Balancing The Books

School was such an insignificant thing in most teens lives. In mine, it was a sort of salvation. Thinking of how Ben Franklin, George Washington, and Harriet Tubman weren't always their famous selves. At one point in their lives they were just the kid you passed on the street. How cool is that? That I could walk past the ext inventor and not even realize it? Pretty awesome!

Anyway, back to the topic. I am currently walking home from school, balancing my book on my head. The reason you ask? This is because I live my grandparents, and Gran wants me to have perfect balance, unlike her klutzy self. This is how I practice. I walk with real books on my head. Yes, I could cheat and put my books on my head when I get into view from the house, but I only end up cheating myself with Gran's disappointed looks. I don't particularly enjoy them.

"Hey, look! There's the geek!" I ignored the guy's joking. They don't really mean it, I've known these boys so long that we can almost be considered friends.

"Hey, look! It's the naive boys!" I yelled back. I called them naive because they had no idea what was out there after collage. I saw the boys fake pout before I continued on my way, my foot fall making soft thuds on the pavement.

I occasionally stopped to gain my balance when the books threatened to fall. As I gained balance for the third time someone knocked the books off of my head. I turned and saw Dan grinning like a chasmire cat at me, hold my books. He was flipping toward the end of my latest novel with the grin of a boy about to get in trouble. He loves to spoil the ends of books for me and I generally punish him by chastising him about manners.

"She dies," he proclaimed as he shut it with a flourish. I rolled my eyes as I took the book back.

"Great job. I had no idea," I threw at him sarcastically, not in the mood to give a condesending lecture.

"I know, right?" I merely snickered as I continued on my way. Dan easily fell into step beside me as I continued onward. "Why do you balance those books on your head anyway?" he asked as if I hadn't told him twenty times before. I rolled my eyes again before answering.

"So I can stand up straight without falling over when I'm at a job interview. It's a nice quality to have, don't you think so?" I asked innocently. He merely made a face at me, clearly not like the implication I had thrown his way.

"You know what I think?" Darn that mischievous grin. It always foreshadows a stupid comment he feels like making. I'm serious. No filter from his brain to mouth.

"Nope, and I'm not sure I want to," I replied, shutting him down before he could start off on what ever stupid thing he had felt the urge to share.

"Probably a good choice," he said good naturally. I laughed with him, and it felt nice. Don't get the wrong impression, we're just friends, the best of friends, I feel like we get each other on a level most just don't. As we rounded the bend to my house I saw Gran in the window with her knitting and I waved, happy to see her after a long hard day. She motioned I could take off my books, and so did, hugging Dan goodbye before heading into my house to do the pile of work awaiting me.

As I entered the house I saw Gran wink at me, but I shook it off as I headed up to my "study". My study was basically the attic that my grandparents could get up to. The stairs were too flimsy, or that's what they told me. Maybe they were telling the truth or maybe they were letting me have my own space. Whatever the reason, it's essentially my space and I had it pretty well outfitted. I lugged a desk up here along with some paint, blankets, a chair, a couch, and a few pillows. Oh, and the occasional alarm clock incase I fell asleep.

I collapsed into the chair and I started typing into the computer housed here. When I opened my inbox I had 3 new e-mails. The first one reads as follows:

Dear Alexis
Hey, how are you? I'm feeling pretty good. I'm just so freaked about this whole "picking a major" thing. It's so stressful. How is Gran doing? Is she ok? Any incidents?
Write back soon!
~Your worried sister
Kelly

I sighed. I always knew living with Gran wasn't going to last forever, but I refused to even think about the possibility of her failing in simple tasks, like falling down. Because Gran is a rock, never faltering. I had a flash of what Kelly went thought to make sure I didn't get logged into the system. All the phone calls, all the shouting matches, all the crying, and all the begging. It was terrible for her, she had to fill out all of her collage applications and take care of her recently orphaned little sister.

I typed out a quick reply before hastily heading downstairs to find Gran and any mail that I would need to sort through.

"Gran, where's the mail?" I called through the house.

"Out here with me," was her reply. I smiled as I made my next to her, picking up the mail and placing the pile onto my lap.

"Did you already look through it?" I asked, already knowing the word soon to pass her lips.

"Of course I did. I just can't believe that you need to!" I laughed softly. My Gran wants to make sure I have a painless and care free childhood. Sadly that went away when my parents did.

"Think of it as you teaching me the value of the dollar." It was Gran's turn to smile. We went through this exact dialog almost every time.

"Ah, alrighty then. Let's get started," and so Gran launched into the explanation of the taxes and how electricity bills work and ways to cut down.

"So, now that you know all I know about taxes, checkbooks, ways to cut down and such it's your turn to look at the bills." I turned to face her and my jaw dropped, very literally.

"Uh, are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure." I gulped audibly, and Gran sighed dramatically.

"Would you rather you have to do them for the first time when someone else is looking over your shoulder and watching for mistakes or when a mistake could mean your electricity for the month?" Gran asked in a stern voice. I started ringing my hands to get rid of the nervous energy filling me.

"Fine," I said in a begrudging voice as I shakily took the bills from her.

I walked inside to find a calculator, paper, a pencil and the checkbook, scouring through the cupboards and all the while my body was shaking violently.

After I did the bills, with many a mistake, I had hastily scwarled answers into my homework answer slots and fell into bed, fully clothed and all, falling stright to sleep.

I woke up in a hurry, throwing on the first half decent outfit I could find, not bothering with make up. I shoved all of my books into my favorite messanger bag, the one with the English flag on the front, and I rushed out the door. It was only when I had slid into my seat on the bus did I notice that I had fogoten to comb my hair and I set to work forcing my finger through the knots that I aquired during my fitful sleep. As a result, I was the last off the bus, which is incidentally the last bus to pull in. As I quickly ran up the steps to my school I yanked open the door. I heard the clang of the door shutting as I walked up the steps inside the school. After many curse words flew from my tounge I managed to get my lock open, grab my books and to slid into homroom, right before the teacher. I ran the last few steps before this whole morning crunch was over, and I fell. Dan was the kid next to me. He simply laughed before bending own and helping me pick up the books.

"Still balancing those books?" he asked in a voice that was holding back a chuckle. I muttered a quick yes before finally grabbing the last book and placing it on my desk. "You might want to work on it." I sighed. His words were funnier to me this morning, more then ever because it had taken on that literal and metaphorical meaning.

"You have no idea."