0.NE (Book one of the Null series)

1- Dawn doesn't make the waves gentle

Fwomp.

The lengthy fuzzball settled down heavily onto the chest of a half asleep boy, whining for him to get up and feed it. The boy groaned and looked straight into they deep brown eyes of this particular fuzzball.

"Scamp, I can't get you food if you don't get off me" he grumbled "anyway, it's far too early for food isn't it?" He squinted at the clock "or I slept through my alarm. Great. Now geddoff!" He managed to push Scamp off of the bed and swung himself out of it, somehow able to resist the urge to go back to sleep. Stumbling into the nearby bathroom Nik rubbed the sleep out of his sea blue eyes and yawned, looking wearily into the bathroom mirror. He gave his head a shake and stretched over backwards, his wavy hair fell out of his eyes as he did so, the salt water from his day of surfing yesterday made it stick all over in some kind of explosion on top of his head. He groaned again and pulled out a comb that was tangled with his family's trademark dirty blonde hair and tugged it through his hair, as if attempting to farm his scalp. Sighing, he gave up and trudged back to his room to hide it with a camo beanie that he'd worn all through the winter break. He blinked a couple of times until his stomach disturbed the peace and lead him towards the wafting smell of breakfast.

"Morning..." Nik stumbled onto the cool lino floor of the kitchen where the smell of hot breakfast wafted from as someone cooked bacon and eggs.

"Who are you?" The woman who was cooking looked at him with complete surprise, her sea blue eyes wide.

"Wait, wha-"

"My Nik is at home this early! He's always down at the beach by now, taking his pictures!" She swung the pan towards him as she started to grin cheekily "Who are you and what have you done with my son? Also, do you want breakfast?"

"Damn, you had me good then." Nik paused "Either that or I'm still asleep. And yes please" He took a seat at the island that separated the small kitchen from the cosy living room, grabbing some food from a plate in the middle. He chewed on a crispy piece of bacon and pushed another off of his plate and onto the ground in front of Scamp who was curled around the legs of the stools.
"Caitlyn, pumpkin, come get some breakfast." Niks mother called out, to which a rattle of LEGO blocks and a whiny voice replied "But the cartoons not over!"

"You're not supposed to watch TV before school"

"Besides, they're so bad nowadays!" Nik added, making his mom put her hands on her hips exasperatedly

"Nikky? Is that you?" Niks little sister called out, follow by a crash of LEGO as she raced out of the living room and slid on the kitchens lino floor "You're not at the beach!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know" Nik shrugged taking another bite of bacon "I missed my alarm so- Ack!" He was cut off abruptly as Caitlyn hugged him tight around his chest, making him choke on that piece of bacon he was trying to eat.

"Heheh, sorry bro" She giggled as Nik pushed her away, then crouching down to pet Scamp "You'll be fine!"

"I will not!" he exclaimed as he managed to dislodge the food from his windpipe, then chugging an entire glass of orange juice that his mom slid over "and please, for god's sake, don't call me nikky"

Caitlyn popped up and onto a stool, about to wolf down her pancakes "well, its still a better name than Nikkias, aint it?"

She spoke the words nonchalantly, despite knowing the weight behind that name, the weight that fell back onto their mothers chest after years of trying to forget it existed making her sharply inhale.

"Cait-" Nik began.

"Yeah yeah, I know it's what daddy called you and daddys a bad man because he left you two when I was young, so nothing about him was ever good, I know." She bit down into a soggy piece of pancake

Their mother sighed, crossing her arms "Pumpkin, lets try not to get so... serious and deep about all of this. You sound just like your auntie Oriane, she was always going of on tangents about the state of the world and stuff like that."

"What's a toongent?" Caitlyn asked, making their mother laugh.

There she goes, Nik thought going on and on about her old friends who she traveled the world with. "But she's not our real auntie, is she?"

"No, of course not Nik, however she was the closest person I had to family back then. She always said she'd look after you if something happened to me"

Caitlyn perked up "Why would something happen to you mommy?"

"Well, you see pumpkin," their mom leant forwards "a group called the mafia are after some money I owe them-"

"Woah, hold up, for real?" Nik looked at her stunned. His expression must've been good because she burst out laughing "Of course not!"

"Knew it" he grinned, totally embarrassed "Totally. Ha ha."

"You're weird" Caitlyn said decisively

"Why thank you!" Nik grinned wide and put his arm around her, ruffling her hair as she squealed "guess it must run in the family!"

Their mother watched with a hearty grin from across the island, clutching the two letters she had received that morning with her trembling, burnt palms.

"Now Nik, dear, I do believe that it's time for school, am I right?" she asked, making him check his the clock behind them

"Ah, cra- Crud!" he caught himself from swearing in front of little Cait.

"You know you can say "crap" Nikky" spoke that sweet and completely innocent voice.

Their mother sighed and shook her head and one shocked face and another confused

"Caitlyn, we are gonna have a talk in the car. Now Nik-"

"I didn't teach her, I swear!" He cut his mother off, bolting with his camera and bag slung around him as he vaulted out the door and onto his bike, waving as he sped away

"Bye bye!"

"You are a rascal dear!"

The words "I know" trailed off into the distance as Niks mother watched him speed around the corner.

"Mummy?"

She picked up the finished breakfasts and placed them down in the sink "Yes dear?"

"Are you ok?"

She frowned "Yes, why?"

"Your arms shaking" Caitlyn tilted her head and pointed to the arm that clutched the letters

"Oh, It's nothing sweety, go get your backpack, ok?"

"Ooookaaaayyy" Caitlyn groaned, and slid herself off the tall island stool.

Once she had left the room, her mother rested her elbow on the island and tossed the letters down onto the table.

"Now, what to do from here..."