---Four Months Later---
It was amusing how a single ring of the doorbell can alter the house of Ava Gregory so quickly. Whilst four heads all poked from their bedrooms, the two youngest children of the house bounced down the stairs.
"I'll, I'll get it." Nikki announced, her words being interupted by a thick yawn. A pair of pale yellow silk pajama bottoms decoarted in forest green frogs and a white Billabong tee shirt limped from her frame. Tassels of mahogonay-colored hair was on ends in every which direction due to rolling in constance around in her sleep. Derrick escaped from his place beside her and trudged to the sofa. She did not even think of who it might of been and lazily flung open the door. A head of chocolate brown locks and and all-out friendly smile greeted her in return. Her first reaction was simple. Once again the door swung shut and she snatched one of Susannah's hair ties from the edge of the kitchen counter, smoothening her jungle mass of tangles into a ponytail resting at her shoulders, along with pulling her trousers higher against her hips. She could not even imagine what the boy on the other side was thinking and didn't care. No way in hell was she going to look like a complete slob for him. After taking a deep breath Nikki gently opened the door a second time. The smile dissapeared completely from Cameron's face and melted into confusion of having the door slammed in his face.
"Cameron! It's...it's early...What are you doing here?" Nikki tried her best to refrain her tiredness and brushed away the sleep with the back of her fist that collected in the corners of her eyes.
That sickeningly happy smile formed on his face again. Some found it vomit-worthy but she thought of it as adorable.
"I wanted to know if you could get out of the house for a while and head by the boardwalk to watch the sunrise. It's at five forty eight today, so-"
"Wait..." She turned on her bare heel to stare over at the kitchen wonderessly.
"I told Aunt Ava I would help her with breakfast this morning."
Derrick eyed her with a raised brow.
"No sh-"
"I don't know if I should, Cameron." Nikki's eyes glanced up into his own, before immediatly looking away.
"I could go wake her up and ask her if you want."
The excitement floated away from his face.
"No, that's alright. I wouldn't want you getting in trouble for waking her up so early. I guess, maybe another time?"
A pounding along the staircase caused both of them to lurch in question. Their eyes peered over only to see a young man no taller than five foot eight pass down into the kitchen. His toned frame was bare with the exception of pale silver shorts which gleamed against the weak sunlight.
Cameron ignored the warnings from his other and took a step or two closer.
"Hey Bradin...Uh, how's the surf shop been going? I heard that they might close it down since not alot of people a-" he gasped softly at the elbow ramming into his ribs. Nikki shot him a merciless glare and he easily got the message.
Bradin reached out a hand and thrust open the refriderator. His eyes, still the intense color of the turquise sea, scanned to the remains of the pizza box from last night, scooping a still-cold slice into his hand and taking a small bite.
"Aunt Ava told you not to keep eating the leftovers for breakfast." Derrick mumbled under his breath while digging into the sofa's cushions to find the remote.
Of course, he didn't expect an answer.
"What did Aunt Ava say?" A familar voice chimed somewhat sleepily from behind. Derrick's neck twisted in the opposing direction to see his aunt grinning, a hand placed on her hip.
Nikki's heart leapt in her throat. As badly as she wanted to she refrained from shoving Cameron straight out the door. He, on the other hand, had anything but leaving on his mind.
"Ms. Gregory!" He nearly squeaked.
"Would it be alright if me and Nikki head down to the beach to catch the sunrise?"
After a moment of thinking she plopped down against the island in the kitchen, giving Bradin a short glance. He did not stare back at her in return, instead hopping onto the counter beside the sink and eating his "breakfast" in silence. Crumbs peppered against the front of his neck and collerbone but he paid no mind. Just as Ava began to accept Cameron's polietly asked question she noticed the defeated expression across her niece's face. Immediatly she knew what she was up to.
"Sorry Cameron, but since I'm awake, the rest of them should be up soon. Plus Nikki told me she would help...help make breakfast." As a kind gesture she added an invitation or him to stay.
