There is something about getting punched in the head that really makes you want to grab someone by the head and smash them into a brick wall. Like right now.
I felt the blood go flying from my nose, onto the wall that I was so rudely pinned up against. An Eraser swung a huge paw, catching the side of my face. More blood. More pain. The Eraser flashed his disgusting yellow fangs at me, now holding onto my throat.
"Say goodbye bird-brain."
"Romeo!" a girl's voice screamed in pure agony.
I awoke, dazed and confused. One of my hands flew to my nose, as the other clawed at the unseen hand that I was sure was holding on tightly to my throat, but it wasn't. I was fine, and nothing was trying to kill me.
It was early, and as far as I could tell, no one other than me was awake. I cruised into the kitchen, in only some shorts and socks. Here is a fun fact: socks + tile one hell of a time.
I stood in front of the fridge, yanking it open. Amazingly, there was still food. 1.) Because Jack hadn't eaten it all, and 2.) Unlike other children on the run from crazy wolf-things who a trying to kill us, we find it fun to go to the store every once and a while and blow peoples mind with our crazy stealing tactics. Stealing is bad, children. Don't do it. What can I say? We have no money!
"Score!" I said, taking out some milk. Milk meant that I could have a cup of tea (Lame, I know) and some cereal. Oh, life was sweet. I turned on the kettle and removed a bowl from the draining board on the sink. Just then, I heard a shuffling behind me, and that mean that someone else was awake. Oh boy! I couldn't wait to find out who!...Right.
I spun on my heels, catching fourteen-year-old Celeste's blueish eyes, "Morning, Celeste." I said, grabbing another bowl, knowing she would be hungry. She smiled at me, smiling like I was her only family, "Mornin' Romeo."
I smiled. My favorite play as a child when we first came to this place was Romeo and Juliet. Funny, huh? I was eleven and my favorite thing was to hear about the 'set in the stars' love story. So that's why I chose my name to be Romeo: Because he could do anything (in my eyes, anyway.)
It seemed as if the whole world was just waking up, and I was its leader. See. There is a little story that goes behind our living in this small house in the Santa Catalina Mountains (That's Arizona for those of you who don't know), and it's long. Maybe I'll give it to you bit by bit, but there is one amazing detail that you have to know: All five of us have wings.
Another sleepy body was walking into the room, rubbing at his eyes. "What's for breakfast?" He asked, sitting on a stool at the island. Spike, as we call him ( I believe we read that his real name was Christopher.) had always had a little trouble getting up in the morning. He was…uh…cranky, to say the least.
"Dunno, Spike." I said, "What do you want?"
"Uhm….I want-" he was cut off by a loud noise from the other room.
"Give me my hair brush back right now!" is was El was screaming, pounding on the bathroom door. Obviously it was Diva on the other side, the six-year-old horror. How someone could be so evil amazed me. She wasn't evil to me, of course, but she did pull rather cruel stunts, but maybe that is why we loved her so much.
And then, as if this house was a freaking circus of crazy mutated children, something came flying out of Jack's room. It resembled something like that of a bug. Now, I love Jack, and he is my best friend, but this guy is a chicken when it comes to bugs. He leaped out of his room, running toward them, then behind me, "There was a damn beetle in my room! And it was trying to climb on my face, and eat my brains, man!"
Thank you for that visionary, Jack. I can see that there was a beetle in your room, but since you sent it flying into a door across the hall at three thousand miles per hour, I don't think it will be doing any brain eating today.
"Uhm…I'll go get it then." I said instead, actually not in the mood to deal with a panic stricken Jack.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Jack spat out rapid fire, hopping from one foot to the other as I picked up the dying creature in my hand (with a tissue, of course. How ew would that be if I didn't have one?) I threw it in the trash can, then made my way over to the bathroom, where El was still yelling about a hair brush. Not that I cared about El's hair items, I just wanted her to shut up and save my head from exploding.
"Diva!" I called, knocking softly on the door, "Honey, please give Elli her brush back and come sit down, I am going to make breakfast and I want all of you to be there with limbs still attached."
I heard the door unlock, and smiled. The brush popped through the small crack that Diva had opened, "Sorry…" She muttered, coming out to.
"No problemo, kiddo." I said, taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen. Diva was like my little kid. I loved her, so much. She was so sweet (to me anyway.)
Celeste has already put the cereal away and began making eggs. I joined her, pouring orange juice.
"Hey, Jack-o, set the table, kay?" I said, not really asking him, but more like telling him. I heard the drawer open, and knives being taken out. El sat down next to Spike, and Diva sat down next to her, "Can we watch cartoons while we eat, Romeo?" Diva asked, already turning to grab the remote. El rolled her eyes, she was eleven and automatically thought cartoons were crappy. I could tell Jack was grinning, "Oh yeah! Can we Romeo?" He asked, acting like a child himself.
Celeste bumped her hip into me, smirking, "Yeah, can we Romeo?" She asked, in that strange seductive tone that she has. I felt my face grow hot.
"Uh….Sure." I said, placing a glass of Orange juice in front of each of my flock.
"Yay!" Diva called, jumping off her chair so her black curls bounced. Spike was only two years older than Diva. And El was tree years older than him. Then Celeste, who was fourteen, Jack who was fifteen. Then there was me. Sixteen-year-old Romeo Larson.
Well, reader: Welcome to hell on paper.