A Thousand Feet Per Second

It was like any other morning when I woke up to my six AM alarm and got in the shower.

From the color of my underwear to singing in the shower to my favorite Keith Urban CD, I can remember every detail of that day.

I dressed in my vintage styled outfit that I had picked out last night before I walked into the bathroom and put on a light brown make-up base. I looked over at the straightener, thinking about using it on my hair. I dismissed the idea by reminding myself that this was the last day that the complete group of my 2006 class would be seeing me along with their relatives.

I walked back into my room and started towards my dresser in search for my box of shoes. Stopping at my dresser, I noticed the guitar necklace that my fifteen-year-old sister, Emma had given me for my eighteenth birthday, sitting innocently on top of one of my many books.

I gave it a weary look as I halted my descent to the floor to stare at it. I hesitantly picked it up and turned the pendant over to read the tiny inscription; ‘Ginger Madelyne. Don’t ever give up on your dancing and keep practicing on that guitar. One day, we will perform together on the grandest stage of all. No matter what always remember that I love you. Good luck, sis. Emma Marie.’

At the time, I had no idea what she meant by the grandest stage of all. If only I had read between the lines, maybe she would still be in the room next to mine.

But of course, I was blind to the subtle hint left there.

“Oh, why not,” I said to myself, undoing the clasp and pulling the chain around my neck.

I clipped it before bending down and digging through the box of shoes that sat next to the dresser. I threw different shoes behind me as I searched for my tan converse sneakers, each shoe making a soft thud as it hit wall and then the floor.

I had a plan to wear the sneakers to run errands and walk around until the ceremony when I would change into a pair of gray flats with a little buckle on the toe. At the end of the ceremony, I would take off the gown and slip on my converse again.

I smiled at my reflection as I stood in front of my mirror. “Perfect,” I said, stopping to look at the necklace again.

Something was bugging me about it.

Just this little nagging tug in the back of my brain when I felt the pendant bounce against the fabric of my shirt.

Before I could put a finger on it, I heard the alarm in Emma’s room start screeching at her.

I laughed at the sound that made it through my wall just like I did every morning.

I knocked on the wall after I heard her slam her hand down on the damn thing. “Morning, Emma!” I shouted through the wall.

“Shut the bloody hell up, Ginger!” was her reply.

I grinned. “Not gonna happen, Em!”

I heard her groan loudly before the springs in her bed creaked as she sat up.

Smiling to myself, I pulled my backpack out from under my desk and started shoving everything that I would need into it. Current yearbook, pens, pencils, iPod, notebook, my cap and gown, the gray flats, etc. were all smooshed into the big pocket while my wallet, keys, and cell phone occupied the smaller pocket do to my outfit not having pockets.

Walking into the hallway, I could smell Dad's famous blueberry pancakes already making a scent trail up the stairs that I knew would last all morning.

I smiled as I followed the smell down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Morning, Daddy!" I greeted him as I went over to the fridge.

"G'morning, Ginger," he replied, as I pulled out the apple juice carton. "Are you excited?"

I nodded, getting a glass down from the cabinet. "Of course I am! Today is my last day as a high school senior and the first day of being a graduate!" I replied, pouring the apple juice.

Dad flipped the pancakes onto a plate for me as I put the carton back in the fridge. "Is Emma up yet?" he asked me, holding out the plate.

"Yeah, she's not in a 'good morning, sunshine' type of mood so watch out," I replied, taking the plate from him.

Dad chuckled before pouring more batter on the griddle. "Guess I should make some extra pancakes for her then," he said.

I smiled as I took my seat at the table. "So, what are the plans for today?" I asked him, spearing a piece of pancake with my fork.

"Why are you asking him? He's more disorganized than your grandmother when she has her reading glasses on all day," my mother's voice flowed lightly into the kitchen from the hallway.

"Hey, Mum," I said, taking a bite from the previously speared pancake.

"Good morning, Ginger," she replied, making her way towards the coffee machine.

“Morning, Angela honey,” Dad said, kissing her on the cheek as she passed him.

