Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters

I walked into the Moreno house through the front door and put my backpack in the basket that held everybody else’s junk. The family was going through its usual morning rush. Mr. Moreno was quickly putting on his jacket and work boots while Mrs. Moreno yanked out the keys to her car and put all the spilled contents back into her purse.

“Riley, dear,” she began, looking around the floor for anything else she hadn't picked up. “I’m going to be working a little late today. Do you think you could start dinner?”

I let out a small sigh. I was hired to take care of her children. The most I fed them was breakfast, a light snack, and lunch. I was the baby sitter for the girls. I wasn’t the cook for the family. This woman wasn’t even paying me. But, I needed the money that she owed me and to pay Luke back.

“Sure,” I agreed, with a small, forced smile.

“Thank you, Hun!” She smiled, throwing her purse over her shoulder and walking towards the garage. Mr. Moreno followed her, grumbling about something to himself. I didn’t really like Mr. Moreno, but he was more on my good side right now than Mrs. Moreno was.

Jack stormed by me and rummaged through the backpack bin. I knew he was in a rush, and looking for his car keys. I lifted my backpack off the top of the pile, along with everyone else’s bag so Jack could find what he was looking for.

“Why the hell are you messing shit up?” he spat, yanking his backpack out of the basket and tossing it over his shoulder.

“I was just trying to help you find your stuff,” I answered, rather confused and hurt.

“I don’t need your fucking help. Just stick to your job of booger-wiping,” he snarled, charging out of the door.

I blinked at his hostile attitude and put back all the bags in the bin. Jack was like that to me all the time. I don’t remember what I ever did to him, but he treated me like shit. I didn’t really have the nerve to retaliate when he started yelling at me. Instead, I would pretend I didn't hear a word.

Izzy, his girlfriend, probably pissed him off yesterday or something, and that was why he was such in a bitchy mood.

It was only seven thirty in the morning. Luke and Jack went off to school, and the girls usually didn’t wake up until nine or so. I went to follow my daily routine; watch TV in the Moreno brother’s room until the girls started to move around.

One of the two beds was empty with the sheets falling onto the floor, while the other one had a body in it. Luke’s dark curly hair was sticking out over the top of the blanket. I rushed over by his bed to wake him up. He had to go to school. Mrs. Moreno would not like it if I let him stay home. I couldn’t leave to drop him off at school. I had to stay back in case the girls woke up. His classes started in thirty minutes. If he was going to make it on time, he had better start running.

“Luke,” I said loudly, poking his back. “Luke, wake up!”

“No,” he grumbled, kicking the sheets off. He looked just like Colby when I tried to wake her up.

“Luke, you have to go to school.” I started to shake him a little.

“I’m not going to school,” he breathed with his eyes still shut. “I’m sick.”

“Luke, your mom is going to murder me if she finds out I let you stay home,” I told him in hopes that he would get up.

“I’m sick,” he croaked.

“I’m not going to believe that,” I chuckled. Was he seriously trying to get away with that?

“No, I’m serious,” he mumbled. “Feel my face.”

I couldn’t feel his face, since he was lying on it. So, I pulled the sheets down a little bit and touched his back. He was really warm, but that could have been because he was sleeping on it most of the night. I moved my hand up to the back of his neck, the second best place to check for temperature. His neck was warmer than his back.

“You are a little warm,” I admitted, taking my hand off his body and returning it to my side.

“Told you,” he coughed. It sounded like he was trying to choke up a lung.

“Alright, you can stay,” I sighed. I didn’t want Luke to hate me as much as Jack did, but my employment was more important than his feelings towards me. I did not want an angry Moreno mom coming after me.

“Mhmm,” he hummed.

“Do you want soup or anything?” I asked, making my way towards the door.

“Sleep would be good. But Jack pretty much killed that dream with all his yelling,” Luke mumbled, his voice cracking. “Ramen noodles would be amazing, though.”

“What kind?” I wasn’t sure how picky was Luke was about his food. I accidentally made Jack a turkey sandwich instead of a ham sandwich once. He was so pissed; I thought he was going to hit me.

“Beef is good,” he answered, rolling onto his back. “I’ll be out there in a minute.”