The Sound of James

CHAPTER 1

"Breakfast is ready, Rose! Be quick or you'll be late!", Sophia shouted from downstairs calling me who is at the bedroom, rearranging the notebooks to my bag, getting ready for my morning class. I'm wearing my grey sweater and my ripped jeans, which my dad hates the most. I think, every parent does hate ripped jeans because it's ripped (yeah). Well, we still don't care their opinion, don't we? because it's a trend and it makes us cool (I mean everyone wearing it, right?)

"Coming", I replied Sophia as I'm heading out to the dining room. I see Dad is reading his newspaper, wearing his vintage glasses, with super neat of pastel blue plaid shirt and a plain black tie. Ezra, my stepbrother, son from Sophia and his ex-husband before marrying my Dad, is bringing the teapot from kitchen to the table. And there is Boris, who is sitting on his toddler chair, playing with his toy, Dad and Sophia's son, my new brother.

I'm sitting while putting my bag below the chair as Ezra is pouring the tea for me.

"You're so loud last night, it's 3 AM. You know how many times I keep awake of your voice and your guitar? Hundred times", Ezra is giving some sarcastic words while pouring the tea. I know he looks evil because he often uses sarcasm as his daily words, but you know what, he is really a nice person. Even though we are not related, we have brother-sister bond, no hatred between us. He is a year younger than me and taking Law major, just like Dad. 

"Cut your hair, Mr. Lawyer", I replied Ezra's sarcastic sentences before he went too far. Ezra has a thick hair and for man, it's quite long, just like Avan Jogia except he has a clean shaven face, no mustache and beard.

"Let's eat.", Dad said as he putting down the newspaper and start eating his scrambled egg and toast. My family has a must to have a breakfast together, every morning as a time where one family could gather all together, no matter how drunk you are last night or you haven't slept doing homework. Dad thinks that the failed marriage he had is because of lack communication between him and Mom as we never ate together except on Sunday. Both worked at a law firm and yet, my mom seems busier than Dad. Maybe she's not busy with her work, but busy with cheating to another man.

"You never upload your songs online?", Sophia asked me while spoon-feed Boris. 

"I did, but it didn't really work.", I said. Trust me, being cool in social media is so hard, I almost gave up on them.

"But didn't you get some offering from several entertainment industries last year", Ezra asked.

"Oh My God, Ezra. It's a prank. It's Emma's doings. How could my songs which only has 572 viewers garners the attention from a company!", I said in an unbelievable tone, like hell Ezra? You believed that prank all this time? Where have you been?

"It's pretty gppd! I even set it as a ringtone and the teachers always ask about it", Sophia is kind of comforting me, she doesn't want to let me down. You know what, the first time I met Sophia and Ezra, I thought that my life could turn into Cinderella, being abused by step mother and brother, how bad my life will turn be. But it's wrong. Sophia is more like a mother to me than my biological mother and Ezra is just like a brother I always dream of. He is younger than me, but I feel like he's more mature than me. He has this big brother feels.

"Well, I think I haven't tried hard enough. But anyway, thanks Sophia. It really made my day.", I smiled to her as she gives a small laugh, shyly.

Suddenly Dad speaks in the most uncomfortable and serious ways, "Rose, when will you stop calling Sophia and start calling her mom?"

I'm surprised that Dad suddenly talks about this topic. Yes, we already had some arguments about this and my answer is always 'I will try'. Don't get me wrong, I like Sophia. But, I don't know what's wrong with me, why it's so hard to call her mom. It's only mom, Rose? Why can't you? Ezra has called Dad as dad since last 2 years but why I still can't?