Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
I'm not sure how often I'll be able to write/post/get myself to the task of continuing the story. There's this little thing getting in my way... it's called school. Anyone relate to this?
Sunday was a lazy day for me. From time to time, I would abandon most responsibilities and worries for a while and just take some time off for myself, doing whatever I felt like doing and "wasting" time as I saw fit to, returning to my roles and duties afterward.
I woke up fairly late that day and to the sound of birds chirping, my alarm clock displaying 10:37 AM. I had cereal for breakfast, a big bowl of Chocolate Pebbles (I'm a sucker for chocolate!), then sat around reading my book or watching some TV.
Looking at my watch, I decided I could go for a run in the park, since everyone else would stay at home or go out for lunch. There was no calmer day in the city than a Sunday...
I put on a pair of black pants, a white t-shirt, and a jacket, got my running shoes, and drove to the closest park. It contained a couple of soccer fields, a baseball park, and tables scattered around the park, perfect for little kids' parties. That is, once the snow melted away and stayed away.
I took a deep breath, relaxing and stretching for my run. I would run as often as I could, letting my feet choose a course. The hills ringing the park looked especially inviting today, warmed by the sun's rays and away from the prying eyes of the street. This was my favorite running place, with trees gathered in small clumps here and there, a cement path running alongside the hills, and a dirt track that ran up and down.
I set off running, the wind whistling in my eras, my hair billowing out behind me as I ran for the horizon. There were few things better than the feeling of being alive, of blood coursing through veins as the body's muscles and bones worked in coordination with each other. Feet thumping against the grass, I struggled up and down the hills, settling into a running pattern.
I smiled euphorically as I reached the other side of the park, and stood for a while, resting. The street passed right next to the park here, separated from it only by a small fence. Cars rushed by, drivers talking on cell phones or with the music turned up so loud it vibrated past the confines of the car. I remembered yesterday's incident, and thought to myself that the driver was probably talking on the phone or something.
I turned away from the street once more, and stared at the place where I had set off from. It was a long way away if I didn't take the hilly path, but I didn't care. That only meant more fun for me, and I had nowhere else to be that day.
I crouched against the fence, one hand on the ground and the other on the fence. Without any further thought, I set off full speed back to my car. My eyes started tearing up from the exertion and the cold wind that now hit me fully in the face. I grinned eagerly and fought the wind even more, my chest heaving with the effort. Finally, I came to the end of my run, my car waiting for me to return to the calm and civilized world that I lived in. I took a drink of water, and sat on the ground, panting and catching my breath. My face was hot and blushed from the run, and sitting down was a real relief. I rested for a while,looking around contentedly as a few people walked by with their dogs on a leash or little kids in strollers.
"Walking... how boring," I murmured, laughing to myself. I remembered then my little plan, and called Kayla to check up on its status.
"Hey, it's me. You got the plastic wrap yet?"
"Yes, Sam and I found some in her mom's kitchen. Hopefully she doesn't need it!" I heard a chorus of giggles on the other side of the line.
"OK, we'll do it tomorrow after school."
"School or Raya Park?" asked Kayla. I thought about this for a second. Both the school and the park to the north of the city had a flag post that we could use, but I thought it more appropriate if we used the park. I didn't want to have old Mr. Bings yelling and chasing after us if he saw what we were doing. The poor man already did enough of that every day, trying to take students' cell phones if he saw them out. It was settled in my mind then. School was out of the question.
"The park, the flag post by the river. Bring all the materials to school and we'll go over them during lunch."
"Sounds like a plan! We can't wait!" Another chorus of giggles.
I hung up. I couldn't wait, either.
I drove home slowly with the windows rolled down. I couldn't believe we had hit fifty degrees! After a long winter that started unnaturally early with a snowstorm in late September, it was nice to see the sun shining and the earth warming up. Spring was finally coming. I'd even see squirrels play around in our back yard some days.
I pulled up in front of my house. I wasn't allowed to leave my car inside the garage because my parents' cars took up the space.
"It's not that bad, stop complaining," my dad had said.Of course, he wasn't the one who scraped ICE off his windshield every morning for five months...
"It's freakin' cold outside!" I shoved my hands to his neck, smirking when he shivered from the freezing touch of my now-turned-to-ice fingers.
He pulled away from them and the grin on his face widened mischievously. "It's part of the experience of having a car. If you don't want to put up with this, it can be easily arranged." He burst out laughing when I vigorously shook my head, cradling my keys.
