then knelt and gathered oranges. A passing car squished one her precious oranges in the road, and another attempt at calming herself failed. Well, she certainly wouldn't be going without citrus. Kyle could be the one to forgo his morning fruit.
She threw the remaining oranges in the sack, her gaze continuing to go to the flattened one in the road; it's juicy guts splattered over asphalt. With a final huff, she snatched the end of the lopsided loaf of bread and stood. Six more months and she wouldn't have to deal with this crap anymore. Kyle would officially be an adult, have to fend for himself, go to school, get a job, find a home. Of course, she was dreaming. Most kids stayed at home for a year, maybe more. But she could hope. Perhaps he wouldn't be like most kids; he'd be like her and wish to spread his wings the second he could.
On the narrow walkway to the small porch, she balanced the paper sack on her left hip, while the bread swung in her right hand. The heavy click of her heels up the stairs accompanied her angry exhales. "Kyle!" she shouted before she reached the door, knowing he could hear through the open windows. "Kyle, open the door!"
Thirty seconds later, she still waited. She pounded the tip of her heel into the door and screamed for her brother a third time. Nothing. Darn him! Carefully she set the bag down and then dug in her pocket for keys. Her eyes widened in alarm. Her heart began to pound. Where were her keys! She dropped the bread and searched her other pocket only to find it empty. Oh no, no, no, no! She jogged down the steps to her car.
A quick yank on the handle found it locked, and with sinking shoulders, she shaded the window with cupped hands and saw the keys resting on the seat. They must have fallen out of her pocket. Tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't afford to pay a locksmith to come unlock her car. However, she also couldn't miss a day of work. She'd have to figure something out.
Dejected, she dragged herself back to the porch. The door opened and Kyle's head popped out. Disheveled sandy-blond hair hung into his eyes and almost covered his ears. She wished that mop he thought was a style completely covered his ears, so she wouldn't have to see the ugly holes he'd marred his body with that he considered cool.
"Hey sis, whatcha doin'? Was that you knocking?"
"Yes, it was me," she bit out.
"I was kicking some orc butt. Sorry, didn't hear you."
"That's okay. I just spilt the groceries and locked my keys in the car."
"What?" His eyes widened and he shoved past her down the stairs. Sighing, she picked up the bag, not in the mood for the teenage tantrum that was about to erupt. They only had one car.
Inside was just barely cooler than out, air not a necessity yet. When the thermometer broke ninety outside, she'd turn the air conditioner on, but until then, they'd deal. They always did.
A new stack of bills waited on the counter. Dryness in her throat made it hard to swallow. How many would she have to put in the 'Can Wait' pile this month? She had a few months left on Kyle's social security. After that her bills, and her parents, would become her burden to solely bear. Shaking her head, she began to unload the groceries. She couldn't think about that right now.
The door slammed and she pretended as if she'd heard nothing. Footsteps pounded up the stairs, paused, and then came thundering back down. "How am I supposed to get to school tomorrow?"
She shrugged and placed the remaining oranges in the hanging fruit basket. "I don't know. Call a friend or take the bus."
"How are you going to get to work?"
"Call a friend or take the bus, I suppose."
"Caylie..." he whined, his shoulders swooping low before he slumped onto a bar stool.
"Look," she bit out, her teeth grinding together, "I can't help the keys are stuck in the car, and unless you have a hundred bucks to pay someone to come out and pop my lock, we have to figure out other ways to get around, at least until payday."
"Jonah
She threw the remaining oranges in the sack, her gaze continuing to go to the flattened one in the road; it's juicy guts splattered over asphalt. With a final huff, she snatched the end of the lopsided loaf of bread and stood. Six more months and she wouldn't have to deal with this crap anymore. Kyle would officially be an adult, have to fend for himself, go to school, get a job, find a home. Of course, she was dreaming. Most kids stayed at home for a year, maybe more. But she could hope. Perhaps he wouldn't be like most kids; he'd be like her and wish to spread his wings the second he could.
On the narrow walkway to the small porch, she balanced the paper sack on her left hip, while the bread swung in her right hand. The heavy click of her heels up the stairs accompanied her angry exhales. "Kyle!" she shouted before she reached the door, knowing he could hear through the open windows. "Kyle, open the door!"
Thirty seconds later, she still waited. She pounded the tip of her heel into the door and screamed for her brother a third time. Nothing. Darn him! Carefully she set the bag down and then dug in her pocket for keys. Her eyes widened in alarm. Her heart began to pound. Where were her keys! She dropped the bread and searched her other pocket only to find it empty. Oh no, no, no, no! She jogged down the steps to her car.
A quick yank on the handle found it locked, and with sinking shoulders, she shaded the window with cupped hands and saw the keys resting on the seat. They must have fallen out of her pocket. Tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't afford to pay a locksmith to come unlock her car. However, she also couldn't miss a day of work. She'd have to figure something out.
Dejected, she dragged herself back to the porch. The door opened and Kyle's head popped out. Disheveled sandy-blond hair hung into his eyes and almost covered his ears. She wished that mop he thought was a style completely covered his ears, so she wouldn't have to see the ugly holes he'd marred his body with that he considered cool.
"Hey sis, whatcha doin'? Was that you knocking?"
"Yes, it was me," she bit out.
"I was kicking some orc butt. Sorry, didn't hear you."
"That's okay. I just spilt the groceries and locked my keys in the car."
"What?" His eyes widened and he shoved past her down the stairs. Sighing, she picked up the bag, not in the mood for the teenage tantrum that was about to erupt. They only had one car.
Inside was just barely cooler than out, air not a necessity yet. When the thermometer broke ninety outside, she'd turn the air conditioner on, but until then, they'd deal. They always did.
A new stack of bills waited on the counter. Dryness in her throat made it hard to swallow. How many would she have to put in the 'Can Wait' pile this month? She had a few months left on Kyle's social security. After that her bills, and her parents, would become her burden to solely bear. Shaking her head, she began to unload the groceries. She couldn't think about that right now.
The door slammed and she pretended as if she'd heard nothing. Footsteps pounded up the stairs, paused, and then came thundering back down. "How am I supposed to get to school tomorrow?"
She shrugged and placed the remaining oranges in the hanging fruit basket. "I don't know. Call a friend or take the bus."
"How are you going to get to work?"
"Call a friend or take the bus, I suppose."
"Caylie..." he whined, his shoulders swooping low before he slumped onto a bar stool.
"Look," she bit out, her teeth grinding together, "I can't help the keys are stuck in the car, and unless you have a hundred bucks to pay someone to come out and pop my lock, we have to figure out other ways to get around, at least until payday."
"Jonah
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