The Blackburn Chronicles

School Preparations

Basil woke up with the sun shining through the curtains. The smell of sizzling bacon wafted up the stairs and into their bedroom. Basil looked over to her brother, who was still fast asleep. She left her bed and walked over to his, and shook him awake.

"Mmmmm....wha...." Franklin mumbled.

"Frank, get up! I think Uncle Finnigan's got breakfast ready," she exclaimed, still shaking the boy.

"Fine, just stop shakin' me," he groaned. Basil stopped shaking him, and he sat up, rubbing his messy brown hair. His sister moved out of his way, and he slowly left his small bed. The two left their bedroom and Frank, getting his jovial manner back, raced his sister down the stairs. He won, as usual.

Basil walked over to the table, sitting next to Frank, who was already there. There was a large spread of food laid out: bacon, pancakes, waffles, eggs of three different kinds, hash browns, and fried tomatoes.

"Eat up!" Finnigan exclaimed.

Basil had no idea how anyone could eat this much food. She then remembered it wasn't just the three of them, that her mother and Annie would be eating as well.
She placed two bacon slices, a hard-boiled egg, and a waffle on her plate. Frank piled on three fried tomatoes, two sunny-side-up eggs, two pancakes, and a bacon slice. Basil had no idea how he would eat all this food.

As she started eating, she wondered what her new school would be like. Would she be invisible like always? Or would she finally have a friend?

"Honey?" Her mother's voice broke her thought process.

"Hm?"

"I was saying that we're going to pick up school supplies and go to the hospital to pick up a refill of Frank's puberty blockers. Oh, and Frank? While it's on my mind, would you like to talk to your doctor about testosterone when we're there?"

"Yeah! I'd love to!" Frank answered.

"Great!" she replied. "Now, you two need to get dressed. Finish up and head upstairs."

Basil finished up her waffle and headed upstairs. She pulled on a black undershirt and one of her many black-and-white striped cardigans. She put a pair of jeans, some socks, and her thick tortoiseshell glasses. Her brother put on some cargo shorts, a t-shirt, and some socks.

As she made her way back down the stairs, Basil wondered how many of the kids she'd seen would be going to her school. Would they like her? Or would they despise her like the kids at her other school?