Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 28: Burgers and Lies

The sound of small feet coming down the stairs was always the quietest noise in the bustling house. It was far too early for anyone else to want to be awake, but it was a weekday, so they had to be and that included her. She was growing up so fast and it seemed like only yesterday to everyone that she was a toddler.

Quietly, she pushed the door to the study open and walked inside.

She smiled when she saw her cousin. "Amelia?"

Amelia was hard at work on a painting. The morning was the only peaceful time she had to paint. The house was a hectic mess throughout the rest of the day, and it seemed like she was always the one caught in the middle of it. "Good morning, Claire. Are you ready for school?" She put her paintbrush down and turned to face the child.

"Yeah, I'm all ready! I think mom and dad are arguing again..." Claire frowned.

"Don't pay them any mind, okay?" She sighed, hearing the distant sound of bickering from the kitchen. "Let's just get you outside before the school bus gets here, okay?"

The two of them walked to the front door.

"Alright, grab your backpack and I'll see you after school." Amelia smiled.

"Okay!" Claire nodded, but paused when she heard the sound of footsteps coming once again down the stairs, hurriedly this time.

Alexander didn't even stop to greet them as he rushed out the door.

"Late for your university classes again, Alexander?" Amelia grinned playfully.

"I will be if I don't hurry," he frowned and closed the door behind him.

She shook her head. "Maybe if he didn't sleep in..." she muttered, then looked down at her cousin. "Claire, you should head out now."

Claire grabbed her backpack and headed out behind him. "I'll see you after school!"

Amelia smiled, glad to finally have the chance to finish her painting.. or so she thought until she heard the arguing in the kitchen escalate. 'I better go see what it is this time...'

"Why don't you get off your lazy butt and get a real job!? Then maybe we wouldn't be so broke!" Aubrey snapped at Elias. 

Elias sighed. "My job is a real job!"

"Writing articles doesn't bring in much money, therefore it's not a real job." Aubrey narrowed her eyes. "Go get an office job or... I don't know, rocket science or something!"

"Why don't you stop complaining? I make more money than you do! At least I'm not working for minimum wage at some stupid retail store!"

She gasped. "This conversation is over!" She stood up from her chair and slammed it back under the table.

"Good riddance. At least I can finish breakfast in peace," Elias grumbled.

Aubrey said nothing more, simply choosing to storm away and give him the silent treatment.

Elias looked up and saw her heading for the front door. "Wait, Aubrey... don't leave!" He sighed and stood up, following after her. 

Garrett and Elaine exchanged worried glances before following after him, leaving Amelia alone with nothing but a table full of empty plates.

Amelia frowned and gathered the dirty dishes, watching the situation from a distance. 'There isn't a single day that goes by in this house without some kind of drama...'

With a sigh, she headed up to her room. 'I'll call Onyx. That will help me feel better...' She dialed the number and waited patiently for him to pick up as she sat down on her bed.

"Hello?" Onyx's voice came from the other side.

"Hey, Onyx, it's me," Amelia said with a frown. "How are you?"

He was silent for a moment before answering. "I'm... great. Just a little tired. Are you okay? You sound kind of down..."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed to talk." Amelia sighed. "Do you... would you like to come over for a while?"

"Um..." Onyx hesitated. 'I can't tell her about my job at the fast food place... then she'll know... but I have to get some sleep. Stupid vampire sun weakness and the night shift...'

"Onyx?"

"I can't right now, I'm... busy..." Onyx sighed. "I'm really sorry."

"Busy? Doing what?" Amelia asked curiously.

"I'm uh... shopping! At the grocery store."

She paused. "In the middle of the day?"

Onyx quickly thought up an explanation. "It's indoors."

"But I thought you couldn't go out into the sunlight to get there."

"It's the one right down the road."

"But you're a vampire. Why do you need to shop for gro--"

"Hey, listen, I'll come over in a few hours, okay?"

He could hear her disappointment. "Sure, that's fine. I'll see you then?"

"Of course. I should go... I love you." 

"I love you too, Onyx."

Onyx frowned as he hung up the phone. 'I feel so bad for lying. Well, I DID go shopping... but it wasn't for groceries...'

'It doesn't matter. It will be worth it when she sees this.'