Kartar: Return of the Guardians

Chapter Four: Last Night On Earth

The air conditioner was at full blast and the windows thrown wide open. The drapes were waving teasingly, and I wished I was being touched by the wind as easily as they were. The wind chime tinkled quietly in the faint breeze and the bright light pouring through the family room made me squint whenever I looked over at Sloan. He looked awfully cute with his hair curling in the heat. He hated when his hair did that, but it made me remember times of when we were younger.

I spun in my computer chair, not much enjoying the fading March day. I could barely keep my eyes open in the unusual heat and I vaguely wondered what the point of the fireplace in the front of the room was. The heat was making me ridiculously lethargic.

Evan sneezed. He was sitting in front of the bookshelf on the left of the fireplace, dark brown eyes furiously skimming through a book that we had picked for our novel study at the beginning of the month. Well, more like I picked.

"Bless you," I said.

"Thanks," he grunted and skipped ahead several pages. He wasn't exactly big on reading.

Neither were the others, to be honest. I was the only one who read for recreational purposes.

Evan's jet black hair fell into his eyes and he tried blowing it away with poofs of breath while attempting to finish reading the book.

"Evan, you're an idiot," Nikeisha yawned as she fanned herself with one of my homework assignments. She was lying on the couch and staring at the currently un-working ceiling fan. She was bored and she was uncomfortably hot, two of many factors that maker her want to pick a fight. I knew that girl very well. "You can't read that book in thirty seconds. You're not Kartar," 

Nikeisha's hazel eyes opened and she winked at me cheesily. Keish loved hot weather but I don't think she was too happy with it coming so early when it was supposed to be spring. Her usual smooth and shiny ringlets had started frizzing up. Her skin was shiny from perspiration, just like the rest of us, though, of course, she didn't look as gross.

Evan sighed helplessly and put the book back on the shelf next to the countless others. "Sorry, Kartar. I failed you," he half joked. He had really wanted to read it, especially since Eiran was in there, but didn't have time.

"It's okay," I said, "it's not like you're the only one who didn't read it." I said pointedly.

"Ha," Nikeisha retorted "the rest of us have lives, thanks."

Sloan was still seemingly asleep. He hadn't yet said a word since he came over and threw himself on the chair claiming peace for a few minutes. It had been at least an hour. I wasn't going to complain though. An hour is a record of peace when Sloan Breslin is in the room.

The door opened and my mother peeked in, looking slightly rushed. Sloan jumped and sat in the chair properly, eyes open and a charming smile on his face. The beast awakens.

My mother smiled at him and then extended it to the rest of us. Sloan and I had gotten in so many fights and arguments you would have thought my mom would have hated him by now, but nope. Not at all. Sometimes I got the feeling she liked that kid more than me.

"Okay, Kartar," Mom said to me as she put in pearl earrings, "we'll all be back from the dinner party around one at the latest. Make sure the four of you eat something later on for dinner. There's stuff for sandwiches in the refrigerator and I'm sure there's some ice cream in the deep freeze in the garage to keep cool."

"Nah, there isn't," I sighed. "Arjan ate it all yesterday." For such little people, little brothers can really put it away.

"Oh," my mom said, slightly surprised. "That was a brand new tub of... oh never mind. Anyway, I'd better go, I think I hear your Dad honking the horn. Bye kids. Get your project done!"