Watch this Heads Up intro that I made first! I actually like it so much that I’ve been playing it over and over and over all day long and my entire family is getting annoyed. XD It also gives you little hints of what’s to come and the name of Taryn’s sister if you hate my cliffhangers. XD

It’s with a groan that I answer my alarm clock. Usually, I love getting up early and getting a productive head start on my day, but I just came back from the hospital a week ago, and I still get colossal headaches from when I fell out of a tree and was knocked unconscious.

The alarm from my phone is on my dresser so it forces me to climb out of bed to turn it off, but I miserably moan again as I decide to ignore it.

It’s Josefina’s sweet, concerned voice that makes me turn my head from being buried in my pillow. “Are you okay?” She asks softly.

I sit up — slowly. I nod my head, even though I am feeling the opposite of okay.

“You set your alarm early again, didn’t you?” She smiles at me. “Mama told you not to do that this week.”

“But — I still have school to catch up on. I don’t want to be lazy.”

“You’re not being lazy,” Josefina reassures. “Taryn, you are one of the most hard-working people I know. You’re so proactive and productive!” Then she adds sweetly, “You are going to make a great business owner some day.”

“Not if I don’t graduate,” I mumble, forcing myself to climb down the ladder although my head begins to scream at me.

When my feet hit the floor, Josefina wraps her arm around mine. I’m not much of a hugger, but it really makes my day even though I slam my hand on my phone in an attempt to smash it to smithereens or turn the alarm off — one of the two. “Have you tried praying about your headache?” She asks.

That’s right. I became a Christian just last week, when I regained consciousness. After the most life-changing experience I have ever had, I accepted Jesus into my heart and am still just a baby Christian. I’m still getting used to my epic new life of repping the Most High.

“I haven’t,” I admit quietly.

Josefina smiles. “Can I pray for you?”

I nod my head enthusiastically, which proceeds to make it hurt even worse. However, I am utterly surprised when Josefina grabs my hand and prays a determined, authoritative prayer that seems quite strong for her quiet personality.

When she finishes, I don’t notice any immediate change and frown. “It didn’t work.”

“Keep your head up!” She encourages with a laugh. “And have faith that your head will feel better despite what it feels like right now.”

“Um, okay.” It’s all so new to me.

After I get dressed and ready for the day and Josefina leads me into the kitchen, I notice Chloe and Ellie are already there, crouching on the table. They are usually the second ones to wake up after Josefina and I, and we both are startled and jump of surprise.

“What are you guys doing up this early?” Josefina questions quietly as they both jump down from the table and land in some martial arts pose. “Weren’t you up all night pretending to be ninjas?”

“Ninja,” Ellie corrects her Japanese plural form usage by wagging her finger in her face after standing up. “And we are ninja, thank you very much.”

“I though you guys were just spies.”

“Shh!” Chloe hisses sharply. “Spies are our cover. We’re undercover ninja with the cover of international super spies.”

“Ah,” Josefina nods to humor them. “And the reason you’re telling me this is…”

Ellie smiles and puts her hand on Josefina’s shoulder. “Because, dear Josie, we trust you. You would never blow our cover to the Evil Ones, would you?”

“Evil Ones?”

“Shh!” Chloe hisses sharply again. “We mustn’t speak of them!”

“Err… no,” Josefina answers. “I would never blow your… cover.”

I can’t contain it anymore and bust out laughing. I don’t know what the taco goes on in their imagination, but I like it.

This results in flaming glares at me from both Ellie and Chloe, which makes me laugh harder until they huff and turn back to the refrigerator.

“What are you guys doing up?” Josefina asks again as she reaches for a pan and turns on the stove.

Ellie shoves what she was about to pull out back in the fridge. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Josefina looks away from her pan and stares at them blankly. I seize the liberty of taking the words right out of her mouth; “That was the worst lie I have ever heard in my entire life.”

Ellie’s mouth drops open and hangs like that in horrified offense. Chloe pats her shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t worry, Ellie. Taryn just doesn’t appreciate sarcasm like you do.”

“Yeah! Sarcasm!” Ellie’s face lights up with a smirk to cover her bluff. “I was being sarcastic.”

Sure. I smile at them and then turn to the eggs Josefina is making for us. “Thanks!” I say. I love her sunny-side-up eggs. They remind me a lot of my sister back at the AG Doll Orphanage — she and I would always crack jokes about the sunny-side-up eggs they would serve. Our taste buds deemed that they had some serious issues going on.

When Chloe and Ellie scamper away from the already crowded kitchen, Josefina and I sit down with our eggs. After just one bite, I notice how especially delicious they are today. “These are awesome!” I tell her. “I love it when you make eggs, Josie. They remind me of my sister and how she–” the words are out before I know it and I catch myself in the middle of the sentence.

Josefina smiles at me sweetly. “It’s just until summer. Two more months, right? Then you can go with Mama to get her.”

“But summer is so far away!” I cry, much too loudly for seven in the morning. Embarassed, I lower my voice. “I really miss her.”

“Tell me about her, Taryn,” Josefina urges.

“She’s such an awesome older sister. She can be protective at times, but that’s just because she herself is reckless and she doesn’t want me following in her footsteps.”

Josefina laughs, and I laugh, too. Continuing, I add, “She’s really competitive, but a lot of fun. And… she loves me a lot.” My voice drops to a mutter. “We were really close.”

Josefina smiles sincerely. “I bet she misses you every single day.”

“I don’t know,” I mumble. “She’s good at toughening up and can hide her emotions well.”

Josefina nods knowingly. “She misses you, I promise. And you’ll see her soon. Just keep your head up until then.”

I smile back at her. Josefina is a really good friend. And I notice all the pain I felt in my head is completely gone now. “Thanks.”

But it’s hard to keep your head up when everything in you wants to keep it down.

What gives me the strength to keep my head up? And how am I going to keep it up until summer? I honestly don’t know how I’m going to make it that long without my sister. I miss her every day. Does she really miss me, too, like Josefina said?

 “Josefina,” I ask as I finish off the last of my eggs, “how do I keep my head up when I feel so low?”

Josefina smiles. “God gives you the strength.”

Whoops. Right. I’m still trying to get use to the victorious, new-life-with-Jesus way of doing things.

“Just ask Him,” Josefina tells me as we clear our dishes. “He loves it when we ask Him for things and believe big.”

As I grab the carton of orange juice off the table, I say my own little prayer, just in my head. Lord, give me the strength to keep my head up.

It’s then that we hear the doorbell ring. “Would you get that, Taryn,” Josefina requests as I stuff the OJ in the fridge, “since I’m doing the dishes?”

“Of course!” I nod, walking out of the kitchen and toward the door.

To be continued… in Heads Up – Part Two!

Yeah, I ended it there. I’m terrible, I know. A very big annoyance, I’m aware. If I make you annoyed, I’ll make you even more annoyed. It’s what I do. 24/7. XD

Just kidding. I don’t try to be annoying. Most of the time.

You guys will NEVER guess who’s on the other side… but just in case, like the post and comment your guesses below! I bet 99.999% of you can’t guess it. ;) But maybe I’m just saying that to throw you off?

Love you guys! Thanks for being patient with the most annoying me as I got this photo story ready! I’m having a lot of fun with it. >:)

‘Til part two! ♥