Alone

2

...

"Thea, Thea, wake up!"

"You had a nightmare, you were screaming and making these funny, short gasping noises and I thought you were having an attack so I woke up."

I groan as sunlight hits my face, tormenting my eyes from behind my eyelids. My eyes flutter open and I close them again immediately.

Gotta get used to waking up.

A pair of lips kiss my cheek and I smile, my eyes opening just enough to squint at Joshua, I smile and swat the top of his head.

"Ugh, morning breath?" He asks and I just smile. He laughs and I punch his shoulder.

He groans in mock pain and I mutter, "Morning breath yourself, Joshie."

"What did you just call me?" He glares and I smirk,

"J-o-s-h-i-e." I say, drawing it out while ruffling his hair, he narrows his eyes at me, " I think that deserves a punishment, don't you think? No breakfast should be enough!" He says and I pout, egging him on.
"Such a shame, I've made pancakes with bacon and maple syrup!" He says again, shaking his head in mock pity, casting a sideways glance at me.

Before he can react, I spring up and off the bed, running like a maniac. I take the stairs three at a time and dash into the kitchen. He follows me, running and I duck behind the counter before he enters, stealing a pancake from one of the two plates set on the table. I settle down on the floor in a happy, cross - legged silence, savouring my tasty stolen treat. Joshua attempts to jump on me from the top of the counter but I anticipate it by the fall of his shadow. He lands none too graciously on the floor and I smile, watching him struggle to get up. I swipe another pancake from the plate and carry both to the living room, settling myself comfortably on the beanbag in the corner.

Joshua enters the living room and my face breaks out into a wide grin. "I hope you've learnt your lesson Joshie, you don't go around planning sneak attacks on me, they never work" I say and smile at him again.
He switches on the television, trying desperately to ignore me but I am determined not to let him do such. " Okay, fine, I'm sorry." I say, raising my hands in defeat. Amusement flashes in his eyes and he speaks, slightly winded, " Wow! the great Thea finally deemed it fit to mutter an apology to poor, unsightly commoners as I. UNBELIEVABLE. "

I land him a punch in the guts and he keels over, clutching his abdomen. "Not." I say, ruffling his hair again until it resembles a harried rat's nest.

I head upstairs after putting my plates in the overloaded sink and go to the bathroom.

Boy, do I stink.

I am out of the bathroom three minutes later and I throw on a pair of shorts and an oversized grey hoodie. Joshua flies into the room as I finish dressing and I frown, "Ever thought to knock?" He grins sheepishly. "Sorry."
I smile, "Anyway, what'd you burst in here for? It better be a good reason!" I fold my hands on my chest and he grimaces, "Asher. She just arrived and I don't know what to wear."
I burst out in laughter, "So, Joshua, a cute girl that you obviously like arrives at your house and what do you do? Run upstairs and burst into my room to ask me what to wear? Unlikely."
He frowns, "So you're not going to help me?" He questions, cocking his head sideways slightly.

"Of course, silly, I am!" I say, reaching for his hair but he slaps my hand away.

I move towards the window, while he runs out of the room, going to pick possible clothes to wear and I see some girl standing outside, waving at me. She shouts, as she sees that she has caught my attention. "Hey, do you know Joshua? I've been waiting here for the past three minutes and I know he knows that I'm here. Can you please call him to open the door? We have a project to work on."

Dammnn, she's fast, said all that in one go.

I reply, "I'm coming!!!" I fly down the stairs, nearly tripping and run to open the door. She seems surprised to see me and I smile, slowly scrutinizing her features; she has dark, flaming red hair, pale blue eyes, and a cute henna on her left hand. She pushes up her glasses and sticks out her hand, "Hi, I'm Asher and I'm fifteen years old, I'm looking for Joshua." She says, smiling brightly at me. I smile back and shake her hand, leading her inside, "I'm Thea, Joshua's sister."

She smiles and sits down on the couch, I tell her to hold on and feel comfortable while I run back upstairs to call Joshua. He is waiting by my room door, his face flustered and the tips of his ears, an alarming shade of bright pink.

He is dressed in a grey hoodie and black jeans. I nod, complimenting him silently and he smiles crookedly.

"Tsk, tsk," I say, chiding him, "You left her outside, what a good impression you'd make on her. " I say, and push him towards the staircase. "You should talk to her, she seems perky and nice, and don't forget, she's cute too. I would love if you guys hook up." I say and wink at him

He rolls his eyes at me and runs a hand through his hair, "Well, how do I look?" He asks and I frown, "Well... You don't look as bad as you normally do so, I guess that counts." He just smiles and heads downstairs. I decide to leave them to their privacy and do my most favourite thing in the entire world; drawing.

I sit on my bed for a few minutes, ideas running through my head. I finally come up with one and start sketching. My phone beeps minutes later and my features focus in concentration, ignoring the alert.

When I am done with it, I fish out my camera from its case and take a few pictures of it, for keepsake. I glance at it again and smile, it is a picture of Joshua and Asher, holding hands and staring intensely into each other's eyes.

If I showed this to Joshua, he would go purple in embarrassment!

Which gives you all the more reason to show him!

The smart, sharp sarcastic voice in my head says and I smile.

I pick the grey book on the topmost shelf and my pen, intending to complete my story; Ashes, when my phone vibrates in my back pocket again. I frown

Uggh, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid interrupting phone, pestering me with stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid unnecessary notifications.

I finally slide it out of my back pocket and swipe away all the stupid interrupting messages but pause at one, someone who has viewed my artwork is asking how to pay me for it. I stare at the message in shock again.

It never occurred to me that I could get paid for doing my favourite thing in the entire world.

I reply with my account number and a thumbs up emoji.

Could today get any better?