Marie woke to the sound of her younger sister laughing. She heard every chortle, every snicker, every snort, and every bash of her fists hitting the carpeted floor. Marie rolled her eyes when she heard her older, and quite bossy sister begin to lecture the girl in hysterics. Murmuring, crying, a smack... silence.
Being a Kanker wasn't easy. But Marie never found it severely hard. Stay below the radar, keep your weird and uninteresting hobbies to yourself, talk to no one but the people in anime club if it is a complete and dire emergency. That was Marie's daily schedule to keep a quiet, peaceful, and semi-normal life style.
Marie always found it irritating, living with two people that were completely opposite of her. Even physically the 3 girls looked nothing alike. The oldest, Lee, was hyperactive, annoying, bratty, bossy, obnoxious, and rude. Everything had to go her way. Everyone had to live by her standards. And the only one who did that was her long time boyfriend, Eddy, who, excessively, Marie despised. Sure, Lee usually got what she wanted. But it was only because of her curly red hair and teen vouge model-like appearance. Marie was secretly waiting for Lee to take a glance at herself in the mirror one day and say "Wow. I am a whore." Yes. That would be the day.
The youngest of the sisters, May, was no better. She wasn't rude or demanding, but she was loud. And always positive. It angered Marie to core at how happy and bubbly May could always be. It's as if May was somewhere in the clouds on a king size bed with her manga books and Dr Pepper. Utopia. That's where she was. That's where everyone was. Except for Marie herself.
Marie's paradise lay in a living thing that walked, talked, breathed, laughed, and smiled. Her name was Nazz Goldman. To the quiet Kanker, she was like a blonde sunshine when there was blue rain. She was the relief after a certain trauma. The pencil to the paper. She was the reason that Marie was alive. Nazz just didn't know it yet.
It really is a shame that Marie can't open herself to people. It's living hell that she can't talk to a person. Whenever she tries, a huge, sticky knot folds around her stomach making her immobile and reclusive. The only humans she ever makes verbal contact with are her sisters. But even then it's barely more than 10 words. Sometimes it's just a responsive hum. A grumble. A cough as if to say "bitch, I heard you leave me the fuck alone". Marie wishes she could be different. She wishes she could have been born as an outgoing adventurer who climbed mountains and rode rapids in rickety kayaks. She wishes she was a millionaire in a grand estate with friends and co-workers who accompanied her on vacations around the world. She wishes she different. But in her head, that wish has been long washed away.
What to wear today... Marie scanned her closet with her magenta eyes. All of her clothes were practically the same: black Tokyo Hotel t-shirts, purple skinny jeans, bulky jackets, and her colorful converse collection. She threw a pair of violet jeans on her bed as well as a black jean jacket, her favorite David Bowie shirt, and purple gloves. After she quickly threw on her clothes, she slipped on her favorite orange converse tied together with neon yellow laces along with her olive green beanie worn to conceal her short, boyish blue hair. She snatched her black sketch book and pencil, equipped with a penguin eraser, and slipped out of her shady room.
She walked into her home's bright kitchen like the shadow of an immigrant. She didn't know where she was and, she sure as hell didn't belong there.
Lee was busy flipping pancakes when she noticed her strange sister making her way to the front door. "Where are you going?"
"Out," answered Marie in her deep and hopefully intimidating voice. She started to turn the handle on the screen door of the Kanker's one floor ranch.
"Nuh uh not until you've eaten something girl, put some meat on your bones!" Lee held up a piece of bacon and wiggled it with encouragement.
Marie didn't know if she should have made a run for it or if she should have pretended that she was hungry. Marie stood there, all of her weight on her left leg, arms crossed. Some her hair fell in front of her eyes making her looking anything but saintly. This was just for show anyway. When May wasn't around, Lee and Marie would eat each other. Yes. Fight immensely. But May was too young and sweet. The two older sisters felt that it would be unwise to expose her to their hatred for one another.
