That One Night

LILAH

I'm abruptly awoken by the sound of my mother's shouts and rapid knocks on the outside my bedroom door. "Lilah! Why aren't you up and ready yet?! Precious has been outside waiting for almost an hour!"

Disoriented and slightly panicked, I quickly sat up but unable to open my eyes due to the sun's rays shining into my still sleep stricken eyes.

"I'm up, I'm up! Totally up..." I mumbled while I rubbed my eyes and a yawn escaped my partially chapped lips. Grimacing at the bad taste left in my mouth I smacked my lips together, desperate to get rid of the cotton mouth left behind from sleep.

What the hell, how long have I been asleep?

Grabbing my phone from off my nightstand, I unlocked it to check the time along with much more terrifying things. 7:35 am with 5 missed calls and 8 messages from Precious.

Holy shit, school starts at eight! She is gonna kill me, I was supposed to be up an hour ago! With the new info I kicked away my blanket, swung my legs off the bed and darted for the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later, truly a world record, I was finished and zoomed downstairs into the kitchen where the rest of my family was also eating or getting ready to leave. As I entered, my eyes jumped from face to face before landing on my little sister's smirking one.

Then it clicked. She had interfered with my alarm, no wonder it hadn't rung.

Of course it was her... Since we've been back to school from summer vacation she'd been pranking me nonstop and I'd begun to get sick of it. My jaw clenches and I actually feel my eyes spark with anger the longer we hold eye contact. Her face falls and I revel in it. Before I could stomp over and give her a piece of my mind I'm stopped in place by the pillowy, worrisome voice of my mom and her soft yet sturdy hand on my arm.

"Can we talk for a moment?" She says and I groan internally. As I'm about to come up with the excuse that I'm late and I need to go, she reads my mind, "You're already late as it is Lils, 5 minutes won't make a big difference."

Making a frustrated noise at the back of my throat, I follow her into our living room and stay next to the door frame and wait for her to talk. I know what she's gonna ask me about and I do NOT fancy talking about this with her.

"What is going on with you? These past three months you've been nothing but a shell of yourself. You're angry all the time and unusually quiet. Not to mention, you taking digs at your sister from time to time, " she finishes and folds her arms across her chest.

Incredibly blew my eyes wide open and annoyace rushes through my veins, begging to be released. "What? She's the one messing with me! Playing useless pranks just to get on my nerves and-"

"Your sister is having a hard time settling into her new class right now I think her idleness is justified."

"So am I but you don't see me running around screwing up other people's day! Why should she get cut any less slack when she's causing everything? Why?!"

"Watch your tone with me, young lady! If she's having a hard time at school, which she is, I think it'd be nice if her sister was mentally present to help her out a bit." she said harshly making me fall quiet. I look everywhere but at her as tears pricked the corner of my eyes and a lump formed in my throat. She'd always take her side, it's unfair.

She sighed defeatedly, pinching the bridge of her nose before looking at me again. "I just want to know why you're hurting. Sophie is only acting out because she misses her sister and quite frankly so do I. Talk to me, it's why I'm here. I'm only worried about you and I want to help you, love. Please."

The desire to cry came at me harder than a bulldozer at a demolition site and if I stayed any longer my eyes would surely turn into the Nile river. So I mumble a quick nothing's wrong before I run into the kitchen. Noting that Sophie and dad had already left I sigh before picking up my breakfast and a muffin to go.

Taking a deep breath to prepare for my best friend's wrath, I push open the front door and run towards the direction of her idling, bluish purple car, quickly settling in before sheepishly turning to see her unimpressed face and index finger tapping the steering wheel.

"Please don't be mad at me! I brought you a muffin!" When she doesn't answer I pull it in front her and wave it temptingly. "It's chocolate chiipp."

She huffs but takes the muffin anyway and my chest lifts with delight knowing she's already forgiven me. "You're so freaking lucky I love you and you got my favorite or I'd have already torn you a new one... What the fuck happened to you?" She asked eyeing the multiple bags under my eyes. I'm pretty sure I look undead.

"Sophie, and mom obviously took her side again and dad is well... dad. Oblivious to everything." I sighed out and she nodded now understanding.

"Ah I see. I get it,," She laughed out bitterly. "Mom is the same. But she's out wherever instead of home these days."

At the mention of her mom I look up ready to console her if she cries, although it's a extremely rare event for her to do so. Years ago Precious lost her father to cancer. Since then her mother had been drowning herself in drugs and alcohol leaving her kids to fend for themselves.

Her older brother, Samuel goes to college with mine but still has to two jobs to help himself and his sister pay the bills at home and school fees. Our family helps at times, letting Precious stay with us when her mother isn't home but that's as far as she'd let it go. She'd never ask for money or deny our help paying for anything she may need. And the last thing she wants is sympathy for something her mother should be doing.

As I think about it I realise how ungrateful I seem towards my own parents. After all I still have them both, with mom exceedingly worried about me, Precious has just her brother left...

Not acknowledging the dispiriting silence that now loomed over us, knowing she wouldn't accept my pitying remarks, I took my breakfast out and scarfed it down as she pulled out of my driveway and set us on our path to school.

Twenty minutes later we've pulled into the school parking lot and sat in silence even after Precious pulled the key out of the ignition. Taking a deep breath she turns to face me and I do the same with her.

"Ready for this?" She asked gravely, searching my face.

No. Is what I wanted to say. I'll never be ready. But I slap on a brave face before I nod assuredly, opening her car door and stepping out.

"Let's get this Monday over with."