Snow It Up [Shake It Up]

chapter three

Monday had rolled around yet again, and it was time for another day of endless work. At first, CeCe didn't wake up for her alarm. She was dreaming about someone, but the person was a little fuzzy in her mind. The person was standing in front of her, but she couldn't tell who it was because her eyes weren't really working in the dream. It looked like a guy because he was tall, taller than her or Rocky, but that was all she could get. Slowly but surely, the fuzziness went away, and she could tell who it was. She was right; it was a boy, but not the boy she was expecting to be in her dreams. 

CeCe shot up in bed, her alarm going off right next to her ear, beeping as loudly as it could. The remnants from her dream dissipated as she woke up, and it fell away from her memories when she realized just exactly what time it was. Her heart thudded in her chest as she quickly shut off her alarm. Her eyes bugged out when she saw the time on her phone. She must've turned off her first two alarms because it was seven thirty. Her shift started at eight in the morning! She was going to be late, and that almost made her want to just lay back down in bed and curl up in a ball to die.

She stumbled out of her bed, pulling on her Crusty's uniform. Thankfully for her, she slept in a tank top and her underwear, so she just had to get dressed instead of taking off her pajamas and then get in her uniform. That was the only good thing about this moment, though. She ran out of her room, stopping in the bathroom to brush her teeth, pull her hair up into a ponytail, and put on deodorant. 

"Flynn!" CeCe yelled as she rushed out of the bathroom. "Are you still here?"

"Yeah." CeCe skidded to a stop, frowning when she saw Flynn sitting at the kitchen table. He should have been getting ready for school or at school by now, not sitting in their kitchen, sipping on a fresh cup of coffee. "There was a snow day today so don't look at me like that."

"Why didn't you wake me up? I'm going to be late for work!"

"Crusty's is down the street," Flynn said, snorting like this was the funniest situation he had ever been in before. "You will not be late."

CeCe stuck her tongue out at Flynn, glancing at the time on the clock on the stove. She had fifteen minutes until her shift started, so she slid into the seat across from her brother, glad to have a little bit of time with him before he was suddenly 25 and graduated from college and getting married. She picked up a banana from the bowl in the middle of the table and peeled it as quickly as she could. 

"Will you be okay staying home by yourself?" CeCe asked, taking a bite of the banana. She frowned slightly when she realized that it was not as ripe as she liked. She wouldn't waste it, though. "You can always come to work with me."

"CeCe, I'm not eight anymore," Flynn said, rolling his eyes at her. "I'll be fine."

"Okay." CeCe shrugged, frowning, and said, "If you get lonely, though, you can stop by. I know you miss Ty and Deuce."

"No, I don't," Flynn said, sniffing. He stood up, grabbing his plate and walking over to the sink. He kept his cup of coffee on the table, so CeCe took a quick sip from it since she had nothing to drink herself. It was as bitter as the brussels sprouts that Rocky forced her to eat when they were younger. He quickly washed his dish, saying, "But if you do see them around, tell them to come over once in a while."

"Will do." CeCe finished her banana, so she threw the peel away in the trash can. She stretched, closing her eyes as her joints popped. One of the bad things about being a dancer was that her joints ached a lot, especially since she wasn't dancing anymore. She sighed as she said, "I'll see you later tonight, buddy. Have a good day!"

"You too," Flynn said, giving her a smile. "Now leave. I'm getting ready to play some video games."

"Yes, sir."