Faking it.

CHAPTER 1

A groan escapes my lips as the sound of my sister's alarm wakes me up. I roll myself to the other side of my bed, trying to blend the horrible noise which Apple calls and alarm out and hoping she will click the snooze button soon. Seriously. Who came up with that ringing to wake you up at 6 a.m. and still expected you to have a good day?

Nothing.

"Abby." I call out over the shrill sound.

No response.

"Abby!" I shout this time in hopes of catching her attention. Her alarm does not seem to stop anytime soon, so I get out of bed and walk over to hers. I shut the phone off with a mumble of incoherent profanities and shake Abby awake. "What?" She replies, still half asleep. "Wake up. You need to go to your classes." She turns her back to me and I shake her again. "No, I don't. It's Sunday. Now leaveee." "Abby it's Monday. Get up!" Her eyes shoot open. "What time is it?" She asks now fully awake. "6:24 a.m." I read the time and set her phone down again. "Good." And with that Abby leaves to go to the bathroom across the hall.

Muttering curse words once more, I lay down in my bed again, ready to get ten more minutes of sleep when the next alarm goes off. "ABBY YOUR DAMN PHONE!" I yell with all the strength I can muster this early morning even though she probably doesn't hear me. Abby rushes through the door and to her phone, stopping the alarm.

And now was my phone's turn to go off. "Jeez" I mutter under my breath, reaching for my phone to stop the same horrible sound. "Abby, I seriously don't get why you have an alarm if I am always the one who wakes you up." I tell her while scrolling through my Instagram feed, the bright light usually waking me up but is now pretty much useless because I am wide awake anyways. "Hailey, I seriously don't get why you wake up two hours before your first class starts and you need like 20 minutes to get to school." She mocks me, her voice full of annoyance. "And I don't understand why it's any of your business- oh right, it isn't." I answer her with my eyes not leaving my phone screen. "Go to hell!" She snaps and storms out of the room.

The front door shuts closed, signalling me that it's time to get up and make breakfast for my brother and me, because he – a twenty-two-year-old - is not able to do that himself.

Making my way downstairs I notice that the lights are on everywhere and my brother, Joey, is sitting at the kitchen counter staring at his phone and drinking coffee. Well mostly clinging to his beloved Christmas mug that I got him last year. "Morning." I greet him. He doesn't respond and tightens his grip on the mug. "Are you okay, bro?" There is a slight waver in my voice as I am seriously concerned that he will break the ceramic any given second now. Joey is about to answer when his phone starts ringing. Immediately he takes the call, "Yes ... Mhm ... really?!" His frown from before splits into a huge grin. "Of course ... yes, got it ... when would it be ready? ... that's great, thank you ... I'll see you in three days then, bye." With that he hangs up and I just look at him with one eyebrow raised. "I got the apartment." he tells me. Wait what? "Are you for real?!" I shout and he nods. My god how long have a waited for this moment to come true. "I'm going to get my own room!" I continue to spind around the kitchen counter in pure happiness before I stop to give him a bear hug. "Wow. Your brother is going to move out and that's the first thing that comes to your mind?" "Well duh. Who would not want to get rid of you as soon as possible?" I tease and he playfully shoves me away before we eventually both laugh at that statement. I jump away from him and point a finger at his chest, my voice now completely serious, leaving no room for discussion. "We're going to go shopping this weekend. Furniture for your apartment AND for my new room." "Deal." Joey confirms, holding his hand out and I gladly shake it. Okay this day is definitely getting better and better by the second.

I look at the clock hanging on the wall above his head. It's already 07:05 am. "Breakfast?" I ask him, remembering my initial plans. "Sure." 

Within ten minutes I have two plates with eggs, cucumbers, carrots and one ham and cheese sandwich each ready and my stomach grumbles at how hungry I am because I forgot to eat dinner yesterday. Big mistake. Joey takes his plate and walks up to his room as he has to finish up some formal stuff concerning his apartment. I eat my breakfast in silence and clean up the mess that I've made afterwards.

I go back upstairs again to get ready for school in the now quiet and peaceful floor where all of our rooms are located.

I finish up my morning routine in the bathroom and walk to Abby and I's room, sighing happily at the fact that she is gone now and I do not have to deal with her attitude 24/7.

07:50 am. Perfect.

Looking at my reflection in the mirror I'm wearing a simple outfit. Black old school vans, black ripped jeans, a grey spaghetti straps top tucked into the jeans and my favourite cream coloured cardigan. It is simple, yet one of my favourite school fits to wear. My make-up is natural but does its magic of making me look more presentable. Not to impress anybody in particular, but more for myself. To feel more productive and not be tempted to mop around in bed all day. Never mind that I don't even have the time for that. I tuck a few stands of my straight, shoulder length, light brown hair behind my ears to prevent them falling into my face during the day.

My backpack is leaning against the wall beside our desk and ready to be filled. Water bottle, pencil case, watercolours, acrylic paint, brushes, my painting, calculus homework, laptop and one book to read for my shift at the coffee shop. I think I got everything I need.

I sling my backpack over my shoulder and walk down the stairs while I make sure to turn off any burning lights that Joey just simply can't remember to do himself. Sometimes I wonder how he will be able to live on his own if he cannot do simple tasks like turning off the light or making breakfast. But I should not complain either. I am getting my room out of this and he will learn how to do those things with time anyways. Hopefully.

With one last quick check downstairs to see if everything is clean and nothing is misplaced, I take my keys and earphones from the bowl next to the front door and go outside, not bothering to bid Joey goodbye because he does not hear me anyways.

Outside I start walking my daily walk to school, put my earphones in and listen to my favourite songs on the way. The pathway that I have learned to walk blindfolded because I did not go any other way for the past three years. Even the way to my pre- and middle school were similar to this one, just with a few different turns left and right. I prefer walking to school instead of driving anyways, it's those twenty minutes where I can fully relax and let my thoughts wander before I need to focus for the rest of the day until I get home. Abby, nor Joey, nor my parents and best friends understand that thought of mine. They literally thrive from driving everywhere with their cars. It would not surprise me if they would feel the need to drive to the little drug store a few blocks away from our house. But I let them be, as long as they let me. Mom and Dad – well mostly Mom – forced me to get my driver's license last year because it was 'unpreventable and important' as they liked to put it. Not that it was hard anyways, I passed on my first try, but the driving lessons with Dad were just simply way too awkward and Mom had a lot of work to do so she could not teach me all the time either. Abby would have never in a billion years been an option considering we can't even get along with each other five feet apart. Just imagine the fight she would start in a cramped car with me. And Joey, for the love of him, is no born teacher in anything. He can't even explain Maths to me when I need it desperately. And my best friends were not available as well because they were going through the same phase as me. Except that their parents were not forcing them to do this.

Thank god Mom refrained herself from buying me a car for my sixteenth birthday. I have not driven anything with more than two tires and powered by a motor since I got that license sent in the mail. I guess I just don't see the point in driving myself if I have two best friends who can drive me anywhere I want. They sometimes even offer to drive me to school as well which usually happens when they feel like showing up at my house in the morning. Apropos school, I should definitely start walking faster in order to not be late once more.