DING DING!
DING DING!
Luis turned on his bed, covering his ears as the alarm continued to go off. He hated waking up this early.
DING DING!
...
DING DING!
He opened his eyes and looked straight at the alarm clock. "Fuck, why is morning already here?" He looked at the time and got even more annoyed. "Getting up at 5am will be the death of me, this can't be healthy."
He got up, scratching his messy silver hair and walked over to the alarm, snoozing it. He then wobbled over to the bathroom and leaned over the sink, looking at his sleepy reflection in the mirror.
"School is such a pain, I hope this new one is better than the last."
He started doing his morning routine, brushing his teeth, taking a shower and so on. By the time he was done, it was already 6:30, and he still had not eaten.
"This uniform is a little tight but I do love the colors. Private high schools always trying to look cooler than government schools."
He adjusted the red tie, smoothing down the white blazer with its gold trim. It matched the white pants and shirt perfectly. He slipped on the black shoes, tapping the toes against the floor.
He grabbed his phone off the bed and pulled up the saved image of the school. Even on the small screen, the place looked massive. White pillars and gold gates, it was definitely a step up from his other schools.
'Actually looks decent,' he thought, staring at the campus. 'Hopefully I can actually make some friends this time.'
He felt a little buzz of excitement in his chest. It wasn't just about the fancy building, it was the fresh start.
He grabbed his bag and went downstairs, smelling breakfast before he even reached the bottom step.
He walked into the kitchen, dropping his bag on a chair. His sisters were already busy, moving around the counter in their matching uniforms.
Luis walked past them to the fridge, pulling it open. He stared inside for a second before grabbing a bottle of cold water.
"Morning," Lulu said, not looking up from the lunch box she was packing.
"Morning," he replied, closing the fridge door with his hip. He leaned against the counter, watching them work. "You guys are at it early."
"Well, you weren't gonna do it," Lisa said, snapping the lid onto a box. "Since you always wake up late."
"I was up at five," he muttered, taking a sip of water.
"Sure." She slid the box across the counter to him. "We made your lunch too. Don't forget it this time."
He looked at the box, then at them. They really loved him way too much. "Thanks, you guys are the best."
He took a bite of an apple from the fruit bowl. "So, you guys nervous?"
"A little," Lulu admitted, leaning against the counter. "I mean, look at the size of it."
"And the people are gonna be... you know," Lisa said, making a face. "Snobs."
Luis shrugged, grabbing another slice of apple. "Rich kids are always snobs. Who cares?"
"Easy for you to say." Lisa crossed her arms and looked down at her shoes. "You don't have to deal with the girls, they are so much worse. They judge everything from hair to shoes and even what phone you have."
"My phone is fine," Lulu said and instinctively touched her pocket but she didn't sound convincing.
Luis stopped chewing for a second because he knew what she meant. They had good stuff but it wasn't that level of good.
"Look," he said, swallowing the apple. "Just stick together. If they want to be assholes then let them. We are there for the scholarship and not the popularity contest."
"I know, I know," Lisa muttered. "I just don't want to be the charity cases."
"We are not charity cases," he cut in, his voice a little sharper. "We got in because our grades are better than many so remember that."
He patted her head, "The fact we got in is proof enough, you don't need to try and prove yourself to anyone."
Lisa smiled and leaned into his hand. "True and if anyone bullies me my big brother will deal with them anyways."
"You know it," he said and messed up her hair which made her squeal.
Lulu watched them and shook her head but she was smiling too. It wasn't easy living on their own without parents to back them up but they made it work.
"Okay enough bonding," Lulu said and grabbed her bag from the counter. "We actually need to go or we will be late."
They walked out of the kitchen and were halfway to the front door when Luis stopped mid-step. A transparent blue window floated right in front of his face.
[System will activate in 01:00:00]
"Luis?" Lisa asked, stopping when she realized he wasn't following. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, blinking the window away. He pushed his sisters toward the door. "Just thought I forgot something but I didn't so let's go."
They gave him a weird look but shrugged it off, walking out the door. Luis followed but his heart was beating a little faster.
He had almost forgotten about that thing. It first appeared two years ago on the day their parents passed away. He didn't know why or how it happened but the only thing it ever displayed was that timer.
'I remember when it showed years,' he thought, staring at the hour mark ticking down. 'I really hope this isn't another bad omen.'
He still didn't even know what would happen when that timer hit zero but he had a feeling his life was about to get complicated again.
Lulu and Lisa didn't stop talking the entire walk to the bus stop. They jumped from topic to topic like it was a sport with Luis just nodding when it felt appropriate.
"So," Lulu said, looking up at him. "Are you finally gonna get a girlfriend this year?"
Luis choked on air, coughing as he looked down at her. "What kind of question is that?"
"A valid one," Lisa chimed in, adjusting her bag strap. "You're eighteen now. It's kinda sad that you haven't dated anyone since..." She trailed off because she didn't need to finish the sentence.
Since their parents died.
Luis looked straight ahead. "I've been busy. Taking care of you two is a full-time job."
"Excuses," Lulu said, skipping ahead a few steps. "We just want you to be happy. You barely do anything for yourself anymore."
He watched her skip away, knowing she was right even if he wouldn't admit it. "I am happy when you guys are safe."
"Cheesy," Lisa muttered, bumping her shoulder against his. "But seriously, just think about it. If you see someone cute today then just say hi."
He smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to pull her in for a quick side hug. "I will think about it but no promises."
"That is all we ask," Lulu called back while walking backwards to face them. "Just one hi. That is it."
He chuckled because they were impossible to say no to.
He glanced down at their uniforms again and frowned. "I still don't like how short those skirts are. Who designed these things?"
"Perverts probably," Lisa said and shrugged. "It is what it is."
"It's annoying," he muttered. "If any guy tries anything-"
"Relax mom," Lulu said and lifted the hem of her skirt to show the black biker shorts underneath. "We came prepared."
Lisa did the same and grinned at him. "Safety shorts. We aren't stupid."
He let out a sigh of relief. "Okay good then. That makes me feel a little better."
When they finally arrived at St. Ives Academy, the picture on the phone didn't do it justice. The place was massive, with gold gates opening up to a campus that looked more like a university than a high school.
Students were flooding in everywhere. Luxury cars dropped off kids who looked like they stepped out of a magazine, with perfect hair and tailored blazers. Even the girls looked flawless without a single hair out of place.
Luis felt a weight on his arms as Lulu and Lisa stopped walking, shrinking in a little. The confidence from the safety shorts conversation was gone, replaced by wide-eyed nervousness. They moved closer, each grabbing onto one of his arms and holding tight.
"Okay," Lulu whispered, her grip tightening on his sleeve. "There are a lot of really pretty people here."
"Like really pretty," Lisa added, sounding small. "I feel underdressed and we are wearing the same uniform."
Luis looked down at them, feeling them tremble just a little. He adjusted his stance to let them anchor themselves.
"Chin up," he said quietly, walking forward and taking them with him. "Don't let them see you nervous, you will invite trouble to yourself."