XII: Breakfast & Barks

"WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUUUUPPP!" a rude, tiny voice shouted and shook me in my bed. I, in turn, whinced and groaned loudly, begrudingly opening my eyes and seeing my sister and brother sprawled on me bed with annoyingly large smiles on their faces.

"TULILA YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR STINKY BUTT OFF YOUR BED, IT'S LATE!" my sister called, bouncing on the mattress, making me roll over to see what time it was.

"GAHH, IT'S 5:46 IN THE MORNING!"

"Yeah, but you have to get reaaaadddy!" Periwinkle dragged out, resting her head on my stomach, making me sigh at her cuteness, "Periwinkle, it's a Saturday!"

"But," another voice spoke, "remember how we promised we'd take her jogging with us after we moved and got all sorted out?" Roux stated with a smirk that meant, 'if I don't sleep, neither do you.'

I groaned in remembrance and pushing my sister softly away, rolling the other side, "Five more minutes."

"Nope. We gunna go NOOOW!" Periwinkle growled in all her cuteness. She then stood on my bed and started jumping around, "WAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUPWAKE-" "OKAY FINE! I'M UP!" I shouted back, making my sister giggle victoriously and high five my obnoxious brother.

"Where are you three going at this hour?" my mother asked, catching sight of us from the kitchen. "We're going for a jog!" Periwinkle exclaimed with a wide smile. 

"A jog?" My mother smiled at her youngest, "Baby, why do you want to go out and jog with them?"

"Mom, she was who wanted to jog in the first place, I was so ready to sleep in today." I groaned out, making her laugh. She cupped my sister's face then kissed her forehead, "Well you three be safe, take care of your sisters." our mother spoke to Roux. He nodded and kissed her on her cheek, "We will, mama-o'-mine."

It was only in this time I realized how beautiful the scenery in my neighborhood was. The trees were lively, the leaves on their branches were colored bright green as was the grass beneath its shade. There were flowers in the bushes, in the vined walls, and on the ground. The sun was a blanket of gold, causing a swirl of colors in the sky to appear.

"Look, Twinkle, there's a butterfly!" Roux gasped and crouched down to the short, panting creature amidst jogging. She hitched out a giggle and smiled brightly.

"Ro-ro, how long are we going to be jogging?" she huffed out and started to slow down. I chuckled, "Peri, don't tell me you're tired already."

"No... I--I'm not!" she nodded furiously in disagreement.

We both laughed at her admission, "Okay then, if you're not tired yet, then we should jog all the way to Magnolia."

"MAGNOLIA?!" Periwinkle exclaimed, halting inmmediately, "But Rouuxxx, we took a plane here, it's too far away."

Roux chuckled, "Then do you want to stop?"

She then nodded quickly, making us once again laugh. "I'm tired, Roux," she then finally admitted. He nodded and crouched down, "Get on." With a wide smile, she then jumped excitedly on our older brother's back, in turn making him groan exaggeratedly.

"You've gotten so heavy, Twinkle,"

She giggled, "That's because I eat brocolli."

"Wow! What a champ!"

At this point, we made our way back home, passing the same way we did on our way out, except, something feel different. The atmosphere felt dull.

When we made it back home, I thought I was hearing things, hearing people screaming... but it seems I wasn't hearing things at all, since Roux clenched his jaw and took my arm in his hand.

We were close enough to make it out now.

"Then why are we even here if you can't do anything!" a voice exclaimed.

"We're here because it's safer."

"SAFE? IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE TYING A NOOSE ON YOUR NECK, ON ALL OF US!"

"WHAT WILL YOU HAVE ME DO THEN, WOMAN! ABANDON MY KIDS IN MAGNOLIA WHERE THEY'D BE EATEN ALIVE?!"

"Roux, is someone fighting?" Periwinkle muttered against our eldest's cheek. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders grew tighter.

Roux turns to Peri, then smiles, "Oh, don't mind that. Actually, let's go back, I forgot I had something to show you in the park."

She makes a sound, "but Roux, I'm tirrreed."

Roux chuckles, "How can you complain when I'm still carrying you on my back?"

"But I wanna eat pancakes with mommy now. She promised to make some today."

There was a louder racket suddenly. It made my agitation spike, and so did Periwinkles.

"What's that?" she whispered.

I give her a smile, "Oh nothing. We should just go back to the park."

"But someone's shouting inside! Mommy and daddy could be in trouble."

"Periwinkle-" "Priscilla," an old voice called behind us.

"Granny!" our sister exclaimed, immediately wringling down from Roux, running to Granny

"Roux won't let me go inside. Mommy and daddy could be in trouble," she complained. Grandma turns to us quickly and looks down upon her, "Well, I'm feeling a little hungry now, we should go get some breakfast outside."

"Oh! I'll call mommy for pancakes!"

Granny holds her back and shook her head, "Mommy's busy right now. But she told me to get you the biggest pancakes ever."

Periwinkle's jaw drops, "the biggest? With choco chips?!"

Granny smilesz "I want biiiig pancakes with chocolate chip." Our grandmother smiled in relief, "Then big pancakes with choco chips you shall get, my dear."

