"Sierra O'Shea!"
Michael watched the small, blond little girl stand up from her seat in line with the rest of her class as her name was called by the teacher supervising the children who rode home by parents. She had been sitting by herself, quietly, as the others around her giggled and chatted amongst themselves loudly. Seeing this unnerved Michael slightly, for she was usually quite the chatter-box whenever he came to pick her up after school.
She seemed to be different, though he knew she looked completely the same as she did when he dropped her off that morning. She still wore her favorite purple butterfly sleeveless top, her old, dark denim jeans, and purple sandals. Her hair was somewhat messy, but it was still in the two separate braids -which was the only hairstyle he had mastered, to her dismay- that she kept over her shoulders. Besides the basics, she was her normal self, but he could tell just by her face that something was troubling her. He watched her throw her backpack over her shoulder as she ran out to meet him, slowing down to a walk when she neared the teacher that advised her to slow down.
Michael crossed his arms as he stood on the sidewalk, car parked away from the line of cars waiting impatiently to pick up their children. It was a Friday afternoon and Michael always made an effort to take Sierra to an old-fashioned diner and eat ice-cream or whatever they desired like he did before with Jenni and Lucas. He loved the diner because it reminded him so much of the one he practically grew up in for almost half of his life. He remembered playing or doing homework in the back of the diner that the owners, Martha and Walter, added onto when they took his mother, who was pregnant at the time, and his older sister in when they had nowhere else to go. They became family; he still refers to them, in his thoughts, as Nana Martha and Papa Walter.
He remembered telling Lucas and Jenni humorous stories about his days in the diner, family memories, and, to Jenni's delight, how he had met their mother, Carol, years before in that very same diner. He would chuckle at fond memories of his mother and Martha teasing him of the very noticeable crush he had that he had tried to deny, since he was only twelve years old and found it completely embarrassing that they even spoke of it. Lucas always growled and wished for more stories about his grandparents or about how he and his Aunt Melanie made Jessica's first five years as the youngest sibling unbearable than some "girly" story about his parents' romance.
"Hey, Pappy," She greeted under her breath as she approached her grandfather, taking his hand like she always did; she knew exactly where they were going and didn't bother question it.
Michael's grin faded softly, but placed his hands under her arms and picked her up to his hip. She was remotely surprised, but placed shook it off and placed her arms around his neck, tucking her blonde head on his collarbone.
"Hey, short stuff, what's wrong?" He said after he gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head and began walking down the sidewalk since he already parked his car in the diner parking lot, which was a block away from the school.
She just sighed and looked up at him under her eyelashes, "Nothing, Pappy. Just a long, long day." she said, hoping he would believe her lie.
He didn't, but decided once they were alone and their usual weekend would commence, she would be back to her same old self. Who knows, maybe it was just a long day at school? He definitely knew how she felt. After the day he had with Jessica and Jesselynn, he was ready for something normal with his Sierra.
When they were at the diner, the waitress, who was Sierra's favorite, smiled and waved at the two. The woman had grown fond of seeing the two enter the diner every Friday afternoon that if they were ever late or didn't make it, she would grow wary and wonder if they were alright or if something could have happened to them.
They sat down, Sierra sitting on her knees like she always had to do so she could reach over the table and tossed her backpack under the table; Sierra's favorite waitress, whose name was Dawn, didn't even bother bringing her notepad out of her pocket when she approached the two.
"Lemme guess; the usual?" She said with a smile, tapping the pen she already had in her hand to her chin.
Michael smiled and gave her a nod while he turned to Sierra who had her elbow against the table, hand cupping her cheek while she played with the packets of salt and sugar, bored expression on her face.
Both Dawn and Michael exchanged a glance and she went on her way. Yes, there was something upsetting the girl and whatever it was really affecting her behavior.
"What's wrong, Sierra? Are you feeling okay?" He questioned, reaching out to check her forehead though she moved away from him.
"No, pappy, I'm not sick! I'm just...thinking is all." She said, swatting his hand away while she repositioned herself and pressed her back against the wall as she stretched her little legs across the rest of the seat.
"Sick, maybe not, but there's something upsetting you. What are ya thinking about?" He questioned, determined to get inside the little girl's mind.