Without any words, Marie went to Lee and plucked the bacon out of her hand with her teeth. She gave Lee a glare and made her way out the front door, crunching the food in her mouth.
Lee growled. "Crazy bitch..." She turned to May. "Ready for your pancakes?"
Sketching was Marie's main focus. She loved to draw abstract designs as well as mystical animals. Her favorite was Orobas, the horse headed demon. Though, at the moment, most of her drawings were dark and disturbing. She was sketching bloody faces hanging by rusty wire, greasy monsters munching rotten rats, half devil-half angle portraits... Everything Nazz wouldn't be attracted to.
That's why Marie had come here. To her mini utopia. A vast oak tree on the edge of a damp, fresh forest that was abundant in thick leaves. They only let a tiny amount of light reach the mossy ground, giving the forest somewhat of an avatar look, as well as giving Marie some light for her sketch paper. But this place was also Nazz's utopia in itself. The smart blonde would come here to exterminate her science experiments as well as just to explore. Science and art go great together... Marie thought as she drew a cracked skull. We could study human and animal anatomy together. With her intelligence and my hand, we could make amazing discoveries that Isaac Newton himself would be jealous of-
Footsteps.
Marie looked to the sun for time. 11:00. Right on it. Marie smiled and waited for her secret beloved to appear before her. But she didn't hear Nazz's cheerful humming. She didn't see the brightness of her orange sweater. Instead, she saw someone she had never seen before. This was a stranger.
The stranger was male. No swell on the chest, no hill below the stomach. But this person did have womanly curves. He was tall with long legs and arms both coated in black. Red shirt, leather jacket... he had a beanie, too. Except his was black with two white stripes running down the side.
Marie recoiled towards the bark of the tree. She was scared around familiar faces, but strangers? She might as well be known as the girl who cried wolf. The boy looked around the trees and kicked at the grass beneath his feet. Marie didn't move. He continued to look around the woods and move a few feet every minute. He suddenly stooped down to his knees, observing the ground. Marie inched forwards ever so slightly, careful not to make a sound as she watched him. And as she looked closer, she saw that he was watching a brown rabbit off in the distance. How peculiar, she thought.
The stranger held out his hand to the rabbit and snapped his fingers. The small animal's head popped up to meet the boy's gaze. Marie almost laughed out loud. Idiot. What, does he think it'll just hop over to him?
But that is exactly what happened.
The boy muttered something in a language Marie couldn't understand. The rabbit hopped to him and buried his soft head into the boy's hand. The boy smiled and ran his fingers down the rabbit's back, tracing them back up to its fuzzy ears. Marie was taken back by the stranger's skill. How could he call a wild animal over to his hand with just a coo of his voice and a flick of his wrist? Marie suddenly had to urge to speak to him, talk to him, get to know him. Could it be that she wanted to connect to someone?
Marie got up slowly, leaving her creative mind behind, placing the key into her voice's ignition, picturing how she was going to smile at him. She started walking towards the crouching boy who was still infested with the rabbit, speaking to it in his strange tongue. The leaves crunched beneath Marie's feet as she made her way over to the stranger.
"H-Hey!" she yelled. She couldn't believe she just spoke.
Eddward's head shot up as he felt the thick fur of the rabbit disappear off the bottom of his hand. A... girl? How long has she been watching? Eddward's heart began to race. His breathing became quick. His survival instincts suddenly revved up to full power. His eyes became wide, allowing him to see the colors of the moving woman jogging over to him. Oh no. I have to leave. I can't... I can't b-be with her... No... Eddward froze in place only allowing his head to move around, eyes alert and ready to find the nearest path that would escort him out of the forest.
"Um, I-I was just uh, I've never seen you before and... oh, shoot." Marie looked down to see her shoelaces untied. She grunted and bent down to tie time, putting the loops in triple knots. That'll be a bitch to untie... she thought to herself. She resumed her jogging. "Hey you-" She stopped in her tracks.
He was gone.
"Hahahaha! Real nice, Jimmy, real nice!"
