Cindy sat in the basement of her parent's house, hanging out with her friends Nico and Connie.
Cindy sat on a mattress she'd placed on the floor, Nico and Connie sprawled across various pieces of furniture, and all three of them were telling amusing anecdotes about various ways they had ruined their lives, including burning down a supermarket and spending all their money on a scam advertisement for one weird tip discovered by a mom. Cindy tuned her guitar as she sat with them, as best she could while laughing and listening.
"So, what about you Cindy?" Connie asked when Nico finished with zeir favorite story to tell, her story about burning down Marvin's to achieve world peace. Cindy pondered for a moment, before turning and grabbing something from behind the bed. She pulled out a crinkled band flier, showing her friends.
"I have beef with, like, four ninth graders now," she explained, and then continued explaining. "It's weird. I signed up for that talent show thing they're holding at the high school, and hung up a flier for it, and some kid walked up to me and said I was gonna lose to them, and then these three other kids showed up and grabbed him and explained he's not technically part of their band and that they're sorry but that yeah I was totally gonna lose."
"That's just how kids are," Nico said, shrugging a bit while laying down on top of two dining room chairs pushed together.
"I'd say just how people are, tee bee aitch," Connie answered, sprawled across a leaky bean bag looking up at the ceiling.
"CIIIIINDYYYYYYY, DINNER TIME!"
"Oh, that's Nate. We better head upstairs."
"Wait, Nate as in your brother who's d—"
"Yes, Nate as in my brother who's dating an alien. I really wish that wasn't your guys' main impression of him." Cindy stood up from her bed and started walking upstairs, and the other two followed suit. Once upstairs, they walked down the aptly-named 'narrow hallway' one by one and into the living room/ dining room/ kitchen area. In the kitchen, Nathan was making pancakes.
"Where's mom?"
"She's working"
"Where's dad then, shouldn't he be at home?"
"He's getting groceries at Marvin's. He's lost though."
"Oh. That sucks."
"I'm sure he'll be back soon though. So in the meantime I'm making waffles!"
Cindy raised an eyebrow. "But you're using a griddle?"
"Yeah but it's waffle mix. So it counts as waffles? I think."
Nico looked at Connie, who nodded and looked at Cindy. Cindy looked behind her at Connie, and then Nico, and then back to Nathan. "Alright."
"Alright! Oh, Aeon is in my room I think can you go get her please?"
"Yeah I'll go get 'er."
Nate nodded, and Cindy went upstairs.
She knocked on Nate's door a couple times, and after a moment the door opened and Aeon stood, crouching in the doorway.
"Dinner's ready."
Cindy felt the familar wave of pain in her head that let her know Aeon had responded, and they both went downstairs.