She was quiet for a moment, trying her best to seem like she simply didn't hear him by looking around the diner and tapped her fingers to the music that she could barely hear over the diner staff and the other customers. She thought it funny that they were rather busy; normally, it would be her and Michael and a couple of small groups. Almost every other table was full.
"Will you tell me about my Momma, please?" She asked, looking over at him to find that he was still staring at her.
His eyes widened slightly, surprised that she brought up the topic. She never really spoke of her mother or never showed in any interest in her until now. The only time she mentioned her was the night she was first given to Michael when she answered their questions.
"Well, what do you want to know, sweetie?" He questioned, unsure of what to really say to her. He wanted her to think of Jenni as a kind and innocent soul, but it would be a huge lie to say she was, in all honesty. That and Sierra would know it wasn't true. After the terrible stories she told him about her and they she treated her.
"What was she like at my age? When she was little, too?" She asked after Dawn placed their drinks at the table and walked away as she played with the paper covering the straw.
Michael took a drink from his, allowing the moment to think of something to tell her. He couldn't remember exactly if that was the time she changed or before, but he knew there was something he could tell her of what Jenni was like before Carol's death.
"Well, like I told you a long while back, I used to take Jenni and your Uncle Lucas here every Friday after school. Just like you, she absolutely loved it. Your grandmother, Carol, used to take Jenni around to the park when she was just a tiny little girl while Lucas and I would sit and eat to our heart's content. They had the most amazing apple pie that I could just never say no too, and neither could Lucas. I don't really know much of Carol and Jenni's adventures to the park, but I know we'd always met again with the two just smiling and laughing. Your mother, she was pretty much in love with your grandmother.
"Also, when Carol would be home resting or at the doctor's, I'd sit hear with Jenni and Lucas and tell them all sorts of stories. Mostly, they were about family, like about my brothers and sisters and my parents. Lucas always got a kick out of my step-father's war stories that he used to tell me and my siblings when we were little. Jenni not so much, she much preferred hearing how Carol and I met or happy memories with some family friends.
"You're a lot like her, you know? Jenni always ordered the same thing over and over again. She became good pals with one of the waitresses too. If things had been different, I'm sure it'd be you and Jenni sitting here talking while I was home sleeping in my old recliner!" He joked, giving her a wink while she grinned, taking a long drink of her soda.
She played with her straw while she thought over the things Michael told her. She wished dearly that things had been different. She wished she had her Momma and Daddy and a Nanny to match her Pappy. Maybe her Momma would've liked her better and loved her. Maybe her Daddy would have stayed and watched over her instead of leaving her behind while he escaped into the darkness. All she could remember of that night was Jason coming into where Jenni had left her that night and kissing her forehead, apologizing for what was happening in their lives and what would happen. She didn't understand what he meant and still didn't, but she wished he was still here with her.
She always quite fond of him. He was nicer than Jenni. Yes, he'd yell at Jenni and do some things in front of her, but he never threatened her, hurt her, or told her how worthless she was. She knew she was, as her Momma had said, but she couldn't have taken it if her Daddy had said so. She remembered the one time he took her outside and far away from the awful place that she had called home. She remembered being taken to a house that smelled of air freshener and was held by strong arms and kissed and cooed by a loving face. It was definitely a nicer welcome than she would have expected had she been at home. She would've smelt the strong scent of alcohol and God knows what and heard screaming and the familiar words "Shut up" whenever she tried to tell Jenni she was hungry or tired.
When her Daddy was home, he would feed her. Sometimes he would be drunk or high and completely ignore her like Jenni did, but at least he didn't do it 24/7.
"Do you remember my Daddy, Pappy?" She then asked, kicking her feet underneath the table and placed her elbows on the table as if she was quizzing him on some game show he'd watch on weekday afternoons.
He was quiet before answering, definitely thinking over that question and giving it complete thought, "Well, sort of. I remember you two having the same nose and color of eyes. I don't remember much about him exactly, just basically what he looked like." He answered, hoping to avoid that conversation. He knew more about the young man, but didn't want to bring up such things in front of her, even though he knew she had been raised up in it.
She just nodded as Dawn came back, placing their plates in front of them while she turned over to Sierra who carefully poked at the French fry that was trying to escape her plate.
"So, Sierra, my favorite little customer, how was school today?" She asked crossing her arms for a moment though she knew she had to get back to work.
