Status: Do-over
Luna Curator
1
Light raindrops sprinkle the window as the wheels on the bus go round and round. The bus comes to a stop the double doors open to let out a group of anxious teens. The bus is still full, but no one sits next to me. In front two girls talk animatedly about today's pep rally. I sit back and plug in my earphones, but I don’t play any music. I observe the kids I grew up with my whole life. I know nothing of them nor they of me.
One of the girls in front of me turns around and looks at me, I pretend to not notice her and look out the window. She turns back and and tries to whisper to her friend, but there's no such thing as whispering in a bus full of hormonal teenagers.
“I was coming out of the girls bathroom when I saw Jake get rejected by none other than loner Ember.” I roll my eyes some are nice, some are jealous, and some are cruel. I suppress a smile as she goes on.
“but she’s a junior!” her friend shouts.
“yes, I know that the whole school knows that, but you know the whole football team has now been rejected by her” I push play on my ipod and drown out the noise as the bus comes to my stop. I get up from my per usual seat and the bus goes silent even I know that with my music on max volume. All eyes are on me as I walk down the narrow isle, people wave and say bye, I wave back and smile but don’t say a thing. The double doors open once more and I jump off the last step and land in a puddle my orange rain boots stain with brown water. I step up to the curb and walk home.
The front door is open. I push the door open it squeaks loudly, the floor is wet a trail is left that leads to the kitchen. I hear voices coming through the kitchen door. I grab the nearest object, a glass figurine of a duck. I creep slowly towards the kitchen. My heart races, the thump loud in my ears. As I draw near I raise the figurine above my head I hold my breath as I swing the door open. The door thuds against the wall and a shrill shriek startles me making me drop the glass figurine. It shatters into pieces all over the floor.
“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me! “I shout, I grab the broom and sweep the glass. Poor duck. “well?” I ask crouching to pick up the big pieces.
“happy birthday!” they step aside where a beautiful chocolate cake awaits its doom. I throw away the glass in the trash can and run to them and hug them.
“thanks you guys, yum chocolate my favorite!” suspicion creeps up. “what are you guys doing here? Why did you guys give me my cake early? What’s going on?”
“your too smart for your own good kid” my mom mutters. I smile.
“you mean I’m not as naive as I used to be.” Dad chuckles. “Exactly now lets cut the cake” already cutting it he wiggles his eyebrows. My mom puts her hand on my shoulder and sighs, a sigh familiar to the ones she’s let escape for the last 17 years now on this exact day.
“Mom. Don’t” I grumble. Every year it’s the same she cries that her ‘baby’ is growing up and in the end she makes me feel guilty about it. I cant help it though I have no control over the matters of nature!
Before she can start I notice two extra plates.
“are we expecting guests?” I gesture to the extra settings.
“oh that’s right! Your cousin is visiting for a while with a friend” she bites into her slice.
“I have a cousin?” our family isn’t big on family but I thought the only extended family I had was my uncle Todd.
“yes, your uncle, my brother has a daughter, but he’s going away for a while” my dad says.
“like to jail?” I squeak. Mom laughs.
“hardly! If you call Italy a prison sure. He’s on a business trip with her friends parents. They own a new company that’s expanding all over the world, and so they’ll be traveling back and forth in Europe.” Dad shrugs. “He asked us if we could take her and her friend in for a while and we agreed to it” he finishes.
I nod and shrug along with them. I wonder why I never heard about her before.
“Awesome birthday present, I get an exiled relative and co. for presents” I grin.
“sarcasm duly noted” mom says in between a glare and a smile.
“where are they from?” I ask no one in particular.
“we're from Iowa” a soft voice behind me offers. I turn and find myself a few steps away from a gorgeous average size girl with black hair and hazel, brown eyes almost red. Next to her stands a girl a bit taller about my height staring at me with a fierce green gaze. Her beautiful brown hair falls past her shoulder in waves. They both smile and lean forward expectantly. I smile back and introduce myself.
“Hi, I’m Ember”
They sag a bit but keep a faint smile on their lips.
“I’m Calista, but you can call me Cali. I guess were cousins” she shrugs with a goofy smile that would make anyone else look like an idiot but on her it works. I turn to her friend who smiles shyly.
“I’m Larissa Cali’s best friend, you can call me Larry. I’m so sorry to impose on your family”
“not at all your welcome here” Dad says from behind me working on his second slice. I nod.
“would you guys like a slice of cake?” I ask. They both nod and ask for big slices, I laugh and agree. We sit around the kitchen island in silence for a few minutes devouring our slices with passion. Well me anyway.
“oh that’s right, Ember could you show the girls around at school and introduce them to your friends, being the new students is hard” Mom says.
