The Reaper

Chapter 4: To the Unknown World

Knock knock knock

"Daryl...Lauren...it's time to wake up."

"Mm...ugh..." can we not, Pam?

"Come on, you two..." she enters the room, "your parents are waiting for you outside. Come on, get up."

Parents? Those two haven't been our parents for the past few months. Things so much better when we now live here, and now, here they are, trying to be back in our lives again.

"Daryl...Lauren..." Pam calls our names in a singsong voice, "don't make me tell you again."

"Ugh...!" I'll try and get up if I'm conscious enough to even move. I'm able to sit up with my legs dangling down to the floor, and that got Pam to leave having the door partially opened. I then look at the digital clock on my shelf sitting next to my bed, and it says it's seven in the morning. We haven't woken up this early since school ended a few weeks ago. We've been sleeping more than eight hours and waking up late in the morning, so of course, we'd feel so tired. And look at Lauren. She's so much more dead than I am. Haven't moved an inch.

"Lauren, wake up –" whoa, my voice is so groggy.

"Mm..." she groans, refusing to get up.

"Lauren," I say, shaking her.

"No...!"

Cranky as always. "Come on, Lauren, we gotta get ready. We don't want Pam and – ...uh, we don't want her to wait for us, do you?"

"I don't want to go..." she groans.

I sigh deeply through my nose, understanding what she's feeling. "Hey, look, I know. I don't want to go either. But what can we do? We've already packed, we're both awake, and...and they...are waiting for us. You don't want them to wait for us, do you?"

And just like that, she forced herself up out of bed and dragging her feet to the bathroom all slouchy.

It really does suck, though, that we have to go. I mean, I still can't understand why Pam would go along with this. After she said the news of us going with them, we immediately told her that we're not interested. In fact, she didn't need to know that we both want nothing to do with them, and yet, here we are. And all for what? To spend time with them? We spent more than enough time with them until they lost custody of us in court. I just cannot believe Pam is going through with this.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, Lauren just finished showering and is walking back into the room more awake. I can totally see more clearly through her wet hair that she's upset.

Well then, while she mopes, it's my turn to shower. And I'm going to take my time because I can care less if they want us to hurry.

After about thirty minutes of getting ready, I'll bet everyone has waited very impatiently. But now, we've run out of things to do to delay the time. Time to grab our luggage, our backpacks, and head on out – slowly, of course.

I see Lauren is wearing the hairclip again. She hasn't stopped wearing that thing ever since I gave it to her. I've also been wearing this locket she gave me since my birthday. No way I'll take it off either.

"Are you excited, Lauren?" I ask, closing our room door behind us, heading straight to the front door.

"No..." she says broodingly.

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to this either."

"Why do Eomma and Appa have to be here?!" she nags.