Puppy Love

I let out a light sigh as I walked through the trees of the forest surrounding a creek behind my house. It felt wonderful out in the cool spring air. The birds were finally chirping, the flowers were finally blooming, and I could finally stretch out my limbs.
Letting out another sigh I headed back. As I’m up I might as well make the family breakfast. Or lunch depending on the time it is when I walk through the doors. I laughed inwardly at my little joke.
Suddenly, something pricked my nose. I felt my body tense as my instincts kicked in as I became more aware of my surroundings. My shoulders were pushed back as I inhaled deeply and quietly the scents around me.
The lilacs were heavenly, but it was not what I was trying to find. The rustling of a rabbit through leaves caught me off guard. I let out a panicked howl, hurriedly covering up my mouth with my hands once the herbivore’s quickened breath echoed in my ears.
Mai! Are you alright?
I turned to the bank above me, laying my eyes on a glossy pepper furred wolf. His yellow eyes gazed at me with concern in them.
I let my hands drop to my sides as I smiled up at him. “Go on back home. I’m sorry I screamed. I’ll make breakfast to make it up to you, father.”
He nodded his massive head once before panting and galloping back the way he came. If I never got embarrassed before, this I was sure as hell embarrassed about. And that’s saying something considering that I peed on campus a few weeks ago.
How long do you plan on staying out there, Mai? I thought you said that you would be making breakfast.
He sounded impatient. “I am, I am.” I muttered to myself as I trudged up the hill to the front of the house and let myself in.
It was nearly eleven o’clock on a Saturday in early April. Sure, Maine didn’t have many good weather times, but this week seemed to be an exception to the rules for once. Good to know.
I stretched my arms above my head as I walked back towards the house. It was a large home that we lived in, my father, grandmother, brother and I, and I was still surprised that we had been able to keep it since Dad got laid off of work a good fifteen months ago. I was working two jobs, one being a paid internship, and keeping myself in school while putting part of paychecks into the mortgage and the other bills.
I let my eyes wander up to the second floor before I let myself inside. It was a really nice house that we kept together.
Grandma sat at the kitchen table, cup of mint tea in hand. “Good morning child.” She said with a smile as I walked through the back door connected to the kitchen.
“Morning Grandma.” I pecked her cheek lovingly and grabbed my apron. “Do you want any breakfast?”
“Well what are you willing to make for a midday meal? It is already noon, I hope you know.”
I waved off the last comment beaming a smile towards her, “Anything you want. How about an omelet? I know they’re your favorite.” I said twirling a pan.
“Oh you know me well. Just don’t overdo it. I know that you’re in culinary arts and all, but I just want a mushroom, onion and pepper omelet. Nothing more—”
“Nothing less.” I finished for her.
“Precisely. And as long as we’re on that topic, have you been practicing?”
I cracked two eggs in a bowl, adding a generous amount of sugar as I whisked them. “Practicing? In shifting?” I uneasily changed my weight distribution to my left leg, “I…haven’t really found the time right now.”
In all honesty, I could run back home from work or the campus plenty of times. Truth be told, I just really don’t want to.
“Mai.” She said harshly, “You know how much we need you right now. Especially with James’s change coming up within only a few months.”
I rolled my eyes, pouring the egg mixture in the heated pan.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me.”
“Yes, you absolutely right.” I made a sharp turn around to her, “So just use me to pave the way for my younger brother to step all over me when he turns eighteen and kills dad—your son, mind you. Brilliant idea, Grams. Just perfect.”
I threw the bowl and whisk in the sink, pulling out a cutting board and chef knife, slamming them on the counter.
“There is no need to have a fit, Mai Evans.”
I sneered. “As much as I love you, I wouldn’t mind poisoning your food right about now. Just to let you know.”
She let out a low cackle as I chopped up the vegetables. “The only thing you could kill me with would be your cooking.”
I ignored her comment, unknowing if I should take it as a complement and picked a few leaves of basil off the herd plant on the windowsill. “Do you want me to put in some basil too? It would give it nice flavor.” She didn’t give me an answer so I just ripped it up and threw it into the mess of still slightly liquefied egg.
“Okay well it’s almost ready and I have to—” I saw the clock and nearly died, “It’s almost one already?! What the hell?” I screamed at the digital clock on the oven. “I’m going to be late for work!”