My mother smiled at him before she kissed him back. “Morning,” she said, pulling a mug down from the cabinet. “As for the plans, Ginger, you are free to do as you wish as long as you are back to watch Emmett at seven. Remember that your father and I have our movie date tonight,” she said, pouring the coffee into the mug.

“How could I forget about watching my favorite little brother?” I asked her rhetorically.

“He’s your only little brother, GJ,” Dad said, flipping the pancakes.

“I was kidding, Dad,” I said, taking another bite out of my own pancakes.

Jokes are always lost on that man, I swear.

“Oh, well then,” he replied, putting the pancakes onto a plate.

I rolled my eyes before turning to look at my mother. “I was planning on going over to
Nicole’s.” Nicole James was my best friend in Oregon, had been since kindergarten.

Mom nodded her head. “Okay, that sounds fine, Ginger,” she said, sipping her coffee.

I was about to add something when her face changed to a mix of incredulous and anger. I guess that my sister had just walked into the kitchen and was showing her latest piece of body jewelry out for our mother to see.

“Emma Marie Jinks, what have you done to your ears?!” Mom asked, managing to match her voice to the look on her face.

I rolled my eyes and pointedly started actually paying attention to my pancakes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dad start to focus intently on the griddle and not the brewing battle between my mother and sister.

“Good morning to you too, Mother dearest,” Emma was laying on the sarcastism quite thick which was not going to win points in her favor.

“I asked you a question, young lady.” Mom’s voice switched over to controlled anger.

Yep, definetly not winning any points there, Em.

“What’s wrong, mother? All I did was pierce my ears again,” she explained like she was talking about the weather.

Emma walked over to the cabinet and pulled a plate down before getting some pancakes from the plate. “Thanks, Daddy,” she said, turning and walking to the table. She walked right past our mother like she wasn’t even there.

That’s when I noticed the gages that now passed through her earlobes. Well, at least her outfit was pretty simple, a.k.a. non-Mom aggravating. I noticed that she was wearing the necklace that matched mine.

“Good morning, again,” I said, raising an eyebrow at the gages.

Emma only shrugged. “Could be better,” she said, running a hand through her shoulder-length scarlet hair.

“Emma Marie.” Mom’s voice was now extremely controlled.

“Yes, mother?”

“Please remove those from your ears until you get back from your sister’s graduation.” I groaned mentally at being dragged into this. “And in addition to that, you are grounded for piercing your ears again without permission,” she said, deciding the verdict.

“Sounds reasonable, mother,” Emma stated, giving up without a fight.

Mom’s face betrayed no surprise at the easy win. Both Dad and I, however, sighed with relief that it was over quickly.

“Good, it’s settled then,” Mom said, dismissing the argument.

The rest of breakfast went smoothly until seven. That’s when the daily mad rush began.

Mom had to run up and wake up Emmett. Dad had to put the leftover pancakes into a container and pour a to-go mug of coffee. Emma had to do follow Mom's order and grab her backpack. I was left to put the dishes in the sink and clean them off before loading the dishwasher.

After doing so, I grabbed my keys off of the key rack and ran up to my room to get my backpack.

I grabbed my backpack before I walked down the hall to Emma’s room. "Wrap it up, Emma!" I yelled, knocking on her door.

"Got it, Ginger!" she replied, non-snarky.

That stopped me in my tracks. What was up with her lately? First, giving up a fight with Mom and now listening to me the first time? That's non-Emma behavior.

But I was pulled out of my thoughts for the second time today by a small force that smacked into my legs.

I looked down to see my seven-year-old brother. "Hey there, Emmett," I said to him.

"Hey, sissy!" he replied, his brown eyes sparkling lightly.

I then noticed that he was completely naked, save a pair of Spiderman briefs. "What are you up to, little man?" I asked him, picking him up easily into my arms.

Emmett just grinned mischievously at me as I walked towards his room.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" I asked.

He shook his head defiantly as we entered his room.

"Oh, Ginger, do you mind dressing him real quick? I just remembered something that I
need to grab before we go,” Mom said, throwing an outfit onto the racecar bed.

“Sure thing, Mum,” I said, walking past her to the bed.

