HIBUBA

CHAPTER 1

“Persephone, Zoey, get down right now breakfast is almost ready,” Karen shouted in her light singsong voice from the kitchen downstairs to wake up her family of four, herself included. This was the normal wakeup call in the Martin household and this morning was no different as she busied herself preparing their breakfast.

“I’ll be down in a minute,” Pers shouted back.

“Me too,” Zoey shouted back and Pers just rolled her eyes at her little sister’s words. It was a normal thing now for Pers, anything she wanted to do, Zoey also wanted to do the same and at one time it was adorable, but now it was just plain annoying. Fighting everyday for just about everything with someone you were five years older than could get exhausting pretty fast.

“Zoey just give up,” Pers shouted and she heard a loud scoff.

“You wish,” she replied from across the hall, “I will be the first one to get downstairs and I will win.”

“We’ll see.” Pers shouted back before stretching rather loudly on her bed. She flung the covers over her body to reveal her silk pink nightgown, she swung her feet from the bed and unto the floor, stripping immediately and heading straight for the shower.

Pers came down ten minutes later to see a smug looking Zoey seated at the table, a bowl of oats in front of her.

“I guess that means I won” she said with the happiest smile Pers had ever seen, too bad she was going to wipe that smile off, and she was going to enjoy doing it.

“Oh really, did you?” Pers said heading for the cabinet by the sink to pick out her blue oats bowl.

“Well I came down first.”

“Did you?” Pers replied, she was playing dirty this morning.

“I came down first!” Zoey replied more forcefully as if to reassure herself that she indeed came down first and Pers smiled devilishly, ‘Jackpot.’

"Shut up Zoey, if you must know I let you win." Pers replied.

"No you didn't!" she cried out, standing up abruptly and nearly spilling her bowl of oats.

"Did too," Pers replied, calmly serving herself some oats, she opened the refrigerator to take some milk.

"Yes I did, after all I am a big sister and I have to lay a good example."

“Exactly,” Karen replied with a big smile, “that’s what good elder sisters do, they lay good examples,” she said highfiving Pers who had a big shit eating grin on her face.

“You see, I-“ Pers was cut off by a large yawn. “Good morning daddy” she greeted and Zoey scowled, being daddy’s girl meant she liked greeting him first; this day could not get any better.

“Morning dad,” she greeted with a sore smile on her face.

“What’s all the noise about?” he asked with another loud yawn as he headed for the kitchen counter to pour himself a cup of hot coffee, he was not his best until he had had a sip of his morning love.

"It’s big sis,” Zoey explained as she put on her very cute ‘believe me daddy’ face. ”She gave me the laying an example speech again and mommy supported her, AGAIN"

"Dang it! Not again," he grumbled as he pretended to take the matter seriously, "that's getting old Pers and you know it" he said sipping his coffee cautiously because if the caffeine didn’t wake him up then the scalding hot liquid would do the job.

“What’s wrong with her laying an example?" Karen asked, hands akimbo, she was holding the serving spoon like it was a weapon and knowing her mother she could reduce its lifespan from a few years to a few seconds.