Number 11?
By 18lzytwner
Chapter 1
October 4, 2021
Joshua stood in front of the mirror. He was now a handsome young man at the age of fifteen. A sophomore in high school, he enjoyed playing sports with his friends and writing for the school newspaper.
He went from his room to the kitchen for breakfast. It didn't surprise him to find both his mother and father already making the morning meal.
"Well I'd love to hang around but I have to go." Joshua told them putting his left hand through his slightly blue hair. Kids had always wondered why his hair was that color but when he said that his mother had pink hair, the questions usually stopped.
"You should have some breakfast." Stephanie said.
"Listen to your mother." Sportacus smiled. Joshua playfully rolled his eyes and went to the cupboard and pulled out a package of wild berry pop tarts.
"Yummy." He said. Then giving his mother a kiss on the cheek and a 'catch you later' to his father, the young man was out the door.
"I wish he'd slow down so we could enjoy breakfast together like we used to." Stephanie sighed.
"Honey, he's fifteen. I doubt he wants to hang out with his parents. Besides soon things might be different, I'm no spring chicken anymore." Sportacus told her.
"At forty-nine, you do perfectly fine for yourself. You don't hear me complaining, do you?" She said. Her husband chuckled.
"No, I don't." The two got up from the table and cleaned up after themselves. Somehow both knew the day would soon be there, when their son would have to make one of the biggest decisions of his life.
Joshua hopped on his bicycle and made his way out of the apartment complex. He only rode in the good weather. Once the snow started to fly, the bus was the better option.
His brakes squealed as he approached the familiar tube. Usually his friend was outside waiting for him but today was different. Shrugging his muscular shoulders, Joshua pressed the intercom button. Snapping his fingers, he remembered that Uncle Robbie had used some of the parts for one of his inventions and that it didn't work. So he lifted the lid and jumped down inside.
Joshua came flying out the bottom but with his usual grace and agility easily avoided landing on his butt. Aunt Amanda had moved the big orange chair because she and Uncle Robbie had been using the side entrance more now that they were older.
"Joshua!" Came a shout. He turned and saw who he was looking for.
"Samantha! You ready to go?" She nodded. The two had become instant friends when she was born almost ten years ago.
"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy!" Samantha shouted.
"Bye baby! See you after school!" They both shouted from the kitchen. Then Joshua and Samantha climbed up into the tube and went out into the warm October day.
"You know she's growing up fast." Robbie said to Amanda after they left.
"Yeah she's already in fourth grade. It seems like only a little while ago she was learning how to tie her shoes." Amanda sighed.
"God, we're old." Robbie commented.
"Speak for yourself. I'm not even forty yet." Amanda teased.
"Oh yeah, well… well…" Robbie had no comeback.
"See your mind is already beginning to slip." Amanda said still sharp. Robbie's best answer was to throw the wet sponge at her. It hit his wife in the chest and soaked her. In her defense, Amanda threw the dishtowel at him. Soon anything lying on the counters was game. Finally, Robbie called a timeout when the last thing she threw at him was the set of keys for the car and the house.
"Only old people quit." Amanda teased. She went to grab him and slipped on the sponge that was on the floor. Robbie made a lightening fast move and caught hold of her arm before she fell.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"I guess so. Wow what a mess." She said looking around.
"Come on Grandma, lets clean it up." Robbie joked. Amanda rolled her eyes and the 'old' couple got to work.
To Be Continued...