Suburban Island

Bombs Over Baghdad (Neighborhood)

Bombs Over Baghdad (Neighborhood)

Saturday Morning.

A girl buried herself under her blankets as the sun shone through her thick red curtains. She turned over, trying to go back to sleep. The girl grumbled something under her breath when all attempts failed. In the end, she sat up, groaning to herself. Through her half-open brown eyes, the girl looked around the room. Same old junky mess as last night. Dirty clothes scattered on the floor. Manga books piled high in the corner. Her black and purple hoodie was draped across a chair in another corner. Her laptop sat on a small desk beside her bed. She probably had more junk stuffed under and beside her low bed. And that wasn't counting the clothes in the closet too.

That's beside the point.

Now that she was up, it was time to start the day.

The girl walked into her bathroom and turned on the water heater next to her shower. Wait twenty minutes for the water to come through clear and doesn't stink.

"Are you trying to take a shower again?" an old man asked in the room next to the hall bathroom.

"Yeah!" the girl shouted.

"You took one yesterday!" he shouted. "Wash up at the sink!"

"But..." she complained.

"Wash at the sink," the old man said. The girl grumbled and rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she complained. She turned down the mini heater. Now it would take ten minutes for the water to be clean. Did he have to be annoying about everything?

Washing up took about ten minutes. The girl brushed her teeth and put her long light brown hair back into a ponytail. After she was dressed, she stepped out into the hallway.

"Morning!" the old man shouted from his room.

"Morning," she said back.

"You going out today?"

"Yeah."

"Breakfast is on the kitchen table."

"Thanks!" The girl wandered down to the kitchen. On the table, she found a biscuit wrapped in white and orange paper. She dropped her shoulders back. Mrs. Buck was still going around giving away biscuits, huh? What did she bring by this time? The girl unwrapped the orange and white paper.

"Heh," she said. Sausage and cheese. The girl took a bite and walked out of the kitchen.

"I'm leaving now!" she shouted.

"Bye!" the old man shouted. The girl turned and walked out the door.

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She looked up at the sky. The old man's TV said that it was going to be seventy-one degrees today. The sun held behind the light blue sky. She looked over at the brown brick house to her right. A taller boy with short black hair stood on the stairs looking at the sky as well. He had his hands shoved into his hoodie pockets. The girl could see the white earbud in his left ear.

"Oi!" she shouted. "Oi!" The girl pulled out a marble from her hoodie pocket and flicked it at her neighbor. The older boy paused and took out his earbuds. He turned to see the girl waving at him.

"Yo!" she said.

"Ah, Annabelle," he said. "I didn't see you there." Annabelle folded her arms across her chest.

"I told you not to call me that, Mike!" she complained.

"But that is your name," he said. Annabelle rolled her eyes.