Cameron shook his head and gave a wave to the family. He took a step forth and was about to plant a kiss on Nikki's cheek, but she had turned around, so all he received was a mouthful of hair. Once his unease was settled he nearly scurried out of the door and made sure it was shut gently.
A minute of gazing was almost painful.
"Nikki," Ava brushed by Bradin in order to retrieve the gallon of milk from the refriderator.
"Can I please ask why I just covered you up from going to watch a sunrise? That's a little harsh, isn't it?"
She sighed in response and sat beside Derrick, who was giving his brother suspicious glances in between staring at the television's guide rolling across the screen.
"I..I don't know. I haven't helped with breakfast for a couple of weeks, so I figured today was the perfect day to do it."
"Oh, you're really helping. And you did a majority of the work yesterday." Ava cawed with a roll of her eyes. She chuckled at the two siblings beginning to quietly fight for the handling of the remote.
"I have to-Derrick will you just give it up-start on my homework for the vacation. It isn't-it isn't that bad after a while. Sort of fun-stoppit-in a way." She interjected herself as Derrick flung himself on top of her stomach in order to take the remote.
Ava could almost see Bradin rolling his eyes from behind her. Nikki being so studious was quite easy, but a handful at the same time.
"Homework fun? Maybe you can memorize the dictionary too so you can really party." A rather masculine voice slurred from the foot of the stairs. It was Nikki's turn to roll her eyes. Following behind Johnny came Sussanah, a pair of neon red socks unevenly pulled up to her ankles sliding across the floor. Her eyes were hardly open and her hair resembled one large, dark cotton ball. The entire household, or what was awake of it, took one look and broke into laughter. But of course, you couldn't call the oblivious state Bradin was in 'awake'. There of course was a reason for Nikki trying to stop any snide remarks that could come to him, or how he did not respond to any of his family or visitors. He was silent. Not mute, of course...well...in a way. It wasn't like he hadn't spoken in years and years...just for four months.
It was amusing how a single ring of the doorbell can alter the house of Ava Gregory so quickly. Whilst four heads all poked from their bedrooms, the two youngest children of the house bounced down the stairs.
"I'll, I'll get it." Nikki announced, her words being interupted by a thick yawn. A pair of pale yellow silk pajama bottoms decoarted in forest green frogs and a white Billabong tee shirt limped from her frame. Tassels of mahogonay-colored hair was on ends in every which direction due to rolling in constance around in her sleep. Derrick escaped from his place beside her and trudged to the sofa. She did not even think of who it might of been and lazily flung open the door. A head of chocolate brown locks and and all-out friendly smile greeted her in return. Her first reaction was simple. Once again the door swung shut and she snatched one of Susannah's hair ties from the edge of the kitchen counter, smoothening her jungle mass of tangles into a ponytail resting at her shoulders, along with pulling her trousers higher against her hips. She could not even imagine what the boy on the other side was thinking and didn't care. No way in hell was she going to look like a complete slob for him. After taking a deep breath Nikki gently opened the door a second time. The smile dissapeared completely from Cameron's face and melted into confusion of having the door slammed in his face.
"Cameron! It's...it's early...What are you doing here?" Nikki tried her best to refrain her tiredness and brushed away the sleep with the back of her fist that collected in the corners of her eyes.
That sickeningly happy smile formed on his face again. Some found it vomit-worthy but she thought of it as adorable.
"I wanted to know if you could get out of the house for a while and head by the boardwalk to watch the sunrise. It's at five forty eight today, so-"
"Wait..." She turned on her bare heel to stare over at the kitchen wonderessly.
"I told Aunt Ava I would help her with breakfast this morning."
Derrick eyed her with a raised brow.
"No sh-"
"I don't know if I should, Cameron." Nikki's eyes glanced up into his own, before immediatly looking away.
"I could go wake her up and ask her if you want."
The excitement floated away from his face.
