...One...
I woke up at the sound of a car engine starting. I sat up and looked out my window to see my mother's car driving out of our driveway and into the road.
She just left. Just like that. Everyday of my life she never woke me up and told me she was going to work. She never cooked my breakfast like a mother should do. She never pinned any notes on the fridge to tell where she went or who she went with. Or when she was coming back.
She left the three of us worrying about her.
She might be the reason why my older twin brother, Jacob, is rebelling at her. He's always sneaking out to parties and is a ladies' man. He rarely goes home. He barely has anytime to sleep. And he never got scolded by Mom.
That's why my oldest brother, Michael, always gets to be the mom and dad at the same time in the house and who always is the one getting stressed. Until he left for college.
No one disciplines anyone in the house. There's no more Mom or Dad in the house. That left me with Mom, who was always busy because of her businesses and my rebelling twin.
Often I'm alone in the house and I think.
The people around me are right. My brothers look like models even without effort. They always are the main attraction in school. Michael is one of the popular jocks in school who gets the hot chick. Jacob is the hot bad boy player with all the girls in his side left and right.
Now, who would believe that jock Michael and bad boy Jacob has a little sister. In steorotype, I'm in the bottom of the food chain in school, the invincible nerd.
Nobody would believe they're my brothers. Except for the current girlfriend of my brother, Michael, who believes in my beauty. Her words not mine
My brother was lucky enough to have girlfriend named Sophia. She was pretty and really kind. She was generous and lovable. She's honest and loyal. I do hope they end uo together so I won't have a problem having her as a sister-in-law.
I got out of my bed and as I fix the curls of the sheets I heard a sudden slamming of the door. I quickly ran down the stairs to see who it was.
Seeing Jacob wasted like this wasn't my first time. Then I remembered. Today was Saturday. Yesterday was the last Friday before winter break starts. Last night, they had a party on Daniel's house, Jacob's best friend.
I shook my head as my twin wobbled and tried to walk towards the living room where he lied down on the sofa.
After how many years and days of Jacob's hangovers, I mastered Michael's perfect solution for him. A hot, warm milk with pain relievers. That always work.
I got back up to my room and finished making up my bed before returning back down and treat my other half with his usual hangover.
I sat down the island counter as I waited for the milk to warm. Today was the start of winter break, meaning starting Monday, I would be on Carrie's Cakes working as a cashier, one of Mom's businesses.
I sighed as I thought about having nothing to do besides being on the shop 8 hours of the day.
The kettle finally spewed hot smoke and I ran to turn the stove off. Then I poured the hot liquid on a mug that has JACOB written messily on the exterior of the mug.
I chuckled to myself as I remember the day we were all privileged to design a mug of our own. We were 6 back then and Mike was 7.
You see, Dad owned a factory making mugs before. One day, on one of the Day Off days, Dad brought us all to the factory. He showed us how the mugs were made from clay to its final formation.
Then he led us to the design area were the 5 of us designed our own mugs. Jacob, Mike, and I wrote our names on the mug we chose using the special ink. Mom designed hers with her name and dad's separated with a heart.
I doubt that mug was still existing after Dad died when his factory caught a fire as one of the machines failed to work. I was 10 when he passed away.
Yes, he passed away along with some workers, and after the funeral, it felt that as if Mom passed away too.
As the milk filled the mug full, I returned the kettle back to the stove and placed the mug on a saucer. I then walked to the cabinet, where we kept pills, and got two advils.
I put the pills on a small saucer and placed everything on a tray, adding a glass of water. Now it looks like I am a nurse treating a patient.
I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where I found my brother sprawled on the floor. He might've fell on the sofa.
I carefully placed the tray on the coffee table and sat down beside Jacob, who's face was full of lipstick. He smelled really awful right now. I bet he puked.
"Jay, Jay, wake up." I said as I tried to wake my brother up.
"Babe, stop. Don't disturb me." He groaned lightly and complained in a hoarse voice.
I rolled my eyes as he thought was one of his flings. "Jay, its me, Eliana. Your twin sister. Jay wake up."
He finally opened his eyes and looked at me intently. "Lia, where am I?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes and held his head. "Ow." He complained.
"You're home, dufus. Come on, drink the pills so you could drink the milk."
He didn't complain anymore. We had been to this a thousand times. Before, he would complain to Mike that he wasn't a little kid who would drink milk. But since Mike is older than him, he had no choice.
Right now I have no problem doing that for Jay followed willingly. Desperate to heal his throbbing head.
I looked at him as he took slow sips from the mug then layed it down back on the saucer and leaned his head on the edge of the sofa. Then stared at me intently. There was a look of regret on his eyes.
"Thank you, Lia." He said. Only Mike and Jay calls me Lia. It was their nickname for me. The others call me Eli or Ana. As for my mom, she calls me by my full name. She calls everyone in full first name basis. No nicknames.
"You're welcome, Jay." I smiled as I make myself comfortable beside Jay. He got the mug and took careful sips. When, he finally finished the content, he stood up. "You never had breakfast, did you?"
It wasn't exactly a question for he walked away and into the kitchen. I heard him open the fridge and get food. I stood up also and brought the tray with empty contents through the kitchen.
I sat on the island counter after placing the tray on the sink, where I found my brother slicing vegetables.
"What's for breakfast this time, Chef Jay?" I asked and smiled. He smirked and answered, "You'll see."
This is what I love about my older twin. Even though he acts like a rebel all night and comes home drunk and wasted, he still had a quality of Mike.
Mike used to cook us breakfast, lunch, and dinner all the time. Mom left with no food on the table. But at least she does the groceries and made the refrigerator and cabinets always full.
Mom also leaves money on our cabinets just for our personal needs and allowances.
Jay got that quality from Mike. He made sure he cooked the three meals of the day. My work was left with washing the dishes.
I always admired boys who can cook. They were responsible. So far, Mike and Jay's cooking were the best. Plus, Dad's. He's specialty was onto pastas. Thinking about Dad made me sad, so I swipe away that thought and focused on what was in front of me.
"I heard that there was a fugitive family on the remote town." Jacob shared.
"Care to elaborate?"
He looked at me and pointed the cucumber towards me. "Tsk. There was this corrupt senator who was captured stealing money from the country, so he ran away along with his family, scared to go to jail. Everyone's finding a lead of him, because news said that they have given a huge bounty for that criminal."
"Oh. You're point is?"
"My point is that be careful to the people you'll meet and deal with."
"That's fine by me."
"Good."