The alarm triggered in my ears. The first few minutes were lazed by hiding myself under the pillowcase or pulling the blanket over me. I fiercely hated awakening to dominating noise pollution. Nevertheless, the alarm won the match—and the award was merely my deafened ears.
"Why the heck don't you just stop?!" I screeched as I turned down the horrendous clock.
"Because you're late for school, Blake." A known voice laughed at me. George. I didn't expect to see him standing in the doorway with a modified camera.
It almost looked like he was clicking pictures of me while sleeping. I cringed to the fact that he waited there the whole night, darting pictures of my clumsy stature rolling up and down in the bed, in the awful pajamas which tend to leave the stench of unwashed socks. I gulped at the consideration of the perplexing etiquettes I perform at night, striving to scuff my back when the perspiration bizarrely transformed into itches.
The facts instantly turned into a nightmare.
"And what're you doing here...?"
"Testing the camera your dad bought for me. He said you needed protection."
Embarrassment hammered me with a bang. "Oh, right. So you've been here for...?"
"Fifteen minutes. I assumed you'd acquire some privacy. Was I wrong?"
Nothing could have been more blissful. Relaxation swept over me. "George, you seriously are a hell of a sibling I've got."
"Oh."
Christ! "It was a compliment. You're awesome!"
He smiled wryly and stormed out of the way. I could bet this was the best feeling ever: less weird, more me. If that ever made sense to anyone.
I sarcastically turned towards the clock. My ecstasy was sucked down the drains. I was tremendously late. The one thing I loathed doing, although highlighting the aspect that the teachers would barely even mind if I shot up extremely delayed in the middle of school hours. Honestly, they wouldn't even notice my presence if I actually happened to attend the class—I'm the invisible "someone" seated across the back of the grade, without name, fame or game.
Nevertheless, I grew up hating being behind schedule, and I was determined to stick to it, since not going doesn't stand the millimeter of a fortune. The next few moments passed like a lightning bolt. My hands pulled and shoved at everything that my wardrobe stuffed, and I wasn't sure if I wore the right pair of socks, but for the matter of time, everything was a screwed up process anyway.
The last thing I knew was that I was putting on my tubes dexterously under my nose, the façade refining the look. I flit down the staircase in a half-walk, half-run prospect. Then, I found myself dumbfounded in the dining hall.
And I repeat, dumbfounded.
Josh was saying something. His expression reflected graveness. Danny and George were seated at the far corner, letting Julie and Debbie grasp the depth of the circumstance. Ben, as always, vanished in the thin air. Air, which I couldn't endure.
"What?" The words stumbled out of my mouth. I glanced at the seated residents, and was charmingly surprised that mom and Mariana kept their heads low. Something was definitely eerie about the scenario.
Josh sighed, "We've been on a discussion, Blake." He stared at me, "It's about time you get on your feet and make yourself abundant in our decision."
There was no way I could heave the words. "A decision?"
"Yes. A decision."
"And?" I looked at the others seeking for some help. It was inevitably a waste of my time. They appeared to be rejoicing their funerals. Zombies of Blake's Land. A secretive grin slithered across my lips. But the next words of Josh murdered the joy of it.
Josh forced a smile. "Do you want to take a day off school and visit Alice with your siblings?"
Alice. The name I've never learned to admire. She was the tragic that shoved my real dad away from my life. She was my sister, from another mother. She was, as I loved to call her, Cruella De Vil.
"You want me to visit her?" I chuckled, "Why? Did Cruella get bored from her Spanish dogs? The wanna-be crows? What's it said in Spanish? Ah. The El gilipollas y sus polluelos."
A crisp cackle burned the tranquility of the hall. Ben rubbed his tears of delight. I watched him, pondering from the deepest of my conscience, how the hell he ended up beside the table?!
Josh cleared his throat, and the immobility was back into action. He inhaled noisily. "She invited you to her nightstay."
"I don't wear spotted coats or gleaming diamonds. I wonder why else would she encourage my presence in her doll house?" I pretended to gasp, "Oh, I remember. She wants to brag about her flawlessness and blow her horn at my face on how pity she gestures for me."
Silence greeted my speech. And I was ecstatic to welcome it.
Mariana interrupted the stillness. "Well, you might be astonished. She spoke quite mannerly this time."
"So did Cruella De Vil in the movie. I will obviously be astonished, but not in the way you all are expecting."
Josh rose from his seat and announced undemocratically, "Danny, you'll drop off your sisters at Alicia's and then take the responsibility to bring them back by Friday. Do I make myself clear?"
For a second, I thought it was just a lame joke. I spun toward Dan and then back at Josh. My senses slammed me in the face. This was the most crippled joke I ever heard—if, it was a hoax.
Danny gazed at me apologetically. He nodded at Josh, "Yes, Uncle Josh." A word from Dan's mouth meant that it couldn't be broken by a gazillion blackmails. Regrettably, he was popular because of his vows.
I couldn't merge with the sea of sentiments that wavered at me like a gigantic tsunami.
"What? You can't do that to me!" It was a scream. My breath stiffened. The tubes were slurred with panicked lather. I closed my eyes for a moment to hush my breaths.
"Actually, I can. And you know why? Because I want you to learn to stand on your feet by yourself." Josh held me by the shoulders, smiling enthusiastically. "I know I'm not your desired father, but I still love you. And a father would always want the best for his daughter. Especially when you're so powerful in your own fashion."
There was an awed moment of affection. They lingered for my response, as I lagged the time to mesmerize the conversation. Irrevocably, I sighed in defeat. The white flag of surrender was raised. The plump family still waited for a reaction.
I hauled a short chuckle and shook my head, "What a dramatic blackmail."
The quietness broke into a chorus of laughter. Debbie patted George on the back in glee, receiving a flash from his camera instead. Somehow, the picture demonstrated Ben posing. In the middle of such fuzz, my heart raced in my chest, promptly aware of a thought.
"Wait." I frowned, "does that mean no school for today?"
Mom edged closer to embrace me and smiled, "Yeah, you heard it right. No school for you today."
No school.
"Really?"
How long have I been waiting for this day? Wasn't this my motive anyway—to avoid school? This is so complicated. I should be cartwheeling in delight, and yet....something feels sophisticated. I'm guessing the blame should be on Alice.
Mom laughed, "Yes! But that doesn't mean you're going to be provoked to make an excuse forever. Just say that today's your lucky day."
"Yeah. Luck." What an unscrupulous fate this is. Right when I actually started to thrill for school, my fortune jumped to superior. And that also for some slumber party at Alicia's.
I wanted to curse so awfully; the words were boiling up my tongue, but then I realized something rather blissful.
No school meant no Jake.
That's when I analyzed that the pleasure had transformed into an enigmatic disappointment.