The Rules of Survival (Mercer #1)

RoS Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"Een. Een, wake up."

I was dragged unwillingly into consciousness by someone poking me in the side. I swatted aimlessly at the offender, trying to sink back into the fading dream I'd been having.

"Een."

Again with the poking.

"Scout," I mumbled, waving one of my arms around to ward off her next attack. "Go back to sleep."

"But it's eight," she said, relentless in her onslaught.

"So?" I refused to open my eyes. A heavy weight on my chest told me Lucky had snuggled up against me at some point. I wrapped my arms around her and tried desperately to cling to the last vestiges of sleep.

"Didn't you say we had to go to school today because Mom's not feeling well?"

I started to grumble some more, pausing when her words sank in through the groggy haze of my mind.

"Jesus Christ!" I sat bolt upright, sending Lucky tumbling onto the mattress.

She gave a startled cry which turned into a torrent of tears at the fright I'd given her. I scooped her into my arms, murmuring apologies and rubbing her back. The previous night came flooding back to me more vividly than I'd like.

"What time did you say it was?" I asked over Lucky's quieting whimpers. I blinked owlishly at the light streaming in through the window. The rain had stopped but the sky was overcast, dark gray clouds obscuring the sun. Judging by the whistle of air seeping in through the rickety window, there'd be a fierce wind today.

Mycha was snoring loudly beside me and on the bed Ryan was giving him a run for his money. How someone that tiny could produce so much sound was beyond me.

"Eight," Scout said, yawning and rubbing at her puffy eyes. The light dusting of freckles over her nose stood out against her red cheeks.

I groaned and clambered to my feet, bringing Lucky with me. "Okay. Get Ryan up and dressed. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

Depositing Lucky onto the bed, I leaned over to shake Mycha awake. This earned me a string of almost incoherent curses.

"Language," I barked, shaking him again. "Get up. Get dressed. We're leaving in fifteen."

"Who?"

I sighed, already digging around under the bed for Lucky's coat. "School, Mycha. We're leaving for school soon."

He groaned, a sound that turned into a yelp when I accidentally trod on his hand. "Sorry."

"Een? How are we going to get to school? We've missed our bus." Scout opted to change Ryan's clothes while he was sleeping rather than waking the tiny beast up.

Ryan was the grumpiest in the mornings. The only way to placate him into a good mood was to have food ready and waiting for him – a key ingredient we were currently lacking. I watched Scout exchange his Thomas the Tank Engine pajamas for brown corduroy pants and a maroon turtleneck as he continued snoring obliviously.

"I'll drive you today."

Providing Teresa had topped up her car when she went on her supply run. The reason we'd taken a cab to Kalen's funeral was because the tank was running on E. A tide of frustration rose in me. Where was that damned jacket? Mycha finally sat up, his curly hair sticking up in disarray.