Everything Changes...Ready or Not.

Staring at my computer I was completely and totally stuck. I’d been on the same sentence of this story for the past hour. “…She looked around the party when she noticed one particular sky blue pair of eyes staring at her…” I sighed, turned off my Mac, and tried to reassure myself that I would finish it later. After all, writers have their blocks. I padded down the stairs too early on a Saturday morning. Actually, too early for my taste and apparently way too early for my parents taste and especially brother’s after the party he came home from last night. One word. Hangover. Yeah of course I’d heard all about the party at school, but naturally…I wasn’t invited. Story of my life.

Of course my older brother got all the glory. Description of him from every person at our high school: popular, football star, in a popular band, and a senior who everyone knew and worshiped. So where exactly did that leave me? Well I was his invisible-never noticed-never asked out-not as cool as her older brother type of girl. Yeah. My junior year could not be more of a joke.

I reached into the cabinet and pulled out a box of Lucky Charms, a bowl, and spoon, and then grabbed the milk from the fridge. Most of the time spent while eating my breakfast was thinking about how lame my life was and feeling sorry for myself. Junior loser with no boyfriend and a super popular older brother. Oh yeah, and the part about the no boyfriend…I’ve never had one and probably never will. Forever alone baby. Heck yes. That is some accomplishment. I soon realized that I’d been so caught up in thinking, that I’d been putting an empty spoon in my mouth for at least 5 minutes. Okay, enough feeling sorry for myself.

I climbed the stairs, two at a time, and peeked into my brother’s room. I literally laughed out loud when I saw how he was sleeping. Mouth wide open, drool coming out and landing right on his pillow. Classy I thought. Why couldn’t everyone else see this? Kyler’s not perfect after all I smirked. Well, I mean he is a pretty good brother to me. He sometimes lets me come and hang out with his band and listen. They were pretty good and all the guys were fun to joke around with. Okay...not gonna lie. Standing in Kyler’s doorway and staring at him was really creepy. So I left and went back to my room where I flopped down on my bed.

I rolled over and looked at my digital clock, which read 10:01. What now? I’d eaten breakfast, creeped on my brother, tried (but failed) to work on my story, and still no one was up. Curse you family for being late sleepers. And curse you Kyler for being hung over. It’s not like I could go anywhere. I mean for one it was now 10:02 in the morning…what would there be to do? And two, I shared a car with my parents and they would absolutely kill me if I ever took it without permission. The only other car was my dad’s truck and currently, Kyler had the keys to it. I really need to start saving up for a car. It was my only chance to freedom. Yeah, I’ll be going to college in one year, but I still wanted a new fresh start sooner than that. Maybe in college, I won’t end up a total loser. Maybe I’ll even get a boyfriend.

I walked over to the full length mirror that hung on the back of my closet door. Well, obviously I wasn’t drop dead gorgeous, but still I didn’t think I was totally ugly. I mean I had a clear face that rarely broke out, and back length wavy brown hair, and blue eyes. My eyes. I’d always gotten compliments on them, but I always thought they were boring. Why couldn’t I have one green eye and one blue eye? Now that’d be something to comment on. I threw my hair up into a messy ballerina bun, and walked into my closet. “Hmm…” I thought out loud. I tended to do that a lot, and sometimes in front of people. Let me just say this…thinking out loud is not always a smart thing to do when your mouth should have just been kept shut. For now, since I was alone, it was okay. I flipped through the clothes on hangers thinking about what to wear. Well it was summer--ye-ahh--so I can easily pull off a tank and some cutoff shorts. Throwing on my clothes, I headed to my bathroom and did a run through of my daily make up. Quick swish of mascara, a couple of swipes of eye shadow, and eyeliner. Ready, I thought when I looked in the mirror.

I came out of the bathroom and checked my phone. 0 unread messages flashed up in my face. “Of course,” I groaned. Typical. I heard a moan coming from the direction of Kyler’s room. “Oh boy,” I said with fake enthusiasm. I pushed open the door and looked into his room. “You okay,” I asked. “Do I look okay,” he quickly retorted. “No need to be a jerk. I was just checking on you. And it’s not my fault that you went to a wild party and drank too much. That’s all you,” I said. “Yeah, yeah I know. And Maggie? I’m sorry,” he apologized whispering. “It’s okay,” I answered, “feel better.” And with that I left.

Later that morning when both my parents were up, I went downstairs. I found my mother with a cup of coffee in her hand wandering around the kitchen, and my father reading the newspaper at the kitchen table. Kyler had “magically” moved from his bed to the couch in the living room still half passed out. An ice pack was placed on his head, and I was almost positive my mom had put it there. “Good morning dear family,” I announced as I walked into the kitchen. “You’re awfully chipper this morning…did something happen? Did you meet a guy? I need to meet him. My little girl isn’t going to settle for just any old guy.” I shook my head. This was my father. I loved him, but he was…protective. As was Kyler. “Daaad,” I complained, “It’s 12:06 in the morning and I’ve been here. Where could I have possibly met a guy? I have on the other hand been up since 6:00.” “Really? Why so early,” he asked turning briefly back to his newspaper before looking back at me and waiting for my answer. “Mmm I dunno,” I mumbled.

“Well,” my mom announced in a sing-song voice, “I’ve decided that we-- she waved her hand at dad, Kyler, and me-- are going out to lunch as a family. Kyler shot straight up. “Um no mom, that’s not gonna work for me. I have plans with the band.” She held up her hand. “Mandatory family lunch. You can meet up with the guys afterwards…take your father’s truck. And maybe, Maggie would like to go with you and listen.” He shrugged and looked over at me. Smirking at me he said, “So what do ya say Mags…wanna hang out with the boys?” “Oh will you shut up,” I said, “but yeah sure, I’ll come. “Alright, but you can’t be too much of a distraction cause we’re practicing for an audition to be an opening band.” I snorted. “Me? A distraction?” I laughed even as I said it. “I’m serious. The guys like chillen with you and they’d probably rather do that then practice.” “Ha. Ha. Ha. Funny,” I said. “Okay believe what you want, but trust me,” he said in a serious voice. “Yeah. Whatever,” I said in a voice to make him know that I didn’t believe for one second that those guys liked hanging out with me.

As a matter of fact, I found it hard to believe that any guy- and cute for that matter- would like hanging out with me. It was weird to think about my bro’s friends, guys I’d been around with since middle school, as hot, but the truth was they were. They had all grown up so much since middle school and looked nothing like to their younger selves. Well, at least I can get rid of my dorkiness status for one night…