Zoe padded barefoot to the door, enjoying the feeling of the plush carpet on her skin. When the knock on the door had come, Jon was lost in thought. Probably work, Zoe reminded herself. He was a very hard worker, and at an extremely young age was not only very responsible in taking care of his family, but also very successful. Not many teenagers could boast in bringing in a six-figure salary, but Jon did it, bringing his earnings home and taking care of the family.
Zoe knew all this, of course, because she took care of the family finances. She knew their expenses, and she knew how hard he worked to cover it all. It wasn't easy to have two adult parents who behaved in such a juvenile way, which cost a lot of money. Just last month their father had somehow gotten a credit card and racked up thousands of dollars in in-app purchases on Mikey's iPad. Luckily, Jon had just closed a big deal and had taken home a bonus, which covered the expense.
That's why Zoe didn't press when Jon got that far-off look in his eye. She knew he had the family's best interest in mind, so she left him alone. He was a great guy, after all. One day, Zoe's brother was going to make some lucky girl very happy. Until then, though, Zoe was just so glad she had him around.
She paused at the door and admired her purple toenails. She had felt a little daring this morning when she painted them. Not daring like Mikey, with his fishnet stockings and tight skirts. Oh, Zoe knew she could never get away with an outfit like that! No, purple toenails were enough for her. Besides, purple was her favourite colour.
"Don't worry, Jon," she said as she reached for the doorhandle, "I'll get it!"
She'd put off pulling Jon from his thoughts as far as she could. She knew her brother wouldn't like to be disturbed by visitors, so if she let him know someone was popping in unannounced, he would at least get a chance to disappear into his den before the guests came in, whoever they were.
She turned the handle and pulled the door. The sun hit her eyes through the west-facing doorway, causing her eyes to temporarily lose focus. From behind her, she could hear footsteps rapidly approaching.
"Zoe! No! Don't open the door!" Jon's voice was frantic.
It was too late, of course. Zoe smiled her warmest smile as her eyes adjusted and she saw who was standing there. It was...
