Now when you see people waking up from fainting in movies it seems painless. When I opened my eyes, every little sunbeam was like a needle in my eye.

"Hey she's up!" I heard Ben's voice rush forward. "Mayday!" He hugged me. I still had no clue where I was.

"Ok Ben, you're freaking me out, what happened?" I rubbed my eyes.

"You passed out in gym and didn't wake up! So they told us that we had to come to the school…you've been sleeping for three whole hours!"

"Three hours?" I asked it didn't feel like three hours, it also didn't feel like I was sick.

"May," It was dad, he seemed very concerned. "What happened before you passed out?"

Mom then took a very annoyed Ben out of the room, probably to send him back to school.

"Er…I was sitting on the bench during volleyball and my stomach was really hurting." I replied, "I was really pale and I was dizzy."

"I see…" Dad looked a little…was it scared? Nah, I've never seen dad scared and it probably didn't look like this. "I'll let you get dressed." He then got up and left me alone. I was in a paper dress woohoo I was so thrilled to get out of it let me tell you.

I walked out of the school feeling bouncier than ever. I ran up to the car dad was driving and did one of those flips over the hood.

"Dad, I don't think she was really sick." Ben said sitting in the car crossing his arms.

Dad ignored him and got in the car sticking a pen behind his ear. I was silent the ride home because…I was afraid…when dad get's quiet that means he's deep thinking. Goodness gracious I want to jump out of the car and run…it was the weirdest urge I'd ever gotten. Weirder than the urge to hug my Algebra teacher…and that was pretty freaky. As soon as we pulled in the garage, I ran outside and ran to our trampoline that hadn't been used in…who knows how long.

"Hey Mayday!" Yelled Ben running to the back behind me looking at me like I was crazy. I used to be so afraid of doing flips now it was easy…jump and turn and over…so fun….

"Hello," Up "Ben," Down "How's it" Flip "Hangin'?" I was so hyperactive…unfortunately; I realized too late that the trampoline hadn't been jumped on in like three or four years. Instantly the thing ripped. I leapt off it and onto the ground beside it so I wouldn't fall through. Jeese, that was scary.

"May Parker get your butt in here right now!" I heard mom yell, uh-oh this wasn't a warning she was mad.

"Yeah mom?" I asked still jittery, I sat in a chair across from her.

"I need to see your hand." She said now sounding concerned…that was the problem with an actress for a mom. She fooled you a lot.

"Wh-why?" I asked looking at her, my leg bobbing up and down a bit.

"Just do it." There was that warning tone again. I gave her my arm. "Damn…uh…go to your room, I need to talk to your father."

"Sure, fine, go right ahead." I sighed walked to my room trying to calm myself. I lay on my bed staring at my ceiling, when I was little my dad didn't work. Mom was making all the income but we didn't care. It wasn't a lot of money but we all seemed to get by. When we first got the house, when Ben was born, dad and mom got pretty high-paying jobs…that's when they began to change to more workaholics. Dad also hurt himself one day, I don't really know how…he just did, he stopped doing his nightly volunteer work, as he called it. I never figured out what it was though. Anyways, when we were just moving here dad and I put a picture I drew of our family on the ceiling…it just brings back memories you know? Sometimes I miss the days when we ordered pizza three times a week and ate Chinese the other four. We became 'Chinese Italians' after that…it's so sad now that all of that is a memory. I wish sometimes that my parents would…be their old selves again. I used to think it was my fault, so I used to take care of my brother full time and that worked out for most of his younger childhood…but yeah…

I turned to look at my clock, it didn't feel like it but the clock was flashing nine, I decided that I had better get to sleep.

--

"Mayday, Mayday wake up! May!" Shouted a boy above my face.

"Ben, go away…" I swatted him away.

"May, today's my soccer game…you promised!" He whined. I did promise to watch him at his game since the folks had to work on it was only…ELEVEN THIRTY! CRAP!

"I'm up, I'm up!" I exclaimed tossing the blankets off and digging in my drawers for my shorts and T-shirt.

"Meet ya downstairs!" He exclaimed running out of my room excited about his game.

"Yeah yeah…I'll be down in a few seconds." That's when I looked in the mirror, I must have done bench presses in my sleep or something because (crazy or not) it looked like I had a six-pack. No not beer, but the actual muscles…Ms. Torialous would have told me it was impossible to get stronger over night…whatever. I rushed down stairs and got my cell phone off the table in case I needed to call mom or dad during the game.

"Mayday!" Exclaimed Ben outside, the little guy didn't have it in him for patience.

