Seaman in the Sky

Chapter 1: Chocolate-chip Pancakes

"Eli! Elli! Wake up guys!" I exclaimed while yawning. I stood in the doorway, reached my hand around and flicked the light on. Eli sat up in the bottom bunk and rubbed his eyes. He stretched and looked over at me. I walked over and sat down next to him. "Good morning sleepy-head" He yawned and it quickly turned into a smile. "Morning" he said. He's always adorable when he wakes up.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good." He scratched his head. "I had a weird dream..."

"Oh yeah?" I said as I began to stand up.

"Mhmm"

I looked up at Elli, who was sound asleep, and there was a slight snore escaping his mouth.

"Why don't you get your brother up and get ready? I'll go make us all some breakfast, and then you can tell me all about it?" I bargained.

"Okay sky" he smiled.

"Alright, buddy."

I stood up and began making my way to the kitchen. It was chilly so I turned the dial to turn up the heat. I went over to the cabinet and took out the chocolate chips, flour, baking powder, and canola oil. I had to make two trips back to the kitchen because I couldn't carry all of it at once. I got eggs and milk from the fridge, and sugar and salt from the counter and I was set, with all the ingredients to make chocolate-chip pancakes. That recipe was passed down from my grandfather to my mom, than from my mom to me.

Dad used to tell me that I made it perfectly. Not that he would even know. He isn't home half the time so he doesn't know anything that goes on around here. I mean, don't get me wrong it's not that I'd want him here anyways. He is nothing to me. Not only has he ruined my life but both my little brothers' lives, too. When I was their age he actually acted like a father. Now? Well... Now all he acts like is a joke. He's a drunk. And a mean drunk at that. He hasn't had a real job since my mom passed away. Which was when I was 12. And I'm 20 now. So that is saying something.

I'm Skylar. I guess you should probably know that. Haha. But there's a lot about me that I'd rather you not know. But anyways back to my story, I raised myself, well, with the tremendous help of my grandma. She had helped me so much up until last summer when she got sick with pneumonia. A month later she passed away. Now, I'm raising my two brothers, eleven year old identical twins.

They can be a handful but are overall genuinely sweet young men. Yes young men. I say that because Elliot, or Elli as I call him, refuses to be called a child. Ever since he stopped wetting the bed two years ago. It was always a problem for him, until grandma got involved. She did some old polish remedy or something and he hasn't wet the bed since. He insists that he is not a boy. He is a man.

Then, there is Elijah, well Eli, for short. He is so mature for his age and never fails to amaze me. He has the best grades out of his whole 5th grade class. Elliot on the other hand is an average C student, which isn't bad but it's not the best. He just doesn't try. He only tries when it comes to art. Art is his strong suit and is the only subject he does exceedingly well in. Anyways back to Eli, he brought home a B once and cried for a month. Why? I don't know! Either way I was fine with his grade. He has always been good when it came to school. So I wasn't worried. Dad on the other hand, when Eli handed him that math quiz, and asked if he could sign it because his school required a parent's signature or he'd get a demerit, my father, well...

Chills went down my spine. Never mind. Let's change the subject.

I actually supply the money for this family. And by family. I mean me Elli and Eli. That's all. My father? Haven't seen him in a week. He disappears randomly and shows up when he wants. Not that I care, I just dread the day he comes back and wayyyyy too intoxicated, I wouldn't know what he'd do. He is capable of many things. Luckily I have emergency cash, stashed and a getaway plan with the boys. They despise their father too. So they're prepared.

"Good morning skylar" Said Elli, which snapped me out of my day dream. "Good Morning my lil man."

He hopped up on one of the tall bar chairs we have next to the counter. "Chocolate chip pancakes?" His jaw dropped. "Yup" I flashed him a smile as I flipped a pancake over. "Yeshhhh!" He exclaimed while clenching his fist and moving his elbow back in excitement.

"Where is your brother?"

"He is fixing his hair, you know how he is"

"Should've guessed."

"Besides, shhh don't tell him I told you..." He looked around secretively. "But he has a crush on this girl in our karate class."

"Oh really?!"

"Mhmm"

"What's her name?"

"Nikki. She's 12 and a purple belt. So she is one from brown, that's us."

"Oh okayyy. I gotcha!"

Eli walked in while running his fingers through his hair. Their hair is always perfectly straight and swoops across their foreheads. The dark brown really brings out their bright blue eyes. Eli hopped up next to Elliot and began to explain what had happened in his dream last night. I opened the fridge and poured two glasses of milk. I set them on the counter in front of my little brothers. I then took two plates from the cupboard and plopped two pancakes onto each. I put the plates on the counter next to the glasses of milk. Eli was already taking forks and knives out of the drawer and Elliot was walking back to his seat grasping the butter and syrup. I made my plate and brought my coffee over.

We began our day like we do any Saturday. A nice breakfast and a movie. After we finished watching Harry potter: The Sorcerer's Stone, I dropped them off at karate and drove myself to work. I have three different jobs. I work at a grocery store only on weekends from 3pm-8pm. I am also a part time pre-k teacher but that is on Tuesdays Thursdays, and fridays, from 8am-12pm. And I'm a paid intern for one of the many recording studios for Epitaph Recording label. Cool right? I thought so. I just took that job last week.

I arrived at the studio just in time for my shift to begin. My buddy, Trevor, buzzed me in. I walked down the long, narrow hallway to the main desk and clocked in. Trevor handed me the schedule so I could see who was scheduled to record. Instead of looking at it right away, I decided to settle down at my desk so I kept walking until I reached my office. I placed the key in the door and rotated it. I found myself awkwardly sniffing the air given; I was greeted by the smell of apple-pie, which was the lingering scent of the candle that I had lit yesterday.

I walked behind my desk and sat down to read over the document Trevor had handed me. I, then, found myself wide-eyed as I read the name out loud and stuttered a bit.

"Bring me the horizon."

What? They are one of my favorite bands. Wow. This is going to be great. I can't believe I am going to meet Oli Sykes in less than a half an hour. Come on Sky, keep it together. Don't be nervous, he's just a person.