Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I did not own Pearl Harbor.
To 2001!
September 16, 2001
Chapter 11
It was well into the night and we were still at Grandma and Paw-Paw's house. Grandma had decided that since we were all in the same place at the same time that we should have some sentimental time and watch home videos that hadn't been viewed for years. We all agreed after being persuaded by Allen, Alden and Austin. We popped up huge bowls of popcorn, got some Cokes and headed into the living room.
I was sitting on the floor next to Mallory, Molly lying in front of us. Mallory held a monstrous blue bowl of buttered popcorn in her lap and absentmindedly letting Molly lick them out of her open palm. She giggled.
Grandma should have been sitting in her gliding chair, but she was up, taking home movies out of the cabinets. She sat down, setting the huge stack on the floor next to her chair.
Aunt Marleena sat on a footstool on the floor next to the straw-like rocking chair Uncle Tommy sat on. Danny, Rafe and Evelyn sat on the sofa, Evelyn leaning on Rafe. Danny grimaced. I really felt bad for him, and I wanted to invite him to sit with us, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Paw-Paw sat in his usual spot on the other sofa. Allen sat next to him, Alden next to him and Austin next to him.
Grandma put a tape into the VCR and hurried back to her seat.
"Lights, Skye!" she said dramatically. I grinned and flicked off the lights and dashed back to my spot next to Mallory. Grandma turned the video on. A handwritten sign appeared in front of the camera.
********************************
VIDEO NUMBER ONE
"It's 1992," Paw-Paw's videotaped voice said. "And we're at the railroad. Watching the train depart." My eyes witnessed a three year old me in pink sweatpants and a Minnie Mouse t-shirt. The train pulled away.
"I hope it comes back," I heard my little three year old voice say. Two-year-old Austin was standing next to me. I grinned with recognition, watching the video.
The video suddenly cut to the playground-picnic area at the depot. It showed Austin and I getting on ponies. I smiled, knowing what was coming. The ponies wandered around, led by women in jackets and sweaters since it was autumn. As Austin gets off of his pony, my pony stops for a second, halfway there.
"Paw-Paw," little Austin says. "That horsey pee-pee'd." Everyone in 2001-land cackled.
************************
VIDEO NUMBER TWO!
"Hi, we're here in 1995 on October 30th, having a Halloween party," Video-Grandma said. The camera focused on Alden in a Batman outfit. Allen was dressed as Casper. Mallory was having a butterfly costume put on her. Austin was a ninja and I was Pocahontas.
I rambled off some obnoxious phrases on the television set. I grimaced now, putting my head in my hands. On the video, we played tag and ate candy. I grinned, vaguely remembering this as I dozed off.
**************************
"Skye," I heard Danny say. I blinked. "We're leaving now." I blinked again and sat up. Everyone laughed. I didn't know why at first but then I knew what they had done. They had played the "decorating" game. If someone fell asleep, ever, they'd put stuff on you.
I had a Kermit the Frog doll under my arm, A Pokemon birthday hat, a clown nose and wig and my face had stars and such on it. I grimaced, sat up and walked to the bathroom, my flip-flops making flapping sounds. I scrubbed at my face to get the stars off of my face.
Once I had gotten flowers, hearts, stars, and "Austin was here" off of my face, I climbed into Grandma's van. She, Paw-Paw, Danny, Rafe, Evelyn and Allen joined me. We drove home, Grandma and Evelyn gushing over the "cuteness" of the home videos we watched.
As we neared the house, I fished my house key out of my pocket. I smiled and the car pulled into the driveway. I hugged and kissed my grandparents, thanked them and hopped out of the car, followed by the others. I waved and opened the door, seeing the moths and June bugs clustered around the porch light. I whipped open the door, held it open for everyone else and ran up the stairs.
The answering machine was beeping in my parents' room. I walked down and pressed the button to hear the messages.
"Hello, this is Chrysler Financial. Please return our call at-," BEEP. Deleted.