Sierra just shrugged, "Same old, same old. The only thing exciting was my friend Marcey flinging an apple slice at the back of Jimmy's head. It was funny." She said with a giggle, recollecting Jimmy's mad and surprised expression.
"Sounds like Mischief Marcey struck again, huh?" Dawn joked, smiling with the young girl.
Sierra just nodded and waved good-bye when Dawn said she had to get back to work before one of the other staff members blew a gasket, but Sierra really didn't understand what she meant by that. Dawn was always using weird phrases.
"Mischief Marcey? Isn't that the girl that pushed you into the bus window at the beginning of the school year?" He asked, now worried that Sierra befriending the wrong kids.
"Yeah, but don't worry Pappy. She turned a new branch or something like that." She said already delving into her chicken strips and French fries.
Michael smiled, "I think leaf is what you're looking for, Sierra." He said after he took a bite out of his burger.
"Branch, leaf; they're both part of a tree anyway!" She shrugged, not caring of her mistake with the phrase.
Michael just chuckled at her as he watched her pull apart a chicken strip, pretending that she was pulling apart the actual chicken. She made awkward little squawks as if it could scream, and tried to mumble some words as she chewed it.
He just shook his head at her. At least she was actual like the normal, strange little girl he knew and loved.
"Daddy! Momma!"
Little Jessica ran along the trail behind Martha and Walter's diner, hearing the scream that she knew came from that direction, back at the diner. She couldn't tell if it was her mother's or Melanie's, but someone sounded like they were in trouble.
She knew that her father was leaving once again and that they told Melanie, Michael, and herself to busy themselves with other things while Jesselynn and Frank dealt with other things that Jessica had no idea about. She figured they were just talking about some business stuff and wanted to be far away from that. It was always boring anyways, but now the scream alarmed her.
She couldn't find Michael or Melanie anywhere though she could have sworn she just saw the two talking outside just seconds ago. Matter of fact, where was Walter's old car that always sat in the back of the diner because Martha thought it was just too ugly to be in the public's eye.
Jessica could feel the low, thin bush branches slap across her legs as she ran past them. She also remembered that they were the same branches that Martha would use as little switches if her or any of her siblings completely and terribly disobeyed her while their mother was gone. She'd give them one little swat across the shin and that was all it took. Martha never did so to really hurt the children, which was why she never had it in her to really go past one swipe. She just wanted to show that if they did the complete opposite of what she instructed them to do and deliberately tried to cause trouble, there would be consequences. Jessica always thought that it definitely worked. She only ever had two swipes in her lifetime. The other times it was just time-outs or the taking away of some object.
Jessica pushed her way out of the little woods and sprinted towards the direction of the back entrance of the diner that she and her older siblings had just escaped out of. She could see from the corner of her eye that all the cars that had been parked outside the diner had suddenly vanished from sight. Her heartbeat began to pick up as she hurled herself into the door, expecting to see the busy kitchen that Walter always supervised.
She saw absolutely nobody. The kitchen was completely bare and empty and was left as though it had never been touched that morning. This began to worry her and she was beginning to feel the fear well up in her chest.
"Momma! Daddy!"
She called again, praying that she would see their faces soon as she ran through the kitchen, aiming towards the doors that lead to the actual diner. She tripped on the recently waxed floor and quickly moved her foot before it could be smashed by the double doors as they began to close themselves. Tears had already appeared in her eyes because of the trip and the fear and she expected her mother to come running up to her and taking her in her arms, but she felt no such welcome as she sat there, crying on the floor.
She looked up to see the tables and chairs all stacked up and boxes lying around everywhere. Her mother, father, siblings, Martha, and Walter were all leaving! Well, from the looks of it, gone! Did they notice she was still at the diner?
Jessica's tears turned into sobs as she stumbled, trying to stand upright again and immediately ran towards the exit, hoping that was where she would return with her family and fear would be debunked.
She could see that a sign reading, 'Closed' was placed on the door and she could see a couple of vehicles pulling out of the parking lot already. Had her father left earlier than he said he would? If so, why didn't he tell her? Did he even care about her anymore?
Her vision was beginning to blur from the tears as she threw herself outside, praying that someone, anyone, was outside with her, though by now she knew she was completely wrong and shouldn't be praying for such foolish things.
