Dinner

"Come downstairs! You're such an ungrateful child! You didn't do anything in this family except bringing ashamed! You're so dumb and idiot!"

My mom's rampant voice is what I heard as soon as I opened the door. What's wrong with her? She's standing near our staircase facing it as she yelled those words again with both hands in the sides of her hips. I just got home and this is what welcomes me.

"Mother, why are you shouting? What's wrong?" I asked as I draw near to her.

"Oh, my dear Sienna! You are at home! How's your day?" her mood changes quickly as she embraced me swiftly.

I scowled as she loosened up from the embrace. I narrowed my eyes on her but she just gave me a warm smile.

"Oh, no need to answer that. I know you're doing great in your school! You're such a smart woman." she caressed my cheeks. "Unlike your brother Nathan!" she rolls her eyes.

"Why? What happened?"

"He has two failing grades! And that isn't good news! Well, thank goodness, I have you. You never disappoint me in my expectations of you. You're my only hope for us to become rich-"

"I don't want to hear your compliments about me. I need to talk to my brother. Excuse me, mom." I said before running upstairs.

All these years, I never heard my mom saying negative words to me. Unlike my siblings. And that isn't good news for me. I don't want to be a mom's-favorite! I don't want my siblings to feel that they aren't appreciated.

"Nathan? It's me Sienna." I said softly as I knocked at his door twice. "Can I come inside?" I leaned my ear in his door, waiting for his response.

I heard the doorknob moves so I took one step backward first and waited for his door to be open. I immediately saw his bloodshot eyes as soon as he opens his door. Those red nose and wet cheeks are enough for my questions running inside my head that he's crying. I hugged him tightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly.

"N-nothing,"

I sat in his study table chair while he sat in his bed. In our siblings, I'm the eldest. Olivia is the next and Nathan is the last. He's five years younger than me. We're just three yet we're experiencing poverty. My mother works in a grocery store while our father is working abroad in a carwash.

"I told you to approach me always when things get hard, right? Whether it's about school, life, or whatever. I'm your sister, Nath. I am here and always gonna be here to help you." I said, staring at him.

"I know," he responded shortly as he glances at me before lying in his bed. "Sienna, I'm tired. Can we talk about this next time instead?"

I wanted to insist that we should talk about it right now. This is a serious problem! But when I saw how his eyes twinkled in a tire, I have no choice but to let him rest. I stood up from sitting and pulled his comforter to cover his body. He smiled at me and says thank you then closed his eyes.

"Alright," I sighed. "Take a rest then. But when the dinner is ready you should go downstairs and eat, 'kay?" I kissed his forehead.

He just nodded. I stepped out of his room after that. I picked up the school bag that I left on the floor when I hugged him earlier. I turned the doorknob in my room and saw that Olivia's already home and busy reading a book on her study table. For us, since we're both girls it's okay for us to share a room. But for Nathan, it isn't because he's a boy. He can't be in this room full of girly stickers and other stuff.

I placed my school bag on the floor quietly, trying hard not to make any noise that might disturb Olivia. I went to my closet and get a pair of pajamas their then I went inside the bathroom. I took a quick shower and checked the time. It's already 6:00 PM.

I sighed as I go downstairs. Mom's not around anymore starting six in the evening until one in the morning. She goes home late so I have no choice but to be the one to prepare something for our dinner. It's already me who cooks dinner for us since I was ten-year-old. Even for our breakfast because mom gets up late. Well, I understand her though.

I opened our fridge and looked for some ingredients that I may use for whatever may pop up in my mind to cook. To be honest, I don't know how to cook. It's just that back when I was ten my tummy aches so I went downstairs and cooked something that only me and my siblings understood.

"Sienna, Atticus is calling!" I heard Olivia said as she rushed downstairs.

"I'm in the kitchen, Ol," I shouted so she won't go crazy looking for me. "Thanks," I said when she got in the kitchen and handed the phone immediately.

She nodded and point somewhere. A gesture that says she's going back upstairs. I nodded and answered Atticus's call. It was a video call.

"Hi, baby," he said hoarsely once I answer his call.

"Hi, I got a bit busy right now looking for something inside the fridge that I can cook for our dinner. I forgot about my phone upstairs." I started getting one onion and three cloves of garlic.

"What are you cooking?"

"I don't know?" I skeptically said and we both chuckled. "Maybe, I'll be cooking my kind of veggies food again."

"I can hear Nathan's groan inside my head right now." he quirks.

"You know him that much, huh?" I giggled.

Nathan hates vegetables and my boyfriend knows about it. It's because Atticus once visited here and brought us dinner. One box of pizza with vegetables on the top and three boxes of pepperoni pizza. Nathan woke up late that night since he's asleep deeply. The only food left is pizza with vegetables. He groaned and later on, he cried. Atticus call for pizza delivery and Nathan then stops crying. Such a cry baby!

"How is he?"

"He's... exhausted so I don't think he's fine." I placed my phone above the countertop. "Wait for a minute I'll just get the carrots."

"Do you think he'll be fine if he knows that your dinner for tonight is veggies?" he chuckled.

"Well, I don't know. We don't have a choice." I sighed.

"You know what? Just put what ingredients or spices you're taking out from the fridge." he suddenly said.

I closed the fridge and scowled at him on the screen.

"What?! I'm not that crazy, Atticus! If I'll do that then we'll starve-" I don't know but I get mad after hearing him says it.

"I'll go to your house. What food do you want me to buy, baby?" he cuts me off.