Flicker and Snaps

It is said that the average woman speaks about 7,000 words a day, but the average man only speaks about 2,000 words.

If that is true, does that mean that Gage is actually a woman, and I am not a woman or a man, because I find it hard to believe that I even speak 1,000 words a day, let alone 7,000.
Even though I know a fact like that is useless, I cannot let it go, and as Gage talks endlessly to me, while I am trying to grab a box that I did not send ahead out of the back of my car.

Gandhi once said: We should meet abuse by forbearance. Human nature is so constituted that if we take absolutely no notice of anger or abuse, the person indulging in it will soon weary of it and stop.- Obviously Gandhi hadn't met Gage.

I just wanted to punch him.

Although it would be fun to see him with a black eye, it would take too long for it to form, and I would not be able to enjoy it fully in my room, the place I would no doubt be sent after the enjoyable punch. Plus, I had a feeling his scream would be more annoying than his speech.

"Jade, an amazing idea hit me! Cicil and I were setting up your darkroom, and your mom talks about how great you are at photography, and I am running for student body president, but you already knew that, so I was thinking...." He paused for a moment, I had a feeling this was to add needed dramatic feel that would be lost on me. It was true, I already knew that he was running for president, he never freaking shut up about it, not that I cared.

I tried to ignore him as I walked into the house carrying the box that held a few essentials, that I did not want my new, family touching.

I might be paraphrasing a little, but I believe Gandhi also said that people can only hurt you if you let them. Perhaps if I ignored Gage he'd disappear.

This had been the third time I had walked in and out of the house, which was rather large, apparently we lived on an old plantation. Something my mother had failed to tell me about. The walk to my room, and then back out to the car was tiring enough, although Gage had offered to take up one of the few bags that had not been already put away, I would not let him. I was hoping that all the trips in and out with less than a word would cause him to leave. Little luck so far, but I was praying for a miracle at this point.

"Like I was saying, I think it would be really cool if you'd help with my posters and pictures and stuff. I mean then you would enter the school and it would be like 'W-O-W' I am sure friends would be lining up, you want friends don't you?" He said cheerfully, too cheerfully, as if he was talking to a child. I realized that my lack of communication towards him, had not come off as indifference, he was taking it that I was seriously, stupid. I was not stupid, I did not have the mind set of someone not my age, I was just different.

So I did the mature thing, I did the thing that showed him exactly what I thought of his idea at using me, and treating me like I was five, I allowed him to hear words that I think summed up exactly the extent of my sisterly love towards him.

Turning sharply in the doorway of my room I pushed him away from me, anger hopefully upon my face.

"Fuck you, I am not stupid. I don't speak much, not because I cannot, but because I don't like you. So leave me the hell alone." The snarling sound that was my voice sounded odd, but right, at the same time, the look that filled his face made me laugh, as I walked into my room and slammed the door in his face.

Although, I wasted more words than I would've liked on him, I think my point had gotten across rather well.

Sighing deeply I wished I had my earplugs more than anything in the world at the moment. Maybe, my words would shut Gage up, but I doubted it.

He seemed the type that would only be angry from this, and then rebound back to annoying me full blast now.

I had to admit although I hated that things were not going the way they should, I did kind'of like my new house.

Perhaps, mom was trying to say something when she made me watch, Gone with the Wind, with her.

The house was made out of brick, and faded green copper. It definitely looked like it could be right out of, Gone with the Wind, that's for sure. The house was large and airy. There would be time for exploring later on, but for now all I wanted was to put my things exactly where they needed to go, and then find my darkroom.

Developing film, like learning new facts, or doing a large algebraic expression, was calming to me.

Nodding to myself I got started, looking around I noticed that my room was simple, but to my standards. The walls were a plain white, the floors were made out of a deep brown hardwood. I had a bookshelf in one corner, that held the books I had sent ahead. A new desk sat by a large bay window, that overlooked the backyard. A matching white dresser and an old full body mirror laid against another of my walls.

Even my new bed screamed normal. It was a simple twin mattress, my familiar deep green comforter laid neatly on top of matching sheets. I could become use to this room, that was for sure.

Trying on a smile in front of my mirror, I walked over to the first of my boxes, contently pulling out pictures, and hanging them with tacks on the walls.

Each of my pictures alone may have not made sense to the normal person. I had taken a lot of pictures in my time with my trusty, Hesselblad 500 CM, but the ones that I put on my walls were my favorite.

I smiled (or attempted it at least) as I placed a picture of a half eaten apple over my headboard. The lighting had hit it in just the right way that I had forced Clara to halt her snack eating for me to get the perfect picture.

It looked in my eyes, different, raw, cool. Something most people could not understand from looking at it. It was simple, and I liked it just the way it was.

Next, I placed up a hodgepodge of pictures: one of the beach, a train, an umbrella blowing in the wind, my father's grave, and the cover of my favorite book, War and Peace, if you were wondering.

When I was content with my walls, I placed my laptop on my desk, plugging it into the outlet below, I allowed it to charge, while I started to put away my various cameras. Stacking them in order of largest to smallest on top of my bookcase.

I had six cameras in total, not including my Hasselblad, I never placed my baby on a simple shelf, I would have to find somewhere special for it later on.

At the moment though, it was more than happily placed on top of my bed.

Nodding to myself in content, I placed what cloths I did not send ahead in my dresser. It was mindless work, something I had come accustom to do doing.

My body jerked at the sound of knocking on my door, anger filled my body. Was screw you, not enough for Gage?

Marching over to the door I ripped it open ready to spare a few more nasty words for Gage when I stopped myself, it was not Gage but Cicil that stood half-knocking at my door.

"Are you here to mock my intelligence too?" I asked raising an eyebrow, annoyance, hopefully present upon my face.

I had a feeling I got the face work done wrong, or my words alone caused Cicil to start laughing.

"I told him that you were able to speak, sorry, um Chad asked Gage to come up and get you for dinner, but for some reason Gage begged me to do it.... So, here we are?" Cicil said smiling as he nonchalantly turned and walked away, not another word said, and he obviously did not wait for my response on the subject.

Blinking I turned my light off and ran after him, closing my new room door as I did. At the mention of food I realized how unbelievably hungry I was.