About 23 high school students, mostly seniors, were crowded around a crackling fire with beer cans, soda bottles, and cell phones. The stars were out and the moon was full creating the perfect atmosphere for perverted ghost stories.
Those students had been at Jacob Rankson's house for the past few hours saying goodbye to the hot, summer days. So many memories had been made that past year sparking friendships and igniting new enemies. First, there was the big trip to Cattaway WaterTopia; that day was full of tube slides, ice cream cones, and wave pool surfing contests. Next, Ed and Eddy decided to take a few people (mostly girls) to a Ludacris concert in New York resulting in drunk and wasted comments about fat girls and politics... and Eddy's ass. Third, there was the annual camping trip to Doeck Hill (nicknamed "Brokeback Moutain" after the finding of two gay men on a romantic getaway) that was full of dirt biking , sailing, canoeing, and diving off cliffs up to 75 feet high. Kevin and Emmett took the record for the most somersaults done off of a 10 foot dive. That resulted in a terribly gross amount of back pain. The DJ street battle took place as well as the ghetto street racing tournament. All in all, the cul-de-sac had many fun experiences with each other. And here they were, 2 days before school, saying goodbye to everything- but not on Facebook or Twitter.
"So, the vampire fucked the cat or the girl?" Sarah, Ed's little sister, shuffled through the crowd to the first row of people staring at the braced face in the leather jacket.
"No, he screwed neither. But what he did screw was himself. Aw yeah, he sucked the blood right out of his di-"
"My turn!" A short senior raised his hand and bounced on his toes. "Myyyyy turn! Excuse me, pretty lady, pardon me, sir, outta my way, doll..." The boy made his way through the crowd to claim the "throne"- a camping chair that was the spot to sit to tell stories.
"Aw, shit, it's him. Everybody brace yourselves!"
"Here he comes! The master mind himself!"
"The prince of perverts! The king of cocks!" (Picture that with a "k" in front.)
"IT'S NAT GOLDBERG!" everyone shouted as they cheered for their favorite sexual trickster.
"Butts! Butts! Butts! Butts!" The football team chanted as Nat made his way to the throne.
"What's your story gonna be this time?" Kevin asked as he tilted his head to the left.
"Oh, Kev, I got one everyone can enjoy." Nat winked at the nerdy freshman girls who started to look uncomfortable.
"Now," Nat started as he leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees, "this story was most definitely true. I should know. I witnessed it."
A few giggles from the crowd.
"It began on a stormy, dark night. My 25 year old cousin, Rhonetta, was in her room texting people and painting her nails. And then suddenly- her perverted cousin, Nathan, waltzed in her room holding a box behind his back."
Everyone laughed.
"She was all like 'Nathan Goldberg what the fuck you doin' in my room?' And I was all like 'Rhonetta, sweetie, I have a gift for you.' And from my hands came the box which contained a 2 foot tall doll that resembled Chris Brown."
More chortles and snickers.
"She screamed in delight and took the box from me saying 'thank you' many times. I exited the room biting my bottom lip with a grin. 'Now I just gotta wait for the fun to start', I thought to myself as I went to my room to get my flip camera. Now you see, Rhonetta was a huge fan of the singer I gave her in plushy form, and I know that she would do anything to have sex with him. So, I says to myself, 'Why don't I create some plushy porno for all my friends?" Nat smiled at the crowd.
"Oh, God..." whispered Kevin shaking his head.
"So later that night, after everyone was asleep, I tip-toed down the hall to Rhonetta's guest room, careful not to let the wooden boards squeak. Once I got to her room, I placed my ear against the door and couldn't help but chuckle as I heard her role playing with the doll. 'Mission accomplished.' I thought to myself. I opened the door ever so slightly and guess what I saw?"
"Rhonetta holding a dildo?" Eddy guessed.
