Phoenix ✔️

Chapter 2: No Stress

For the first time in possibly four years, I actually got a fairly peaceful sleep. When I was in high school, I thought this was a rarity because the workload you get makes you want to rip your hair out with Freddy Krueger's glove. The relief of the burdens of high school, whether it be the tests, homework, or the ten page essays which made your heads explode, felt amazing. However, in my life, that was only one negative thing that had been removed.

When I wake up the next morning, the first thing that I notice is the smell of hot breakfast wafting throughout the house. It's like little fairies that fly around everywhere and cast happiness and comfort spells to whomever is there. The comfort of it makes me want to flop back in bed and sleep for the rest of the day. However, I know that I have to go downstairs so that I can finally eat some of the food. The deliciousness of the food is a key indicator that Dom was the mastermind behind this. 

The smell is enough for a smile to bloom on my face, and for excitement to flood me. I sit up, rub my eyes, and run my fingers through my blond locks that are tangled due to bed head. My legs fly out of my bed, and walk over to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I joyfully gallop downstairs so I can enjoy the breakfast that Dominic has taken his time to create. 

When I get downstairs, Dom is there immediately to greet me. "Morning, Nicole. Sleep well?" he asks, with his cheerful, brotherly instinct booming throughout his voice. My head cranes around to see the feast that he has created for me. 

"Yeah, thanks," I plainly say, as he lets out his hearty laugh. The sound of the food idly sizzling is enough to lasso my attention and keep it in place. Drool starts to form in my mouth, which I prevent from falling. 

"Hold on. I'll get your breakfast," he assures, and he prances back into the kitchen to fix my breakfast. I can hear him get out a plate, and gently slide the pancakes onto there. The sharp sound of the syrup bottle opening whips the air, followed by the crumpling of the butter paper and the sound of a butter knife scraping against a slice of toast. While he fixes a hot meal for me, Elena comes in with her cup of coffee, sipping it gently. 

"Morning Nicole. Ah, you're glowing. Trust me, the post-school glow is amazing. You feel so refreshed," she says, while she continues to sip her coffee. 

"Well, that didn't happen for me. I only felt more stressed because you were nagging me to fix your tablet that you somehow screwed up," Dom shoots above the sound of cooking and sizzling. The brotherly aspect is replaced by a playfully insulting tone gripping his voice. Elena rolls her eyes, as Dom rummages through the dishwasher to get what he needs.

Soon enough, Dom hands me my plate, which has all the components that a delicious breakfast should have to fill me up. A small stack of hot, fluffy pancakes, with a square of butter slowly melting into the stream of sweet, sticky maple syrup. A slice of bread toasted to be a pale golden brown color, shiny with the perfect amount of melting butter, and a big cup of hot, steaming coffee, with the strength of it wafting through my nostrils. I resist the urge to drool as I walk back to the table to devour it. 

"I'm not the one that spilled juice all over my homework two hours before it was due," she fires back, like a snake lashing at its prey, as she goes back into the kitchen to refill her coffee cup. Dom scoffs, as he opens the fridge to get milk. 

"Elena, don't deny it. You were the one that knocked over the cup and spilled it all over my English assignment. I still don't have an apology from that." Dom closes the fridge. Elena sets down her coffee cup, and looks at Dom with a death defying look on her face. 

"How about this, Dom? Why don't you take that desired apology, and shove it up your-." Before she can finish, my dad comes wheeling in. 

"Would you like to finish that sentence, Elena?" he asks, as he wheels up to the dining table. Elena's mouth, which was hanging open because of the insult she made to throw at Dom, snaps shut when my dad comes in.