Family chapter 1

The room was still and quiet. The only sound, gentle breathing of sleep. A rustle from the bed. A hand moved towards the reading lamp on the bed side table.

Flick, the switch was on and there was light in the dark room. The light turned to reveal a girl.

She had black hair, Anglo-Indian skin and unusual eyes. The pupil, black was normal enough. It was the irises that astounded everyone. They were brown with speckles of gold and jade green. Around the brown were rings of blue.

The girl's name was just as unusual. But not in South Africa where she lived. Her name was Annabelle Hanna Dimitriv. Just your average fourteen year old. Defiantly not.

Annabelle pov

I got up cursing my insomnia. Sure I was used to functioning with one hour's worth of sleep every night. It still doesn't mean that I don't like an excuse to lie in bed like every other teen.

A rap on my door. The birds weren't even chirping yet.

"Wake up sleepy head and smell the roses." Came the voice of my guardian and older brother Joshua.

My brother Joshua Viktor Dimitriv was to simply put it physically a male version of me. In his late twenties he is a free lance assassin. He works for the highest bidder.

You might be wondering where my parents are. Well my parents died when I was five. Six months apart from one another. Josh has looked after me ever since. Doing university through a UNISA course.

'It's early and who said you can enter my room." I said with a the classic Dimitriv glare as the world puts it.

"Well it's not like you are able to go back to sleep, dummy." Referring to my insomnia. He said the insult with a smirk.

"Keep hurling insults at me like that and I'm gonna call Child line." I threatened

" I know you and you wouldn't have the guts to do that." Josh said back

He was right, as usual. I loved him to bits. He practically raised me. There was no way in heaven or hell that I would do anything like that against him.

Breaking out of my thoughts I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. He dodged and before I could blink I found myself on the floor. Josh had just placed a perfect shoulder throw on me. A small amount of pain shot threw my back. Nothing I couldn't handle.

Picking myself of the floor, I noticed Josh looking at the picture on my bedside table. It had been taken on our last holiday together as a family.

The photo showed all of us at Hogsback in very formal clothes. We were dressed like that because our family friend Maya was getting married.

We all had different facial expressions. Dad looked both happy and proud. He considered Maya as the sibling he never had. Mom was trying to restrain me from ripping the puffs of my dress. Josh was grinning because he had managed to get away with not wearing a tie. I had my face in full out concentration trying to fend of mom.

Maya was a close family friend and nothing short of a miracle worker. She was one of the few people who supported Josh's decision on looking after me himself. When mom and dad had died.

" Come on short stuff I want to hit the gym before rush hour and brekkie." He said walking to my cupboard. Yes he chooses my clothes for me when I head to the gym. So I wouldn't dress inappropriately in his opinion. Throwing a light purple tracksuit and a tank top at me.

"Be ready in five minutes 'kay." He said

"Righto." I replied.

Roma Gym's were the best gyms in our town. They were run by Joe Roma . Rain or shine the gym was open 24/7.

I jumped out of our Mini and went right in. Josh trailing right behind. I hopped on the treadmill and ran. My favorite anime on. It was so early that there was no one. Thirty minutes running, a hundred push ups, two hundred sit ups and a sparring session later I was tired.

"Ready to go home El." Josh asked me

"You bet." I answered back slowly sipping my water.

After reaching home the first thing I did was switch on the TV. Just in time for Expresso our joint favorite morning show. Half of it was in Afrikaans the other Half was in English.

An1"Kan ek spek en eiers maak vir jou?" Asked Josh in Afrikaans

An2" Nee, ek sal my aye kos maak dankie."I replied back in the same language

Moving towards the fridge to put some milk in the microwave. I absolutely hate cold milk.

I looked at the mail that was sitting on the table.

Bill for DSTV, junk mail, a letter for Josh from my school Claredon and a letter from the Royal and General Band.

Josh was behind me and quickly grabbed the last letter. He opened it and read. Not saying a word the whole way. His eyes widened and hi mouth grew slack.

"Pack enough stuff for a month we are going to England." Josh said

Rarely seeing him so worried I packed without a word. An hour later we were driving to the nearest airport. One domestic and two international flights later. Josh and I found ourselves in rainy England.

An1:can I make you beacon and eggs

An2: no thanks I'll get my own food

Thanks to all of you who reviewed, subscribed and favorite it really got me to type. I think the Afrikaans is correct. I was born in South Africa and I take Afrikaans as a first additional language.