"Nope! She was completely naked while she was humping the doll ferociously. I recorded everything, from her kissing it, to her pretending she was being fucked by the doll; she was using her fingers to substitute the penis, and went to my room. I edited the footage on my laptop and posted it to a porn site. I titled it, 'Brown in the Making – by Nat Goldberg'. She was groaning so loudly, sweating like she had just run a 5k, and panting like a fucking dog. And I know! I know that when Chris Brown dies and she's still alive, because all black men die first, she will be fucking his ghost like nobody's business."
The crowd roared with cheers and claps. Of course it wasn't any coincidence that a member of Nat's family had done something like that. Of course it wasn't...
"So! Who's ready for school?" Jacob asked holding his hands out to the crowd.
Silence. Then suddenly, "Fuck school!" someone shouted from the back.
Everybody laughed. Jacob cleared his throat. "Well, seniors! Make it your very best year! Juniors? Don't act like juniors! Stay with us! Sophomores? Have fun with the science fair! And FRESHMAN! You're fucked!"
Screams of applause and laughter rang through the back yard of Jacob's house. Eddy and Ed high-fived each other and each took a shot of whiskey. The football team did their annual "beginning of football season" good luck chant. Pairs of girls and guys laughed and chatted to the blasting radio. The Kankers each found their boyfriends except for Marie, who was busy sketching the boy she saw in the forest earlier. Who was he? Will I see him again? Her head shot up as she saw Nazz approaching her.
"Hi, Marie," Nazz said as she gave a wave. "See you in school!" Nazz threw her messenger bag over her shoulder and started her walk home.
Marie watched her turn the corner to the front of Jacob's house. She sighed. "Bye, beautiful..."
Shiloh was almost afraid to knock on her son's bedroom door. She didn't know how to start a conversation with him anymore. It used to be so easy. In fact, it was usually Eddward who started talks. He was always smiling and cracking jokes. But now, he was like a wall. Unbreakable with no emotion and no heart. She didn't know who he was anymore. She wondered if she'd ever get her lad back.
"Eddward, dear?" Shiloh rapped on his door.
There was at least a minute of silence before Eddward answered. "Come in," he mumbled.
Shiloh slowly turned the doorknob. She entered the room cautiously, careful not to ruin anything. The room was dark and asylum-like, there wasn't any light except for the whiteness of a small lamp on Eddward's dresser. It definitely resembled the characteristics of a gothic atmosphere. She looked to see Eddward sitting on a stool on the other side of a room with a pencil in hand. He was drawing on one of his big sketchbooks that was perched on his green easel. His movements were quick and short; Shiloh assumed he was drawing some type of furry texture.
Shiloh walked over to her son taking small and quick steps. She stood behind him and watched him draw. He was drawing a fuzzy rabbit surrounded by onion grass. "It looks very good, sweetie."
Eddward didn't answer. Instead he got up and snatched his colored pencils from one of his book's shelves. He sat back down and rummaged around for the proper colors.
Shiloh pursed her lips thinking of what to say. She opened her mouth. "School starts next week. Monday. Are you prepared?"
"Yes," Eddward answered looking at the easel.
"Good, good," Shiloh said with a soft smile. She twiddled her thumbs nervously. Talking to her son was like talking to dangerous prisoner. You don't what to expect and you don't know what they expect.
"What do you want, mum..." Eddward sighed, annoyed.
"I just want to- I just..." Shiloh looked at her son and held her breath. Eddward looked up at her with angry red eyes. What Shiloh wanted to say was 'Look at you! You're falling apart! Please, Eddward- HELP ME!' But instead, she exhaled slowly, swallowed her tears, and touched her son lightly on the shoulder.
Eddward glanced at her hand. Why is she touching me? He inhaled sharply through his nose.
Shiloh couldn't help but tear up. "I just want you to be happy." Shiloh looked at her son once more and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
Eddward stared at the door. He took off his beanie. He looked at the rabbit on the paper who seemed to be looking back at him with dead, cold eyes. Eddward touched the paper, his fingers running down the smooth surface. "Ba mhaith liom a bheith sásta, ró-..."
With school starting in just a few days, Eddward didn't know what to think. How could he be happy without her?