Chapter 7:
So Much in a Single Morning
His gaze was intense, looking at me with a slight plea in his eyes. I could feel a smile just below the surface. I tried my best to keep a straight face before I answered.
"Kevin, of course I'll go out with you." He looked at me, confused. All the past times he'd asked, I had just turned him down. He recovered quickly though and smiled. He gave me a hug (yes, I'm still in my towel) and kissed my wet hair before retreating.
"Oh, and Mom says if you want waffles, they're on the table." He smiled again and turned to head downstairs, a skip in his walk.
Still smiling I turned back to the vanity. I grabbed the toothpaste and began brushing my teeth. After I'd spit, I brushed my hair with the brush that obviously belonged to Kevin's older sister. I had just finished messing with the wild frizz when I saw someone in the mirror, sneering.
"Decided to give my brother some company, eh?" Maeryn sarcastically asked with a look as if something awful had been put under her nose.
Glaring at her in the mirror, I retorted, "Angry because people take interest in him and not you?"
"The only people who take interest in the likes of him are freaks. like him." Shocked, I watched her cross the room. She ripped the brush out of my hands and held it far away from her between two fingers. "I need to get this bleached before I use it again," she murmured just loud enough for me to hear. I wanted to crush her, pin her down and make her beg for air; make her realize how stupid of a mistake she'd just made. But before I could so much as turn around and smack her, she thrust something soft into my arms.
"Mom said you'd fit into these," she said as she started to leave. "Oh, and don't bother giving it back. no amount of cleaning could take off your germs." I wanted to slap her so hard but I kept myself still, looking in the mirror at her. She stuck out her tongue at me and left the room. Taking a deep breath I looked at the clothes I grasped. She had even put new undergarments with it though I doubted that had been Maeryn's idea. I slid into them and viewed my profile in the mirror. I wasn't terribly bad looking in it.
It was a navy, mid-thigh sundress with little silver stars on it. My bust wasn't terribly big but I didn't need it to be. My thighs were on the flabby side and my hips were rather small but curved enough to tell that I was female. My face was an oval, equipped with a small mouth and almond shaped eyes. Above all else, I favored those eyes. Until last night I hadn't noticed how much. Then they had gone from that deep sapphire to a piercing emerald. Now they were back to normal and I couldn't help but see that its ring was back. This golden ring was always surrounding my pupil and when it had changed colors it had gone away. But now it was back and I felt comforted.
"Sohalia, dear, are you going to join us for breakfast?" Kevin's mother called up the stairs. I smiled at my reflection before answering.
"I'll be down in a bit," I said back, hardly louder than my normal voice. The thought of Kevin and me as an item had finally sunk in. ~*~ "Pancakes, dear?" Mrs. Virile asked me. She was a stout woman with long black hair, much like Maeryn's, and a pink face. She was a pleasant looking woman and extremely nice. She had accepted what was remaining of my family to bunk with them last night though I was the only one she knew. Kevin got his looks from his father who was sitting across from me at the table. Kevin was sitting next to him, looking at me with a constant grin glued to his face.
"Yes please," I said, politely, with a smile. She put four chocolate chip pancakes on my plate and drowned them in syrup. "Thanks."
"Oh, it was nothing dear. Kevin told me they were your favorite," she said with a wink in his direction. He could only grin broader. I laughed quietly at his expression before beginning my pancakes.
There was a loud crash somewhere upstairs and moments later Maeryn came down, throwing a jacket over her shoulders. "I'm going out!" she said angrily, digging in her pockets for keys. They rattled and she retrieved them before throwing open the back door and letting it slam shut behind her. When it did, Mrs. Virile cringed. I watched through the bay windows as Maeryn jumped gracefully over the fence, between the front and back lawns, and threw open her car door. She had climbed in before I noticed her mother had opened the gate and said something to her. Maeryn rolled her eyes but stepped out of the car. Leaning on the open door she said something to Mrs. Virile. Being as we were inside, I couldn't hear a word she was saying, but from their expressions, they were in a heated conversation. I looked at Kevin, shocked and he merely shook his head, the last traces of smile finally fading.