Tearing off my apron I ran up the steps ripping off my clothing at the same time. I nearly tripped over my falling jeans as I pulled my V-neck shirt up and off my head. Once I got into my room, I did fall onto my face. I struggled to get into half my uniform for The Portsmouth Brewery Restaurant in New Hampshire. My shift started at four and I had a three hour drive to the tavern. And that was without traffic. Just perfect.
Hopping on one leg as I pulled on a shoe, I leaned against a door, only to have it swing in and have me fall flat on my back.
“Damn it.” I flipped over onto my stomach to see myself in my brother’s room. With, who else, him and his girlfriend sitting on his bed.
He rolled his eyes at me. “Mai, you know that there is a better way to get my attention.”
“Look, bud, I’m the one working my ass off to help pay for this place. So I don’t want to hear you complaining.” I got up and dusted my black pants off, “And I don’t expect to see her in your bed without clothes on when I get back.”
“Does your grandmother know that you’re working tonight?” Ashley asked curiously.
I groaned and left without answering. It’s not that I didn’t like Ashley, I had to since she was already engaged to James. But she was nice over all, just a bit of an airhead, but nice.
That’s when I smelled the burning egg. Running down the stairs, I pulled the pan off the burner and set it aside, turning it off.
“Shit…”
“Looks like you burnt another one, missy.”
“I’ll make it up to you, Gran. I-I… I’ll make you something at the Portsmouth Brewery! And you can have a beer if you want.”
She gave me a look, those pale eyes studying me. “Does this mean that I’ll have to stay with you the whole time while you work?”
“With the way you eat, I don’t think that will be a problem, but I can call dad to pick you up with the spare car.”
She fell silent for a few minutes while my patients dissipated.
“Look, grandma, I have work that I need to be at soon. Real soon. Please make up your mind so I can either take you with me or leave you here.”
“Alright. But you’re paying for my meal.”
I let out a growl as I fetched my keys. “Fine. Just get in the car.”
I skimmed through the stack of articles that I was “editing.” They didn’t pay me for nothing, but I sure as hell was doing nothing. I looked outside my window to the metropolis below.
The sun was shining, reflecting off the metal buildings that covered this section of town. I was renting an apartment temporarily, until I could save up enough money to move back to Austria.
I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair, reminiscing about the hills, yellowed with mountain flowers in front of the Alps. Then, the nausea hit me again like a sack of bricks in the gut.
Flinging myself from my chair I dashed to the bathroom, holding a hand up to my mouth.
“Fuck…” I muttered into the toilet as my throat burned after the vomit passed. Cold chills ran up and down my spine followed by a hot flash that made sweat bead off my forehead.
Maybe Austria would have to wait for a while, I thought after cleaning my mouth off and walking back out.
“Hey Connor.” Someone yelled behind me. It was Ethan. He slapped a hand on my back that made me want to lose it again. “Dude, you okay?”
I swallowed whatever was going to come back up back down into my gut and proceeded to glare at him.
“What?”
I let out an audible groan, stomping back to my cubical.
“What?” He repeated. “Connor, what the hell has been your problem all this week?” he totted back up next to me, “Girl problems ain’t it. Look dude, you can’t trust all the girls here. Well, anywhere really. Most of them are whores that are just good to fuck and then you leave. Don’t get all caught up in this love thing. It’s not—”
“That’s not it!” I barked.
I coughed, holding my hand back up to my mouth to make sure that I wasn’t going to accidentally spew it all over the place.
“That’s not it.” I repeated in a quieter tone, still holding my hand to my mouth. “I’m sick, tired and irritated for no reason at all. And I really don’t want to be here today.”
Ethan nodded knowingly. “Well how about this, I can cover for you for your story of that interview on that shooting in that one bar downtown at noon if you will go party with me and some of the other guys tonight.”
I closed my eyes, holding my forefinger and thumb to the bridge of my nose, “Ethan… I’m sick. What part of that don’t you understand?”
“Alright, alright.” He put his hands up, backing away, “I’ll just leave you to having that interview in an hour and go and have fun myself.”
I watched as he started to leave.
“I’ll see you at Portsmouth Brewery at six.” I caved, deep.