The Land of the Lost

Ch. 2 Toast

It was a gruesome Monday morning...

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

"Oh F-off..." I muttered under my breath as I smashed my fist on the alarm clock. It's ear splitting shrieks coming to a halt as I made contact.

"Finally... Silence."

I turned back to my other side. Facing the wall, I started to drift off again, the still of my room and the closed curtains lulling me back to sleep...
That was until my sister came crashing in through the door.   :/

"Wake up loser, you gotta get ready for school".

I closed my eyes a little tighter, trying to block her out. She started to walk towards me, her steps causing the floor to creak.

This was something she did most mornings, and it always resulted in the same outcome: one of us getting hurt.

Before she got too far, I turned over on my side and glared at her. She stopped dead in her tracks, knowing what she had done, the fear  growing in her eyes. I whipped the covers off of me, and jumped off my bed.

I was awake now, and I was going to tackle her.

I went to chase her out of my room, not bothering to look where I was running.

"That's right, you better ru-"

But my words were cut short when my feet came out from under me and I collided with the hardwood floor. I looked back and cursed under my breathe as I saw what I had tripped on.

"F****ing backpack. Just another reason why school is sh*t."

I pulled myself back up and looked at my knees, bruises already forming where they had met the ground.

[I'm sorry, I'm over dramatic. My knees didn't even get hurt, just my ego. And more than I care to say.]

When I looked back up, I saw her standing in the doorway, knowing well enough she was taunting me. Instead of pushing her luck though, she rushed back to her room and quickly shut the door behind her, making sure that I wasn't following her. I rolled my eyes and walked out of my room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. The sun shone threw the window, reflecting onto the counter and the rest of the room.

[God, I hate the sun.]

I turned towards the cabinets and pulled the toaster out from the cupboard, and the bag of bread from the pantry. It was an exact science... making toast I mean. One cannot simply "make" toast. It is an art. Choosing the right time to cook the toast takes years of experience, and I'll be damned if I haven't put in my thousand hours.

Placing the slices into the rack, I pushed down the lever and watched the bars glow hot. Satisfied with my work, I pulled out my phone. As per usual, no real notifications, just the Team Snapchat message staring back at me. That's when my sister came skipping down the stairs, already dressed and ready for the day.

She eyed me warily, waiting for me to make a move as she slowly sauntered past me. Eyeing her up and down, I noticed how on-edge she was. I guess my stunt this morning really scared her, and I can't say I wasn't enjoying the fear. It was the only thing holding together the shattered remains of my pride.

[That f***ing backpack.]

I was gonna get back at her. I didn't do anything immediately, but when she let down her guard and turned towards the door, I banged my hand against the counter, sending a loud boom throughout the room. She jumped immediately, glaring back at me when she realized she had been a victim of my little joke.

"Geez Eli, you act like I abuse you" I chuckled.

" It's definitely some kind of psychological abuse. You scare me some times, you get this look in your eyes like your trying to figure out the best way to chop me up into little pieces" muttered Amelia.

" I can't say I haven't thought of it" I smirked with a coy smile. I was happy that she feared me.

[My ego built itself back up a little. I'm not sure it was for the right reasons, but I still felt better.]

Our small talk came to an end when the toaster dinged, signaling the toast was done. I got up from my seat and went to pull the slices from their fiery clutches. Amelia continued her path towards the door, grabbing her bag and shoes.

"If mom and dad ask, tell them I getting a ride from my friend."

"Okay??... It's not like they'll know anyways. They already left for work" I replied.

"Well.. I was telling you just in case. See ya' at school" she said as she walked out the door. I looked back down at the toaster, resuming my activity.

"You've got to be kidding me," I remarked as I took notice of the breads now charred appearance. I looked back down at the toaster, noticing someone had messed with the dials.

" No beauty sleep..., bruised knees..., and now this?!" I yelled. I can't believe my luck. This must be some cruel story, and I'm the main character.

[Yeah no sh*t Sherlock.]

I picked up my phone and looked at the time. Sh*t. 5 minutes until the bus is here. I quickly threw my charred brick of a slice away, and ran up the stairs, shoving my hair into a bun and pulling on some pants. I snatched up my backpack, which still resumed its casual spot from this morning, and ran out the door. I jogged down the street towards the bus stop. I watched as the last kid got on the bus, the doors shutting behind him. I began sprinting towards it, yelling at the driver to wait. However, my efforts were meaningless, he had already started to drive off. I slowed myself to a stop, realizing that I wouldn't be able to catch up with it. Damn it. Catching my breathe, I stared down at my phone. I'm going to be late to school. I looked back up and saw the end of the bus as it disappeared around the corner of the street.

Frustrated, I cursed at the open air.

"This day could NOT get any worse."

But man, was I wrong...

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