Chapter 1
“Querida, cada momento de mi vida
Yo pienso en ti más cada día”
3, 2, 1... “Uhhh!” All of us say in unison. I’m the first to climb out of bed to shut the stupid thing off. Yes, that lovely Mexican music is our broken alarm clock. Does it technically work, yes. Does it only play Spanish music, yes. It’s 6:30 on a Monday and no one wants the get up. If you did, you are a robot or an alien.
“Get up guys!” I encourage, but I am only met with groans. Honestly, I don’t blame them, but don’t kill the messenger! I grab some clothes from the closet and quickly snag the bathroom. One of the perks for being the only one able to get up in the mornings. After I quickly change, I go down to make breakfast.
Now I don’t care what your opinion is about oatmeal, but I like it, it’s healthy and easy to make, so... I don’t care what you say. I whip up a pot for six and start washing berries as the others make there way down.
“Dude, get over hear and help.”
“But Catherine-”
“Shush up!” Another groan comes my way, but also a set of helping hands. Those helping hands are my brother Rhys. Light brown hair, deep blue eyes and 13. Wouldn’t call him handsome (he’s my brother), but definitely not a sight for sore eyes. Aside from me and our dad, he is the only other one capable of getting out of bed in this house.
“Anything fun happening today?” I ask.
“I think the teachers are talking about moving me to a higher coding class because I know all the languages they are teaching in my current class.” He replied lazily.
“That’s awesome bud! Surprised they haven’t done that already!” As you can probably guess, my brother is a genius. Being able to do your times tables since you were in preschool means that you get to go to a prestigious private school, on a scholarship. Which is great for us because, well, we can be a bit short for cash.
By 7 breakfast is ready and the majority of us have made there way downstairs. As I am passing out bowls of oatmeal and brushing sleepies out of people’s eyes it is clear to me that no one is truly awake.
“Kate! Your not even out of your pj’s!” Before she can reply Mom comes stumbling down the hallway. Ah, our Mom. You got to love her. Her dirty blond hair was pulled back into her normal low ponytail, but most of it was flying around her face as wispys. I was lucky and got her green almost hazel eyes, but hers were accompanied by bags that could carry groceries. She wasn’t wearing make-up today, but if she was, it be the smallest amount poorly rubbed in. She normally looks like this, but overall she has been declining. Like death has been on her doorstep for a week or two, but hasn’t knocked yet. (Sorry Mom)
“Hey guys. Thank you for making breakfast Catherine-”
“I helped make breakfast today Mom!” Rhys chimed in.
“Well thank you Rhys.” Mom said in a cool calm tone she always has. “Griffin and Jenna are dressed. Lilybeth’s clothes are laid out. Breakfast is made. People who are taking the bus please leave soon. I have my notes for work ready. Oh! Kate you need to be outside earlier than you were last week. I don’t need Jane’s mom calling me again asking where you are.” Kate rolls her eyes at this. “Am I forgetting something?” She asks looking at me.
“Are you ready?” Staring at her pj’s.
“Oh right!” She pushed out a stressed laugh. “I better change.” She said rushing off.
“Mom!” Kate yelled down at her. “Catherine yelled at me for being like 2 seconds late!”
A distant yell came from my Mom, clearly not paying attention. “Catherine cut it out!” I signed and avoided looking at my sister’s smug face. This happens everyday, but what can you do with an annoying sister? I have 2 others who are much nicer. Yes, I have favorites. :)
Now as I have slightly brushed off... I have a big family. There my Mom and Dad, me, Rhys, Kate, Lilybeth (or just Beth), Griffin and Jenna. To put things simply...
- There is me, Catherine. I am the oldest at 16 and have decently long light brown hair with green eyes that border hazel.
- My brother Rhys who you already know.
- Kate who is 10 and looks exactly like Rhys, but in girl form. She is even the same height as him! She also wins the award for the most annoying sister ever.
- Lilybeth (or Beth for short) got the pretty gene pool with her bight strawberry blond hair and eyes that resemble mine. She is 7 and the quietest out of the bunch. (but that’s not that hard to accomplish)
- The twins Griffin + Jenna who are 4. They both have super light brown hair, almost blondish, but Griffin is a boy and has deep blue eyes. Jenna is a girl and has the green border hazel eyes. They are both the biggest trouble makers I have seen and one hard duo to handle.
- Our Dad. We don’t see him much, because he is always working. Which makes a lot of sense for the amount of people he helps provide for. He has dark hair, deep blue eyes and glasses. He is a bit rounder, but super tall.
- Our Mom who you have met as well.
We are one large family, but it’s all I’ve very know. I couldn’t imagine it any other way. We are the Johnsons, nothing else to it.