Maeryn screamed, clearly, "Shut up! I don't want to hear it! You're nothing but a lousy housewife!" I suddenly found myself by the window, staring bewildered at Maeryn. I was vaguely aware that I had toppled over my chair in my rush to the window. I realized that for the second time, I was watching pain from behind glass. Mrs. Virile's face crumpled like tissue paper and she fought the tears. My eyes filled with tears of rage as I wrenched open the back door. I brushed past Mrs. Virile and opened the gate. I advanced swiftly. Maeryn was getting in the car again by the time I was 10 feet away from her.
"What do you want?" she asked cruelly.
"Don't you ever-" I said, walking closer to the car. I was close enough to see her pupils dilate.
"Don't I ever what? What are you going to do, freak? Hex me?" Her voice was defiant and strong but I could see slight fear in her eyes.
"Apologize. Now," I said. Though I was furious, and tears were gathering on my eyelashes, I kept my voice steady.
"Why? What's it to you?" she asked. I saw her eyes flicker to the rear view mirror. I looked past her, in the direction she had just glanced.
The frame of my house was all that was left standing. The rubble around it had been cleared and there was a yellow tape surrounding the property. I could see the backyard clearly through the emptiness of the house innards. The fire hadn't even hit it as if its beauty were too perfect. My heart lurched as I remembered all the hours my mother had spent designing and tending to that little slice of heaven. It was the most beautiful courtyard ever; a maze of brilliantly colored flowers and exotic plants, cement walkways all around it. And in the center of this all was the fountain. It still babbled. I walked all the way to Maeryn's car and grasped the open window frame.
Glaring down at her I asked, "You see that?" I gestured to the home across the street. She nodded. "You wanna hear a story?" I asked. Before waiting for an answer, I plunged on. "Once upon a time, there was an ungrateful daughter who yelled at her mother and told her to go to hell. She stormed out of the house but while she was gone, a fire started and now her mother is in the hospital in a coma. Pray to God that that will never be you, thank Him that it hasn't happened and apologize before it's too late." Maeryn stared straight back at me as though afraid to break the gaze. She stood up and walked halfway to the back gate, still staring at me. My eyes stared back as I pivoted to watch. She finally turned her back on me and walked to her mother.
So Much in a Single Morning
His gaze was intense, looking at me with a slight plea in his eyes. I could feel a smile just below the surface. I tried my best to keep a straight face before I answered.
"Kevin, of course I'll go out with you." He looked at me, confused. All the past times he'd asked, I had just turned him down. He recovered quickly though and smiled. He gave me a hug (yes, I'm still in my towel) and kissed my wet hair before retreating.
"Oh, and Mom says if you want waffles, they're on the table." He smiled again and turned to head downstairs, a skip in his walk.
Still smiling I turned back to the vanity. I grabbed the toothpaste and began brushing my teeth. After I'd spit, I brushed my hair with the brush that obviously belonged to Kevin's older sister. I had just finished messing with the wild frizz when I saw someone in the mirror, sneering.
"Decided to give my brother some company, eh?" Maeryn sarcastically asked with a look as if something awful had been put under her nose.
Glaring at her in the mirror, I retorted, "Angry because people take interest in him and not you?"
"The only people who take interest in the likes of him are freaks. like him." Shocked, I watched her cross the room. She ripped the brush out of my hands and held it far away from her between two fingers. "I need to get this bleached before I use it again," she murmured just loud enough for me to hear. I wanted to crush her, pin her down and make her beg for air; make her realize how stupid of a mistake she'd just made. But before I could so much as turn around and smack her, she thrust something soft into my arms.
"Mom said you'd fit into these," she said as she started to leave. "Oh, and don't bother giving it back. no amount of cleaning could take off your germs." I wanted to slap her so hard but I kept myself still, looking in the mirror at her. She stuck out her tongue at me and left the room. Taking a deep breath I looked at the clothes I grasped. She had even put new undergarments with it though I doubted that had been Maeryn's idea. I slid into them and viewed my profile in the mirror. I wasn't terribly bad looking in it.