Someone hung up without leaving a message.
"How would you like to visit Jamaica?" Deleted after some hesitation.
"Hey, Skye and Allen. It's Mom. We can't come home until next month. We are so sorry! We love you and we hope to see you soon. Bye." My knees began to tremble. I had to sit down to keep from falling down. I couldn't believe it!
"Allen, come here," I said hoarsely. I heard his clumsy footsteps tramping down the hall. I saw his cheerful face as he walked into the room. He saw me and the smile faded faster that I could measure.
"What is it?" he asked. My lips shook as I tried to say it.
"We could have won a Jamaican vacation! But I deleted the message!" I said, a smile crossing my face. "And Mom and Dad aren't coming home until next month!"
"Liar," he said.
"They aren't! The project is taking longer than they thought it would," I explained. An unidentifiable emotion flickered on his lips. He finally grinned.
"But Rafe and Evelyn and Danny..." he said absently. I nodded and grimaced.
"Yep." We sat there for a minute.
"Time for bed." We changed into our pajamas and climbed into our beds. I slipped into sleep easily.
************************
"Let's go water skiing," Rafe says. Allen claps and jumps up and down. Evelyn squeals with delight and even Danny cracks a smile. I nod.
"Yeah, ok, let's go," I say. So we take the bus out to the lake with all of our beach stuff. I sit and look out the window. Finally, we arrive. I'm putting suntan lotion on Rafe's back because he whines that he can't do it himself when I see him.
It's Dale, from school. I feel a lump in my throat. He looks my way.
"Hey, look at Skye! What a loser...loser...loser...." He says to the suddenly appearing group of kids from school. They cackle.
*************************
I sat bolt upright and let out a small squeak. Sweat dripped from my forehead. I realized I was holding my breath. I inhale, relieved that it wasn't real.
Maybe we'd stay around the house tomorrow.
*************************
The end of chapter 11. Yeppers peppers, I realize that that was a weird chapter, a change from the usual, perhaps?
To 2001!
September 16, 2001
Chapter 11
It was well into the night and we were still at Grandma and Paw-Paw's house. Grandma had decided that since we were all in the same place at the same time that we should have some sentimental time and watch home videos that hadn't been viewed for years. We all agreed after being persuaded by Allen, Alden and Austin. We popped up huge bowls of popcorn, got some Cokes and headed into the living room.
I was sitting on the floor next to Mallory, Molly lying in front of us. Mallory held a monstrous blue bowl of buttered popcorn in her lap and absentmindedly letting Molly lick them out of her open palm. She giggled.
Grandma should have been sitting in her gliding chair, but she was up, taking home movies out of the cabinets. She sat down, setting the huge stack on the floor next to her chair.
Aunt Marleena sat on a footstool on the floor next to the straw-like rocking chair Uncle Tommy sat on. Danny, Rafe and Evelyn sat on the sofa, Evelyn leaning on Rafe. Danny grimaced. I really felt bad for him, and I wanted to invite him to sit with us, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Paw-Paw sat in his usual spot on the other sofa. Allen sat next to him, Alden next to him and Austin next to him.
Grandma put a tape into the VCR and hurried back to her seat.
"Lights, Skye!" she said dramatically. I grinned and flicked off the lights and dashed back to my spot next to Mallory. Grandma turned the video on. A handwritten sign appeared in front of the camera.
********************************
VIDEO NUMBER ONE
"It's 1992," Paw-Paw's videotaped voice said. "And we're at the railroad. Watching the train depart." My eyes witnessed a three year old me in pink sweatpants and a Minnie Mouse t-shirt. The train pulled away.
"I hope it comes back," I heard my little three year old voice say. Two-year-old Austin was standing next to me. I grinned with recognition, watching the video.
The video suddenly cut to the playground-picnic area at the depot. It showed Austin and I getting on ponies. I smiled, knowing what was coming. The ponies wandered around, led by women in jackets and sweaters since it was autumn. As Austin gets off of his pony, my pony stops for a second, halfway there.
