Safety is Relative

Chapter Seven- Karma

I wake up seconds before Sorrel flicks the light switch, some evil sixth sense in my body wanting me to have my eyes open to bear the pain of the bright light. I screw them up, groaning and rolling over. I feel like I’ve been run over by a lorry, with every muscle in my body hurting.

‘Rue!’ Sorrel jumps onto my back. ‘Rue, wake up,’

‘Go away or I’ll stake you,’ I growl, pressing my face into the pillow.

He lies on top of me for a moment, and then gets up, padding out of the room silently. I have to search blearily through my half-opened eyes to see if he has actually left. Sorrel has this natural ability to walk without making a sound. He likes to joke around and creep up on people to scare them now, but I think it’s just a habit after years of people jumping when he suddenly appears next to them.

Shaking my head, I get out of bed and drag myself into the shower. Under the hot, refreshing jet I finally shake off the last dregs of sleep and wake up properly. I’m not a morning person- it takes me a while to get out of sleep mode. I wash my hair, humming aimlessly under my breath.

‘Rue! Get down here now, or you’ll be late!’

‘Alright! Give me a minute,’ I yell back, jumping out of the shower.

Wrapping my hair in a sort of turban made out of towel, I get dressed hurriedly in my uniform, and painfully limp downstairs.

‘Hey Rue,’ says Quinn cheerfully as I walk into the kitchen. ‘Managed to get all the mud out yet?’

‘I don’t think I’m ever going to get all the mud out.’

‘You look rough, sis,’

‘I feel rough,’ I say, plonking myself in a chair.

Sorrel passes me a bowl and a spoon.

‘Thanks,’ I grin at him.

I eat my cereal really fast, feeling ravenous. Ash comes in, humming to himself, and makes a cup of tea for himself.

The doorbell rings. Mum rushes to answer it.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi, Mrs Hedley. I’m Nina, Rue’s friend. Has she already left for school?’

‘Oh hello Nina!’ gushes Mum. She adores Nina for some reason.

I heave myself out of my chair and grab my bag, walking to the door. Nina’s waiting for me, and I see that she has a very big bruise on her forehead, possibly because of her brush with the wall.

‘Ouch, nasty bruise,’ I say.

She grins. ‘Not the worst of my injuries.’

I sigh. ‘Tell me about it. I’m in a world of pain.’

‘Have a nice day at school, girls,’ says Mum, closing the door and waving.

The day is actually nice and sunny, with one of those pleasant breezes that cool you down without taking the heat away. I take a deep breath in and wince as my muscles hurt.

‘Didn’t you stretch off?’ asks Nina.

‘Stretch? Wouldn’t that just hurt more?’

‘No, if you stretch after exercise then your muscles don’t get stiff like they are now.’

‘Oh right,’ I say, wishing I had known that yesterday. ‘Sport isn’t really a big thing in my family.’

Apart from Sorrel, who is a goalie, or Quinn, who likes running, we don’t really do much sport.