Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Everlasting Limitation ❯ Morning at the Dydeks' ( Chapter 1 )

AN: Yay! Visits! I do so adore visits, but reviews are nice too:) Here's Chapter 1. The song “Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)” is property of Muse. Enjoy!

 

 

 

I woke to the sound of my sister screaming and beating me about the face and head with her favorite pillow. I was waving frantically, trying to stave of the attack when it ended as abruptly as it began. Melissa's face beamed down into mine.

 

“Good morning, Sunshine!”

 

I was very much tempted to put that damn pillow in a place where the sun DIDN'T shine, but I held back that murderous impulse. I'd get her back later.

 

“To HELL with the sun and all that worship it. That means YOU, Sunshine Eternal,” I growled. “Seriously, that hair is enough to cause blindness.”

 

My sister frowned at me and touched her retina-piercing locks, but quickly grinned at me. “You just wish your hair was this lush.” She smacked me again with the pillow. “Come on, we've got exams today.”

 

“You studying? That's nothing short of a miracle.” Everyone knew Melissa for her partying, even Mom and Dad, so for her to hunker down to study for anything probably meant that pigs were about to take off at any second.

 

“Screw you,” she hissed as she bounced of the edge of my bed. “Remind me never to wake you up again when you sleep past the alarm.”

 

I rose and stretched, groaning as my shoulders popped. “Ah, you'll never let me sleep in, especially if I keep writing your papers.” I grinned at the look on her faced and crossed over the room to hug her. Melissa feigned indifference, but finally acquiesced and laid her head on my shoulder.

 

“I love you shit-storm bringer.” She laughed.

 

“Back at you, midget-shit.” I growled at the nickname.

 

“I prefer `vertically-averse.'” She snorted.

 

“Dork.” Melissa left my room quickly and bounded down the steps for breakfast. I could hear my mom screech to stop stomping like an elephant. I threw on some clothes and crept into the bathroom, being careful not to be heard. Mom would kill me if she found out I overslept.

 

Flicking on the light when I got into the bathroom was a huge freaking mistake, I decided, as the light pierced my sensitive eyes. It was like someone had shoved my face into Melissa's hair. I snorted at the thought. Given how may times that's happened, I'd be legally blind by now. I scrunched them shut and counted to ten like I always did before I surveyed last night's damage.

 

“...Nine, Ten.” I reluctantly slid open a lid. Oh, it wasn't so bad.

 

My hair scarf had managed to stay on, so I much have not slept as violently as I usually did. The dreams always made me do that. But last night's visit was almost, comforting. I quickly shook my head to clear that vision, and continued to look myself over. My hair didn't even move, which meant that I would have to wet it, which meant I would be even more late. Ugh.

 

My skin was smooth and clear, if not a little oily. Melissa had always laughed at my bedtime routine, saying that I was the oldest eighteen year old she knew because I wore night cream. I always brushed her off, saying the black didn't crack, and I was determined to keep it that way. I smiled as I brushed my hand against my cheek, reveling in the softness.

 

“Like a baby,” I said. I picked up my toothbrush and daytime toothpaste and prepared to brush my teeth. Dad always ragged on my insistence that I use two toothpastes, but my teeth were white and always clean when I woke up, and he wore dentures anyway, so forget him. After I rinsed with Listerine, I washed my face and quickly smoothed on some sunscreen. I ran my head under the sink and grabbed a towel, preparing to shake.

 

“And here we go!” Using the towel like a shield, I violently shook my head back forth, sending water droplets everywhere. I was so engrossed in drying my hair that I never noticed my mom enter the bathroom.

 

“Quinn, there's-” She stopped as water hit her in the face. Her cry brought an abrupt end to my shaking. There were two of her, and I struggled to focus on one.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” I nodded weakly at the towel in my hands.

 

“Shake and go?” She stared at me, dumbstruck, then laughed as it sunk in.

 

“ You and your hair.” She smiled and reached out to touch it. “ I wish I had hair like this.” She absent-mindedly twirled a tight, black curl around her finger.

 

“Trust me, when you do, you hate it,” I scowled as I fluffed out the beautiful brown mass of her hair. “ What were going to tell me?”

 

“Oh, that there was fresh strawberries and Greek yogurt downstairs for breakfast, and that if you intend on eating them, I suggest that you `shake and go' your behind to the kitchen to get some.” I grinned.