"Paw-Paw," little Austin says. "That horsey pee-pee'd." Everyone in 2001-land cackled.
************************
VIDEO NUMBER TWO!
"Hi, we're here in 1995 on October 30th, having a Halloween party," Video-Grandma said. The camera focused on Alden in a Batman outfit. Allen was dressed as Casper. Mallory was having a butterfly costume put on her. Austin was a ninja and I was Pocahontas.
I rambled off some obnoxious phrases on the television set. I grimaced now, putting my head in my hands. On the video, we played tag and ate candy. I grinned, vaguely remembering this as I dozed off.
**************************
"Skye," I heard Danny say. I blinked. "We're leaving now." I blinked again and sat up. Everyone laughed. I didn't know why at first but then I knew what they had done. They had played the "decorating" game. If someone fell asleep, ever, they'd put stuff on you.
I had a Kermit the Frog doll under my arm, A Pokemon birthday hat, a clown nose and wig and my face had stars and such on it. I grimaced, sat up and walked to the bathroom, my flip-flops making flapping sounds. I scrubbed at my face to get the stars off of my face.
Once I had gotten flowers, hearts, stars, and "Austin was here" off of my face, I climbed into Grandma's van. She, Paw-Paw, Danny, Rafe, Evelyn and Allen joined me. We drove home, Grandma and Evelyn gushing over the "cuteness" of the home videos we watched.
As we neared the house, I fished my house key out of my pocket. I smiled and the car pulled into the driveway. I hugged and kissed my grandparents, thanked them and hopped out of the car, followed by the others. I waved and opened the door, seeing the moths and June bugs clustered around the porch light. I whipped open the door, held it open for everyone else and ran up the stairs.
The answering machine was beeping in my parents' room. I walked down and pressed the button to hear the messages.
"Hello, this is Chrysler Financial. Please return our call at-," BEEP. Deleted.
Someone hung up without leaving a message.
"How would you like to visit Jamaica?" Deleted after some hesitation.
"Hey, Skye and Allen. It's Mom. We can't come home until next month. We are so sorry! We love you and we hope to see you soon. Bye." My knees began to tremble. I had to sit down to keep from falling down. I couldn't believe it!
"Allen, come here," I said hoarsely. I heard his clumsy footsteps tramping down the hall. I saw his cheerful face as he walked into the room. He saw me and the smile faded faster that I could measure.
"What is it?" he asked. My lips shook as I tried to say it.
"We could have won a Jamaican vacation! But I deleted the message!" I said, a smile crossing my face. "And Mom and Dad aren't coming home until next month!"
"Liar," he said.
"They aren't! The project is taking longer than they thought it would," I explained. An unidentifiable emotion flickered on his lips. He finally grinned.
"But Rafe and Evelyn and Danny..." he said absently. I nodded and grimaced.
"Yep." We sat there for a minute.
"Time for bed." We changed into our pajamas and climbed into our beds. I slipped into sleep easily.
************************
"Let's go water skiing," Rafe says. Allen claps and jumps up and down. Evelyn squeals with delight and even Danny cracks a smile. I nod.
"Yeah, ok, let's go," I say. So we take the bus out to the lake with all of our beach stuff. I sit and look out the window. Finally, we arrive. I'm putting suntan lotion on Rafe's back because he whines that he can't do it himself when I see him.
It's Dale, from school. I feel a lump in my throat. He looks my way.
"Hey, look at Skye! What a loser...loser...loser...." He says to the suddenly appearing group of kids from school. They cackle.
*************************
I sat bolt upright and let out a small squeak. Sweat dripped from my forehead. I realized I was holding my breath. I inhale, relieved that it wasn't real.
Maybe we'd stay around the house tomorrow.
*************************
The end of chapter 11. Yeppers peppers, I realize that that was a weird chapter, a change from the usual, perhaps?