Mikaela awoke early, and got out of bed quietly.
She tiptoed to the door of her room, and peeked out into the hallway.
The house was quiet, and she could see that the sun was just starting to rise.
She went into her en-suite bathroom, and quickly got ready for school.
She packed her school bag, and looked at herself in the mirror.
Her long black hair was sleek and shiny, but her blue hoodie and jeans looked shapeless.
"Mommy always gets me stuff that's too big," she muttered to herself.
She crept downstairs, and sighed in relief that there was no sign of Annette or Sky.
She grabbed an apple, along with the key fob of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, opened the front door, and slipped out into the early morning.
The neighborhood was quiet, and Officer Vasquez's patrol car was nowhere to be seen.
Mikaela, popped open the car door, and slid into the back seat.
She sighed as she ate her apple, and waited for Annette and Sky to show up.
