Chapter I: Beautiful Smile

The world is a cold place that is an undeniable fact that is unlikely to change. Who or what you are, doesn't change your fate. That which is warm and pure will not last forever, I'll be damned if it does. Life is a sick joke, a game, a sad and cruel game that you will play until you die.

I opened my eyes and looked at the ceiling, my eyes wondered until they landed on the chandelier that was in the middle of my bedroom. The moonlight peeked through my curtains, and the dust particles tickled my nose. I sat up a looked around, I knew where I was,  however, everything seemed surreal. I used my feet to search for my slippers and felt my way to the bathroom. I flicked on the light switch and was temporarily blinded by the obnoxiously bright light. Once my vision returned to me, I looked at my reflection and she stared back. I studied the girl in the mirror, she was beautiful, with golden-brown skin, forest green eyes, and chocolate hair. I snapped myself out of my daze and traced my face with my finger, before turning on the faucet and splashing water on my face. It was only three in the morning but I couldn't sleep so I might as well make myself useful making breakfast and preparing ibuprofen for my younger brother, Inaki.

I opened my door and walked and walked and walked. Why in heavens hell is our house so damn big! I sighed and shuffled down the stairs. As soon as my foot reached the ground a sound came from the dining room. I glanced over my shoulder and looked into the dining room. A figure wearing black sweats and a matching hoodie sat at the table with their head down. "Inaki..?". 

Inaki's head popped up and his hood fell off his head revealing his black hair that was tied back into a bun. Inaki looked at me cautiously, his green eyes looked like that of a cat, but relaxed once he saw who I was. Though it was dark the moonlight gave me all the light I needed, his figure was soft and very feminine, he wasn't very tall either, shorter than me actually. But there was something that I noticed about him despite his overwhelming beauty, a large part of him was locked up and eventually left of void in his heart. He lived carelessly; sex and drugs, he used them in an attempt to fill the void. And he knew, he knew that that wasn't the answer but it was for right now, they gave him the feeling that he longed for, but took away his beautiful smile. 

I walked closer to him, and smelt the sex, alcohol, and weed. He reeked of it. I bit my lip, then pinched my nose.

 "You reek, go take a shower then come help me make breakfast", I said. His eyes widened and he sat there for a while, I was worried I fried his last brain cell. He smiled to himself, before standing up. 

"OK, OK," he said sarcastically with his hands up, "I'll be back".

I put my hands on my hips, "You better be" then I shooed him away.

I watched him drag his body up the stairs and disappear behind the wall. I sighed and pushed the chair that Inaki sat in back up to the dining table then made my way to the kitchen. I turned on the light and began laying out the ingredients for french toast, pancakes, eggs, and sausages or bacon. Excessive, I know but I like variety. 

After forty minutes Inaki came downstairs. He smelt much better than before, he had an oversized white tee-shirt on with basketball shorts. His long hair was still dripping with water.

I sucked my teeth, grabbed a handful of paper towels, and manhandled him.

"Did you know.." I said, "that if you don't dry your hair it stunts your growth".

"That's not true"

"But it is, because if it isn't, why am I 5'9 and you 5'6" I stuck my tongue out

He burst out laughing and so did I. It's been a while since we joked together, he's been preoccupied with…other things. And it made me happy, very happy to see his beautiful smile once again.