"You'd make me ride the bus then. At least my car can warm up!" There was no question about that point: I was NOT riding the bus. It was full of junior high kids, and the temperature was about roughly what it was outside. Maybe even a little colder because of the glares the driver would shoot us when we talked too loudly. Make that even when we breathed too loudly.
I got home and got out of my car. I saw a blur out of the corner of my eyes, and found the neighbor's black cat hiding behind a pile of dirty snow. There were few animals that were more easily scared than this one.
"Hey there," I said, bending down and offering my hand to the cat. It stared suspiciously at me with its green eyes, then slowly crept closer. I let it sniff my hand, then pet it on the head. It pressed against my legs, purring softly. I smiled and scratched it behind its ears, then frowned as it sped away, scared out of its mind when the front door of my house slammed open.
"Tasha! Take me wif you!" My little brother was standing there, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and sporting a pair of bright yellow Sponge Bob Square Pants PJ's.
"Too late, Matt, I'm back already. Next weekend I'll let you come, I promise." I grabbed his little hand and dragged him inside with me. I set him on the couch, then turned around and almost collided with my mom.
"Glad to see you're back. There's a pile of clean clothes that are just waiting for you to fold them." She looked just a bit impatient, and I decided it would be better to get that out of the way before I forgot and called her wrath upon me. One does not mess with mothers. At least not with mine.
I left my keys on the kitchen counter and headed to the laundry room, then stopped in utter shock. There, in front of me, was the biggest pile of clean clothes I had ever beheld. I groaned and attacked the pile, in a bad mood now.
"I swear, you people just buy clothes so I have to fold them!" I shouted, violently turning a shirt right side out.
"Yes, that's why most of those are yours!" countered my mom, not even bothering to look up from her magazine.
I sighed. I couldn't fight my mom too long. I was not the best at arguments, and she had a natural aura of superiority that just dared you to cross her. I had when I was young and naive, and all I had come out with was a ruffled and humbled pride.
I toiled away in front of the pile of laundry, watching it grow smaller bit by bit. By the time I was done, my parents announced that it was time to go out to lunch.
"Can we go to McDonad's?" Matt asked eagerly, his little face lighting up at the prospect of a Kid's Meal and toy.
"I'd rather stay home, if I can. I have some history readings that I have to look at before my essay tomorrow." My mom opened her mouth to state that I should have stayed home and done the readings on Saturday instead of going to the soccer games. I turned to my dad and pleaded with him before she could say anything, or I'd be forced to suffer through an hour and a half of endless noise, kids running around in an indoor playground, and the smell of food that would rapidly turn bad.
"Very well, but make yourself something to eat and call if you need anything. And you can't have anyone over while we're gone!"
I rolled my eyes. "Have I ever done that? Seriously. You read too many parenting books..." I smiled crookedly at them as they got into my dad's car, and shut the door. Phew, I almost had to go to the Abode of All Evil Foods...
I ended up fixing a meal out of leftovers from the week, which was incredibly delicious. I had to admit, my mom was an AMAZING cook. I downed a bowl of pea soup, white rice and homemade tacos. I hadn't realized how famished I was until the food was sitting right in front of me. I scanned through the history articles while I ate, trying to make sense of the facts and ideas that I would be tested on the next day.
The hours passed away in this manner, and before I knew it, it was almost six. My parents finally returned from their "lunch" and explained to me that the Collinses had been at McDonald's too. Jim, their eldest, was roughly around Matt's age and they were great friends. In between the adults' nice chat and the kids' play time, they had settled down and forgotten about me, they said. I feigned a look of extreme sadness and moped around for a few minutes, lamenting that I had been forgotten and abandoned by my family.
"Snap out of it, Tasha. Matt brought you something." My dad couldn't help but smile as Matt solemnly handed me my present.
It was a Robo Warrior.
"Why... errr, thank you!" I said, taking the little six-year-old's offering and setting it on the first flat surface I could find. I wasn't a fan of Robo Warriors... but I guess he deserved some credit for trying. I smiled and hugged him, and we fell in a heap when we got into a tickle fight.
"Stop! I beg of you, stop!" I managed to get out before he began again with renewed energy. Matt flashed an impish smile at me, his missing teeth making him look even more comical.
We finally settled down after a while, the score at Matt 2, Tasha 0. I put on a movie we had rented for that weekend, and I watched my little brother fall asleep in stages, his curly brown head resting against my side. Tomorrow I would stop and get him something, I told myself. I wasn't sure what, but whatever I could. He deserved that.
A/N: End of Chapter Two, I suppose. Please review if you have any feeling or suggestion about it!