What does Braelyn want to be?

The clicking of the pages as I flip through the book, that's the only noise to break the afternoon calm. I love the scent that wafts off the pages. I'm thankful for the slight breeze against my cheek. It's welcome in this room, a place with no free air.

"See anything in there you like?" Adam peers over the rim of his spectacles. Even with his inquisitive stare it's hard to take him seriously. I guess lounging against the floor whilst reading the paper can do that to a guy.  Also, his hair cut. I always find people who look like they've fallen through a shrubbery comical.

"Loads," I say. He nods, a strand of his hair flops forward over his face.  Even his hair is dying in this heat. "One advert has a girl drinking a mimosa. I'd love one of those."

"Do you even know what a mimosa is?" Raye says, capping the glue stick. Her hair shines, metallic in the falling light. Even at the end of a long day she is full of colour, even as the sun goes down. I resist the urge to throw something at her as she smiles sweetly. When Raye does anything sweetly it's the exact opposite.

"I don't need to. Just like the way it sounds." I sniff and sit up.  "Something's burning."

"No. It's fine." Tyler's hand waves a jar from the fridge in my direction. It retracts and he goes back to his search. There's a clatter and several apples tumble out. "I'm practicing."

"I want to be able to eat it when you're done," Raye calls, liberally spreading glitter on the paper she's fully glued up.  "Can't you practice being a chef and not burn food?"

"I'm not sure. Can you practice being an archaeologist whilst lounging across the sofa and making a card?"

"It's for Mia," Raye snaps. "And you'll all be thanking me later when she forgets about this whole "what do you want to be when you're older" thing."

"I'm old anyway," Adam says, wrestling with his paper. "Hardly seems worth the effort."

"You'll get older." I set down the "top 100 jobs of 2010" book on the floor with a clunk. Really, the coffee table would be a better storage place but I'm not so certain Raye hasn't accidentally lathered glue on the rest of the surface.

"One would hope. But I'll be none the wiser if I'm still on the floor reading this newspaper in ten years." Adam glances at the book, red against the blue of the carpet, and then back to his paper. He looks like he wants to say something more but can't find the words. Probably something about where I've put it. Whatever. If he's such a book lover he can care for it. I'm reasonably sure Mia only gave it to us as a joke, a joke nobody laughed at.

"Don't be so harsh on yourself," I say to Adam. Lowering my voice, I lean forward to flick the top corner of his paper."I'm sure you'll at least get to the business section by Monday."

"Very humorous," Adam says in a flat tone. "And perhaps by then you'll have figured out what you want to do?"

"Don't count on it," I say, folding my arms. It's not that I don't want to figure it out, it's not. I just don't think there's much point. My life is here now and I like it. I should live for today and not for a future I may never have.