As she wiped away the tears from her eyes so she could actually see, she found that she was once again, alone. There were no cars or nobody to be seen for miles. She tried calling out for her family once again, but she never heard any return. She fell down onto the cement, not caring anymore that it hurt. The pain she was feeling in her heart hurt worse than any physical pain could.
Her mother and father were gone; they left her. She was alone.
Jessica gasped loudly as she was awaken by her dream so suddenly, her heart racing and sweat glued to the side of her face. It took her a moment to collect all that had happened and realized it was just a dream.
She gathered her knees up to her chest and pressed her cheek against her knee, looking over to see her husband, who was still loudly snoring beside her. She grinned softly seeing his shaggy, dark brown hair in such a messy fashion and softly stroked a piece from his face. The warm, brown eyes that she loved so dearly were hidden from view behind his heavy eyelids as he turned to face her, not knowing that she had just awaken from such a terrible dream.
She looked down at the foot of her bed, seeing her laptop still on from the previous night. She then remembered that she had been emailing her younger sister, Samantha, when she had fallen asleep during the movie that her husband had insisted they watch together. She, obviously, didn't meet the end of her bargain and fell asleep about ten minutes in.
She re-read the messages Samantha had given her and grinned. She and her husband were currently vacationing in Paris for the next two weeks and she just had to brag to her big sister about it. She knew how much Jessica had desired to visit the city some time, but was never able to. She loved seeing her sister's happy pictures and reading her messages with a smile. She was always that happy, joking girl that she thought was so annoying when she was a teenager.
Jessica sighed as she thought back to the dream. She couldn't get that last thought out of her mind. She was alone.
That's definitely how she felt now. Her father so far away from her, her mother losing her mind, her sisters busying themselves in other things, her husband so busy with work, and just spending the days alone in her big old house. She hated how complicated everything was getting in her life. Her older sister, Melanie, had been going through major changes in her life, dealing with her daughter's struggles as well. She never had time to really visit anymore, which didn't make Jessica feel any better.
Samuel taught an art class in a local high-school and stopped by every now and then when he could. She tried to get him into visiting their mother, but he wasn't sure if he could handle the situation so strongly as she and Michael were. She honestly couldn't blame him; it was hard acting as if you never existed in someone else's eyes no matter how much you just wanted to scream. That and Samuel and Samantha were the most oblivious to their parents' past and what went on. They were the youngest after all.
Frankie, of course, was unable to visit at all. He was a Corporal in the Army and was still serving though it seemed like he had been away from them for centuries. It broke Jesselynn's heart to see him go away, but she was also proud of him. Jessica, now, figured that a lot of it had to with her memory of Justin and the day he left. She always worried way more than she ever needed to.
As Jessica thought over all this, she realized why it hurt so much. She was straying far off from what she even decided to question her mother about in the first place. She wanted answers to what happened when she was a little girl and why so many things changed when her father came home to them in a wheelchair and with a boy he and Jesselynn had decided to take in.
To get to that, she needed to get to the point when things started to turn south and what lead to it. She needed to start asking her about 1968 and those months when their drama even started.
She once more as she threw her legs over the side of the bed and decided that she should start getting ready for her day that she knew was just going to be busy. She still had to call and check up on Michael since he would most likely be accompanied by Sierra during this next visit since Lucas and Julia were going away for the weekend.
She stretched as she immediately grabbed her cell phone and reached over to turn off her laptop. Before she left the room, she placed a gentle kiss on Roy's forehead, chuckling softly when he grunted and rolled over, stuffing the pillow over his face.
Sorry if it was kind of a boring chapter, I hope it wasn't too lousy. I'm quite proud of how it turned out, though it may be a little short. So, I guess this is the first time we really get to "meet" Sierra O'Shea and take a peek into her little mind. Quite sad, isn't it?
Creative Question: What if things had been different in little Sierra's life? What do you think would go on for her and who would be in it? Can't wait to hear your amazing responses (Yes, I know they will be. I love seeing your responses, they fill me with joy! :D)
Hmm, I guess that's all I really have to say tonight. I'm exhausted and it's way past my bedtime. Well, when I should be in bed lol. I'm laying in bed, if that counts for anything...
Anyway, thank you guys so very, very, VERY much for reading! I really do mean that I appreciate it, not just saying it because I think I should! I love you all! MWAH!
