If Summer Never Ends

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

        I turned around in my bed, the blankets wrapped tight around me like a bandage. From my dreamy and blissful haze, I could hear the taxis honking and feel the sun's rays trickling across my skin from the slits in the blinds. The downy blankets felt so soft against my skin and smelt like creamy vanilla, the fabric softener that my aunt used. The muscles in my legs felt cramped, so I stretched them out and a wave of tranquilizing contentness washed over me. The moment was so pure, so perfect that it felt like nothing could ruin it. 

       But then ironically, something did. My alarm clock went off, blaring out into the air shattering the sweetest of dreams. In my head, it was like a thousand tornado sirens ringing and ringing and ringing... It had always been a sound that I loathed. All I wanted was to wake up peacefully with the sun filling the room and quiet. Apparently, that was too much to ask for. 

       A groan escaped my mouth as I examined the time. 7:32.  Why was my alarm going off? It was Saturday, I didn't have school. Did I forget to turn it off? I heard a girlish giggle and footsteps running. 

     "Rose!" I yelled and got up out of my bed to chase after her. Since I had just woken up, my balance wasn't one-hundred percent great because I had wobbled as I stormed through the halls in the apartment. I stopped when I caught a glance of myself by walking past the bathroom mirror. My hair was sticking up in different directions and looked like a rat's nest. There was also a big red mark on my cheek. It was too early in the morning to be fussing about my appearance. 

       "Rose!" I roared.

       When I walked into the kitchen, everyone was calm. My two younger cousins Evelyn and Rose were sitting in front of the T.V. as if nothing had happened. Aunt Julia was putting dishes away and looked at me with eyebrows raised. 

       "What are you yelling at her for?" she asked with an upset tone.

       "She set my alarm early and woke me up!" I exclaimed, hoping that she would be on my side but as usual, she wasn't.

       "She was sitting here the whole time. You probably forgot to turn it off yesterday. There's no reason for you to yell at her," she said sternly and continued with her morning chores. 

     Un-be-lieveable. Who couldn't hear Rose's loud running? The neighbors from downstairs probably heard it. I had to admit though, for a four-year old, she was pretty clever. 

       I sighed and took a seat at the counter. Rose turned around and flashed a toothless grin at me. Evelyn and Rose were just like the little sisters I never had. Evelyn was sweet but Rose was the devious one.  I decided to stop being mad at her and got over it. 

       My stomach growled and I hunted for something to eat in the kitchen. The smell of pancakes and bacon wafted in the air.

       "There doesn't happen to be anymore pancakes, is there?" I asked my aunt.

       "Sorry, kiddo. If you want some, you should've gotten up earlier when I made some."

       Earlier? Wasn't 7:30 enough? I glanced sadly down at my ashamed bowl of Cheerios. 

       Aunt Julia took a deep breath and sat down across from me. "We need to talk."

       Abruptly, I stopped chewing my cereal as nervousness pulsed inside of me. She looked down at her hands and chewed on her lower lip. It looked like she was trying to figure out what she was going to say inside of her head.