The Red Artefact

Chapter 2

She woke at exactly six o'clock the next morning, the early morning light glimpsing through the small slits between the curtains. When she entered the house yesterday, she couldn't help but be awed by it. It was like an old-style cottage, but with more modern aspects blended into it. The kitchen was fairly modern, the stove a shiny silver which was framed by a marble bench. The wooden draws and cupboards gave it the old cottage type feel. The delicate paintings that lined walls added an element of colour which she really admired, the soft paints blending in to the relaxing, beach-y theme of the house.

Claire stretched among the soft sheets of the bed, her fingers swiping over the fresh cotton and the dusty pink duna cover. Yawning, she dragged herself out of bed towards her suitcase by the end of the double bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Unzipping the small suitcase, she searched the confines for her favorite bikini set, a blue and green leaf pattered top and black bottoms. After finding them, she grabbed a pair of denim shorts and a cropped grey T-shirt and quickly got changed, the bikini covering all her usual tan lines from the many times Ollie pulled her out to the beach over the summer. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and went down for breakfast, not bothering to attempt her hair, which was tangled and matted from her restless sleeping habits, until after she's had at least a little to eat.

She groggily walked out into the hallway, wiping her hands against her eyes again. Even though she woke at six every morning she wasn't a morning person, grumpy until she at least had something to fill her stomach. She made her way to the kitchen, observing the paintings on the walls as she went. Taking note of the delicate brushstrokes, the blending of colours and the amount of focus it would have taken to create the magnificent artworks. She reached the kitchen and grabbed a bright red apple from the fridge, the smooth surface pleasant against her palm and fingers. She took a bite from the apple, the crunch echoing through the silent house. Now that she had food in her stomach, she was more awake and ready to start the long, but exciting day ahead. She's always loved going to his competitions, even if he doesn't win. She went for the smile, the grin that lightened his entire face, the glow that reached his eyes every time he caught a wave, a grin that showed he loved the sport, even when he was dumped into the ocean. She smiled at the thought. She took another bite of her apple, leaning against the bench. She pulled out her phone out of the back pocket of her shorts and checked the time, pursing her lips then pulling them into a slim line. Ollie should already be out of bed. She then grinned. She quickly placed her phone into her back pocket and put her foot onto the small lever of the bin next to the fridge, dropping the eaten apple into the dark confines of the plastic container with a slight thud. She started opening and closing the wooden cupboards of the kitchen, searching. She grinned even wider when she found what she was looking for. She knew she was mean, but she couldn't pass up the amazing opportunity that he just happened to give to her. It wasn't her fault at all really. She shuffled her bare feet against the cold tiled floor, approaching the room he was staying in. Fortunately, for her, the door was open agar. From the many sleepovers they had she knew that he was a light sleeper, even the turning of a doorknob could wake him. Claires back pressed slightly against the door of the room, opening it enough that she could swiftly slip through without any noise. Luckily the door didn't creak from the movement. She tiptoed towards Ollies figure under the blankets, her toes shuffling through the soft, think carpet. She could see his blond hair spread over the pillow; his face faced away from her towards the other side of the room. His figure moving with slow calm breaths. She approached the side of his bed, then raised the two metal pans that she raided from the kitchen in her hands. Then smashed them together with a ringing crash.

"Up you get!" I yell, bashing the two pans together.

Ollie wakes up startled, jumping in fright which causes him to roll of the other side of the bed, dragging all the blankets and sheets with him. A huge thump sounded when he hit the floor. She discarded the pans into the floor, jumping onto the bed which was now absent of sheets. She crawled to the other side and looked down, leaning her hands on her knees she observed Ollie on the floor, who was a bunch of tangled limbs and twisted white sheets. He finally looked at her with wide eyes, his mouth set into a scowl as he looked down and struggled with the sheets. She looked down at him, trying to hide her grin that was forming at the edges of her mouth.