Ali

It started out as a normal morning.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! My alarm clock went. I groaned, rolling over in my bed. I hated Mondays, and today was no exception.

Wait a second. Yes it was. I hopped out of bed and threw open my windows. Today was a n exception. Today was a great exception. Suddenly, my little sister, Raina Lee, burst into my room squealing like the little eight year old girl she was.

"It's the last day of school!" she yelled out the window. I'm sure the people in the neighborhood were laughing at her, as everyone in the small southern town of Greenville, Alabama knew we were here, and could hear Raina from three miles down the road.

I turned and picked her up. "Yes, you are correct, honey." I said. "But, we have to get ready for the last day of school, so, we need breakfast first. What d'ya want?"

"Grits!" she said. "With cheese!"

"That's my girl!" I slung her over on my back and we walked down the stairs to the kitchen, where my Mamma was making Grits and sausage. Daddy was probably in the shower, getting ready to go to the shop. We, and the shopping boutique my mother and I ran. I loved clothes, and I hoped to be a fashion designer one day. I loved the south, and I loved the small town, but I wanted to work in places like New York, and Chicago.

Like that would ever happen.

"Good morning, Ladies!" Mamma said, kissing both of our foreheads. "How are my favorite little girls named Raina and Alimah today?"

Okay, I know what you're thinking. We have weird names that don't really sound southern or fit the whole, horse farm thing. But, it's because my parents are native American, and they come from a reservation up in Washington, near Seattle. They moved down south when my mom got pregnant with me. We sometimes visited my Aunt Ruby and cousin Embry Call up there, but because my mother and I hated rain so much, and we had a business to run, they normally came to us. In fact, they were supposed to be here after school.

"Good." I said. "Thrilled that it's the last day of school. What time are Aunt Ruby and Embry gonna be here?" I set my sister down at the bar, I front of a bowl of heating Grits. I would've eaten some, but I honestly wasn't in the mood for any this morning.

"Embry is picking you up from school at twelve, and Aunt Ruby is picking Raina up at eleven thirty." She said. "Embry is not happy about leaving his friends to come here, but, he missed you so much, he's willing to forgot that, so be nice to him."

"Embry's my favorite cousin." I said. "How could I not be nice?" I kissed her cheek and then ran up the stairs to shower and get ready. O chose a pair of short, blue jeans shorts, a white tank top, and a pastel yellow jacket that went to my elbows on the arms, and right below the bust. I wore my extremely curly hair in a loose pony tail to side, with a silver butterfly clip. I put on green eye shadow for my green eyes, and mascara and lip gloss.

I grabbed my purse as my best friend, Kelly, honked her horn outside of my house, and I flew down the stairs to say goodbye to my parents.

"You look fabulous, darling." Mamma said. "Have fun watching movies and eating popcorn at school. Love ya, sugar."

"Love you too, Mamma." I said, hugging her. "I'm making shepherds pie tonight with Aunt Ruby, so close up the shop early, kay?"

"Gottit." She grinned. I turned to Daddy and kissed his cheek.

"Be good, pumpkin, okay?" he said. "Don't be too wild."

"I love you Daddy." I said, but didn't promise anything. I ran out he door to find my two best friends in the car, Kelly and Lisa. I hopped in and we both screamed at the top of our lungs. What can I say? It was the last day of school.

"So, four hours of school today, is your phone charged?" Kelly asked me.

"Yes it is, I'm ready to text my fingers off!" I laughed. "I'm ready for anything!"

"Well, I believe we are going to be watching movies all day." Lisa said. "That's what we always do."

"Oh yeah, and if we get Miss. Brown, that means we get to have popcorn and soda." Kelly said.

"Speaking of soda, we need to stop at Starbucks." I said.

"What?" Kelly asked. "What does Starbucks have to do with soda?"

I shrugged. "No idea, but my addiction to coffee addiction is telling me to go, go, go, and get some cinnamon coffee!"

"You need help." Lisa laughed.

"Don't make fun of me!"

"Too bad!" Lisa said.

"Anyways," Kelly said. "We're you're best friends. What else are we made for?"

Embry had always been a quiet, affectionate, and gentle person. He was soft and sweet, and everyone loved him because of his pure actions.

When we were little, Embry and I would play outside in Mamma's garden. We laughed and threw dirt at each other, and he tickled me, while I tried to wrestle him, but he always won. One time when he came, I was six, and him seven. We were sitting outside, covered in dirt, and somehow we got onto the subject of What if? And I said, "What if my parents died?" We talked about ti for awhile, thinking it over and debating on the actions we would take.

"You would take care of me, right Embry?" I asked.

He hugged me tightly. "I will always take of you when you need me."

I hadn't thought I would actually need him.

"Mrs. Brown, please send up Ali Call." I recognized the voice as the lady at the front desk. "She will be dismissed early."

Wondering why I was getting dismissed early on a half day, i gathered my little bit of things, said bye to my friends, and went to the office. When I got up there, I saw Embry sitting in the office. At first, i was excited to my favorite cousin, but then I noticed something.

He'd been crying.

His face was tired and distressed, with tear tracks running down his face. His eyes were slightly red, and those features made me barely realize that he was huge. And when I say huge, I mean, huge. He'd grown about two feet taller than the last time I'd seen him, and his arms were about five times the size of mine, and his entire body was defined in muscles. The tears and depressed look on his face were almost comical on his masculine body.

"Embry, what's going on?" I asked him shakily. He stood up and smiled weakly at me, holding his arms out for a hug. I went into them, confused. "What's going on?" I demanded again, trying not to get out of his hug because he was almost crushing me, not to mention his arms were flaming hot.

"Your parents were headed to work, one behind the other." He said, not meeting my eye. "There was an eighteen wheeler, and...you're parents weren't the only ones, there was another car full of people that got hit, it's just, well, your dad got hit and it happened instantly, and then, you know, your mom...it happened a bit later for her, my mom got a call from the hospital, because her number was in the emergency records, and, well..."

"Embry, stop talking." I whispered as it slowly sunk in. An eighteen wheeler...instantly...hospital...car...got hit...emergency... The words all ran through my mind fast and furiously.

"Embry." I said. "Are my parents...dead?"

"Yes." He choked out after a moment of silence. "I'm so sorry, Ali."

I started to breathe fast, and my head spun a little bit. I looked up at Embry as the tears started to form.

"You'll take care of me, right Embry?" I whispered.

He smiled weakly and hugged me tightly, and this time, I didn't push away. "I'll always take care of you as long as you need me, Ali."