Jae Ham
I look at my arms. Huh. Well, I must have had a good sleep, judging from these marks on my skin. Still, as I stare up at the plain ceiling,I release a heavy yawn, as if I hadn't slept in days. Face it, Jae. Whether you sleep for three or twenty hours, you'll always feel tired.
God, I'm so freaking glad I have my own room with multiple locks. It dissuades my grandparents and my siblings from barging in without notice. They need to learn the concept of boundaries.
I slowly flutter my eyes closed, working out what hour it is. Feels cold, but that's because the window is slightly ajar, allowing the early August breeze to slip through the crack. It's most likely time for brunch, perhaps 10 or 11? But what really cinched it is the noise outside my door. I can hear the mumbling voices of my younger brother and sisters as they not-so-subtly fight over who has to knock on my door.
"Come on, Gem.I did it last time."
"Why do I have to do it?"
"Fine. Bianca, it's your turn now."
"What if I don't want to?"
"I'm the oldest of the three of us!"
"Stop using the age card,old man!"
"I'm not old, I'm sixteen!"
"Exactly. You're only one year older than me, and two years older than Gem."
"What point are you trying to make, Bianca?"
"That you should do it since you're the guy!"
"Wow. Talk about sexist. Yesterday you told me to man up when I tried to open the jar of pickles for you. How offensive can you get?" A pause. "Right. Good luck opening any more jars, Bianca."
"For crying out loud, Cody. Just knock on the door."
"She's right. It's already past eleven. Jae should have brunch."
With an exasperated sigh, I hop out of bed, then take quiet steps across the room. My right hand encases the cold knob, and when I finally swing open the door, my three siblings are visibly paralyzed.
"Are you three done?" I ask dryly, washing a palm over my groggy face.
Gem and Bianca push Cody forward as if I were their principal who summoned them to my office. My brother, only one year younger than me, rubs the back of his dark head nervously.
"Spit it out, Cody."
"Hal-bi and Halmoni told us to call you for brunch--early lunch," he sputters. Hal-bi is Korean short rib for 'grandpa or grandfather' while Halmoni means 'grandmother.'
Behind him, Bianca rolls her eyes and says quietly. "Man up, Co." Cody shoots her a glare over his shoulder, but she merely shrugs in response.
One hand on the door, I use my free hand to pinch the bridge of my nose, head bowed as another yawn threatens to escape my throat. "Five minutes," I mutter beneath my breath.
"Um..."
"What is it, Gem?" The moment I close this door, I'm going back to sleep. I'm not that hungry anyway, and I have a stash of Oreo cookies under my bed.
Gem's pale brown eyes are full of concern as they stare at me. "Are you going to school later?" she asks. "Probably not," I answer with an impatient sigh.
Bianca pipes up, looking equally skittish. "It's the second day..maybe you should go."
"At least for the second half," adds Cody, his voice hopeful.
