Kayt Lackie
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An extract from Ameratat
Chapter 4
Hori snored himself awake. The sun beamed in through the iron-shaped burn hole in the curtain. He realized his alarm was making that constipated mosquito sound and had probably been doing so for some time. So it was late – his “chauffeur” would be there in twenty-five minutes. But Hori was talented and only needed fifteen minutes to get showered, dressed, combed, fed, shoed and out the door, so he closed his strained eyes and warmed his nose in his pillow.
Soon there was poking, and Hori knew who it was because the pokes were soft, hesitant, and were actual finger pokes instead of kicks.
“Hoe-wi, I dropped your toothbrush in the toilet on accident, but you can have my Barbie one.” The pixie voice sonically clashed with the alarm clock. His four-year-old sister was his favourite sibling, so he didn’t yell and beat her bloody with his pillow; however, invading his sacrosanct dozing ritual after three hours of sleep made her a little less favourite.
“It’s okay, Midgey, keep Barbie. There’re toothbrushes under the sink,” he slurred, rolled onto his back. Ugh, sunlight.
Bridget – Midget – Midgey : the evolution of her name. Everyone called her Midgey and she would probably be stuck with it until she moved away or someone dubbed her something more embarrassing.
She crawled up onto the bed and sat heavily on his stomach, knocking a puff of wind out of him. She was compact and small for her age, but was still getting too old for that. “Get up Hoe-wi! Time for work!” Her smile was broad and gap toothed, resembling a jack-o-lantern. Midgey’s fine hair was oily and crusted with food or juice and she smelled like milk-soaked sugary cereal and dirty socks.
“You’re gross. When was the last time you had a bath?”
“I’m lallergic to soap.” She held her little brown fists over her mouth to hide her dishonest smile.
“You’re a dirty, stinky fibber, is what you are and I’m gonna make you eat that soap to wash out your fibs.”
“Nu-uh!”
“Yu-huh. I’m going to make you eat so much soap it’ll wash you from the inside out – it’ll ooooooze outta your pores. You’ll sweat yourself clean.” He poked her in her armpits and she giggled.
“Naya says girls don’t sweat!”
“Yeah, well, tell Naya she should stop wasting Mama’s money on “Platinum-strength” deodorant.” He poked his sister in the armpits again and she shrieked with laughter. From the other side of the room came mattress squeaking and a miserable groan.
“Shut up, Midgey. Hori turn your fucking alarm clock off already!” His fifteen-year old brother threw a shoe at them but it only made it as far as Hori’s footboard.
“Hey, hey, watch yourself, eh? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for school?”
“I gotta PA day. Turn it the fuck off, jackass.”
“You should probably turn it the fuck off, Hoe-wi,” Midgey whispered, earnest and worried.