Chapter Nine

An hour later, Sharlene was crazily yawning, and that was because her bedtime had passed an hour ago.

Gazing down at the first drawn product on the table, she groaned.

Her glasses stubbornly slipping off her face because of her yawn. Everyone but Miss. Apex had left, as Madam Sinclair predicted.

Sharlene was thankful she was not alone as she looked at the middle-aged woman mopping the floor of the cubicles beyond the glass windows of her office. The loud ping of her phone brought her back into reality. Grabbing the black box from on top of her messy desk, she sighed when it was a message from her mother demanding her reason for not coming home.

Tapping the call log, she did not have to wait long, for her mother answered on the first ring.

"Where are you, sweetie?"

"I am sorry, mom. I am still at the office. I might not come home tonight because of so much paper-work my boss left me."

Whining while massaging her forehead, Sharlene stood from her chair to stretch her fatigue body.

"That's preposterous! Does your boss not work? Why do you have to do her work?"

Hearing the angry tone in her mother's voice, Sharlene mumbled.

"It's part of my job description."

A slight huff, her mother was not pleased.

"No, it's not. When I meet that boss of yours, I will give her an ear full."

Chuckling, Sharlene returned to her seat.

"It's alright, mom. I have gotten used to it."

"You mean being a busy body?"

Humming, she blew kisses into the phone.

"Love you, mom, and don't worry, I have already eaten."

"You better did or else."

The phone went dead, alerting Sharlene that the call had ended. She placed her phone on the table; her determination replenished after hearing her mother's voice.

Crackling her fingers, she removed a band from her bag and tied her waist-length black hair into a tight updo. Placing her glasses back onto her face and adjusting the light in the room to her eye-sight, she resumed her work.

By the time she had finished a quarter of the work, it was half-past 1.

Dead tired, after sorting everything in an appropriate order, Sharlene removed a flow pillow from her bag and standing from the uncomfortable chair, she walked towards the sofa. Placing her bags on the floor and removing her shoes, she dived into the comfortable chair like it was her bed.

The moment she closed her eyes, the light penetrating through the window attacked her closed eyelids. It felt just like minutes that she had fallen asleep, but the blasting alarm from her phone that shook her to the very core made it apparent she had slept for five hours.

Waking up as if an earthquake was occurring, she rushed on wobbling legs towards the phone on the desk to see that it was six o'clock.

Switching off the annoying ringtone, Sharlene gave a loud and unsatisfying yawn. Passing a hand through her untamed bird nest hair,

she squinted her eyes to view the messages on her phone.

One was from her mother, while two others were from her boss. Grabbing her abandoned glasses from the desk, she fumed for the half-hearted messages from her boss were annoying.

One read that when she finished with the documents, she should place them on her desk, while the other read that she was free to leave work and go home and rest up for the day. When she returned to work the following days, she had numerous overnight stays to embark.

She wasted a night and morning because her boss was lazy and living in the clouds.

Scoffing, she quickly packed up her stuff while replying to her mother's message. She did not bother to brush her hair because she was driving home. Quickly bringing the completed documents to the rude woman's desk, she left the building and rushed home since there was little traffic.

The moment she passed through the front door, Sharlene was mocked by her little brother, who was making his way down the stairs.

"Hey, bird-nest. How was work?"

His school was half an hour from the house, so waking up at 6:30 was a must. She was surprised to see the sleep-in-bug was able to look so refreshed and wide awake, unlike her.

Ignoring him, she walked towards the kitchen, where she knew Helena was preparing breakfast.

"Morning, mom. Breakfast smells great."

With a cheery smile, Sharlene greeted

Lifting her head from flipping a pan of omelets, Helena tsked when she saw the mess her daughter was.

Sharlene quickly snagged a chocolate bar from the pantry when her mother had returned to the omelets.

Her brother snickered as he walked into the room. He had obliviously seen her little mischief but kept his mouth shut. Passing a hand through her hair and pulling a few strands, he laughed when she beat against his hands like he was a fly.

"Morning, Mom."

He spoke with a mischievous smirk on his face.

Sharlene quickly shoved the unwrapped chocolate into her mouth like a chipmunk when her mother had turned back around to face them.

"You are up early."

Directing her mumble to AJ, Helena had not seen a thing Sharlene did.

"That is a first."

Sharlene teasingly glared at AJ, but he brushed it off.

"And you," she pointed her spatula in Sheena's direction. "That boss of yours is abusing you. How long have you been working there?"

Placing her lunch bag on the table, she sat on the chair in front of the island table. Sharlene carefully answered while chewing on the sugary goodness.

"For three weeks now. The pay is good. I got the day off."

She batted her brother's hands away from her hair a second time. The idiot was trying to rile her up.

Pursing her lips, Helena rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't every American job have greater benefits, but impossible working hours?"

Distractedly humming for her brother had suddenly begun massaging the sides of her head, Sharlene became sleepy.

"AJ, bring your sister to her room."

"But I haven't showered."

Sleepily muttering, Sharlene leaned her head against AJ's chest.

"That's the least of your problems. Now, shh, and allow your brother to carry you to your room."

"But bathing is important."

Mumbling, as AJ gathered her in his arms, Sharlene could not perceive reality from dreams.

"Even if you stink, pipsqueak, no one would smell you."

"I am not small."

Huffing, while weakly hitting his chest, Sharlene was drowsy.

Laughing, AJ quickly brought her into her room.

Dumping her on the bed with a loud groan, he hissed.

"What do you eat to be so heavy?"

He flexed his arms.

"Chocolates."

Mumbling with a small laugh, Sharlene was out like a light the moment her head hit the pillow.

"I figured. It's your addiction."

Chuckling, AJ covered her with the bedsheet.

Watching her snoring person snuggling in the sheets, he smiled while shaking his head.

His second elder sister was like a child.

Walking out of the room, he closed the door with a soft click behind him. Racing down the hallway and then the stairs, he stepped back into the kitchen. Sitting down at the table, where his breakfast awaited him, he gulped it down like he was starving, and maybe he was.

"Is she sleeping?"

Inquisitive, as she placed a glass of orange juice near his plate, Helena frowned at his manner of eating.

"Out like a light."

Mouth filled with food, he answered, and the stern glare from Helena caused him to smirk.

"Close your mouth. It is bad manners."

"Okie Dokie."

His muttering made her frown, for he had disobeyed her.

Brushing his eating habits aside, she inquired.

"Do you want me to drive you to school?"

Shaking his head and gulping down the glass of orange juice, he mischievously smirked.

"No need, mom. I got my driver's license last week, and since Shar is not working today, I might as well use her car."

Sighing, for she knew AJ loved creating mischief with his sister, Helena frowned.

"You know how much your sister likes that car. She spent five years saving up to buy that brand. She warned you last week to never touch it."

"I made no promise, remember?"

AJ stood from his chair and brought his empty glass and plate into the sink. Quickly washing and placing it in the drainer, he skipped towards his mother and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"That's why I'm taking it out for a spin today."

"Don't say I did not warn you."

Stern words from his mother that he ignored, AJ rushed up the stairs to only brush his teeth, collect his bag and the keys to his sister's car.

"BYE, MOM! SEE YOU LATER!"

Shouting for the whole house to hear, AJ left and quickly hopped into his sister's car.

With his eyes shining like a million bucks, he drove out of the parking space, that is after admiring the car.