"No, that's alright. I wouldn't want you getting in trouble for waking her up so early. I guess, maybe another time?"
A pounding along the staircase caused both of them to lurch in question. Their eyes peered over only to see a young man no taller than five foot eight pass down into the kitchen. His toned frame was bare with the exception of pale silver shorts which gleamed against the weak sunlight.
Cameron ignored the warnings from his other and took a step or two closer.
"Hey Bradin...Uh, how's the surf shop been going? I heard that they might close it down since not alot of people a-" he gasped softly at the elbow ramming into his ribs. Nikki shot him a merciless glare and he easily got the message.
Bradin reached out a hand and thrust open the refriderator. His eyes, still the intense color of the turquise sea, scanned to the remains of the pizza box from last night, scooping a still-cold slice into his hand and taking a small bite.
"Aunt Ava told you not to keep eating the leftovers for breakfast." Derrick mumbled under his breath while digging into the sofa's cushions to find the remote.
Of course, he didn't expect an answer.
"What did Aunt Ava say?" A familar voice chimed somewhat sleepily from behind. Derrick's neck twisted in the opposing direction to see his aunt grinning, a hand placed on her hip.
Nikki's heart leapt in her throat. As badly as she wanted to she refrained from shoving Cameron straight out the door. He, on the other hand, had anything but leaving on his mind.
"Ms. Gregory!" He nearly squeaked.
"Would it be alright if me and Nikki head down to the beach to catch the sunrise?"
After a moment of thinking she plopped down against the island in the kitchen, giving Bradin a short glance. He did not stare back at her in return, instead hopping onto the counter beside the sink and eating his "breakfast" in silence. Crumbs peppered against the front of his neck and collerbone but he paid no mind. Just as Ava began to accept Cameron's polietly asked question she noticed the defeated expression across her niece's face. Immediatly she knew what she was up to.
"Sorry Cameron, but since I'm awake, the rest of them should be up soon. Plus Nikki told me she would help...help make breakfast." As a kind gesture she added an invitation or him to stay.
Cameron shook his head and gave a wave to the family. He took a step forth and was about to plant a kiss on Nikki's cheek, but she had turned around, so all he received was a mouthful of hair. Once his unease was settled he nearly scurried out of the door and made sure it was shut gently.
A minute of gazing was almost painful.
"Nikki," Ava brushed by Bradin in order to retrieve the gallon of milk from the refriderator.
"Can I please ask why I just covered you up from going to watch a sunrise? That's a little harsh, isn't it?"
She sighed in response and sat beside Derrick, who was giving his brother suspicious glances in between staring at the television's guide rolling across the screen.
"I..I don't know. I haven't helped with breakfast for a couple of weeks, so I figured today was the perfect day to do it."
"Oh, you're really helping. And you did a majority of the work yesterday." Ava cawed with a roll of her eyes. She chuckled at the two siblings beginning to quietly fight for the handling of the remote.
"I have to-Derrick will you just give it up-start on my homework for the vacation. It isn't-it isn't that bad after a while. Sort of fun-stoppit-in a way." She interjected herself as Derrick flung himself on top of her stomach in order to take the remote.
Ava could almost see Bradin rolling his eyes from behind her. Nikki being so studious was quite easy, but a handful at the same time.
"Homework fun? Maybe you can memorize the dictionary too so you can really party." A rather masculine voice slurred from the foot of the stairs. It was Nikki's turn to roll her eyes. Following behind Johnny came Sussanah, a pair of neon red socks unevenly pulled up to her ankles sliding across the floor. Her eyes were hardly open and her hair resembled one large, dark cotton ball. The entire household, or what was awake of it, took one look and broke into laughter. But of course, you couldn't call the oblivious state Bradin was in 'awake'. There of course was a reason for Nikki trying to stop any snide remarks that could come to him, or how he did not respond to any of his family or visitors. He was silent. Not mute, of course...well...in a way. It wasn't like he hadn't spoken in years and years...just for four months.