For Rylie

Chapter 4

I should have known Kye wasn't going to wake me up for dinner.

I woke up to my stomach grumbling and when I looked to my clock, the numbers read 7am.

I had slept for fourteen hours....

I rolled out of bed and ran a hand through my tangles, before padding lightly across the room to opened my window.

The bright light immediately lit up the room and at first I winced, before I let it sink in.

It was clear that winter was coming to an end and I couldn't be happier. Don't get me wrong, I liked winter and all the coziness it entailed, but I liked summer more.

I stood by the window for a few more minutes to let the sun soak in, until I decided to go and have a shower.

Opening the top draw, I searched around for my loose, blue singlet. When I found it, I pulled it out of the draw then picked my jeans off the floor. Then I went across the hall to the bathroom where I took a quick shower.

When I was done and dressed I walked to the kitchen to find my dad and older sister sitting at the bench playings cards.

It was only when I got into the kitchen that I realised they were playing snap. At quarter past seven.

"Morning," Dad greeted me without taking his eyes off his cards.

I nodded in greeting as I got a bowl out of the cupboard and made some fruit salad.

"Oh my God, this is so intense," Charlie said, her eyes focussed on the cards. 

"I know I just can't handle the pressure," Dad agreed, flipping cards over and over again.

I sat down with my salad beside Charlie as two fours showed up on top of the pile.

"SNAP!" Charlie and Dad called simultaneously while hitting the pile. Dad's hand was under Charlie's and he laughed. "Sucker."

Ah my dad, the five year old.

Charlie put her head in her hands. "Nooo," she groaned.

I laughed at both of them while Dad packed up the cards.

"Hey do you want to go see the new Transformers movie tonight?" Charlie asked me, sipping on her hot chocolate.

"Yes yes yes yes yes!!!" I chanted. I had been so excited to see Transformers 4; Age of Extinction. 

I loved how the boys didn't like the Tranformers movies but Charlie and I absolutely loved them. When usually you'd think it would be the other way around. But the boys weren't that keen on action movies really at all. 

"Well there's a session at six, if you want to go to that one?" She asked, standing up and running a hand through her tangled light brown hair.

I nodded, then Charlie left to go back to her room, I assumed.

I looked up at the clock which read eight, so I decided to go back to my room and draw.

Usually I didn't get caught up in my drawings but today was another story. I only stopped when Kye came running into my room informing me that it was five to nine.

I cursed under my breath and got my bag, running out the door without so much as a glance back.

Kye was already standing at the passenger door when I unlocked it. We got in and I raced out of the driveway, sticking to the speedlimit, but only just.

We ended up getting to school ten minutes late. I had to slip silently into English and fortunately for me, the teacher was in an especially good mood and didn't yell at me. I'm not sure it would've been the same for Kye though.