The Realm of Question

Chapter 22

I stared out my window watching the buildup of crystal white down upon the trees falling gracefully to earth. I couldn't help but notice the sun rising steadily over those same maples. I had not slept. My eyes felt as though they would close any minute, but my mind wouldn't let them. It was as if they were telling me, "You need to unravel this mystery and I will not grant you rest until you have succeeded." My bottom lip was bleeding lightly from the amount of pressure I had placed on it with my teeth.

I only had an hour until school. I heard the front door bang open and massive amounts of drowsy arguing. Then the sound of many trudging up the stairs. My door opened easily, slamming against the opposite wall. I closed my eyes attempting to look natural, so as to not trouble Josh. He pulled back the covers and slid in beside me, throwing one warm arm around my waist, cuddling me as one would a teddy bear. Soon his breathing evened out and his chest rose and fell easily against my back. I closed my heavy eyelids, burying my head in my pillow and my lupose cushion, and let myself free-fall into the black abyss of sleep I had so craved.

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All too soon, I heard my alarm go off beside my head. I gritted my teeth and slapped a hand onto the snooze button, sighing happily when the beeping stopped. I pressed my face tighter to the warmth beneath me. The beeping began again. I growled, slapping the annoyance once more, only to have it clatter to the floor, still beeping. I groaned, untangling my limbs from Josh's. I bent down to retrieve the clock then clicked dismiss.

"I'm up! I'm up." I snapped at it, slamming it down on the bedside table. "Jeeze, everyone around here is so darn demanding," I muttered, shuffling down the hall, careful not to wake any of the sleeping luposes.

I crept down the stairs which creaked and whined under my weight. I turned on the light so I wouldn't trip over any misplaced tennis shoes or soccer balls. I poured some Captain Crunch in my bowl adding milk around the edges so it all flowed together perfectly. I shoved a spoon in it and grabbed the comics section of the newspaper. I inched my way up the steps to the bathroom. I put my bowl next to the sink and placed the comics perfectly on the counter so I could read, eat, and straighten all at the same time.

Hanging on the back of the door was a pair of skinny jeans, knee high black Converse, a black camisole, and a white Juicy terry cloth jacket with a little note pinned to it that read very politely,

Wear or die. Your choice Morfin.

I scoffed before quickly tending to my hair, getting dressed, covering the bags under my eyes with concealer, eating and laughing at Garfield between bites in fifty minutes flat. The telephone rang and I ran for it, trying to keep it from waking anyone up.

"Morfin Kennel Club," I said, in an overly chipper voice.

"Ana?" said a very confused voice on the other side.

"Oh hey, Tay." I laughed a little under my breath.

"Trish told me you'd need a ride today so I'm down the hill from your house. Are you ready?" I could hear music in the background and the chatter of the two other girls.