|NEXT MORNING|

MARIANA

Brianna didn’t come home yesterday, and Mom and I were so worried. We tried calling her, but her phone was switched off. We kept hoping nothing bad had happened to her, and we went to bed late, trying not to think the worst.

I took my bath, got dressed in my school uniform, and combed my hair. Then, I quickly went downstairs to prepare a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and bread. I placed the food on a tray with a bottle of water and headed to Mom’s room. I knocked on her door, and when I heard a soft “Come in,” I opened it.

“Good morning, Mom,” I greeted, and she smiled warmly at me.

“Morning, sweetie. How was your night?”

“It was great. I made breakfast,” I said, setting the tray on her bed.

“Thanks, darling. Your sister’s still not home?” she asked.

“No, she hasn’t come back yet. I tried her number again, but it’s still off. I just hope nothing bad has happened to her. I don’t know how I’d handle it if something did,” I said, feeling the worry settling in.

“Don’t think like that. Maybe she got caught up with something at work and couldn’t make it home last night,” she suggested.

“Okay, Mom, I’ll try to stay positive,” I sighed, and she took the tray on her lap, digging into the scrambled eggs.

“Hmmm, this is delicious. Who taught you to make scrambled eggs like this?” she moaned in delight.

“Mom, why are you acting like this is the first time I’ve made a meal for you? Besides, I learned from the best, so of course I can make it this good,” I said with a grin, and she smiled back.

“I’m going downstairs to eat, Mom. Call me when you’re done, so I can clear your plates,” I added, and she nodded. I walked out of her room and headed to the kitchen to eat my own breakfast. After I was finished, I washed my plate and cup, then went back upstairs to grab Mom’s dishes.

I quickly put on my socks and shoes, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and called out, “Mom! I’m going to school now. Remember to take your medicine at the right time!”

“Okay, baby! Have a nice day at school!” she called back as I ran out the door. I jogged all the way to my best friend’s house, which wasn’t too far.

I knocked on the door, and Mrs. Hathaway opened it, smiling when she saw it was me.

“Good morning, my child! How are you?” she greeted with a warm smile.

“I’m fine, Mom, good morning,” I replied.

“How are your sister and mother doing?” she asked.

“They’re both fine. Is Vanessa ready for school yet?” I asked, and she laughed.

“You know it’s impossible for her to be ready by now. When I checked on her, she told me to give her five more minutes. I’m going back to her room with a bucket of hot water to wake her up,” she said, pretending to be serious. We both laughed.

“Don’t do that, Mom. I’ll go wake her up,” I said, heading to her room. I found Vanessa sprawled across the bed, snoring loudly. Her hair was a mess, and I shook my head as if I were a mother disappointed in her daughter.

I moved closer and gave her a firm smack on the back. She jolted awake, looking around frantically to see who had smacked her. Her eyes locked on me, and her expression immediately turned to a frown.

“Why did you do that?!” she shouted.

“I did that because we’re running late for school, and you’re still in bed!” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Oh please, we can’t be that late. What time is it?” she grumbled, and I checked my wristwatch.

“It’s already 7:30! You’re still here arguing with me, and the first bell rings at 8:00! Our school is a thirty-minute walk from here!” I yelled. She leapt out of bed, rushing to the bathroom.

I watched with amusement as she rushed out five minutes later, dressed in her uniform and hastily combing her hair.

“Did you even take a bath?” I asked, chuckling.

“Of course I did,” she replied, looking defiant.

“If you say so,” I teased, skipping downstairs with Vanessa trailing behind me, still mumbling about not wanting to go to school and cursing the inventor of school.

We reached the dining room, where Mrs. Hathaway had already started her cereal. There were two bowls set out for Vanessa and me. Vanessa sat down and immediately dug in, while I just stood there. Mrs. Hathaway raised an eyebrow when she noticed I wasn’t sitting.

“Why are you standing, Mariana? The other bowl of cereal is yours. Sit down and eat,” she said.

“No, Mom, I ate already this morning. I won’t be able to eat again,” I replied.

“Nonsense! There’s always room for more food. Sit down and eat,” she insisted. I sighed in defeat. There was no escaping a second breakfast.

“If she’s not going to eat it, I’ll gladly have it,” Vanessa offered, but Mrs. Hathaway shot her a glare that made her quickly focus on her own bowl. I quietly chuckled, and Vanessa, hearing me, glared at me in return.

I quickly ate the cereal, then stood up. Vanessa finished too and took the bowls to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned.

“Ready to go to school?” she asked.

“Yes, let’s go,” I replied.

“Okay, let’s get going,” she said, and we walked toward the door. Just as we were about to leave, Mrs. Hathaway called out.

“Wait, let me drop you kids off,” she said.

“Mom, have you forgotten that your work is in the opposite direction of our school?” Vanessa asked.

“No, I haven’t. I got permission to be late to work today so I can drop you off,” she explained.

“Okay, that works. We’ll have time to spare before the first bell rings,” Vanessa said, relieved.

“Alright, let’s go then,” Mrs. Hathaway said, and we all headed outside toward the driveway. Thank goodness she offered to drop us off; otherwise, we would have been really late for school.