"I'm coming Ben calm down." I laughed walking out of the house.

"Guess what? Mom and dad are taking a vacation!" Ben said happily smiling, he had dimples that made him a lot cuter than I was at his age.

"Are you serious?" I asked a small ball of excitement growing in my chest, mom and dad on vacation! I wouldn't have to be Ben's mom during the day. Sweet, this would totally rock!

"Yep, dad called in for it this morning and mom says she needs a break." Ben replied somehow mom and dad did things right in front of him thinking he didn't understand but Ben was actually a Straight A student…he was never stupid.

"Cool!" I grinned, "How'd that math test go? You get in advanced yet?"

"Yep, Mr. Joseph said I can't get any better, I might skip a grade if mom and dad let me." He was so smart. I wondered why I was so dumb.

"When's the parent teacher conference?" I asked him curiously.

"Thursday, I can't wait because then I might be a fifth grader next year!" He exclaimed jumping over a crack. Man, he's growing up fast….it seems like just yesterday he had to come to me on his first day of school.

"Mayday, I don't think they like me."

"Oh Benny, why wouldn't they? You're a great person. I like you, mom and dad like you."

"No May, the kids in class don't like me…they think I'm a teacher's pet."

"Don't worry about them Benny, just be yourself and soon people will know how special you are."

"May, May? We're here." Ben said looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh sorry kiddo," I smiled at his coach and walked towards the lawn chairs some of the PTA bought.

"Hello, May." It was my neighbor, Ella Sinclaire. When I was seven, she was our babysitter. She had grown a liking to me and Ben pretty quickly.

"Hey Ms. S." I smiled at her, my cheeks were beginning to hurt with all the smiling I had done today.

"How's school sweetie?"

"Oh, it's great…I got the science award this year." I told her shuffling my feet. "And Ben might skip to fifth grade next year."

"My, my, you both work really hard don't you?" She asked me with a kindly smile.

"Yeah, really hard." I replied, watching the soccer game out of the corner of my eye. Benny would kill me if I took a walk but I suddenly felt like I needed too.

"Hey Ms. Sinclaire, would you like to take a walk?" I asked looking at her suddenly.

"I don't see why not." She smiled getting off her chair.

-

The walk was just like any other I had with her, exchanging chitchat and such. Now she treated me more like an adult then a child…that I totally respected.

"Mom's been busy a lot lately but she just finished the showing of her last Broadway, Ben's been saying she's got some time off…but I don't know." I commented.

"Don't think badly of your mother, she was a lot like Ben when she was younger…very radiant and had her own fire. You remind me of your dad."

"How so?" I asked looking at her.

"He was smart and shy…then something happened to him to make him a witty boy." She said.

"Oh, and what was that?" I mumbled looking at the ground, how was my dad like me?

"Your mother, he had loved her since the day she moved in next door. I lived next to him most of his life." She told me placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Wow, no wonder mom and dad trust you so much." I exclaimed….darn it, I gotta stop thinking aloud.

"Give me your money!" Exclaimed someone coming from the shadows, a masked figure with a gun in his hands.

"What? Oh son, I don't have any money." Ms. Sinclaire said pulling out her wallet.

"No!" I said looking at her, no way was I letting someone steal from her. I threw a punch at the guy with the gun.

Danger

BAM!

Danger

I moved a quickly as I possibly could. That's when I saw the bullet, I'd never seen on until I saw it coming at my best friend and babysitter. I was unsure what to do so I just pulled Ms. Sinclaire away from it.

"What the hell are you?" The man had a red stain near the mouth part of his mask. "Damn." He turned around and ran out; I was too busy looking over Ms. Sinclaire to make sure she was ok. It turns out she had fainted when the gun went off…she was getting old after all. I couldn't believe someone wanted to rob us in daylight, broad daylight, how freaky is that?

I tried to awaken Ms. Sinclaire but it didn't work out that well. I sighed looking at her, I wonder…she had that old tired face but within her white hair, you could tell it was auburn. Her eyes were green (which were so much cooler than my blue), I wonder if she was pretty when it was her time? She still is now but..still.

"May?" She looked up at me.

"Oh! You're awake." I smiled.

"Are you hurt?" Were the first words out of her mouth.

"No, no, how are you? God, that guy was about to kill you." I said eyeing a bruise on her arm.

"I'm fine May, let's get back to the game before Benny kills us." She grinned wryly. I remained silent the rest of the way. I was more thinking…

What's happening to me?