"Are we there yet?"
"Dashiell Maurice Hedgehog, don't make me turn this vehicle around."
"Grr." Dash glared at the seat in front of him. He cast an irritable glance out the window and released another sigh. Riding in cars took too long for him. He had half a mind to snap the seatbelt right off and pounce out through the sunroof, but he knew his mother would chase him down until he submitted. "It takes forever to get somewhere in cars!"
The female pink hedgehog in the driving seat off to Dash's left lifted her gaze from the wheel and the road for a brief moment, gazing at the reflection of her thirteen-year-old son in the rearview mirror. "It's not much longer, Dash. Be patient."
"Patience," huffed Dash.
"Something you lack." The lavender female hedgehog in the front passenger seat gave a chuckle at the pink hedgehog's statement.
"Like you don't, Sierra." Growled Dash, shooting her an aggressive stare.
"Well, I'm older. I know how to control myself." The lavender hedgehog stuck her tongue at the red hedgehog in the backseat. "Nyah."
"Kids," said the pink hedgehog, raising her voice slightly. She then chuckled and shook her head, steering the car down a road to her right. "You listen to your father entirely too much."
"I don't understand why we can't just run to school," muttered Dash.
The pink hedgehog driving sighed. "Oh, Dash, it's the least amount of time I get to spend with you before half your day is gone. I barely get to see you at dinner and then you fly out the door with your friends."
"... Sorry, Mom." Dash gave the road outside the window another sullen look.
"And your father's always out running or saving the world," continued the pink hedgehog. "It sometimes gets lonely."
"Sorry, okay? I didn't mean it that way."
The pink hedgehog gave him another glance through the rearview mirror, but he did not return it. She sighed and pulled the car to a stop at a curb. Beyond them loomed a building, on which grounds roamed children and teenagers of many different ages and appearances. On the high front of the building screamed bold blue words- "Station Square High School".
Sierra undid her seat belt. "See ya, Mom."
"Be careful today." Her mother gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"No sweat." The lavender hedgehog straightened out her blue-and-pink streaked quills and gave the pink hedgehog a smile before opening the door and climbing out of the car. "Come on, Dash." She pulled the seat forward to allow her younger brother out onto the sidewalk.
"Cramped," the male red hedgehog continued to grumble as Sierra let him out.
Sierra shut the door. The adult pink hedgehog remained at the wheel, giving her two children a final wave before pulling off and driving away. Dash watched the two-doored car leave and sighed.
"Well, come on, squirt." Sierra gave him a poke and turned towards the building.
"I'm not a squirt," Dash protested grumpily, following her.
"How come you're so cranky today?" Sierra pulled the bookbag she'd been carrying with her over her shoulders and matched Dash's pace so that the two of them were walking side by side. "Did'ja wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"
"No, I just don't like cars," her brother retorted.
"Mom seemed kinda upset."
"Yeah..." Dash averted his eyes and scowled a little more.
"Ya gotta lighten up, Dash," Sierra rubbed her ear with a slight sigh. "Things have been weird lately. You know. Dad's been awful busy lately, and with the baby coming... it's only giving Mom more stress."
Dash huffed again at hearing the mention of the word baby. "Why do we have to have another sibling?"
"What do you mean?"
"..." Dash decided to be honest. "I don't want another sister or brother."
"... That can't be helped, bro."
"Yes it can."
Sierra gave up, not wanting to have to argue. "Anyways... just lighten up, 'kay? It'd be a lot of help."
"Whatever."
Sierra frowned and stopped at the door. "... Well, I'm going to my classroom. Try to stay out of trouble."
"I'm not a little kid, Sierra."
"Then don't act like one." Sierra turned heel and walked off without another word.
Dash watched her go, his scowl continuing. Today wasn't the best of days for him. It seemed like everyone had a problem, and his own couldn't be bigger than anyone else's. It was bad enough he would have to make room for another member of the family; that news alone was tough for him to understand. He rarely had the opportunity to see his own father. Things just wouldn't stop. And he was only thirteen.
Dash looked down, pausing a moment to compose himself and shake off the stressing throughts, then cleared his throat and adjusted his leather jacket. If things couldn't go right at home then surely they would be better in school. He had his friends. And who knows who else he might meet in the day?
"... here goes."
The red hedgehog moved onward down the hall, putting on his well-known savvy smile. They would never know what it was like to live every day in the expectation of others that he would take after his world-famous father.