Powers

Chapter 1

The soft morning light filtered through the curtains of Selena's small bedroom, casting a golden hue across the room. She was still wrapped in the warmth of her blankets, lost in the last moments of sleep, when the door burst open with a bang.

"Time to get up!!" Sabrina's voice pierced through the quiet room like an alarm, followed by the sudden weight of her sister launching onto the bed.

"Ugh, Sabrina!" Selena groaned, turning away and pulling the covers over her head. "Get out and let me sleep!"

"No way!" Sabrina countered, grinning as she tugged the blanket from Selena's grip. "Today's the day! Our road trip! Remember?"

Selena blinked groggily, trying to focus. "Wait, that's today?"

"Yeah!" Sabrina jumped off the bed, excitement radiating from her. "And if you don't get up right now, I swear I'll pour boiling water on you!"

"Okay, okay! I'm up," Selena grumbled, finally sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She swung her legs off the bed and shuffled toward the bathroom.

The sound of running water echoed from behind the bathroom door, and as she pushed it open, a familiar voice groaned.

"Do you mind?" Megan, their older sister, peeked her head from behind the shower curtain, her hair wet and plastered to her face.

"Sorry, I just need to wash my face real quick," Selena said, trying to keep her eyes open.

"You could wait, you know. I'm almost done."

"It'll just take a second."

With a sigh, Megan disappeared back into the shower, letting Selena splash cold water on her face to shake off the sleepiness.

In the kitchen, Selena absentmindedly poured cereal into a bowl as the scent of fresh coffee lingered in the air. Her mom entered, a warm smile on her face as she kissed the top of Selena's head.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Ready for your big adventure with your sisters?"

"Morning, Mom," Selena mumbled, still half-asleep. "Yeah, I guess. Sabrina's already acting like it's the trip of a lifetime."

Her mom chuckled, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "That sounds like her."

Before Selena could respond, Sabrina burst into the kitchen, this time with a determined look on her face. She slapped a long piece of paper onto the table in front of Selena.

"What's this?" Selena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A list. Of everything we need for the trip," Sabrina said matter-of-factly, as if the absurdly long list was the most obvious thing in the world.

Selena picked it up, eyes widening as she scanned the endless stream of items. "Are you serious? We don't need all this. What, are we moving away forever?"

Sabrina huffed. "Um, no. But we do need to eat and drink, don't we? We're going to be on the road for a while, and I'm not stopping every ten minutes for snacks."

"This list goes all the way down to the bottom of the page!" Selena shook her head, but couldn't help a small laugh. "You're ridiculous."

"Trust me," Sabrina said, crossing her arms. "You'll thank me later."

Megan appeared in the doorway, a towel draped over her head. "Selena, the shower's all yours now."

"Thanks." Selena pushed her chair back and stood, taking her bowl to the sink before heading off to her room to grab clothes. The day had barely started, and she already felt exhausted, but Sabrina's energy was contagious.

Twenty minutes later, Selena emerged from her room, fully dressed in casual jeans and a hoodie, her hair still damp from the shower. She found Sabrina and Megan in the living room, both of them antsy to leave.

"Alright, let's go get your crazy list of snacks," Selena said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Finally!" Sabrina beamed, grabbing the car keys and practically sprinting out the door. Megan followed, a bit more composed, but a smile tugged at her lips.

Their mom waved from the doorway as the girls climbed into Megan's car, the engine purring to life. "Be safe, and don't forget to text me when you get there!"

"We will!" they called back in unison as Megan pulled out of the driveway, the excitement of the open road stretching ahead of them.