Get up Whenever You Fall

Thea

As they sluggishly make their way out of the door, I can't help but glue my eyes to the new girl, Nico. Adriel and Travis are reciprocating playful nudges and punches, and Nico... I don't know. She just fits in there.

It's like she belongs there.

Before completely abandoning me, I notice Travis take one last glance at me, and he smirks after seeing me take a look back with big, surprised eyes.

...


I lock the door behind me and get accustomed to the dead air.

The floorboards groan beneath me as I take step after step. Nobody's home yet, and obviously the house needs a little cleaning. I snatch a broom and whisk as much dust back and forth, not really accomplishing anything. Where is the vacuum when I need it?

"I'm home!" Arcadia squeals. She is my older sister, the reason for all my hardwork at Galileo's.

Like me, she has white-blond hair, though hers is silken, long and able to glint brilliantly in the sunlight. "I'm hungry," she pouts. "What's there to eat?"

She prances to the fridge and opens it, blue dress flowing in a swirl around her. "Hmm..." she puckers her lips, "there's only leftover from last night."

I shake my head. "I bought food from Galileo's," I inform her. "Employee's discount." I rake my fingers on my scalp, tousling some hair in the process, and flash my brightest grin.

Arcadia makes a face. "Again?"

"Yeah." I put the broom back to its place. "I got my pay today."

"Oh, goody!" she squeaks, eyes lighting up. "I really need that for this term's new textbooks and study guides. Thea, you're the best!" She blows me air kisses and skips happily towards the stairs and up, pounding her feet like thunder.

As my older sister, she sure doesn't act like it. Abruptly, unceasing knocks hammer on our front door. "Thea, my knuckles are starting to hurt! Open the door!" A familiar voice and tone.

I twist the knob under my grip and pull the wooden door open. I stand there, dumbfounded.

"... Adriel?" I angle my head to the side and discover that Adriel's buddies are also present. "What are you doing here?"

"Yep." He makes a small gesture that he is going to enter my house, and so he does. The rest of his crew tails behind him in a beeline, some of them giving me cordial smiles and some plain poker faces.

The last one to step inside is Niko, who is reluctant and a bit flustered by Adriel's assertiveness. "Sorry," she mouths to me, and I just smile. It's not her fault.