A Future To Die For || Nano 13

1

I stretch my arms forward, fingers brushing against my destination. Not enough. Egged on by determination, I reach even further; my stomach aching at the strain.

"You won't be able to get it," My eight year old younger sister, Abigail, purrs. I grit my teeth in slight annoyance. My long fingers are only a couple inches away from the hat Abigail had placed on the top of the cabinet. How can such a small gap seem so endless?

"How did you even get it up there?" I grumble, collapsing to the flats of my feet. I stare up at the hat with a fraction of failure. Directing my eyes to Abigail, who has a smug smile across her small rosy lips.

"I had my ways," The eight years old snickers, her lips twisting with triumph. Everything from her posture to her chubby cheeks screams the word 'cocky'. She plucks her neatly packed (done by me, I must say) lunch pail off of the marble counter. She drops it in her backpack. I stand still for a second as I take in my surroundings. Looking for anything that could possibly be useful to retrieve my hat. "Just stand on a chair, Drew. You are so helpless."

To say I feel like an idiot is an understatement. I'm not an overly dumb person or anything. I simply just don't exactly function a hundred percent in the morning. Especially when I have to deal with getting my sister off to school alone. After I pull a chair over and grab the black hat with no more stomach pains, I usher Abigail out the door.

I like to think I'm a good kid, getting Abigail ready since my mother and step dad work early. It saves them a babysitter. But they really need to give me some more credit. A boy like me doesn't do work for free. I'm not asking for my own car (Okay, that would be nice) or permission to drink alcohol, but maybe a little bit of cash?

"Come on, kid. You really need to go," I snatch her pink backpack from the counter and hand it to her. The girl swings it onto her back, her nose crinkling at the heaviness in it.

"What did you pack me?" She groans as she spins on her heel and heads for the door. I don't bother to answer, instead head for the bathroom so I can get ready myself. Before I am half way down the hall, her skinny arms wrap around my waist.

"Bye, Drew!" She quips before turning around and racing outside. I'm running a hand through my hair, making the light brown strands stand up with the trusty help of product, when my sister barges right back through the front door.

"I missed the bus," She tells me in a matter-of-fact tone, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder.

"Abby! I don't have enough time to run you to school," I groan, shrugging on my coat.

"So.... You're leaving me at home? You'd be the best brother ever if you did that!" She asks, blue eyes hopeful. I chuckle, grabbing my own backpack.

"You wish," I smile, leading her out of the door and heading towards my mother's SUV. This vehicle is my enemy. The devil sent from hell. If, you know, the devil's in the shape of a bright yellow SUV. When I say bright yellow, I mean it could replace the sun.

I throw both bags in the back seat beside Abigail and move to the front seat myself. It's a really short drive to Abigail's school, so she, of course, arrives on time. Checking the clock, I groan. I on the other hand, am not as lucky as my sister.

By the time I pull into the parking lot, all the decent spots are already full. With a strong urge to bang my head against the steering wheel, I park on the far end of the parking lot. I sit in the front seat for a couple minutes, contemplating whether to wait till next period or enter and face my English teacher's wrath. Despite the tiredness in my limbs, I climb out of the SUV. I wince visibly when a loud chirp sounds through the parking lot. Why can't that car have a normal lock beep? Something manly possibly?