I  turned over in my covers, a frown edging my lips. I had to study for a math test that was happening tomorrow... wait, wasn't today tomorrow? I cracked open my coffee-brown eyes to see pale gold light streaming into the room from my window. My grandmother slept on the bed beside me, while on the other side of her lay my twin brother. I looked up at the bed I was in...

Wait a second.

 I didn't have a bed; I slept only on my mattress. The last time I had a bed... well, that was my crib. And I hadn't slept in my crib since I moved from Illinois to California... when I was seven.


 I looked up. I saw the familiar deep red-brown cherry wood. One side of my crib was taken off; my mom and my dad had done that a week or so before my fifth birthday, as I recalled. My brother was just stirring, raising his head. My eyes danced around the room, and I found myself straining to raise my back into a sitting position, the way I had before age six or so. I had always wondered why it took so much effort to lift one's back off of their mattress. I didn't think you were supposed to use your arms as support. I had since learned that there was no right or wrong way to get out of bed. I blinked open my bleary eyes, before seeing my brother fling himself out of his blankets and grin. 


 "Birthday!" Was the one word he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. I stared blankly for three counts, trying to comprehend what was happening. "Evelyn?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion. "C'mon!" I shook my head out of shock. *Doesn't feel like a dream... whatever. Probably is anyway...* I thought to myself, shrugging in my head.


 "Uh... yeah, sure!" I said, the beginnings of a wide grin forming on my face. "It's just..." I fumbled with believable words. Then I remembered that we used to  bounce around in excitement, saying things like: "I can't wait! Only a few more days!" or "I can't wait more than you can't wait! I'm so excited!" These thoughts passed through my mind in a matter of seconds. "I can't believe we're *finally*... um, older, Harper!" I stumbled over the words. I realized that I didn't know which birthday this was. Luckily, brother Harper had the answer to that.


 "Yay! Five years!" My brother grinned, bouncing up and down on the mattress.  Then I saw a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. He suddenly leapt out of bed. "Race you!" He cried happily, and he took off down the stairs. Recovering from my shock, I followed close behind. We ran through the corridors of the three-story medieval house. I knew this house like the back of my hand, despite the fact I hadn't been there for a few years. I had no trouble racing down the stairs, as I was used to running down them at the size I was at five. I was -- or *thought* that I was eleven...

I'd enjoy my time here for now.