Skipping down the stairs in my new Pink sundress, I was as happy as could be. The summer air rushed in from the open window in the noisy kitchen as I sat down in my seat. My Papa, who was sipping his dark and stinky coffee, chuckled and looked up from his morning newspaper. The headlines read, "Engineer-food Scare Leaves Pet Co. Shelves Full". It showed a picture of a shelf, stocked up with little cans.
"That's what happens when you domesticated those things… Food scares and over population." Papa sipped his coffee.
"Harold!" My Mum shouted over to him from the hot stovetop where pancakes where sizzling in a shiny metal pan. Mummy never liked it when Papa made remarks like that, being all funny and stuff. She told me that he was only sour about them 'cause they were like puppies, and he never wanted one of those… I sure did though!
"I think they're cute." I piped up from my seat. Papa smiled at me and kissed my forehead.
"Good Morning Sunshine," he ruffled my hair and sipped more coffee. I wrinkled my nose, it smelt so yucky! I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and my older brother Donnie, he was 17, appeared trudging down the hallway. He had his ripped and painted jeans on and a black 'Flaming Spartan' shirt on. The 'Flaming Spartan' was Donnie's favorite band, but I didn't really like them. It was all screaming and screeching guitars.
I prefer Classical.
Mum greeted Donnie by handing him a plate full of pancake's loaded with syrup and saying, "You aren't going out today looking like that." I giggled.
"Yeah, Donnie maybe you could get a sundress like Gwen here." My Father said not raising his head from the Newspaper.
Donnie who was occupied with his pancakes, had taken a seat and rolled his eyes, "Myouth Guysth dumt.."
"Mam Mah Mag Mabb Ma Ma?" I asked mocking Donnie. He looked at me as if I was a sheep or maybe even a giraffe, and swallowed his food.
"I was saying, you guys don't realized that this," he motioned to his pants, "is in style."
"You look like a hobo." I said after swallowing some of my own pancakes. Donnie got up and returned his empty plate to Mum and zipped out of the house.
"Love you too, honey!" my Mum called after him, "Be safe!"
I finished my pancakes quickly also, careful not to get any syrup on my dress, and gave my gooey plate to Mum. She kissed me and I had started to the door when she called my name.
"Gwen, honey, can you do something for me?"
I turned on my heel and walked back to the kitchen. Tucking my light brown hair behind my ear, I asked her what the favor was. She motioned for me to follow her into our living room, drying her hands.
"I need you to give this," she pulled a book out a book called 'The Project That Saved Our Lives' from the bookshelf across the room, "To a man named John."
She proceeded to tell me his address and told me to tell him 'Thank you'. I nodded and scurried off to the door, eager to step outside.
Obviously, people had taken advantage of this nice day and were out, playing street ball, jumping rope and walking pets. Sanghelios and humans littered the streets, chatting and conversing together. Children about my age both human and alien alike played with each other and running about laughing. The street, being part of culdesac, wasn't busy and vehicles rarely came down here… unless a person was lost.
I hopped down the front steps and made my way down the street, towards the very end. Mum said that John lived all the way at the end, and that I shouldn't be scared of him. She said that he was a very nice man and used to serve in the army.
Greeting neighbors and friends, I kept walking and found myself flipping through the ages of 'The Project That saved Our Lives'."Conceived by Halsey, the SPARTAN-II project was secretly commissioned to create an elite corps of supersoldiers who could stem rebellion in the UNSC colonies; these soldiers became the best weapon against the alien Covenant when war broke out…."
I quirked an eyebrow. I thought conceiving was something that happened in childbirth…. Maybe she was all their Mommies!
"Gwen!" I was snapped out of my thoughts by the familiar shouts of my older brother. I scanned the road and saw him near a group of his friends. I saw Shiko; my brother's best friend. Shiko raised a 4 digit hand and waved, his mandibles curving upward to make a smile. I smiled and waved back.
"Hi guys." I said crossing the street over to them. Donnie's friends liked me apparently because I was smarter than the other kids my age. That statements pretty much meant that I didn't want a pony, I didn't want to play princess, and I never wanted Poopy Paula doll.
"Gwen, we need your help." Did I mention they liked to use me to get things they lost or needed?
"What is it?" I asked walking over to Shiko and he grasped my hand gently. He bent down to my level.
"We need you to under the fence and grab my dad's sword… I need it back, he'll kill me if he figures out it's missing!" Shiko's deep voice was a little scary but I knew he didn't mean to be like that.
"Okay… why don't you guys get it?" I asked. The group of teenagers looked at each other.
"It's Half-Jaw's house."