She feels a warm hand on her shoulders, shaking her back and forth.
"five more minutes," she murmurs, still asleep. Shaking her a bit harder, the familiar voice boomed inside her ear. "Thalia...... THALIA......wake up please, we are going to be late."
Thalia opens one eye slowly to see her annoying little brother Theo standing over her bed. She quickly shuts her eyes and turns over, pulling the blanket over her head.
"I saw that," Theo said in an amused tone. "Wake up, Thalia, before I get a bucket," Theo snickered.
His green eyes glimmered with amusement. Thalia sprung up from the bed and, in one swift movement, grabbed Theo's neck with one hand, wrapping her legs around his leg and pressing all her weight down, causing them both to fall on the bed. Theo gasped for air and tapped his hand against the bed.
"I give up; you win! Let me go." Thalia flashes her bright white teeth.
"I don't know; you seem like you still have a little fight in you!" she said.
Theo's muscles tensed, and Thalia's grip loosened as her little brother lifted them both from the bed.
"Okay, okay, I was just playing, little bro. There is no need to get so serious." Thalia snorted, her feet now kicking, hovering off the ground.
"You seem to forget I am a man now," Theo said, "you can't just bully me like we're still kids!"
"Whatever," Thalia replied as her brother slowly placed her back on her bed.
What time was it anyway? She thought. Theo wouldn't have woken her up, knowing she hated being disturbed. Today must be graduation day. If it weren't for that, Thalia would still be in her favorite spot in this hell hole they call a planet. Thalia's bed was the only place she could feel relaxed and at home.
"Hurry up, get ready to go before we miss the rail," Theo said before leaving her room.
The siblings live in a mid-size luxury condominium within District City 7. The whole district is run solely around the prestigious Apex Institute. The Institute requires everyone within District 7 to be either student, staff, or teachers. And Theo and Thalia happen to fall into the student category. However, their housing is a tad different compared to the typical student. Technically students are supposed to live in the dormitories located on the east wing of the Institute. Only teachers and staff live in condominiums. However, the two siblings are slightly different because they live with their Tia.
Thalia's room is the smallest in the condo. However, it is the only room with a walk-in closet in the whole house. She walks into the closet, claps her hands, and the light flickers. Revealing a closet filled with dozens of dresses, skirts, blouses, and skinny jeans of all colors hanging on large racks. All of them are color-coded and organized by season according to the weather. Thalia was definitely a little OCD.
Nevertheless, she has a love for fashion. Her motto is "Just because the planet is devoid of color and style does not mean she had to be."
After standing in her oversize burlesque mirror for what seemed like forever, she finally decided on an outfit that would be perfect for today's festivities. Thalia has the most difficulty picking out outfits due to her disproportionate figure. She has a tiny waist and large thighs. So it is hard to find pants that fit her waist and pull over her thighs. The kids in school used to always make fun of her because she typically wore skirts or dresses. After all, they were more comfortable. Thalia is afro-Latinx but speaks minimal Spanish. She just turned 21 a few weeks ago in April. Her Tia would always comfort her by reminding her how much she would appreciate her features in the future.
Even now that Thalia is an adult, she still loves a good skirt. Call it a force of habit, but she pulls out her favorite zip-up black skirt from the top drawer next to the mirror. And right next to the skirt is her institute regulation black button-up blouse. The blouse has a green A embroidered over the right breast pocket symbolizing the Apex Institute. Every female student has to wear a school-regulated blouse. Although it's a stuffy rule, they at least don't care what kind of pants or accessories they wear. Thalia quickly zipped up her skirt and stuffed her blouse into the skirt, running her finger along the sides to smoothen the blouse.
Now comes the tricky part. The shoes, she thought. Clicking the button on the dresser. It flips around, showing a shoe rack with at least 15 shoes on each level of the 4-layer rack. After staring at her collection for a few minutes, she grabs her favorite pair of black reinforced steel-heeled boots. All of Thalia's shoes were a combo of two things: functionality and style. That is why heel boots are the most logical choice. The zip-up makes them easy to get into, and the heel is only an inch and a half. They are the perfect combination of style and functionality. Thalia could easily run in them, and the reinforced heel and tip made them safe for her feet. They also match her outfit perfectly.
"Thalia," Theo's voice echoed behind her, "we're going to be late; let's go!"
Thalia runs back into the closet and grabs her silver identification bracelet. Barreling down the stairs, Theo impatiently waits, dressed in his institute-regulated black shirt, some Khaki pants, and white tennis shoes. My brother lacks style, Thalia thought; however, he still manages to be what girls would find cute. Supposing you are into the nerdy type.
Theo is 5"10 with light caramel skin, short greasy black hair, and dull, faint green eyes. He is a bit smaller for guys his age; he just turned 19. Theo would be much more popular at school if it weren't for his reserved and timid nature.
"Okay, I'm ready," Thalia said.
"what took you so long?" Theo replied irritatedly.
"don't you know never to rush a lady?" He smiled. "what, lady?" Theo replied, looking left and right with his hand over his eyes.
Smacking him on the head. "Let's go, dummy," Thalia said.
The siblings step outside and take in the fresh air. Their condominium is in the upper west section of district city 7. The upper west is the only section that has been restored and redeveloped. After the war, most buildings still stood when their ancestors returned to the surface. The only thing that stood the test of time was the buildings. Almost everything else was decimated by bombs, wildlife, and time.
A loud whistle came from a couple of blocks down the street, followed by a woman's automated voice."Monorail Blue pulling into station 216. Be ready with your identification band; boarding will begin in 3 minutes."
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