“Nyx, wake up you stinkin sloth!”

I groggily opened my eyes to a very grumpy looking Rini hovering above my bed. Shivering, I reached around for my missing covers.

“Uhg, you’re so loud,” I complained and rolled over to look at my bedside clock. 

Seven forty-two. Crap. Five minutes to get ready.

Rini huffed and left, shutting the door behind her. 

The smell of eggs and bacon permeated the room, taunting me. 

Clothes littered the floor in piles, my backpack contents strewn out haphazardly. Could I find my uniform in time? Possibly. 

I rolled out of bed and started kicking my clothes around, trying to catch a glimpse of my uniform.

Gotcha!

The dark purple plaid skirt and white flannel shirt peeked out from under my computer chair. I grabbed them, did the sniff test, and got ready for school.

It wasn’t long before I was standing in front of my dresser mirror, light trickling in from the window adjacent to my bed, holding a hairbrush in one hand and a toothbrush in the other. My shoulder length black hair was streaked with bright purple and pink strands that my teachers loved to comment on. I loved that it bothered them, and I enjoyed ignoring their demands to dye my hair a “normal” color.

Other than that oddity, my appearance was plain. I had a round face with a distinct mole below my left eye and was a bit taller than average. I thought I was okay looking. Nothing special. Just the way I liked it. Special would mean people expected something from you. 

Expectations? That was a lot of work.

The door to my room flew open. Rini stood there with a brown paper bag in her hand.

“Here,” she said, shoving me my lunch. “I’m leaving now. You’re too slow.” 

I saluted her. “Thank you, my patient, wonderfully sweet sister for making this lunch.” 

She rolled her eyes but smiled. “You’re so weird. Love ya, don’t be late on the first day!” 

“Hey, I have a record to uphold!” I shouted after her as she walked out the door. 

Sometimes I wondered where Rini came from. Was she an alien? If it weren’t for the unmistakable similarities between our appearances, I would have thought that she wasn’t related to our mess of a family. 

Our parents were absentees, but they may as well have been dead for all I cared. Leaving me was one thing...

But Rini? She didn’t deserve this.

I went to the kitchen to find plates full of pancakes and eggs on the table. I picked up a note that read: “Here’s breakfast. Bring home food tonight. Not from that awful ramen place again. Love you – Rini.”

I felt a twinge of regret, remembering our fight from last night. I picked on her a little too much. She had a lot on her shoulders already.

It was decided. Tonight, I’d pick up food from her favorite sushi restaurant. 

I quickly scarfed down breakfast, mentally thanking Rini for being a god-like cook.

I glanced at my phone.

Only five minutes late. Not too shabby. 

Backpack in hand I headed out the door.

It was time for my first day as a Sophomore in high school.