Should I Stay?

Chapter 1

''Everyone thinks it was because of the snow. And in a way, I think that's true.''

I wake up this morning with snow covering our front lawn. It isn't even an inch, but in this part of London, it brings everything to a standstill as the snowplow in the country gets busy clearing the roads.

It is enough snow to cancel school tho. My little brother, Louis, lets out a loud whoop when Mom turns the radio harder for us to hear the announcement. 

''Snow day!!'' he screams. ''Dad, let's go make a snowman!!''

My dad smiles down at him while he taps his pipe. 

He started smoking recently to pull of this whole 1950's, Father Knows Best look. He also wears bow ties. I mean, i like bow ties but who wears them now a days? right, no one. I think it's my dad's way of announcing that he used to be a punker but is now a middle-school English teacher, or if becoming a teacher has actually turned my dad into this, genuine throwback. But I quite like the smell of the pipe to be honest. It'sweet and smoky, and reminds me of the winter.

''You can try Lou,'' Dad tells him. ''But it's hardly sticking to the ground, so I don't think we can make a snowman right now.''

I can tell my Dad is happy, even tho there lies barely an inch of snow means that all the schools in the country are closed, including my high school and the middle school where my dad works, so it's an unexpected day off for him, too.

My mother, clicks off the radio and pours herself a second cup of coffee.

''Well, if you guys are playing lazy today, no way i'm going to work. It's simply not fair nor right.'' She picks up her cellphone and calls her work. When she's done , she looks at us.

 ''Should I make breakfast?''

Dad and I look at each other, sighing,  No offence by the way.

To clarify , my Mom does make the best cereal and coffee in the world, but that's about it. My Dad's the cook in the family.

Pretending not to notice us, she reaches into the cabinet for the pancake mix. 

''Please, how hard can it be? So, who wants some pancakes?''

''I do! I do!!'' Louis yells. ''Can we have chocolate chips in them!?'' He asks happily.

''I don't see why not,'' Mom replies smiling back at him.

''Woo Hoo!!'' Louis yelps, waving his arms in the air.

''You have way too much energy for this early in the morning.'' I tease him. I turn to face my Mom. ''Maybe you shouldn't let Lou drink so much coffee.''

''I've switched him to decaf,'' Mom answers with a laugh. ''He's just naturally hyper and active, love.''

''As long as you don't switch me to decaf, I'm happy.'' I say.

''That would be child abuse.'' Dad says jokingly.

Mom hands me a steaming mug, real coffee, and the newspaper.

''There's a nice picture of your young man in there.'' she says.

''Really? A picture?''

''Yep. It's about the most we've seen him since the summer.'' Mom says, giving me a sidelong glance with her eyebrows arched, her version of a subtly stare.

''I know,'' I say, without meaning to, I sigh. 

Harry's band, The White Eskimo's, is one of the fast rising bands now a days, which is an awesome thing - mostly.