I woke on the floor of my old room again and turned cautiously onto my back. Staring up at the ceiling fan, I found myself wondering first when the fifth blade had cracked, then how I could be so sure it was the fifth and not the first.
The nightlight flickered joyously, making snowflake shadows through the cobwebs on the ceiling... It was Michael who'd called them that first. Snowflakes, I mean. One night, a long time ago, when the whole gang dozed on the living room floor after a long and exhausting game of Twister.

Michael.

He was the only one who hadn't ended up at the Delaney's last night. A mild, sad sort of terror gripped me as I realised I had barely noticed his absence. I wondered if it meant anything, shoving down the obvious answer.
My cellphone buzzed in my pocket, sending tremors through my spine.

"Hello?" My voice, in it's usual morning glory, creaked out with less effort than I'd expected— but you've not have known from the sound.

"Marie?" It was Nikki. "Whoa. Did I wake you?"

"Nuh-uh." I shook my head, stifling a yawn. "I've been awake for a few minutes. "

"Oh." She said. "Well, we're all heading out to Mitch's for breakfast. They wanted me to call you, in case you want to come, but they were all too afraid to wake you." By 'they' I knew she meant Andrew and Darrin; the argument before the phone call must have been hilarious. The very idea brought a smirk I'm sure she could hear.

"Cool." I stifled another yawn, already tying one of the shoes I had slept in. "I guesss I'll see you all in a few."

"'kay." Nikki yawned. "Make sure you're awake before you drive. And stop making me yawn."

"Don't worry. " I hung up and dropped the phone. Throwing myself back onto the mass of blankets, thanking God for starting my day so well.

I woke on the floor of my old room again and turned cautiously onto my back. Staring up at the ceiling fan, I found myself wondering first when the fifth blade had cracked, then how I could be so sure it was the fifth and not the first.
The nightlight flickered joyously, making snowflake shadows through the cobwebs on the ceiling... It was Michael who'd called them that first. Snowflakes, I mean. One night, a long time ago, when the whole gang dozed on the living room floor after a long and exhausting game of Twister.

Michael.

He was the only one who hadn't ended up at the Delaney's last night. A mild, sad sort of terror gripped me as I realised I had barely noticed his absence. I wondered if it meant anything, shoving down the obvious answer.
My cellphone buzzed in my pocket, sending tremors through my spine.

"Hello?" My voice, in it's usual morning glory, creaked out with less effort than I'd expected— but you've not have known from the sound.

"Marie?" It was Nikki. "Whoa. Did I wake you?"

"Nuh-uh." I shook my head, stifling a yawn. "I've been awake for a few minutes. "

"Oh." She said. "Well, we're all heading out to Mitch's for breakfast. They wanted me to call you, in case you want to come, but they were all too afraid to wake you." By 'they' I knew she meant Andrew and Darrin; the argument before the phone call must have been hilarious. The very idea brought a smirk I'm sure she could hear.

"Cool." I stifled another yawn, already tying one of the shoes I had slept in. "I guesss I'll see you all in a few."

"'kay." Nikki yawned. "Make sure you're awake before you drive. And stop making me yawn."

"Don't worry. " I hung up and dropped the phone. Throwing myself back onto the mass of blankets, thanking God for starting my day so well.