I finish my breakfast and run upstairs to pack my bag. The second I walk through the door I trip on toys and mess.
“Typical.” I say rolling my eyes. If you haven’t guessed, having a large family means sharing bedrooms. I still remember when it was just my twin bed in this room. I sigh remembering the good old days. When lovely miss Kate came along she brought a twin as well. Then Lilybeth came making Kate and I’s twin, bunk beds. When Jenna finally came along another set of bunk beds was shoved in. Aside from the beds there’s the toy chest and a small desk we are always fighting over.
I gather my things carefully placing them in my backpack. Looking at the clock I internally curse. It’s 7:18 and it takes 20 minutes to walk to the bus stop that has a bus leaving at 7:28. Nothing like a morning jog.
Rushing downstairs I grab some money for lunch and shouting behind me, “Leaving. Don’t forget to make the little kids lunch!”
“Oh shoot!” I hear my Mom say before shutting the door.
I made the bus, but also a lot of sweat. I take my normal seat near the front of the bus. No, I am not uncool with no friends. Ok, rephrase. I am uncool, but have friends. I sit in the front because I get car sick..... and sea sick..... and air sick. Yayyyyyy.....
The next stop my friend Masiey comes on. She sits next to me, but is always longing to sit near the back. She will never admit it, but she LOVES drama. The back of the bus is filled to the brim with annoying boys with drama just waiting to happen.
“Wanting to sit with your boyfriend. It’s ok we won’t judge.” Emma teases. Emma also gets on at this stop. I like to call her Switzerland, because she is friends with everyone and I am not exaggerating. We have all known each other since elementary school and are bus buddies.
“Lay off Emma.” I say. Maisey’s “boyfriend” is Liam, her family friend. He also gets on at this stop. He totally likes her and both their parents ship, but May throws up at the idea. Honestly, me as well. We talk and joke for the rest of the ride. Once we arrive everyone pushes and shoves there way off the bus.
Ahh, high school. The place where dreams are supposed to come true, but are really crushed. Like crushed, so bad they can never be put back together. Anyway...
I walk into homeroom with all the other sleeping students, nothing abnormal. At lunch I grab and eat my food quickly, so I can go to the library. Once again, I have friends. I am a sarcastic person, but I am not being sarcastic now. I promise you I have friends. I sat with them while eating my lunch quickly. Whatever, think that I am lying if you want. I don’t care. Reason I am going to the library is so I can finish the homework for my afternoon classes. Ya, my afternoon classes. The homework that is due today. I am terrible, I know. Don’t judge.
My afternoon classes were pretty boring, Spanish I crushed it though. The benefits of having an alarm clock that only plays music in Spanish!
While pushing my way out of school I saw someone had dropped all there stuff everywhere. Of course I just over to help! No, they aren’t the most handsome person to live. No, they weren’t a little child either. Normal people can fall over as well!!!
“Thank you!” He said as I stared picking up his papers. I smiled at him. He looked younger than me. Definitely had a lover look in his eyes. Internal eye roll. There was a knocked over black case along with all the papers and I knew what it was straight away.
“You play trombone!” He blushed a bit. Gosh, I didn’t say anything embarrassing or lovey dovey.
“Ya, you play.” He looked hopeful. Ha, about to crush your dreams sucker.
“Used to. Been awhile since I reached for that 7th position.” He laughed at my joke. Whether it was out of pity, lovey doveyness or the fact it was funny, we will never know. What I said was true though. Used to play in elementary school and a bit of middle, but things at home didn’t allow for playing loud instruments and I had other things to do as well. It got kicked to the curb in all the mess. Do I miss it? Yes. Could I ever find time in my life for in? No. Looking at my phone I forgot all that and,
“Shoopa!”
“I’m sorry?” The poor boy was so confused. As I was running away I called behind me,
“When you have a billion young siblings you get creative with your cursing!”
I start jogging toward the elementary school. I was late for picking up the elementary school kids. I knew it was coming before it happened,
“How dare you forget about us! I was so worried!” External eye roll.
“Yes Kate. Sorry for being a couple minutes late.”
“A couple minutes late! It felt like we were waiting for an hour!”
“Terribly sorry.”
“It’s like you don’t even care about us.” I just tuned her out from there. I was so sick of her.
“Beth, how was your day at school today?”
“You are ignoring me for Beth!!!”
“It was good.”
“Anything fun happen?”
“Hello! I am talking here!!!”
“My teacher gave us one of those coloring math worksheets.”
“Oh, I never really found those fun.”
“Ugh! You never listen to me.”
“I like them a lot.” It went on like that for the rest of the walk home.
