Cadence

Morning alarm buzzed on the small table beside me and groggily I opened my eyes. Sunlight was hard to find yet as the clock was showing the time as only six in the morning. I'd thought it would be easy to wake up early as I already had a habit of waking up at seven at uncle's house but apparently losing one hour of sleep can damage your brain.

My head throbbed from the shock that it'd been awakened so early and my mind refused to believe that it was morning yet.

Still, remembering where I was now my body registered the change and I pushed myself up from the bed slowly. It was freezing cold even though I'd locked the windows shut last night.

I glanced down at the soft slippers which were put neatly at the corner of my bed and slid my legs into them feeling instantly warm and fuzzy.

Going up to the bathroom attached directly in front of the bed I switched on the lights. Not just my room but even the bathroom was vast with a huge bathtub at one end with a light blue curtain covering it and basin and toilet on th other end. What was I supposed to do with so much space which was between them?

Another thing I'd noticed was that the owner of this house was addicted to the colour blue and silver. The mansion was all white from outside but the insides were a mixture of blue and silver mostly. The area around Hannah's room was painted in pastels while mine and Hugos rooms were of dark Persian blue and white furniture with slight silver hint. The passage halls were of beautiful mahghony though which was same for all the passages starting right from the lobby.

I thought about my new schedule which Hugo handed me last night as I brushed my teeth. It was tiring just looking at it but I still gave it a read after which I was wide awake. The part what got me the most curious was the assistant stuff. Why did he need to attend so many meetings? No matter how desperately his father wanted to train him into a fine businessman it was too much for his age.

As I was stepping out of the bathroom after a warm shower someone knocked on the door.

Hesitantly I turned the knob peeking through the ajar door totally aware of the fact that I was still in just my bathrobe. I saw one of the maids standing with her hands settled politely in front of her and a pleasant smile fixed on her face. All of their smiles were similar. As if they'd practiced it to perfection.

"What is it?" I opened the door feeling my body relax at the sight of a girl.

"Sorry to disturb you Miss Sparks, I'm here to ask you what you would like to have for breakfast?"

Huh?

Confusion clouded my mind as the maid continued.

"Today we have eggs and bacon, vegetable sandwich, pancakes with maple syrup, mushroom omelette-"

"Wait up! Stop!" I put out my hands in front of her. She gave me a surprised look.

"Do you like something else? We can prepare that-" she was cut off again when I vigorously shook my head.

I took a deep breath. It's okay. It's okay Cadence. This is how rich people have breakfast. Probably. I'd never had so many options for breakfast before and sometimes even a granola bar worked for me.

"Eggs and bacon will be fine for me. But why are you asking me that at this time? I don't think it's time for breakfast yet." I glanced back at the clock hung on the wall behind my bed. It was six forty.

"That's right. We'll be preparing now. I wanted to ask you before, so we could serve you hot. You'll be having breakfast at seven thirty. Right?" She blinked several times at me as I was rendered speechless. What was with this royal treatment?

"Yeah ..." I muttered. At least that's what written on my schedule.

I called out her again as she was turning to leave. "Yes?"

"What's your name?"

Her blonde eyebrows shot up. "My name? It's Luna."

"Got it. I'm Cadence. Luna Can you please call me by my name instead of Miss Sparks?" I grinned stretching my hand out.

"I must not. It won't be right. If someone heard I'll be-" She panicked watching her surrounding as if to check if anybody heard her.

"Oh, then call me Cadence when it's just us." I reaffirmed.

Her brown eyes grew large as she nodded and shook my hand. "Sure. I'll be taking my leave now."

For a minute I stood there putting my hands on my waist. That's how it should be. Being formal just pushes you away from people.

"Why are you naked?" A manly voice interrupted which needed no introduction. I froze, my eyes landing on him. Hugo waltzed out of his room perfectly dressed up for school. His hair glossed in the morning sunrays making them unnecessarily golden. He was wearing a longsleeved maroon sweater paired with cream colored chino. Damn him and his incredible sense of colours.

"And Why are you not even least embarassed?" His eyes roamed up and down around my body.

"First of all," I held up my index finger. "I'm not naked I'm wearing a bathrobe."

"Wearing a bathrobe is almost as similar as being naked." He mumbled, his eyes fixed on the wristwatch he was wearing and suddenly his eyes shot up at me with a smirk lingering on his lips.

I pouted, barely managing to hide the red colour rushing to my cheeks. Hurriedly I went inside my room and shut the door behind me.What was his problem? How is wearing a bathrobe is similar to being naked? Ugh.

After putting on a pair of baby blue jeans and a bottle green long sleeved sweater I ran into Hannah's room. It was already seven. I was supposed to wake her up by seven. Thankfully I didn't ran into Hugo in the corridor again. Wiping away the sweat forming on my forehead, I entered her room.

"Hannah!" I called out. There was no response. I crossed her room and reached the door length windows. Pulling the curtains off I let the sunlight in making its way directly over Hannah's face. I waited for a minute before she started squirming in her sleep.

"Hannah, wake up." Scooting closer to her on the bed I shook her shoulder. "Don't you want to eat pancakes?"

Her eyes groggily opened but when she saw me she was wide awake. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Cadence. Remember? You were going to call me Cadie?" I pulled back my arm after watching her bewildered expressions.

She rubbed her eyes with back of hands and glanced at me again narrowing her light green at me. "Cadie!" She giggled, and I felt relief wash over my chest.

She threw away her baby pink sheets and lunged at me. She was wearing an oversized cream colored sweater and bunny pajamas. "Good girl. Can you go to brush your teeth?" She peeked at me and grinned. "Okay."

I sighed and began tiding up her bed. My tasks for morning included getting Hannah ready, tiding up her room and make sure she eats her breakfast and medicine. Even though her medicines were just a few vitamins and calcium supplies.

By the time I'd done making her bed again Hannah came out running from the bathroom. "Done!" She gave me a toothy grin.

"Great. Come here, I'll braid your hair." I gestured her to come at the dressing table. As I took her sun kissed blond hair in my hand my eyes landed on the clock. It was seven fifteen.

Hannah was humming all the while I brushed and put her hair into a braid. Hugo had warned me before dinner yesterday that this house and everyone who lived here worked around the clock. That was the most important thing that I had to follow.

"Cadie do you know where he is?" Hannah threw her head back settling it on my thighs as her eyes shone into mine.

"He? You mean Hugo?" I wondered where he was too. At seven he was already dressed for school and disappeared from my sight when I came out dressed myself.

"Not Hugo. There is a scary man. I can't go down to eat if he is around."

"Scary man?" My brows knitted. I had no idea who she was talking about. Why can't she go down if he's there? Wasn't this her home as well?

"I'm sure there is no scary man downstairs. Let's go it's almost seven thirty." I grabbed her hand.

And she screamed.

"What's wrong?" I let go of her hand.

"Tell me that he's not there!" She screamed, her face turning into a dark shed of red.

"Alright. Calm down!" I made her sit on the bed. Her eyes had turned stormy in just a matter of seconds. No wonder Hugo was always worried.

"I'll go check for him okay?" I smiled while patting her head. Her features softened.

And so, I headed out of the room, not sure of who I was looking for.

__END OF CHAPTER__