It was a navy, mid-thigh sundress with little silver stars on it. My bust wasn't terribly big but I didn't need it to be. My thighs were on the flabby side and my hips were rather small but curved enough to tell that I was female. My face was an oval, equipped with a small mouth and almond shaped eyes. Above all else, I favored those eyes. Until last night I hadn't noticed how much. Then they had gone from that deep sapphire to a piercing emerald. Now they were back to normal and I couldn't help but see that its ring was back. This golden ring was always surrounding my pupil and when it had changed colors it had gone away. But now it was back and I felt comforted.
"Sohalia, dear, are you going to join us for breakfast?" Kevin's mother called up the stairs. I smiled at my reflection before answering.
"I'll be down in a bit," I said back, hardly louder than my normal voice. The thought of Kevin and me as an item had finally sunk in. ~*~ "Pancakes, dear?" Mrs. Virile asked me. She was a stout woman with long black hair, much like Maeryn's, and a pink face. She was a pleasant looking woman and extremely nice. She had accepted what was remaining of my family to bunk with them last night though I was the only one she knew. Kevin got his looks from his father who was sitting across from me at the table. Kevin was sitting next to him, looking at me with a constant grin glued to his face.
"Yes please," I said, politely, with a smile. She put four chocolate chip pancakes on my plate and drowned them in syrup. "Thanks."
"Oh, it was nothing dear. Kevin told me they were your favorite," she said with a wink in his direction. He could only grin broader. I laughed quietly at his expression before beginning my pancakes.
There was a loud crash somewhere upstairs and moments later Maeryn came down, throwing a jacket over her shoulders. "I'm going out!" she said angrily, digging in her pockets for keys. They rattled and she retrieved them before throwing open the back door and letting it slam shut behind her. When it did, Mrs. Virile cringed. I watched through the bay windows as Maeryn jumped gracefully over the fence, between the front and back lawns, and threw open her car door. She had climbed in before I noticed her mother had opened the gate and said something to her. Maeryn rolled her eyes but stepped out of the car. Leaning on the open door she said something to Mrs. Virile. Being as we were inside, I couldn't hear a word she was saying, but from their expressions, they were in a heated conversation. I looked at Kevin, shocked and he merely shook his head, the last traces of smile finally fading.
Maeryn screamed, clearly, "Shut up! I don't want to hear it! You're nothing but a lousy housewife!" I suddenly found myself by the window, staring bewildered at Maeryn. I was vaguely aware that I had toppled over my chair in my rush to the window. I realized that for the second time, I was watching pain from behind glass. Mrs. Virile's face crumpled like tissue paper and she fought the tears. My eyes filled with tears of rage as I wrenched open the back door. I brushed past Mrs. Virile and opened the gate. I advanced swiftly. Maeryn was getting in the car again by the time I was 10 feet away from her.
"What do you want?" she asked cruelly.
"Don't you ever-" I said, walking closer to the car. I was close enough to see her pupils dilate.
"Don't I ever what? What are you going to do, freak? Hex me?" Her voice was defiant and strong but I could see slight fear in her eyes.
"Apologize. Now," I said. Though I was furious, and tears were gathering on my eyelashes, I kept my voice steady.
"Why? What's it to you?" she asked. I saw her eyes flicker to the rear view mirror. I looked past her, in the direction she had just glanced.
The frame of my house was all that was left standing. The rubble around it had been cleared and there was a yellow tape surrounding the property. I could see the backyard clearly through the emptiness of the house innards. The fire hadn't even hit it as if its beauty were too perfect. My heart lurched as I remembered all the hours my mother had spent designing and tending to that little slice of heaven. It was the most beautiful courtyard ever; a maze of brilliantly colored flowers and exotic plants, cement walkways all around it. And in the center of this all was the fountain. It still babbled. I walked all the way to Maeryn's car and grasped the open window frame.
Glaring down at her I asked, "You see that?" I gestured to the home across the street. She nodded. "You wanna hear a story?" I asked. Before waiting for an answer, I plunged on. "Once upon a time, there was an ungrateful daughter who yelled at her mother and told her to go to hell. She stormed out of the house but while she was gone, a fire started and now her mother is in the hospital in a coma. Pray to God that that will never be you, thank Him that it hasn't happened and apologize before it's too late." Maeryn stared straight back at me as though afraid to break the gaze. She stood up and walked halfway to the back gate, still staring at me. My eyes stared back as I pivoted to watch. She finally turned her back on me and walked to her mother.