It was an early morning. A knock at the door woke me before my alarm did. I struggled for the light and stumbled my way to the door.
"You are way too early. It's only 5:30," I growled.
"You're my first delivery. Since my deliveries are usually far apart, I have to start early," the delivery man held out a clipboard. I signed and let him bring the crate in. We swapped clipboard for manual.
"It's wrong again. How does the company do this so bad?"
"Sometimes, I think they do it on purpose." He tipped his hat and left.
"Who is it?" damn Yao was an early riser. He already had his tea.
"I'll make breakfast burritos for him," I abandoned the manual on the coffee table and went to the freezer. With a big yawn, I pulled out the drawer that held two breakfast burritos and a ton of other burritos. I was a burritoholic, but not since Yao arrived.
I pulled the wrapper off, put a breakfast burrito on a saucer, and put it in the microwave. When the timer pinged, I took it to the box and ushered Yao away.
"Good morning. Do you want breakfast?" I waited for a response. There was a pause before there was an answer.
"Eso huele increíble!" I glanced at Yao like the brain-dead zombie I am at five in the morning, probably expecting him to know something.
"Gracias?" I pulled the box open and let my new unit have his breakfast. I went back to my room and collapsed in my bed, hoping to go back to dreamland. It was then that I realized that we had nowhere for Antonio to stay.
"Dammit." I dragged myself out of bed and went to the door. As I opened it, I was greeted by Matthew who was about to knock.
"Good morning."
"Oh God!" I put a hand over my rapidly beating heart. "I wasn't expecting anyone there."
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's just too early for me to think," I yawned again. "What's up?"
"I was only going to ask about accommodations." That was when an idea struck me.
"Yao has taken to keeping the house. I think you and Antonio will have to get jobs. Mine alone can't afford food for all of us."
"I've never seen you go to work. What do you do?" Matthew tilted his head a little.
"It's not a regular job. I work irregular hours doing whatever they tell me to do."
He nodded slightly, probably not understanding completely. When I was hired, I didn't understand either.
"If you and Antonio get jobs, we'll be able to buy two sets of bunk beds. They'll fit in the other two rooms, but I'll have to move around my things," I yawned again.
"I don't mind. Maybe someone will notice me, then," the second part Matthew mumbled to himself.
"Who are you talking to?" Yao asked. I rolled my eyes and returned to the softness of my bed. Matthew quietly followed me in and sat at my desk, watching me attempt to sleep. As soon as I was almost drifting off, my alarm decided to scare the life out of me. I quickly shut it off and groaned.
"I GIVE UP!" I threw the blanket aside, scaring Matthew a little. I stomped to my closet and snatched out some clothes. Not caring that Matthew was in the room, I changed and checked myself in the mirror. "I'm so done with this." I pulled on my black boots, my Germany hoodie, and a white scarf before going to the kitchen.
"Good morning!" Antonio greeted me.
"Bah. Humbug," I growled. Yao handed me my lunchbox and I put it with my purse.
"But it is a nice morning, aru." I glared at the unit. If he didn't make life-saving food, he'd have been long gone. I was about to reply when my phone rang.
"Yes?" I answered. There were two voices on the other end, trying to talk over one another. "I can't hear both of you at once." Everything stopped. Some arguing was heard before Kaede's voice spoke.
"Snow day! The snow last night got so high they couldn't get in the school. They need time to dig it out."
I made an angry motion that resembled a mime flipping a table.
"Those dumbasses couldn't call me?" I was fuming.
"They called everyone's parents." Hunter chimed in.
"Uh, no parents here?"
"Uh, they might just be dumbasses?" Hunter chuckled.
"Wait, what are you doing at Kaede's house?"
"Homework last night. Turns out now I don't need it."
"I give up. Bye guys."
"Bye!" they said in unison and hung up. Cousins. Pfft.
"Mattie, get your scarf on." I grabbed the car keys, picked up my purse, and led the way to the car. The snow had, indeed, piled up. Matthew was quick to follow. The drainage on the side of the driveway had done its job and there were two tracks of no snow for the wheels to drive on.
