Amity

Chapter 22: 8-Bit

"Hey, 8-Bit! Rise and shine! You've got school!"

Megumi awoke to the sound of her brother pounding on her door. Yawning, she stumbled out of her bed and moved towards her closet. "What are you still doing here, Joel?"

"Loyalty and I are helping the family move the stuff in."

"Fun. You mind not trying to knock down the door next time you wake me? I kind of appreciate having some kind of privacy."

"You're seventeen. You don't need privacy yet."

"Oh, shut up."

Joel laughed as he left her door. She didn't know what exactly what made her the angriest: the fact that he woke her by trying to kick down the door, or that he woke her out of such a good sleep. She sighed as she put on a black shirt with pink stripes on the sides and a pair of black jeans, baggy of course.

It should be made illegal to wake someone from such a nice dream, she thought as she sat on the foot of her bed and started to brush her hair.

A softer knock sounded on the door, much softer than any knock that Joel had the common decency to do, anyway. "Gumi, it's almost time for you to leave," her mother's gentle voice had said through the cracked door. "Are you going to eat here or at school?"

"I'm eating here, Mom. If the lunchroom ladies put as much care into their food as Principal Dixon put into his duties, then I won't take my chances. I'll be out as soon as I get done brushing my hair."

"Okay, breakfast is on the table."

"Thanks, Mom."

After brushing her hair, Megumi made her way towards the dining room. The smell of blueberry pancakes, sausage links, scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon instantly awakened her stomach. God, Mom and Daddy sure know how to make me hungry.

Megumi joined Toney and Tiffany at the glass dining table. Tiffany was watching the news on the TV in the living room while Toney was pretending to pay attention but was too busy stuffing his plate. A glass pitcher of apple juice sat beside a small, ordinate flower pot. Her plate was already prepared at the side facing away from the TV set, Megumi favorite spot. "Morning Mom. Morning Daddy," she said as she poured herself a glass of juice.

"Morning, Gumi. Have a good night's sleep?" Tiffany asked before taking a sip of coffee.

"I did until Joel woke me up." She shot a dangerous look at Joel as he, along with Loyalty, passed by the entrance to the dining room carrying her parents horizontal, white oak dresser. His long, braided ponytail was draped across his shoulder. They set the dresser down as Joel wiped sweat from his brow with his thumb.

"Early bird catches the worm," Joel said.

"Whatever. Is there any more bacon, Mom?"

"Sorry, Gumi, Joel ate the last strip."

Megumi rubbed her forehead, frustrated. "Did you at least replace my mini muffins, Joel?"

"Yeah, about that," Joel said with an apologetic look on his face, "I did replace the muffins, but I forgot why I bought them and ate them."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

She turned in her seat and flicked a spoonful of scrambled eggs at him. His eyes flashed as the eggs were enveloped in a thin yellow aura, inches from his face. "Thanks," Loyalty said as he picked the eggs out of the air and stuffed them in his mouth. "Mmm... damn, that's good, Mrs. G."

Tiffany gave a small nod and grin as Loyalty and Joel went back to work. "So, how was the Edge Walker's forest, Gumi?"

Megumi gave a shudder as she took another spoonful of eggs. "I'd rather not bring that back up."