From The Start (1st Draft)

Chapter 26

I woke up Sunday morning, with the sun shining in through my half opened window, not wanting to wake up. The breeze was beautiful, and it was finally beginning to feel like it was getting cooler outside. I opened my eyes, and breathed in all of the fresh fall air, wishing I could make everything about my life just perfect. It was sad to admit that my life was still not heading in that direction. At the time, I didn't even think about all of the luck I already had. My family, for one, was alive and safe. My friends were holding up alright, and Stephanie was learning to cope with the thought of her twin brother being stuck in the hospital for over a month. Most of all, I was healthy, and I had a boyfriend who obviously liked me. With all that was going on, still, I had to realize how lucky I was to be safe, secure, and happy.

I rolled out of bed and sat still for a few minutes, letting the wind blow scents of crumbled up leaves and flowers into my bedroom. Once I was done relaxing, I dressed into tight black sweatpants, and didn't even bother looking for a shirt. Instead I just grabbed whatever was there in my reaching distance. It was a white and gray tank top, with many different designs. I was going to wear a throw over sweatshirt today anyway so I just pulled it on. I wore my red high tops, and didn't care about what I looked like, because I sadly knew I wouldn't be able to see Alex any time soon.

I was hungry and craving French toast, so I silently walked into the kitchen trying not to wake anyone up. Across the hall Jimmy was watching cartoons in the living room, and I could hear my mother snoring all the way from where the stove was. I began cooking and eventually I was finished. Jimmy and I sat down in front of the television while eating our breakfast and drinking our orange juice. I then noticed my mom walk out of her room and into the bathroom with her robe on.

We finished eating and I cleaned the dishes in the sink. I didn't feel like loading the dishwasher, so I left the other plates and cups where they were. I planned on starting my job today, which meant going to the library and doing some research. I looked at the clock and it was earlier then I had thought, which didn't surprise me because I was far from good at telling time. It read nine o'clock AM.

"How did you sleep last night?" my mother asked as she threw a pop tart in the toaster. I noticed she had already taken a shower and gotten dressed. She looked very rested and I was surprised to see no shadows under her eyes.

"Um, it was alright I guess," I said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"That's wonderful," she told me, suddenly staring in my direction.

"Sure," I questioned.

"Is something on your mind?" she asked me.

I couldn't answer at first. "I'm just starting to get in a bad mood," I admitted, hating that I knew the reason why.

"Well what is it?"

I rolled my eyes and rested my head on my arm. "I don't know," I sighed.

She sat down next to me and placed her hand softly over mine. "Would you like to talk to me about it, honey?" she smiled.

"I don't think so," I stated.

"Oh," she said, her voice dropping with confusion. I think she was shocked to hear me reject her so quickly. "Do you mind if I ask you why?"

"I'm not sure why," I told her, trying to calm myself down. "I'm having a hard time breathing..."

"What?" she exclaimed, standing up and heading to the phone.