A Tribe United

Chapter 15

Mike woke up first. He yawned and went to the bathroom before coming back. He looked out a window and noticed the sun was working its way up.

While he was watching the sun rise, Mercedes stirred to life. She sat up and squinted at him standing in front of a window. "Mikey?"

He turned. "Hey."

"What are you doing?" She rubbed her eyes.

"Just watching the sun. It's so beautiful."

She smiled. "You're so poetic."

He blushed. "Oh Mercy."

She hugged him and just stood there watching the rising sun with him.

When the sun blazed throughout the whole room, he patted her hands. "Let's go see if anyone else is up. Let her sleep for a while."

"Okay." Mercedes whispered back before tiptoeing out with him on her heels.

They went to Marcy's and Mal's room. "You're done?!"

"We're not done." Marcy yawned.

"How long have you been up?" Mike had to know.

"She wouldn't let me sleep." Mal hooked a thumb at Marcy.

"I never told you to get up!" She was offended.

"I can't sleep while you're going about!"

She lifted her nose and turned her head.

"What all have you done?" Mercedes asked, looking around.

"We did our desks." Marcy went to the two desks sitting side by side in front of a large window and touched her green one. "We did our books." She gestured to the bookcases. "We did the bathroom. That was easy."

Mike looked inside the decorated bathroom. "It looks like a garden or waterfall or something."

"Thank you. That's what I was going for. A secret watering hole."

"Didn't ask me what I'd like." Mal teased.

"I don't care."

His face dropped.

She saw she hurt his feelings so she puckered up and blew him a kiss.

He smiled.

Mike and Mercedes shared a look. They were already doing better. Maybe everything would be alright?

"We put the clock up." Marcy went on. "We set up the computers and printers and put the TV on the wall. The filing cabinets are up and we've pushed the furniture where it needs to go."

Mercedes smiled at the placement of the furniture by a window. "I like it."

"We're cleaning this space now and then we're going to tackle the closet."

Mercedes went to the French style double doors and opened them. "I love this! It looks like the inside of a Chanel store!"

"Thank you. I wanted it classy."

"It definitely is. Ours is so dark."

"That's okay. Dark is sexy."

"Yes, it is." Mercedes posed.

Marcy and their brothers laughed.

"What are you doing after the closet?"

"Just making the bed." Marcy shrugged. "What about you guys?"

"We have to do everything." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah..." Mike sighed.

"We wanted to see what everybody else had left to do."