A shrill, insistent siren-like melody
ripped through the quiet of Alex's
bedroom, demanding attention. It
was his phone alarm, vibrating
against the nightstand with an almost
aggressive buzz. Alex's hand, already
half-buried under his blanket, shot
out, fumbling blindly across the cool
wood until his fingers finally
connected with the buzzing device
With a practiced swipe, the grating
noise abruptly ceased, plunging the
room back into a softer, more
peaceful silence
His eyes, still bleary with sleep, finally
cracked open, immediately scanning
notifications. But before diving into
messages, his gaze settled on the
date displayed prominently on the
screen: Friday, January 6th, 2025.A
small, satisfied smile touched his lips.
Just one more day until the weekend.
He planned his freedom, completely unaware that his parents were currently putting their own, unspoken plans into motion.
His thumb continued its habitual dance across the screen, absentmindedly scrolling through feeds as he swung his legs fully off the bed. He stretched with a loud yawn that was more contentment than sleepiness, his eyes still flitting over posts, even as his mind mentally sketched out the hours ahead: school, homework, maybe some gaming, and then that perfect, undisturbed evening.
Pushing himself up, phone still in hand, He headed towards his dresser His bare feet hitting the cold floor His hand connected with the dresser handle the cold steel hitting his palm He pulled the dresser door open he Tossed his phone on his bed. Before looking back at his closet. an abundance of clothes Waiting to just be picked Alex reached for a plain white T-shirt and his favorite jeans Tossing them on to the bed.
He takes a quick glance out of the window to see a crisp Blue Sky He moves towards the bathroom
door. The floor still cold beneath his
bare feet, his palm connects with the
cool, familiar metal of the door
handle. Twisting it, he pushes the
door open, revealing the dim interior
of the bathroom.
He moved towards the bathroom
mirror. His tired reflection stared back
at him, eyes still shadowed with
lingering sleep. He reached for the
faucet, the cold metal of the handle a
jolt against his fingers, and turned it
with a soft click. Cupping his hands,
he splashed frigid water onto his face,
the shock instantly chasing away the
last remnants of drowsiness. He
turned off the sink faucet, then ran
his hand through his already messy
black hair, trying to tame the
sleep-tousled strands.
After unsuccessfully trying to tame
his messy black hair, he left the
bathroom and headed towards his
bedroom door. He grabbed the door
handle, twisting it and pushing it Ajar The familiar scent of
fresh coffee and his mom Eleanor's
humming drifted up, a comforting
prelude to the day.
He pushed his door fully open, the
familiar creaking sound echoing
softly in the quiet house
From downstairs, his mom Eleanor's
voice echoed, warm and clear. "Alex,
honey, are you up?"
"Yeah, Mom,I'm up," Alex responded,
his voice still a little drowsy. "What's
for breakfast?"
He pushed off from his door frame,
walking down the hallway. Alex reached the stairs. He gripped
the stair railing and began to walk
down slowly. "Hey, Mom," he called
out, "Where is Dad?" The scent of
freshly made pancakes reached his
nose.
As Alex descends the stairs his mom responded with a warm sweet voice "Oh, your dad is at work he needed to leave early" as Alex reached the bottom of the stairs He swung straight to the left to see his mom preparing the table
Alex responds with a confused look on his face "I thought dad didn't have work today." Eleanor hurried up and place down the two plates And turned her back to Alex. "Oh, um can you get two cups out of the cupboard for me on your left please Oh, and the pancakes will be ready soon." Alex opened up the cupboard door. "Mom you okay?" He grabbed the two cups. Eleanor jump slightly "Oh, yes. I'm fine. any plans today?"
Alex place the two cups on the table "no mom no plans today Eleanor turned around placing the two plates on the table. Her voice comes out a little cheerful and insistent. "What? No plans on a Friday." She reached into her apron pocket. She pulled out a crisp $100 bill pushing it against his chest. "This is $100 go out. Have fun." Alex push the $100 away slightly "sorry mom but I really have no plans" Eleanor's eyes narrow slightly She pushed the $100 back against his chest with more Force. "Listen, you're going to go out. Watch a movie go to the arcade. I don't care." Her words, though quiet, were
tight with an unspoken urgency, her
voice thin, almost strained with the
effort to remain calm."
"Okay okay I guess I can go catch a movie" Alex takes the money. Eleanor moves back slightly before clapping her hands "A movie that's a great idea." Her voice comes out a little more cheerful than usual. She glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:30 already I got to get Alex out of the house now. a cold Knot tightened in her stomach
Eleanor glanced back at Alex finally meeting his eyes For the first time this morning. "Honey, it's almost 8:00. You need to get going or you'll be late for school" Alex quickly glance at the clock "Crap, you're right. I'll just have to skip breakfast." Alex ran out of the kitchen and upstairs Eleanor can hear his echoing footsteps. Running up the stairs and retreating into his room. She breathes a sigh of relief.
###
Later on in the evening, Alex walked
up his porch stairs. His slim body
carried him with a weary energy, but
his once bright blue eyes seemed
dull with fatigue. His palm connected
with the cool metal of the door
handle. He twisted, pushing the door
inward.
He stepped inside, the familiar scent
of home doing little to lift the heavy
weight of the day. Dropping his
backpack by the entryway, Alex
made his way to his room, pulling out
his phone as he did so, absently
scrolling through notifications. He
pushed his bedroom door open,
stepping into the dim light.
As he tossed his phone onto his bed,
a soft, unfamiliar rustle drifted from
the direction of his pillow. He paused,
a frown creasing his brow. Had he left
a window open, letting in a stray
breeze? He turned, ready to check,
and then, his breath hitched.
Curled up neatly on the very edge of
his bed, nestled against his pillow,
was a figure he'd never seen before.
Long, blonde hair cascaded around a
pale face, and as she slowly stirred,
one pink eye and one blue eye
blinked open, staring directly at him.
Alex's mouth fell open, a silent gasp
escaping. He stood utterly
dumbfounded in the middle of his room.
"Hey," Alex managed, his voice a
strained, awkward squeak, "if you're
robbing the place then you're doing a
bad job at it."
"Um...hi?" the girl whispered, her
voice soft. Her unique eyes, one pink,
one blue, blinked, a fleeting hint of
confusion crossing her face as she
took in Alex's stunned expression
and odd comment.