Veracity-1
Ace
11:30 AM — That's what my smartwatch read when I finally opened my eyes. Damn it, I overslept again. I sat up, running a hand through my hair. Guess I'd stayed up too late working on that stupid client report. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching out the stiffness from sleeping like a rock.
I headed straight to Phoenix's room and knocked on the door. "Phoenix, get up. Stop sleeping already. You're gonna skip school again," I called out, loud enough to cut through his usual morning fog. No answer, just the faint sound of shuffling. I rolled my eyes and headed back to my own room.
I opened my closet and stood there for a moment, just staring at the mountain of clothes. Colors, fabrics, patterns — I had way too many, but that's what happens when you blow half your earnings on new fits. Still, despite the variety, I knew what I was gonna pick. Same old trio: plain white T-shirt, black joggers, and my Jordan's jacket. Reliable. Comfortable. Just my style.
After grabbing my stuff, I hit the bathroom, stripping down and stepping into a cold shower. Bad idea. The ice-cold water slapped me awake real quick, and I cursed under my breath, but I wasn't about to back out now. Five minutes later, I was dry and dressed, trying not to think too hard about how the temperature outside was 4°C. I slipped on my smartwatch and made my way out to the living room.
Of course, Phoenix still hadn't shown his face. Typical. I knocked on his door again, louder this time. No answer. That was weird — usually, he'd at least mumble something or groan about wanting to sleep longer. He's a light sleeper, despite being lazy as hell. I figured he must've been in the shower, so I didn't bother pushing it.
I made my way to the kitchen and opened the fridge, already bracing for disappointment. As expected, it was practically empty — just two eggs and some bread. I sighed and pulled them out, tossing the bread in the toaster while I cracked the eggs into the pan. We really needed to manage our money better — too much spent on clothes and Phoenix's school fees left us scraping by sometimes. At least we still had enough for breakfast today.
While the eggs sizzled, I grabbed another bowl and warmed some milk for Kuro, our little black furball of a cat. He was perched by the window again, staring out over the city from our spot on the 22nd floor. The view was killer, and the rent was surprisingly low, so it was worth the trouble — even if the elevator was out half the time.
Kuro turned his bright yellow eyes on me when I set the bowl down, his gaze sharp but expectant. "Yeah, little buddy. Breakie time," I muttered, pouring the warm milk into his dish. He wasted no time digging in, tongue flicking through the liquid like he hadn't eaten in days.
I dropped onto the sofa, noticing Kuro's black fur scattered all over the cushions again. Great. Another chore to add to the list. I leaned back, biting into my toast just as Phoenix finally emerged from his room at 12:03 PM. He was dressed in his white cargo set from Nike, his blackish, wavy mullet slightly damp from his shower. Always had that half-awake, disheveled look going on, but I knew better than to comment on it.
He gave the breakfast a look, then sighed, sounding more like an annoyed cat than Kuro. "Again?" he grumbled.
"Not my fault you blew the allowance on that game," I shot back. "We gotta make do until I get a new client. Besides, it's not like we're starving." I took another bite of toast while he sipped at his milk, still looking unimpressed.
Phoenix kept quiet, and I knew he was sulking. "Why don't you set an alarm?" I said, giving him a look. "Skipping this much isn't good, considering you're in your senior year, Nixy."
He just grinned like it was no big deal. "Slept through it," he said with a shrug. I rolled my eyes. "As expected. So now I've gotta wake up early just to get you up?"
"If you want me to go to school, then yeah, Captain," he teased, snickering. I shook my head, ignoring the way he found it all so damn funny. Typical Phoenix.
He gave me a pitiful look when I told him to eat his breakfast, but I wasn't falling for it. "Nope. Whatever's on your plate, you eat it," I said firmly. He pouted, but after a moment of whining, he started eating. At least I wouldn't have to deal with wasted food this time.
13:34 PM — I laced up my shoes and grabbed the house keys from the hanger. "Nixy, you ready?" I called out. He stepped out of his room with his bag slung over his shoulder, giving me a lazy nod. "Did you get everything you need?" He nodded again. "Let's go. The client's waiting at the location."
As usual, Phoenix went out first while I locked the door. I made sure to leave a light on for Kuro before following him. We hit the stairwell, only to realize the elevator was down for maintenance again. Fantastic.
"I'm already tired, Cap," Phoenix grumbled as we stared down the seemingly endless flight of stairs.
"Same here," I muttered. Climbing down 22 floors was definitely not how I wanted to start the day. By the time we made it to the parking lot, both of us were already a little out of breath. I straddled the bike and started it up, feeling Phoenix climb on behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist. Helmet on, engine roaring, we took off down the road.
Just another day trying to make ends meet — shaman work, library shifts, and dragging my lazy little brother out of bed. Life wasn't glamorous, but it was ours, and I'd make it work one way or another.