The Problem with Blue (#opennovellacontest)

Chapter 1

I hate mornings at our house. We're probably the only kids in America who are still expected to sit down and eat breakfast with our parents every day. I've been coming downstairs a few minutes later each morning to try to minimize the amount of time I have to spend at the table. If I hurry, I have it timed so I can bolt down two pancakes, three strips of bacon, and a glass of orange juice in approximately 6 minutes. I'm not trying to escape from the food, it's the company and conversation that I find tedious. The discussion usually revolves around what Alex accomplished yesterday and what great things we can expect from him today.

"Finn. You're late," my dad observes, glancing over his newspaper as I jog down the steps and slip into my spot at the table.

"Six minutes," I mumble as I pile pancakes onto my plate.

"What's that?"

"I just overslept. Sorry."

The conversation between Alex and my dad continues. I've already heard enough about high school football for several lifetimes, so I block it out and scroll through my phone instead, checking email and Instagram.

"Mom? Is there any more bacon?" I call into the kitchen.

"You got here too late for that," my dad answers for her.

Without skipping a beat, Alex slips the three pieces of bacon off of his plate and onto mine.

"Don't give him that. You need it more than he does. You're an athlete."

I pick up a piece and wait until I'm sure our dad is looking at me before I shove the entire thing in my mouth. Alex kicks me under the table and gives me a look.

"Finn plays soccer, Dad. He's an athlete too."

My dad scoffs at him and waves away his words. "You know what I mean."

A car honks and I check the time. Kate is two minutes early, and I've only finished four minutes of breakfast. I shovel the last few bites of pancakes into my mouth and tuck the bacon into my napkin before making my escape, yelling a goodbye to our mom as I scramble away from the table.

"I'm trying to help, but you're just making things worse when you instigate him like that," Alex says as soon as we're outside.

"He was asking for it! Go ahead, I dare you to admit that he wasn't!"

"I didn't say he wasn't," he grins.

We make our way down the driveway and pile into Kate's car. Alex slides into the front seat and gives her a quick kiss before digging into a stack of toast while I maneuver my tall frame and overloaded backpack into the back seat next to Miles.

Kate is one of those girls you want to hate, but then feel like an ass for thinking that because the truth is she's a great person. With her long red hair, perfect skin, and petite body, it seems like she was put on this earth just because of how great she looks standing next to Alex, but then you find out she has a 4.0 GPA and pre-med aspirations and realize she's probably going to cure cancer. Teenage romance has a tendency to dissolve into two dreadful people doing dreadful things to each other before a dramatic breakup, but they've been dating since the 8th grade and seem to be one of those couples who mate for life.

"What's that smell?" Kate asks.

"Finn's eating bacon," Miles says. I squint at him and he responds by shoving me playfully into the door.

"Great. Now my car smells like dead animal. I told you guys you couldn't eat that shit in here anymore!"

"Just because you're vegetarian now doesn't mean the rest of us can't eat real food anymore," Alex says.