"Three hundred dollar system and it's beautiful, non?" I smirked as the all-wheel drive kicked in to get us up the hill.
"May I ask where it is we are going?" Matthew was holding on to the door as the car bumped and rocked.
"Driving."
Matthew nodded and fell silent. Salt from the roads kicked up behind us as I drove. The snow plows had an early morning. I felt a vibration in my pocket, a signal that my phone had a text message. I pulled over at the old church to check. It was the legendary boss.
"Nope. Not happening. My crew can't do that," I tossed the phone in the backseat.
"Can't do what?"
"We aren't licensed." I continued driving. As I neared the end of the road, I calmed down enough. I turned left and drove for a few miles. Coming to the turn-off I needed, I turned left again and drove until the post office came into sight. Apparently they could clear the doors for the post office better than the school. The only problem I had with no school was we still had to finish decorations for the haunted hallway/room at the career center.
I went in to check my mailbox. It was empty. When I returned, Matthew was gone. Not invisible. Gone. The passenger door was open and there was no sign of the Canadian.
"Shit."
I looked around the parking lot and down the street. I heard someone behind me and turned in time to dodge a bat. I snatched the bat, but the holder didn't let go. I twisted the bat and shoved it back into my attacker's ribs. There was a yelp and he collapsed to the ground. I snatched the discarded bat and pushed it to his neck, pinning him to the ground.
"Where is my friend?" I glared.
"Free," he tried to react, but I pushed him back.
"I can kill you, dammit. Where is Matthew?!" I pulled out my pocket knife and pressed it to his cheek. His eyes went as wide as saucers and her started to panic. Right then there was a siren and I looked up to see another cousin of mine.
"Ronnie, thank god. My friend was kidnapped and this guy tried to attack me."
"Let him up," I did as he said and he held the guy by his coat. "Where is her friend?"
"D-down the street. Please don't arrest me! I just wanted them all free!"
Ronnie put him in the squad car and I told him the whole story, from the day in class up until that moment.
"Don't feel bad. Sheena woke me up to let the dogs out three this morning. When they came back in they wouldn't stop barking because of the snow," he rubbed his bald head sub-consciously. "When I had to get up at five, they finally fell asleep."
"So why did you show up here?"
"I was on my way to Fayette when I saw your car. I noticed you and your friend here and wanted to make sure you were okay." He motioned to the squad car.
"Can we find Matthew? I'm worried about him."
"Boyfriend?" Ronnie asked.
"No, housemate. I've taken in a few hoping to take some bills off of my parent's hands," I didn't want to tell him the truth. In the story, I hadn't mentioned that they were units. And I hadn't mentioned a few other details.
"Ok. Let's go." Ronnie nodded.
I got in my car while he got in his. I assumed he was having the boy tell him where the group was, so I followed him. Since it was an ordinary 'walk in, arrest, freedom' thing, I won't go into details. Matthew was excited that I hadn't forgotten about him, of course I need my hockey buddy. I thanked my cousin twenty too many times, but he was happy that he was able to help me.
I went back home, on the way making Matthew promise not to tell the others. He agreed, since it was apparently a bit traumatic for him. When the other two asked where we had been, I told them down the street and back.
"For over an hour?" Yao seemed upset.
"There was an accident, so we had to wait in traffic." I shrugged.
"Traffic in the mountains?" Antonio was probably on his tenth burrito.
"It was an 18-wheeler." I walked toward my room. Yao sighed, probably giving up. I had work to do. It was almost Halloween and I couldn't wait. I was going to be Bloody Mary in the haunted hallway. Oh what fun awaited!
Author's note:
I'm not going to be here for the 6th and 7th. I'm going to a 2-day camp. Yay me! So I'm posting this early. Very early. School will be hectic in the coming weeks, but I'll post chapters. When i post them will be the question.
And don't hate me for the attack. I figured I needed action. Please review and favorite!