“C’mon, Grizzler,” I said, lifting him up into the air and spinning him around so that he was flying.

Emmett’s laughter rang through the house as he flew around his room. “Sissy, put me down!” he shouted, laughing around every word.

I found myself laughing with him as I plopped him down on his bed. “Okay, but now it’s time to get dressed,” I compromised, using my kid skills on him.

Emmett pouted a little but allowed me to dress him in Mom’s pre-chosen outfit.

“Done?” he asked, after I had made him strap his shoes on his own.

I smiled at him. “Yeah, you’re done.”

Emmett cheered before running out of his room and down the hall towards the stairs.

I smiled before I followed after him. I knocked on Emma’s door again as I passed it and continued to walk down the hall. I walked down the stairs and found Dad standing with the
keys to the minivan.

“Tell me, I’m not on minivan duty,” I pleaded.

“You’re not on minivan duty-,” he started to say.

“Yes!” I interrupted.

“-but only if you remember to get back here at seven. Otherwise, you’re on minivan duty for a month,” he finished, ignoring my cheer.

“Damn,” I muttered under my breath.

“What was that?” I heard my mother call from the garage.

“Nothing, Mum!” I replied.

Dad winked at me before disappearing into the garage.

There was a sudden clumping of feet against the stairs as I turned to see Emma making her way down them.

Gage-less, she walked towards me.

“Good luck, sis,” was all she said before she walked past me into the garage.

Dad honked the minivan’s horn as she jumped into the van. He started to back down the driveway as I closed the door with a wave.

I slung my backpack onto my right shoulder before I turned the lights off in the kitchen and living room. I opened the front door and checked to make sure it was locked.

The only thought on my mind as I walked out the front door was that I was graduating today.

I had no idea that when I got home tonight, my little sister would be dead.

____________

It was about 6:58 when I pulled into the driveway that night.

I rushed to grab my backpack and jumped out of the car. I hurriedly locked it with the key before switching the car keys for my house keys.

I nearly ran into the door when I shoved my key into the keyhole and unlocked the front door. I pushed the door open quickly before realizing that all the downstairs lights were off except for one in the kitchen.

“I’m home!” I called, removing my key from the doorknob.

There was no reply as I dropped my backpack onto the couch.

“Hello? Emmett? Mom? Dad? Emma?” I called, walking into the empty kitchen.

The scent of the blueberry pancakes still hung in the air, making me smile.

“Is anyone home?” I asked.

Something flickered in the corner of my eye. It was a piece of paper, pinned to the fridge.

I pulled it off the fridge and read what it said; ‘Ginger, we decided to take Emmett with us to the movies and see that new DreamWorks movie. Be home around eight. Call if it’s an emergency. Congratulations again, darling. Love, Mum, Dad & Emmett. P.S. check on Emma when you get home.’

I shook my head. “That kid always seems to get through their armor somehow,” I muttered to myself, smiling all the same.

I felt my stomach growl as I started towards the stairs. “Oh, fine, I’ll make some dinner and see if Emma wants any."

I turned around and began to search through the cupboards for something I could make for the two of us. “Ah ha!” I said triumphantly pulling a box of mac-n-cheese out of the cupboard.

Once I got the water boiling, I made my way up the stairs towards Emma’s room.

“Emma? Ems, I’m making some mac-n-cheese for dinner, okay?” I said through the door after knocking a few times.

I wasn’t sure if she could hear me over her music, but I shrugged and went to my room.

Taped to my door was an envelope with my name scrawled carefully on it.

I gave it a strange look before taking it off of the door. I mean, why could someone tape a letter to my door in the first place?

I opened my door and turned on my radio. I smiled when I heard My Chemical Romance start playing.

It was ‘The Ghost of You’ which was only a couple months old at the time.

I sat down on my bed before I opened the letter. I didn’t expect to see what it said.

When I got to the third paragraph, I jumped up with tears streaking down my face as I ran out my door and down to Emma’s. I shoved the door open with as much force as I could muster.

My bloodcurdling scream tore through the peaceful night air like a knife.

‘....at the top of my lungs….she dies….’