Kiff: The Better Good

Bright Morning

The morning sun glowed softly through the curtains of Kiff's bedroom. Her alarm clock blared loudly at exactly seven o'clock.

"UGHHH... morning already?" Kiff groaned dramatically, flopping one arm across her bed before suddenly springing upright. "WAIT—I CAN STILL BE EARLY!"

In a burst of energy, she jumped out of bed and quickly started making it. The blankets flew everywhere at first, but after a few seconds of wrestling with the sheets, the bed looked... mostly neat.

"Good enough!" Kiff declared proudly.

She walked over to the window and pulled the curtains open. Bright sunlight flooded the room, birds chirped outside, and the town was already waking up.

"Wow," Kiff whispered. "This morning feels weirdly peaceful."

For about five whole seconds.

Then she spotted someone stealing something shiny from a trash can outside.

"NEVER MIND, CHAOS RETURNS!"

Kiff rushed into the bathroom and brushed her teeth while humming loudly to herself. Toothpaste foam accidentally flew onto the mirror when she got too dramatic with the brushing.

After that came what she proudly called "the everything shower."

Shampoo.
Conditioner.
Soap.
Face wash.
A random strawberry-scented thing she found under the sink.

By the end, the bathroom looked like a soap hurricane had hit it.

Freshly cleaned and full of energy, Kiff threw on her school clothes, grabbed her backpack, and sprinted downstairs.

"Morning!" she shouted.

"Good morning, sweetie," her mom replied while making breakfast.

Kiff inhaled her food at lightning speed.

"Kiff, squirrels are supposed to chew," her dad said.

"I HAVE NO TIME FOR CHEWING!"

She stuffed the last bite into her mouth, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and dashed toward the front door.

"Bye!!"

"Have a good day!" her parents called.

Outside, the cool morning air hit her face as she hurried down the sidewalk toward school. The streets were calm, with only a few students walking around.

Then she spotted Barry Buns waiting near a tree, holding his backpack nervously.

"Oh, hey Barry!" Kiff waved.

Barry immediately smiled.

"H-hey, Kiff."

He tried to act normal, but his ears turned slightly pink every time she looked at him.

Kiff, completely oblivious, kept talking excitedly.

"I woke up EXACTLY at seven today. Not six fifty-nine. Not seven-oh-one. PERFECT timing."

"Wow," Barry laughed softly. "That's... impressive."

The two began walking together toward school.

Unfortunately, neither of them were excited about what waited for them there.

"Today's lessons are gonna be soooo boring," Kiff groaned dramatically. "If I hear one more lecture about 'organized note-taking strategies,' I may actually evaporate."

Barry chuckled.

"At least we'll survive it together."

Kiff grinned.

"True! Best friends against boredom!"

Barry smiled again, though a tiny bit awkwardly this time.

"Yeah... best friends."

The school building appeared in the distance as the morning bell echoed faintly across town.

And somehow, neither of them realized this normal morning was about to become a very strange day.