“oh no it’s OK she doesn’t have to…” dad interrupts Calista.
“nonsense, what do you say kid?” he asks me.
I shrug. “sure, why not?”
One of the girls in front of me turns around and looks at me, I pretend to not notice her and look out the window. She turns back and and tries to whisper to her friend, but there's no such thing as whispering in a bus full of hormonal teenagers.
“I was coming out of the girls bathroom when I saw Jake get rejected by none other than loner Ember.” I roll my eyes some are nice, some are jealous, and some are cruel. I suppress a smile as she goes on.
“but she’s a junior!” her friend shouts.
“yes, I know that the whole school knows that, but you know the whole football team has now been rejected by her” I push play on my ipod and drown out the noise as the bus comes to my stop. I get up from my per usual seat and the bus goes silent even I know that with my music on max volume. All eyes are on me as I walk down the narrow isle, people wave and say bye, I wave back and smile but don’t say a thing. The double doors open once more and I jump off the last step and land in a puddle my orange rain boots stain with brown water. I step up to the curb and walk home.
The front door is open. I push the door open it squeaks loudly, the floor is wet a trail is left that leads to the kitchen. I hear voices coming through the kitchen door. I grab the nearest object, a glass figurine of a duck. I creep slowly towards the kitchen. My heart races, the thump loud in my ears. As I draw near I raise the figurine above my head I hold my breath as I swing the door open. The door thuds against the wall and a shrill shriek startles me making me drop the glass figurine. It shatters into pieces all over the floor.
“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here? You scared the hell out of me! “I shout, I grab the broom and sweep the glass. Poor duck. “well?” I ask crouching to pick up the big pieces.
“happy birthday!” they step aside where a beautiful chocolate cake awaits its doom. I throw away the glass in the trash can and run to them and hug them.
“thanks you guys, yum chocolate my favorite!” suspicion creeps up. “what are you guys doing here? Why did you guys give me my cake early? What’s going on?”
“your too smart for your own good kid” my mom mutters. I smile.
“you mean I’m not as naive as I used to be.” Dad chuckles. “Exactly now lets cut the cake” already cutting it he wiggles his eyebrows. My mom puts her hand on my shoulder and sighs, a sigh familiar to the ones she’s let escape for the last 17 years now on this exact day.
“Mom. Don’t” I grumble. Every year it’s the same she cries that her ‘baby’ is growing up and in the end she makes me feel guilty about it. I cant help it though I have no control over the matters of nature!
Before she can start I notice two extra plates.
“are we expecting guests?” I gesture to the extra settings.
“oh that’s right! Your cousin is visiting for a while with a friend” she bites into her slice.
“I have a cousin?” our family isn’t big on family but I thought the only extended family I had was my uncle Todd.
“yes, your uncle, my brother has a daughter, but he’s going away for a while” my dad says.
“like to jail?” I squeak. Mom laughs.
“hardly! If you call Italy a prison sure. He’s on a business trip with her friends parents. They own a new company that’s expanding all over the world, and so they’ll be traveling back and forth in Europe.” Dad shrugs. “He asked us if we could take her and her friend in for a while and we agreed to it” he finishes.
I nod and shrug along with them. I wonder why I never heard about her before.
“Awesome birthday present, I get an exiled relative and co. for presents” I grin.
“sarcasm duly noted” mom says in between a glare and a smile.
“where are they from?” I ask no one in particular.
“we're from Iowa” a soft voice behind me offers. I turn and find myself a few steps away from a gorgeous average size girl with black hair and hazel, brown eyes almost red. Next to her stands a girl a bit taller about my height staring at me with a fierce green gaze. Her beautiful brown hair falls past her shoulder in waves. They both smile and lean forward expectantly. I smile back and introduce myself.
“Hi, I’m Ember”
They sag a bit but keep a faint smile on their lips.
“I’m Calista, but you can call me Cali. I guess were cousins” she shrugs with a goofy smile that would make anyone else look like an idiot but on her it works. I turn to her friend who smiles shyly.
“I’m Larissa Cali’s best friend, you can call me Larry. I’m so sorry to impose on your family”
“not at all your welcome here” Dad says from behind me working on his second slice. I nod.
“would you guys like a slice of cake?” I ask. They both nod and ask for big slices, I laugh and agree. We sit around the kitchen island in silence for a few minutes devouring our slices with passion. Well me anyway.
“oh that’s right, Ember could you show the girls around at school and introduce them to your friends, being the new students is hard” Mom says.
“oh no it’s OK she doesn’t have to…” dad interrupts Calista.
“nonsense, what do you say kid?” he asks me.
I shrug. “sure, why not?”