We then make our way to a nearby restaurant that served, true enough, big pancakes. The entire plate was packed, although, it might have been more impressive on any other day.

As the all ate, I felt no appetite even with the completely appetizing meal before me.

"Lourdes," my grandmother chewed then swallowed, "eat. Don't mind your parents. It's normal to fight like that. The important thing is that they make up afterm which they do; they do everytime, my dear." she assured me, making me turn to her and smile softly.

Roux sat beside me. In front of him was my grandmother. Beside of her was Periwinkle who was in front of me.

Roux sighs, "Don't let this bother you," he mumbled, "heck, I shouldn't even be bothered by it."

"It's normal for you to worry," Grandma spoke, "you love your parents. But you both are young, and though you work with your father, Roux, his problems are his own; don't let this encumber you."

I stare at the pancake in front of me and glaze syrup on it. I watch as it spreads and completely covers the pancake in the sticky liquid.

"How are things... going now?" I asked, finally taking a bite of my pancake. "Are things getting better?"

Roux turns to me, "Well, there's movement in the papers, but then again I don't know if that will help dad or add shit to his plate."

"Roux!" Periwinkle exclaimed, "Language!"

Roux whinced dramatically and smiled in a guilty manner, "Sorry." he muttered.

"Nope. Come here," she nodded in disapproval, making Roux screw his eyes shut and lean in closer. In a loud crack, Periwinkle then slapped my brother's lips causing him to pull back and whine. "Ouchy," he brushed his mouth, then laughing along with our giggling sister.

I smiled at the sight before me and leaned towards the being in front of me, "Ahh, Periwinkle," I then pinched her cheeks affectionately, "What would we ever do without you to bring light to our dull lives?"

With a sigh, I decide I need to splash water on my face to freshen up. I excuse myself from the table and go off to the bathroom.

One, Two, Three splashes. I look at myself in the mirror and place my hands on the sink. After a moment, I head back.

"I told you it was Lilac Dahlberg, Mishka," one smiled. "Oh, give the boy a prize," the other mocked with a smirk.

I was walking back to my table when I heard this. I turn over my shoulder and feel my stomach drop.

It was the diabolical twins with their long limbs and cheek bones. I clenche my jaw as they walked towards me. I did not want to talk to them, but just to my luck, there were people in the way, and the thought of having to confront them in front of my family.

"Dahlberg, we saw your jogging with you siblings, well, I saw you, Miska was in denial that you lived in our neighborhood." the other one spoke, "And we, uh, we wanted to welcome you."

There was suddenly an annoyed banter in foreign tongue. It was probably Russian, if I distinguised it correctly. At one point, I think they swtiched back to English, but I just was unable to follow

"Which is why we should apologi-"

"It won't change the fact we did-"

"Well we both know why we really did-"

"But she can't, you-"

"I know she can't!"

"Then what the hell is wrong with you, saying--"

I take it as a chance to leave. One of them catches me though, calling me. I whined and turn to them, "What do you want?"

They then both turned to me, and completely in sync, sighed, "We're sorry."

"For both now and what we did before." the one on the right said. "You shouldn't forgive us, but we promise to try and stay out of your way." the one on the left finished.

I look at them in shock. I shake my head and knit my brows, "I don't get it."

"We didn't want to do it... there's no excuse... but, we were forced to do it."

I feel my chest tighten. I scoff, "Forced? How could you be-" I cut myself off when I think of my dad and how we were forced to move here.

I take a breath and raise a hand, "Okay, hold on, my head's spinning, who is who again?" 

They turn to another and give a soft smile. "I'm Dmitri, but people call me Mishka," the one on the left raised his hand and smiled. "I'm Alexander, but people call me Sashka."

"Okay Miska and Sashka," I turned to either of them, "If you didn't want to do it, why did you?"

They turned to each other then back to me, keeping silent. I purse my lips and feel my eyes begin to water in frustration. My mind was already racing with thoughts about the scandal, my parents, and now this? Now I have to discern whether or not this was a trick.

Javier apologized to me yesterday, now these two?

I understand better Dae-Hyun and Marcus' reactions, how they pretended as if nothing happened. That's what people like them do. But this was making my insides churn in the worst way possible.

After brief silence, I clenched my jaw, feeling my blood boil a little, "If you're not going to tell me why, then I really won't forgive you."

Instead of getting a stirring action from them, they kept quiet and put their heads down. In that moment understood. I had seen that face before, helpless, cornered. They were being blackmailed. I could tell.

"We understand," they once again said in unison. "I know it's not much, but our promises are genuine." Mishka, spoke.

"You should go now. Sorry for keeping you from your family." Sashka pursed his lips and then the two went off in silence.

"Who arre they?" Roux asked cautiously, eyeing the two guys making their way out as I got back to my chair. "Classmates from school that welcomed me to the neighborhood."

"Oh, they live around here?" My grandmother asked to which I simply nodded to. "Are they nice to you?" she asked once more, making Roux turn to me cautiously.

I blinked and though for a moment, well, I don't knkw for certain yet. "They're decent people." I spoke in reply instead. "In that case, you should invite them over sometime."

I chuckled and nodded, "Okay, granny."

"What does decent mean?" Periwinkle suddenly asked, making all of us laugh in amusement.