 

“Thanks Mom.” She let go of my hair and turned to leave, but not before adding that I'd better wipe down the mirror. I scrunched some conditioner in my hair, gave the reflective surface a quick swipe, and squeezed past her to eat breakfast.

 

“WALK QUINN!” she roared. I rolled my eyes and slowed my gait, hopping over the dog gate to enter the kitchen. Melissa was almost finished when I arrived eying me with admiration.

 

“You've got to teach me how to do that sometime,” she said as I sat down on the barstool.

 

“What? Hop fences?” I helped myself to some yogurt. “You're a freaking praying mantis, all you have to do is lift your leg and you'd be on the roof.” She started cracking up.

 

“You'd better not hop any fences, young lady,” Dad said, looking up from his newspaper. “And you'd better not think that your older sister will be teaching you.”

 

“Besides, the next time you get chased from a party, it's just a matter of saying `Go, go Gadget Legs' and you can scale them with ease.” I snorted in my yogurt and Melissa grinned. Our dad was cool like that.

 

“She'd better not get busted at a party,” Mom said dangerously as she came in. Dad focused on the paper again. “You haven't been partying, have you?”

 

“Nah, not since the that last close call,” said my sister. I doubted that highly. Melissa was incredibly popular and the thought of her NOT being invited was ludicrous. Mom and Dad clearly thought the same way, but it wasn't like she'd get in trouble or anything. She was the baby. Now if it were me...I wouldn't be able to walk, much less be able to say, “No” to an invitation. I was the smart one, and therefore expected to know better.

 

I sent Melissa a look across the table, and she glared at me. I shook my head. “Hurry up and eat so that I may chauffeur you to school.”

 

“Why not let me drive you instead?” she asked. I could just feel my face twist into a look of incredulity, and my Dad laughed.

 

“Why not make my will now?” I retorted. Mom giggled at me.

 

“Oh, come on,” she whined. “It's not like I'd-”

 

“Crash the car?” Dad and I shared a look, and he shook his head, clearly remembering his prized Mustang, now a tangled mess at the auto shop.

 

“It was accident!”

 

“You had your permit.”

 

“Mom!”

 

“It's your sister's car that she paid for with her money, so it's her rules, or the bike,” Mom declared. One point for me.

 

Melissa's lip twitched. “Fine,” she huffed. She swung her body around the barstool and grabbed her bag. “Meet you at the car.” She stomped off.

 

I finished my yogurt and washed my dish. “Kids,” I said, with a knowing tilt of my head. Dad laughed and Mom rolled her eyes. I walked over and hugged my dad, giving him a brief peck and squeeze. “Love you Daddy.” He grunted and gave me a pat on the head. I hugged my Mom, and she squeezed me back. We stayed like that for a long time.

 

“Oh, I love you sweetheart. Have a nice day at school.” She kissed my forehead.

 

“Love you too, Mom.” I jogged out to the foyer and grabbed my keys and bag. I opened the front door to meet my impatient sister standing by my car.

 

“Sucked up enough, have you?” I ignored her, knowing she was sore over Mom taking my side.

 

“Just getting my nose brown enough for the day.” I smiled and unlocked the car. Melissa opened her door and plunked down in the seat while I daintily sat down. I smiled sweetly at her, pissing her off even more.

 

“You're not done yet. You have the teachers, still,” she said, crossing her arms across her chest.

 

“Seatbelt.” She laughed sardonically. “I don't care, you're not messing up my interior with you guts, should we get in an accident.”

 

“You care about your car more than your baby sister?” she asked, feigning hurt.

 

“When you are a vintage T-bird, than maybe we'll talk,” I said.

 

“Meanie!” She smacked me hard in the arm. I glared at her and started the engine.

“One more time, and I swear to God I will make you jog alongside me.” Melissa pouted, but said nothing. She then wandered to my radio dials.

 

“What station?”

 

“The usual.”

 

“Good. At least you inherited my good taste.”

 

“Too bad you didn't get my brains.”

 

“I hate you,” she said with a smile. She turned up the radio, and I recognized our song. “You ready, Quinn?”

 

“...then they'll dissipate, like snowflakes in an ocean.”

 

“You better believe it,” I grinned, rolling down the windows. The lyrics started and we both started to sing along.

 

“Love is forever. And when we die, we die together.”

 

I shot off down the street as we laughed, the music and our voices booming out for everyone in our unfortunate neighborhood.