Dead at 15

“Alright,” December said, in between chewing her popcorn. “The plan.”
“Yeah, I need one. You’ve told me this a million times, so what is it?” I asked anxiously.
“Well tomorrow’s Saturday right?” I nodded. “Well tonight, we’ll board up the windows, get Dad to lock the door from the outside till morning and then we go to bed as usual. It’s simple.”
“Yeah, totally as usual.” She stuck her tongue out at me in response.
“Then tomorrow, you pretend you’re sick or something so you can stay in bed all day. I can bring you food and,” she giggled, “entertainment.” December wasn’t exactly the most mature.

“But I’ve got to shower too!” I realized.
“Can’t you go without one for a day?”
“No!”
“Alright, well I’ll wait with you.”
“Uh, that’s disgusting.”
“It’s not like I’d actually look – nor would I want to, for that matter. Don’t flatter yourself. Besides, it’s for your own safety. Just go without one okay? It’ll make everything easier on the both of us.” I sighed before nodding.
“Fine, okay. Carry on.”

“Thank you. So I’ll get everything for you, you sit around texting and stuff. Mom can bring the cake and presents into the room, and then we can watch ‘Happy Gilmore’.” It was our favorite movie of all time.
“Of course,” I said with a grin.
“Then we’ll repeat the procedures from the night before. It’s pretty much foolproof. Just stay in your freaking bed and we’ll be sweet!”
“Alright, that sounds good.”
“Let’s just hope it works.”
“I thought you said it was foolproof?”
“True…”

***

“So what do you two have planned tonight?” Dad asked as we all dug into our dinner.
“Armed robbery,” December answered, not missing a beat. Dad chuckled.
“Lovely. November?”
“We’re gonna imprison ourselves in our bedroom.” The table went silent for a minute. Not that Mom ever said too much anymore. She only really talked just to tell us off. ‘Us’ meaning December. They didn’t really get along too well.
“What if you need to go to the toilet?” Dad asked finally, with a slight smirk. I turned to December slowly.
“An almost foolproof plan, you moron,” I said and flicked her nose.
“Ouch! That hurt, you cow. And so what? I’ll just bring a bottle beforehand. Problem solved!” A bottle? Oh my God.
“What the hell? What planet are you from?!”
“Let me think…Planet Booger!” She proceeded to stick her finger up her nose and pulled out a big clear one. She held it out to my face and I shied away from it.

“That is gross, December!”
“So is your face. Ooh! Weren’t expecting that were you?”
“December, where are your table manners?” Dad snapped but was obviously amused by his youngest daughter’s antics.
“Long gone sir!” She replied, twirling the booger between two fingers.
“Along with her brain,” I interjected.
“I was born without one, duh. Obviously someone doesn’t have theirs either!”
“Eat your damn dinner girls!” Mom yelled and December’s mouth made a popping noise as she lost all chance of articulating further insults. Apart from muttering, “I was just having some fun,” a few moments later.

***

“I hate these guys! The singer’s such a brat.” I complained as she blasted music through the iPod docking station. She glared at me, on my birthday too! Yeah, the night before had gone without a hitch. Thankfully, December didn’t bring a bottle into the room and decided that going to the toilet didn’t leave much time for a murder to take place.
“Yeah, coming from Miss Preppy ‘Britney Spears’.”
“I don’t even like her!”
“Closet ‘Alice Cooper’ fanatic, oops, my bad. The pink skirt deluded my previous judgment.” My cheeks burned red. ‘Alice Cooper’ was my idol – but I liked wearing skirts…and pink.
“Shut up December,” I mumbled.
“Fine, um, ‘Bring Me the Horizon’?” They were one of her favorite bands.
“Screaming? No thank you!”
“Ugh! What then?!” She yelled in irritation.

My phone vibrated and I flipped it open. I’d gotten a text from Tania, the bitchiest freshman going. Her older sister was the head cheerleader and dating the ‘hottest’ boy in school, giving Tania immediate social status, despite being a freshman. Well, that was how Tania liked to describe it.
“Who is it?” December asked. “‘System Of A Down’ okay for music?” I nodded, not really caring.
“It’s Tania.”
“Toxic Tania?” It was our little nickname for the lovely girl. I nodded again. “What the fuck is she texting you about? Her minions not good enough?”

Of course, Tania’s texts were written in a near unintelligible language but I could translate it after a while.

Tania: Hey sweetie! How’s it going? Are you going to the party next weekend?
November: No idea. Why?
Tania: You know Liam Anderson right?

He was the boy in my math class I had a major thing for.

November: Who doesn’t?
Tania: Oh my God(Oh em gee) he asked me out! What?

“Fucking hell. Bet she knew you liked him. Fucking bitch,” December said, reading over my shoulder before going back to jumping up and down on the bed to the music. “I’m really not looking forward to high school. The girls in middle school are bad enough already,” she continued. Tears of frustration were already rolling down my face. Ugh, Tania wasn’t even interested in him. Bitch.

November: That’s great! Oh my God! You are like so amazing.

December scoffed at my reply and went to change the song.

Tania: Aw! Thanks so much! Anyway he’s got a friend who’s interesting if you want to double.
November: Oh, sure thing.
Tania: This is going to be so much fun!
November: Oh my God yes! Talk to you later!
Tania: Love you honey!

“You can put ‘Bring Me the Horizon’ on now. Screaming sounds good,” I choked out. December nodded sympathetically, switching to the song Football Season Is Over before running over and hugging me.
“Don’t worry about it. We can T.P. her house if you want? That’d be fun!” I chuckled lightly. December always seemed to want to get revenge on people with toilet paper. Fortunately, she’d only done it once, and to this boy at her school who called her a midget a few months earlier.
“It’s okay. No need to do that. Let’s just go nuts.”
“Cool. This is the best part.” One second later and we were screaming the lyrics to the song. Jumping on my bed, December’s thick black hair slapping me in the face, screaming our heads off, loud music, this was the best kind of therapy. Tania wasn’t worth my time.

***

“I’m just gonna get our lunch okay? Be right back,” December called over ‘Alice Cooper’.
“Yeah, alright,” I replied before sighing as the door closed, realizing that I needed to pee. I walked out of the room and down the hall to the bathroom. I entered the room with the cold white tiles, closing the door lightly behind me.

Closing the door to all form of protection, yes.

November Marie Lambert
11/08/93-11/08/08

My name was December Antonia Lambert, and I had less than a month to live.