a lot worse than I thought it looked last night. Hundreds of tons of dough covered plastic bowls, wooden spoons and gods knows what were stabled in the most messiest way you could possibly imagine. If a group of monkeys would decide one Friday night to get pissed off drunk and play "Let's Build A Tower," that thing would probably describe the whole evening. Even the nearby walls were covered in chips of chocolate, vanilla sauce and... was that strawberries? I didn't even use strawberries!

"That's hardly fair!" I tried to not cower away from the heavy glare sent from the devil, but unfortunately I had to give up and sit back in the chair again, "Can't you make David do it?"

"David was not the cause of the apocalypse in my kitchen!" she fumed and grabbed a yellow sponge from the counter only to shove it in my face. One could actually see the steam coming out of her nostrils, "You're the one who made this mess, now you're going to start acting like a grown up woman and clean after yourself!"

"Why is it always me? The little runt could probably be infected for all we know!" I tried to joke my way out of this one, but it was obvious she wasn't going to stand down as she didn't move the smelly sponge from her grip. I groaned in irritation and finally pushed myself up from my seat, "I can't do it now, the others are waiting for me in the shop!"

Mom sighed in what looked like defeat. She had to understand that I was indeed in a hurry and had other, more important duties than doing chores. After giving me 'the one, ugly eye,' which I had called it, she threw the sponge back in the sink and pointed a manicured finger at me, "You better come home right after work. No excuses!"

"Sir, yes, ma'am!" I saluted before grabbing the pink box I had hid under the table in case of the prying eyes with hungry stomaches we had caged inside the house.

I sprinted out from the kitchen, ignoring the last shout which came from my mother. It couldn't have been important, or she'd mention it earlier. In the living room I managed to step on the most painful weapon ever known to the human race. It made me fly across the room, crash into the walk and hiss in pain for the sake of my foot as I collected enough power to quickly slip on my shoes and storm through the door. I was not going to be late, damn it!

~.~.~

"Made it!" I shouted in victory as I recognized the sign from afar. Still panting from the ten minute run, I managed to force my wobbly legs to jog the rest of the way towards the building. I was there wasn't any wind on this sunny day and it was rather hot instead. Hot enough for me to almost melt on right there on the pavement. It would seriously be the last time I'd be late for work. I had not bothered to improve my condition during the first days of summer break. Or any other, break, come to think of it. My body could hardly handle it last year, how the in the name of all good in this world could it manage it now?