At the sound of the door clicking closed, Gabrielle emerged at the top of the stairs. “Opal, you’re home!”
Dashing down the stairs at breakneck speed, Gabrielle ran into Opal’s outstretched arms. “You missed our game of Tri-stops.”
“Oh no, really?” Opal gave her sister a tired grin. “You know that’s one of my favorite games to play.”
“I know, but Mom and Dad insisted that it’d be okay to play without you.”
“It was. You know I’m always home late on Fourth Moon. Besides, I know you will wait up and play it with me.”
“Yep! I have the game pieces set up in your room.”
“All right, let’s play then! After you.” Opal gestured to the stairs as her sister turned to run back up them.
As she climbed the stairs, she couldn’t help wondering what Gabrielle’s fate would have been if she’d grown up as an orphaned Undecided child. Shaking the morbid thought from her head, she refocused her mind on winning a game of Tri-stops.
Chapter 8
The increasing brightness of the lights alluding to daylight came through Opal’s window, awaking her to a new day. Groggily sitting up, she yawned and stretched her arms toward the ceiling. Her purple wonderland was the first thing that greeted her eyes in the morning. Throwing off the covers and scooting over to step out of bed, she started when something soft and cushy greeted her toes.
Glancing over the edge of her bed recognition dawned on her when she realized that she’d almost stepped on Gabrielle’s calf. The two of them had stayed up so late the previous night that Gabrielle had asked to sleep in Opal’s room with her. Opal had agreed and took her sleeping bag out and laid it on the floor for her sister. Gabrielle had used the excuse that she was too tired to go to her own room and sleep, but Opal knew the truth. Gabby just wanted to spend every possible moment with her sister before she left home.
Stepping wide to avoid harming her sister, Opal climbed out of bed, then kneeled on the floor and leaned over to kiss her sister’s forehead. Gabby stirred but didn’t wake as Opal stood back up and left her room to use the bathroom.
The house was quiet since Opal was always the first one to arise in the morning. She liked it that way. The serene mornings were just what she needed to help her get started for the day. Being the only morning person in her family, it wasn’t difficult to do. She was also the only light sleeper in her family, so the increasing lights from the lamps outside her window always woke her, meaning that she never needed to use an alarm.
Stopping in front of the mirror in the bathroom, she stared at her reflection. In a matter of days, she’d be considered grown, but did she look it? Examining her smooth skin and intense gaze, she felt like she was an inconsistent merger of the two. Her eyes held the wisdom of ages, but her skin resembled that of a child. Hopefully, she’d look more grown-up by the time she finished her law degree, or else no one would take her seriously in the courtroom.
In no time, she’d bathed, dressed, and went downstairs. By then her parents were awake and her dad was cooking breakfast in a bathrobe over his pajamas.
“Hi, Opal,” tiredly grumbled her mother, sighing and then yawning.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Oh, dear, are you sure you’re done with your Life Plan? The older I get, the more I’m starting to regret choosing a career path that forces me to wake up early in the morning.”
Opal smiled, holding back a laugh. Her mother was a teacher, which required her to rise each day much earlier than what her body would have preferred. She loved kids and teaching, but early mornings were too much for her.
“You should have done like me, my love, and chosen astronomy.” Opal’s dad winked over his shoulder as he flipped purple pancakes made of a vegetable patty that both Opal and Gabby liked.
“But that was no guarantee! You got lucky that your job is one at night. We can see the stars at any time day or not. It doesn’t matter when.”
“Ah, yes, but the celestial bodies that I study can best be seen when Eris and Maytenar are not blocking them.”
“Whatever,” grumbled Holly, breathing deeply with her right hand clutching her forehead.
“Is Gabrielle up yet?” wondered Opal, glancing back toward the staircase.
“No, she isn’t. Do you mind going upstairs and waking her? I don’t want to be late for work again.”
“Sure, Mom.”
Opal went back upstairs to wake her sister so she could get ready and eat. By the time that breakfast was done and Gabrielle had gotten ready, they were all pressed for time, rushing out the door like the house was on fire. Opal caught the last transporter that would get her to class on time. She found Garrett sitting on one of the rows of seats.
“Hey, Opal, I can’t remember the last time we rode together to academy without you pre-planning it.”
Opal gave him a wry glance and then explained, “Gabby was late waking up today.”
“Again?” Garrett’s eyebrows rose. “She’s about as bad as I am.”
“Not quite, but she’s getting there.” Looking at Garrett’s lack of a backpack, she inquired, “So, did you decide on which occupation you wanted to shadow today?”
“I have a couple in mind. Did you receive your results from your Life Plan pre-approval?”
Opal’s eyes widened in shock. The pre-approval! How’d she forgotten about it? Nervously fumbling for her sciorb inside her satchel, she wrenched it out, unfolding it and typing in her login as fast as her
