False Paradise.

Chapter 14 - I'm taking a break, thank you very much.

At this point I'd given up trying to get a day to myself.

"Good morning everyone! C'mon, get out of bed, the day's already begun! It's the day, it's the day!"

Of course it had to be Claire... I heard her slam my door open, which made me grip my bedsheets tightly.

Fuck that, I'm tired from yesterday.

In the end we ended up returning to 1-A late at night - a very strange silence followed us.

In the middle of my flashbacks, I suddenly felt my bedsheets being pulled. Ha. If I'm holding onto them, then nothing will happen.

Or that's what I thought, until my eyes shot open when I realized the floor getting closer. I landed with a deaf thud on the carpeted floor and made a strange pained sound somewhere in between a growl, a groan, and a grunt. The three G's.

"Whoops, you okay there?" she asked, to which I grunted. I didn't want to get up, choosing to stay face down until I remembered who had barged into my room.

So then I pushed my face off the ground, growling.

Once again I heard Claire's voice taunting me: "Oh, is Sebby doing push-ups? Come on, strong boy, show me what you got!" And I realized how I looked like after lifting myself off the floor. It could have barely been considered a push-up, but I could definitely use the chance to impress if I tried.

Instead, I just sat up and let myself be dragged to the living room, where Kristina was waiting with breakfast.

"Was there a reason you woke us up this early?" I asked, watching as Claire went to the curtains to pull them open.

My eyes widened.

I saw white dots falling slowly from the sky, and a once green floor was now covered in white.

This was... snow?

A brand new sight, something I knew only by concept but now...

"It's a snow day!" said Claire, rushing off down the hall again."Because we're so close to Christmas, see? C'mon, get in the mood, Antoinette, or I'll tickle you 'till you do!"

A second later, I can hear Antoinette laughing and Claire making a battle cry. I look back at the window.

"Ha- Hey, get off! Get off or I'm kicking you!" but Antoinette's threats weren't as menacing when there's a girl smaller than her tickling her into submission.

I stayed watching the snowfall and picking out clothes from the watch until Antoinette came running out of her room and skid to a halt behind me.

I looked at her a moment in confusion, then decide to ignore whatever caused Antoinette to run. So when I turn around, I forced myself to not ask why Claire was wearing an exterminator mask and just take one of the sandwiches Kristina brought in.

"Why are you wearing that thing?!" Antoinette pointed an accusing finger at Claire, who just laughed.

"Scaring and tickling go hand in hand, obviously," said Kristina.

I decided not to trouble myself with this anymore and, with a coat in hand, I started for the exit, only to be stopped by a pair of hands grabbing me from behind before I even reached the door.

I turned my head around to see both Kristina and the Exterminator staring intently at me. "Wait for Antoinette," they both said in unison. "She hasn't even gotten dressed yet," added Claire.

The fact they so flawlessly spoke in sync was terrifying for all the wrong reasons. First off: "Take off the mask, Claire. Where did you even get this?" I asked, pulling myself away from their grasp and stumbling forward.