Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 256(@200wpm)___ 205(@250wpm)___ 171(@300wpm)
Yes to all of this. I have so many things to do when I get home. Strickland University is ten minutes from the bakery in South Philadelphia. But I live in the Northeast, which requires two buses to get home from campus.
“Are you sure?”
She squeezes my shoulder. “You work hard, Shannon. Take a few minutes for yourself. You can use it.”
I pull the apron over my head, drop it onto the table, and slap a kiss on Mrs. Rizzo’s cheek. “Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow after school.”
She smiles in response.
* * *
After riding two buses and walking six blocks in the cold, I push open the front door. The scent of clean linen mixed with berries—my mom’s favorite candles—fills my nostrils. She has four different mason jars burning in the living room, one at each corner of the room.
I sneeze a few times before she peeks up from the book in her hand. “Hey, honey.” My mom drops the book on the coffee table. “How was work?”
I shift the bag on my shoulder to redistribute the weight and force a smile. “Same old, same old.”
Wondering where Cameron and my dad are hiding, I look around the living room and into the dining room. “Where’s Dad and Cam?”
“Upstairs. Cameron couldn’t wait until you got home.” Relaxing against the couch cushion, she sighs. “He begged your dad to play that video game with him.”
I laugh. “I guess I better give Dad a break then.”
She smiles. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that. His favorite show is about to start. Let him know, would you?”
When I reach the top landing, I’m surprised to hear my dad and younger brother laughing and yelling at the game. My dad hates video games. He didn’t even want to buy the gaming console for Cameron for Christmas last year. He’s convinced technology rots your brain. If he had it his way, Cameron would only play outside like my dad did when he was a kid. And now he likes video games?
I step into Cameron’s bedroom, surprised to find my dad clutching the controller in both hands, his eyes full of excitement. This is interesting.
“Hey, guys,” I say to get their attention. “Who’s winning?”
“The mages,” Cameron says, his eyes focused on the flat screen hung on the wall across from his bed. He leans forward, his elbows on his knees, clicking the buttons. “They keep stealing artifacts from us.”
“Dad, your show is about to start.”
He glances over at me for a split second. “Okay, tell your mom I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
I attempt to leave the room when Cameron yells over the sound of blades clashing. “Don’t go. Take Dad’s place. We’re on level fifteen.”
Dropping my bag on the floor, I sink to the mattress next to my dad and brother. “I’m not going anywhere. Promise.”
A few minutes pass where I exchange the same conversation with my dad as I did with my mom.
Every day is the same—go to work and school, come home and play games with Cameron, do homework, and repeat. Throw in the weekend frat party or sorority event, and that’s my life. Nothing ever changes. I can’t wait until the day I can open my bakery. That’s my dream.
My parents think my ideas are crazy. I guess when you work for the same trucking company for most of your life, it’s hard to grasp the concept of working for yourself. Dad is a truck driver. Mom answers the phones at the office. They met when they were in their early twenties and have been together ever since.
Cameron groans when Game Over flashes across the screen in red letters. Even my dad mutters something under his breath, annoyed.
He hands me the controller and gets up from the bed. “Now I can see why you two are so addicted to this game.” Dad fixes his gaze on Cameron. “One more hour and then time for bed, buddy.”
Cameron peeks up at him from beneath his light brows and smiles. “Can I stay up until ten?”
Dad considers his request. “Nine-thirty, but not a second later.”
Cameron throws his hands in the air, his face illuminated by the broad grin tugging at his mouth. “Thanks, Dad.”
After my dad disappears into the hallway, Cameron slides over to where I’m sitting on the edge of his bed. “You ready to play, sissy?”
Though Cameron is ten-years-old, he still acts like a baby sometimes, starting with his nickname for me. He couldn’t say sister when he was younger. Shannon was even harder for him to say. That’s how I ended up with ‘sissy.’
“Yeah, kid.” I nudge him in the arm with my elbow. “Do you want to play on the same team or against each other?”
“Same team,” he beams. “I was crushing it with Dad… until we lost the Sword of Balthazar.”
I gasp. “What do you mean you lost it? We need it to advance to the next level.”