Holiday

Dominika Volkova could tell by looking out the window of the living room/communal bedroom at the odd haze hanging in the air that is was cold outside. Bitterly so. She couldn't recall just how long she had been awake and standing there, but enough time had past for her to quietly make herself a hot chocolate, drink about half and feelings of stiffness from prolonged, upright motionlessness.

She heard the grunts and groans of somebody stirring awake, as she brought the mug up for another sip. Glancing over her right shoulder, she caught the fluttering eyes of Isabella Riberio, as she started to stretch out on her deep red, bonded leather couch. Izzy yawned, smacked her lips, tasted that taste morning brings and made a face of funny disgust.

Dommy smiled to herself as Izzy pulled back her cover, a handcrafted and no doubt, very expensive duvet, swing her feet out and headed straight to the bathroom. She knew the intense oral hygiene routine Izzy was about to subject herself to, a very lengthy but through process to rid herself of morning mouth.

No sooner had the tap been turned and the water started to run, Sabrina Washington's eyes shot open and she silently sat up. Her couch was a beige, microfiber recliner with a stationary center section. Sabrina slept in the fully reclined position, just changing the sides every day or so. She had told Dommy it was to wear out the couch evenly.

Wasting no time with morning formalities, Sabrina stood and made her way directly to the open kitchen and turned on the drip coffee maker. Dommy knew better than to start any kind of dialog or interactions until the taste of "morning mud" made it's way into Sabrina's mouth. She turned back and gazed out the window, watching the rest of the world wake up too.

After an immeasurable passage of time, Isabella emerged from the bathroom and proceeded to the open kitchen, much like Sabrina before her. However, she pulled ornate kettle from one of the cupboards and ignited a burner on the gas rangetop. A few minutes later, she poured the freshly steaming water into a tea pot, the top filtering basket already occupied by Ti Kuan Yin, a very expensive Chinese tea.

Dominika turned from the window and strolled over to her closed up, brown and worn hide-a-bed. As she sat down, she looked over to Sabrina, braving a few hot sips from her cup. Isabella stepped into the scene and sat down, producing a sound and releasing an aroma that only comes from compressing leather furniture. She too, was cautiously sipping from her cup as well.

Sabrina, with the caffeine effects from the fresh brewed coffee kicking in, spoke first, "Well ladies, with holiday downtime now here, what are your plans?" 

Isabella responded first with a feigned look of dread, "Oh, just languish around back home, I suppose." This sparked a few giggles, given the not-so-modest family she came from. Sabrina looked to Dominika, "How about you?" 

Dommy hadn't really thought about a vacation and answered back with the first thing that entered her mind, "Visit....sisters." She wondered if they would even make the time for her, with their busy lives and all.

Sabrina nodded and said, "Back to San Diego for turkey, stuffing and candy." Isabella reminded Sabrina of the consequences of holiday overindulgence with, "Careful now, a moment on the lips, forever on the hips!" Another round of giggles.

Dominika thought to herself and smiled, even with all of them temporarily going their separate ways this holiday season, they have done so much together. She first looked to Izzy and was reminded how they fight together, then to Sabrina and how they lived together. Glancing down at the nearly empty mug of hot chocolate, she thought of how they almost even dream together.

However, the smile faded as she lifted her head up and stared blankly at the wall. Would they die together too, in the end?