The following morning, Jess came downstairs to find the butler, Alexander,
setting the table, and her brother, Conrad, was in the living room
examining something in the light. "Morning, Al!" she said with a smile.
"Hey! What's shakin', bacon?"
She laughed. "That what Mallory's cooking?"
"Yeah. It should be ready soon, so why don't you get your books together while you're waiting?"
Alexander was nothing like the stereotypical butlers you see on TV all the time, though. He didn't walk around the house in a tuxedo with a cloth napkin draped over his arm saying, "Will that be all, miss?" or "May I take your coat, sir?" He didn't stand up so straight that it looked like he had a metal rod in each pant leg, or talk with an English accent. He was just a regular guy who just happened to earn his living as a butler. That was what Jess liked most about him: he wasn't afraid of being himself and didn't try to mold himself to fit what people thought he "should be."
She went into the living room to get her books together and looked at Conrad. Arlene had adopted him when he was five, and he was the oldest. Since Arlene was a single mother, he was sort of the man of the house. He was eighteen, and lived at home, but was going into medical school the next August so he could become a doctor. Arlene was so proud of him! Everyone was.
"What'cha got there?" she asked, walking over to him.
"A switchblade." He held it up for her to see. The handle was engraved with the letters "C.R.A." He pushed a tiny button with his thumb and the blade came flying out, glinting in the light. It was so shiny and new that she could see her reflection on its metal surface.
"Awesome! Can I try?"
"No." he said, putting it in his pocket. "It's not a toy. You'd have to know how to use it or it could be dangerous. Someone could get hurt, kiddo."
"Then you'll teach me, right?"
"Maybe someday, J-Girl, but not today."
"Breakfast!" called Mallory from the kitchen. Jess and her seven brothers and sisters filed in and sat down. Mallory was their cook. She and Alexander were not related to the Andersons, but they were as much a part of the family as any of the kids.
Breakfast went pretty much the same as it always did: five different conversations all going on at once, the words "pass the" coming from every direction, and the clanging of silverware on plates. Occasionally, two- year-old Matt would fling something across the room for Alexander to clean up later. Pretty humdrum.
Then everyone started out the door to the bus stop. Jess stopped in the doorway and glanced behind her. "Bye, Arlene!" but she didn't get an answer. Arlene was too busy feeding Matt, as usual. With a sigh, Jess closed the door behind her and walked to the bus stop.
She didn't resent Arlene for not being able to give her undivided attention to her. She was a single mother with a job, earning a living and raising eight kids. She had to respect that, knowing that it was no easy task. There was no way she'd ever be able to have time for all of them individually. She understood completely. But. . .still. . .That didn't mean it wouldn't be nice to be closer to her mother.
"Hey! What's shakin', bacon?"
She laughed. "That what Mallory's cooking?"
"Yeah. It should be ready soon, so why don't you get your books together while you're waiting?"
Alexander was nothing like the stereotypical butlers you see on TV all the time, though. He didn't walk around the house in a tuxedo with a cloth napkin draped over his arm saying, "Will that be all, miss?" or "May I take your coat, sir?" He didn't stand up so straight that it looked like he had a metal rod in each pant leg, or talk with an English accent. He was just a regular guy who just happened to earn his living as a butler. That was what Jess liked most about him: he wasn't afraid of being himself and didn't try to mold himself to fit what people thought he "should be."
She went into the living room to get her books together and looked at Conrad. Arlene had adopted him when he was five, and he was the oldest. Since Arlene was a single mother, he was sort of the man of the house. He was eighteen, and lived at home, but was going into medical school the next August so he could become a doctor. Arlene was so proud of him! Everyone was.
"What'cha got there?" she asked, walking over to him.
"A switchblade." He held it up for her to see. The handle was engraved with the letters "C.R.A." He pushed a tiny button with his thumb and the blade came flying out, glinting in the light. It was so shiny and new that she could see her reflection on its metal surface.
"Awesome! Can I try?"
"No." he said, putting it in his pocket. "It's not a toy. You'd have to know how to use it or it could be dangerous. Someone could get hurt, kiddo."
"Then you'll teach me, right?"
"Maybe someday, J-Girl, but not today."
"Breakfast!" called Mallory from the kitchen. Jess and her seven brothers and sisters filed in and sat down. Mallory was their cook. She and Alexander were not related to the Andersons, but they were as much a part of the family as any of the kids.
Breakfast went pretty much the same as it always did: five different conversations all going on at once, the words "pass the" coming from every direction, and the clanging of silverware on plates. Occasionally, two- year-old Matt would fling something across the room for Alexander to clean up later. Pretty humdrum.
Then everyone started out the door to the bus stop. Jess stopped in the doorway and glanced behind her. "Bye, Arlene!" but she didn't get an answer. Arlene was too busy feeding Matt, as usual. With a sigh, Jess closed the door behind her and walked to the bus stop.
She didn't resent Arlene for not being able to give her undivided attention to her. She was a single mother with a job, earning a living and raising eight kids. She had to respect that, knowing that it was no easy task. There was no way she'd ever be able to have time for all of them individually. She understood completely. But. . .still. . .That didn't mean it wouldn't be nice to be closer to her mother.
