The silence was always loudest in the morning.
No alarm. No birds. No city noise slipping through the cracks in the window. Just stillness. The kind that made you wonder if the world had stopped spinning while you slept and forgot to start again.
Daniella stared at the ceiling, wrapped in a blanket she didn't remember pulling over herself. Her pillow was crooked. Her thoughts were empty. Another day.
School.
She sat up slowly, rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and grabbed her phone off the nightstand.
No messages.
No missed calls.
Her thumb hovered over the screen, waiting for something to change. It didn't so she shoved it into her hoodie pocket.
She then as well grabbed her inhaler, took a few puffs, new air sitting in her lungs and slid out of bed with a sigh.
Operation: Get Skylar Up Without Getting Punched.
She padded down the hall, bare feet cold on the floor, and pushed open her little sister's door.
"Rise and shine, young goblin," she said in her most obnoxiously cheerful voice. "Time to awaken and cause chaos."
Skylar didn't move. Just pulled the blanket over her face.
"Don't make me do the thing," Daniella warned.
Muffled groaning.
She stepped closer, then dramatically flopped on top of her sister like a human pancake.
"YOU WERE WARNED!"
"Get off!" Skylar squeaked, flailing under the weight. "You're crushing my lungs!"
"I am your lungs now," Daniella said solemnly. "Breathe through me."
"You're insane!"
"Not insane, just undercaffeinated."
Skylar shoved her off the bed and onto the floor with a solid thump. Daniella lay there, arm over her face, groaning like a cartoon villain defeated by a ten-year-old.
"Worth it," she muttered as she laughed
Breakfast was cereal and orange juice.
Well—cereal for Skylar. Orange juice and dry toast for Daniella, who had exactly negative five minutes to make anything better.
"Here is your breakfast, kiddo. Hope you enjoy it" she said, as she brought it to Skylar, her voice still obnoxious.
Skylar raised a brow "Do you really mean that? Or are you just trying to bring the mood up?"
Daniella looked at her sister and then smirked "I guess you'll never know" and winked at her, playfully.
Skylar rolled her eyes, annoyed "Come on," Daniella said "You need to eat. You know how much I don't like when you leave for school on empty stomach"
"Bossy much?" Skylar asked, a little smirk in the corner of her lips while Daniella's voice softened "Your little my sister. I care about you"
Skylar didn't say anything and started eating her cereal and muttered a quiet "Thanks" in which Daniella heard and it made her smile.
They ate at the kitchen counter, legs swinging under the stools. The apartment around them felt too big without their mom. Too quiet. Like it was holding its breath.
Skylar was the one who broke the silence.
"Any word from Mom?"
Daniella paused, toast halfway to her mouth.
YOU ARE READING
LIAR | WEN JUNHUI
Fanfiction"Everyone lies, Daniella. You just haven't caught them yet" Everyone says Jun is a liar. But Daniella doesn't have the luxury of caring he might be the only one who can keep her alive. After her mother's death, Daniella Torres just wants to protect...
