Deadly Secrets

9.

America's POV:

As Dixie came back into the kitchen, I looked over at the oven clock to see that it was 5:45 in the morning. Still a little too early for most of the states to be up, but it was the perfect time to start getting breakfast made. I turned to my children and Dixie before saying, "Alright, what do we feel like having for breakfast?"

"Sausage and gravy!" Dixie answered immediately, followed by sounds of disagreement from everyone but Alabama.

"Listen, uncle Dix, we all love your sausage an' gravy recipe, but three days this week is a bit overkill," Louisiana said, getting nods of agreement from two of her siblings and myself.

"Agreed", I said, " how about... pancakes, you can't go wrong with pancakes, now can ya?" Alabama and Dix gave me a little pouty look before muttering in agreement with the others in the room. I chuckled at them before asking Dixie to help me make the pancakes, he came over, still pouting a little, and Louisiana volunteered to help as well while Hawaii, York, and Alabama went to sit on the stools along the one side of the large kitchen island to talk and watch while we made breakfast.

Louisiana and I started on making the batter while Dixie stood off to the side, waiting until we were almost finished so he could turn on the stovetop and start cooking the pancakes. It was going to take a bit though, because we're doubling the recipe and then after he starts cooking the batter that we make we will have to make more... let's see... one batch makes ten pancakes so... five double batches and one single batch should be enough if everyone gets two, and they can eat an apple or something if they're still hungry. I listen to the states' chatter as I help Louise get the ingredients out and make the batter.

"So what did you guys do in the basement?" Alabama asked his siblings

"Yeah, we didn't hear the TV, or Yorkie being sore about getting his butt beat in UNO, so what were you doing?" Louisiana remarked as she looked for the baking powder.

"Eh, we mostly just goofed around and talked about random things, like if a cucumber is a fruit or a vegetable," New York responded.

"It can't be a fruit, there's no way!" Hawaii said, bringing the old argument back.

"But it is," Yorkie and I said at the same time.

"Hold on, I'll look it up," Alabama said, getting on his phone and quickly typing away, "huh... well whaddya know, it is a fruit,"

Hawaii climbed over Yorkie to get a look at the screen of Alabama's phone before sitting back down on her stool and sighing in defeat, "Fine, you guys win."

"Sounds like you three had a pretty uneventful morning then," Dixie said.

"Nuh-uh!" Hawaii exclaimed, pointing a finger at her uncle, "Mom is officially stronger than you!"

"Hawaii," I scolded, "how many times do I have to tell you to keep your voice down, most of your siblings are still asleep."

"Sorry," she said, quietly this time before turning back to her uncle, "but it's true, she benched all of the weights in the basement, and still didn't max out." Alabama and Louisiana looked at me impressed, but their uncle didn't look quite as believing as they did.

Dixie looked at me for a moment, pretending to size me up, " No way," he said, keeping a playful smile on his face, " I remember us being pretty equal in strength last time we fought."

"That was over a century ago," I reminded him.

"Yeah, but still... c'mere," he said making a show out of slamming his right elbow on the corner of the island that isn't quite as cluttered as the others to challenge me to an arm wrestling match.