The sound of the alarm clock going off woke Maim, who had a peaceful nights sleep. She pulled on her school uniform before running downstairs for breakfast.
"Maim, you're going to miss the bus if you don't hurry!" Came her mothers voice from the kitchen.
"I don't take the bus, mom. I walk, remember?" Maim replied, walking into the kitchen. Sometimes her mother would be in such a rush, she forgot about everything else. "I have a very important meeting today, Maim. With Mr. Lien, so you have to take care of your brother and sister!" Maim snorted, then looked up at her mom. "I don't have a brother or sister."
"Oh, I forgot. Those little friends of yours are around so much, I mistake them for my own children!"
"Child." She corrected the woman, who was halfway out the door. "I left you some money on the counter for dinner, I'll be working late again!" Mrs. Lang called over her shoulder before getting into her car.
"Forgetting something? Like your keys?" Maim asked, walking out and tapping on the window. "And you should start locking the car doors, someone could get in and hotwire it." She waved her mother bye, then headed back into the house.
"Your mom is weird." Came Hokato's voice from the next yard. "Always forgetting things..." She smiled and opened the fence gate, shut it, then walked towards Maim. "That's not weird, Hokato, that's just forgettful."
"There's a difference?" Hokato stared wide-eyed at Maim for a moment before laughing. "Whatever you say. Kaiko just called, he tried to get ahold of you too, but the line was busy. As usual. Anyway, he's got a cold so his parents are keeping him home."
"He's always got a cold or something like that." Maim replied, opening the door. "It's freezing out, too early to be outdoors." Hokato followed and shut the door behind. "Agreed."
"Let's see, what shall we have for breakfast? Looks like my mom had the usual this morning: Coffee, egg, and orange juice smoothie." Hokato made a face and looked into the blender. "Gross."
"Want some cold pizza? It's the only healthy food we've got." Maim opened up the fridge door, revealing shelves stuffed with fruits and vegetables. She pulled out a pizza box and shut the door again. "Cheese and pepperoni." Maim informed her friend, who opened the box and took the largest slice.
"Pig." Hokato said when Maim took a smaller slice. "Say it, don't spray it." Maim grabbed a napkin from the counter and held the cold pizza with it. They left the box lying open and went for the door. "Just like your mom, forgetting your backpack and shoes." Hokato smiled and took another bite from her pizza.
"My backpacks at school, and my shoes are by the door, for your information." She ran and skidded to a halt just before she ran into the door. "Nice." Her friend said as she slipped on her mary-janes.
"You think we can convince the principal to let us wear whatever we want, instead of these uniforms?" She asked Maim, who looked at her funny. "Yeah, right, and Kaiko will have perfect attendence."
"It could happen." Hokato nodded knowingly, looking at her friend and tripping over someones foot. The children surrounding them broke out in gales of laughter as Maim helped Hokato to her feet. "That wasn't funny, Skye." She snapped at the boy who caused Hokato to fall. "I'm not laughing." He replied, trying to look innocent. Trying and failing.
"Maim, you're going to miss the bus if you don't hurry!" Came her mothers voice from the kitchen.
"I don't take the bus, mom. I walk, remember?" Maim replied, walking into the kitchen. Sometimes her mother would be in such a rush, she forgot about everything else. "I have a very important meeting today, Maim. With Mr. Lien, so you have to take care of your brother and sister!" Maim snorted, then looked up at her mom. "I don't have a brother or sister."
"Oh, I forgot. Those little friends of yours are around so much, I mistake them for my own children!"
"Child." She corrected the woman, who was halfway out the door. "I left you some money on the counter for dinner, I'll be working late again!" Mrs. Lang called over her shoulder before getting into her car.
"Forgetting something? Like your keys?" Maim asked, walking out and tapping on the window. "And you should start locking the car doors, someone could get in and hotwire it." She waved her mother bye, then headed back into the house.
"Your mom is weird." Came Hokato's voice from the next yard. "Always forgetting things..." She smiled and opened the fence gate, shut it, then walked towards Maim. "That's not weird, Hokato, that's just forgettful."
"There's a difference?" Hokato stared wide-eyed at Maim for a moment before laughing. "Whatever you say. Kaiko just called, he tried to get ahold of you too, but the line was busy. As usual. Anyway, he's got a cold so his parents are keeping him home."
"He's always got a cold or something like that." Maim replied, opening the door. "It's freezing out, too early to be outdoors." Hokato followed and shut the door behind. "Agreed."
"Let's see, what shall we have for breakfast? Looks like my mom had the usual this morning: Coffee, egg, and orange juice smoothie." Hokato made a face and looked into the blender. "Gross."
"Want some cold pizza? It's the only healthy food we've got." Maim opened up the fridge door, revealing shelves stuffed with fruits and vegetables. She pulled out a pizza box and shut the door again. "Cheese and pepperoni." Maim informed her friend, who opened the box and took the largest slice.
"Pig." Hokato said when Maim took a smaller slice. "Say it, don't spray it." Maim grabbed a napkin from the counter and held the cold pizza with it. They left the box lying open and went for the door. "Just like your mom, forgetting your backpack and shoes." Hokato smiled and took another bite from her pizza.
"My backpacks at school, and my shoes are by the door, for your information." She ran and skidded to a halt just before she ran into the door. "Nice." Her friend said as she slipped on her mary-janes.
"You think we can convince the principal to let us wear whatever we want, instead of these uniforms?" She asked Maim, who looked at her funny. "Yeah, right, and Kaiko will have perfect attendence."
"It could happen." Hokato nodded knowingly, looking at her friend and tripping over someones foot. The children surrounding them broke out in gales of laughter as Maim helped Hokato to her feet. "That wasn't funny, Skye." She snapped at the boy who caused Hokato to fall. "I'm not laughing." He replied, trying to look innocent. Trying and failing.