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"Max! Maxie! Maxim! Maaax!" Claribel sang, dragging out his name as she jumped up and down on his bed. It was her everyday attempt on making her brother wake up and it was always at least 10 minutes earlier than his alarm.
Max groaned and took his pillow to his face, covering his ears, "Dang it, Claire," he groaned.
"Wakey wakey," Claribel said already starting to breathe heavy from the amount of jumping.
He groaned again and threw the pillow beside him before taking his phone from the bedside table. It was still 10 minutes before his alarm rang and of course, he knew, because Claribel was always the earliest in the house, "I would've had 10 more minutes if it wasn't for you."
"Oh, too bad." Max saw Claribel shrug and get up again, probably planning to start jumping again because Max looked like he was looking forward to that 10-minute sleep but he caught her mid-jump and sat her on his lap as he stood straight on his bed.
"Max, stop!" Claribel squealed and kicked her legs in the air when he started tickling her armpit.
"Not if you're gonna keep waking me up in the morning," Max said, chuckling.
"Fine fine fine!" She yelled and Max let her go. Claribel sat on the bed in front of him and her arms crossed over her chest, "You're mean." She pouted and scooted farther from her brother.
Max burst into laughter, "You started, Claire." He shrugged.
Claribel huffed out an air and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Max." She jumped off his bed and stuck out a tongue at him before closing his door shut.
Claribel always came first for Max. Everybody knew that. Even if he doesn't show much or maybe if people don't see their relationship much, Max always knew his little sister was his first priority.
By age, she was far from him. She was born when he was around 13 leaving a good gap of years between them. Perhaps it was because Max was the only child, and was used to being the only child, that made him rage when he knew his mother was having another child. Max expected himself to hate the little girl because he would have all this responsibility but things turned out different. Now Claribel is the little sister he never knew he wanted.
Max's hands fiddled around his tie as he went down the stairs, "Morning, Donna," He greeted. Donna had been working with them for quite a while, and she was sure one of the nicest maids they had. She was with his mother in the kitchen, making coffee for both of them.
"Where's dad?" Max asked. When he came into the room, his eyes skimmed around the room and to no surprise, his father was absent.
Claudia, his mother, placed a coffee in front of him on the table along with a plate of french toasts between Claribel and him, "Mommy said he went on a business trip to Chicago. He's coming tomorrow night."
