As the alarm on my phone blared I stared at it blankly. With each passing second, the sound grew louder and more annoying. I just stared at it, thinking. If the fact that it was Monday wasn't bad enough, we were getting a new transfer student. 

Suddenly the door to my room flew open. My sister, a fuming rats nest of sleep deprivation, stripped me of my comforter. As it fell to the floor I shot up ready to kill her. "What the hell, Nat?"

Those heavy red eyes glared what they could at me. Her clenched fists found their way to her sides as she screamed, "you're alarm has been going off for the last five minutes! It's four thirty in the morning, assface." She waited for me, but my phone continued it's obnoxiously loud rooster call. "I've had it!"

Her invasive hands reached for my phone which hadn't left the textbook thrown it onto the moment I got home and ripped it from its cord on the wall. Before she could turn around with it, I grabbed her. 

"Give me my phone back!" I leaped after her, forcing her to the ground. I rarely won fights with my twin, but I'd be damned if she took the one thing keeping me sane.

"Stop it, Pete!" She pushed the heel of her hand into my chin, forcing my neck to bend back. 

I pushed against her, reaching for the phone. In a normal circumstance, it would be easy for a brother to snatch back their phone from their twin sister, but this was no normal circumstance. She was a third-degree black belt and lifted weights in her spare time. Compared to me and my sad ass that hadn't exercised a day in my life. Even in her sleep deprived state of secret late night chats with boys she thought no one else in the house knew about.

Finally, I managed to push her fully to the ground. Just as our father burst in through the door. "What the hell are you two doing!" He demanded, standing there with his fingers curled into fists as though he were ready to swing at us. It was a look that didn't necessarily compliment his bright blue plaid boxers and stained, what should have been white, wife beater. 

"Natalie tried to take my phone!" I narked, pointing an accusatory finger at my sister who's hair had gotten even wilder in the fight.

She scoffed at me. "Yeah, well, he wouldn't turn off his alarm!"

"Natalie! Peter!" My father barked. Whenever he shouted it was like casting a spell on us. The two of us stood frozen, awaiting further command. "Get off each other! Now!"

The two of us separated slowly from each other. I snatched my phone from her, taking advantage of her lack of attention on me.

Our dad crossed his meaty arms over his large stomach. In a low, brooding voice, he continued to scold us. "Do the two of you realize how early in the morning it is? You're both almost adults. I'd expect more from you!"

My sister, who rarely received my fathers stare of death, widened her eyes and looked around the world in bewilderment. She opened her mouth with, "but he started-"

"Not children!" He barked back. The red of his face nearly matching that of my sister's tired eyes.

Moments into the silence, our mother poked her head in, rubbing her eyes. It may have been because I was used to seeing my sisters eyes, but my mother did not look tired. In a yawn, she asked, "honey, what's wrong?"

"Did you not hear them, Cheryl?" He frowned at her in amazement. Honestly, so was I. Of the two she was the lighter sleeper. How it hadn't been her to show up in the door instead of him left me curious. 

Our mother glared at him. "What happened? All I heard was you yelling at the kids."

"Forget you." He threw his hands up, turning his back to us. "Natalie, get to your room. Peter, go to school."

He turned around and stopped in the doorway to glare at my mother. "What? You're not done, yet?"

Mom glared at him. "Whatever , Stan."

He pushed his fat body through the door and passed her. Following him and slamming their bedroom door shut. Further down the hall, Grace started screaming her six-month-old head off.

Before heading off to the babies room, mom sighed with her fingers pressed to her temples. "Oh my god..." she muttered. She forced a smile, a twinkle in the corner of her eye, and left.

Natalie got to her feet and huffed. "You're so annoying." And stomped her feet into the carpeting before slamming the door shut.

I sighed, sitting still in the now quiet room. I'd like to say that my mornings usually didn't go that way, but then I'd be a liar. I forced myself to my feet and stared regretfully at the screen of my phone with a notification reading 'missed alarm'. Beside that read the time. My shoulders slumped and I tried to take a deep breath to calm my nerves. 

It was already shaping up to be a brilliant day.