Fall Out Girl

After the pain had numbed up I started walking semi-normally back down the street toward my home. I had given up wearing Joe’s shoes- they just hurt my feet too much. So, here I was, just strolling along, humming an unknown tune while choreographing an entire competition cheer in my head, when a deep voice called me.

“Hey, Klutz! Whattcha doin?”

Ignoring the idiot, I started trying out the hand movements. But, lucky me, I forgot that I was holding Joe’s shoes by the laces. On the last move, the toe of a green chuck met my eye. This was just not my day. “Fucking shit! When will this day be over!” I yelled, dropping the shoes and stomping around. Apparently, that’s not good on a bad ankle. So, my jumping around on both feet turned into jumping around on just one foot.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” a voice asked.

“Peachy, as always, now move aside so I can get this day over with.” I spat, not even looking at the person as I picked up Joe’s tattered shoes and made my way down the street. I guess the person got the hint, because they left me alone and didn’t badger me again.

“Hey, Gimpy! How’s it hangin?” My twin’s voice rang through the air.

“Shut up, Asshole! It’s all your fault!” I yelled back accompanied by a one finger salute and without looking at him.

I put on my biggest plastic smile when I neared Mrs. Whittaker’s home. I didn’t see her in the yard, so I went ahead and got her mail out of the mailbox and picked up her newspaper. My smile becoming more genuine with each step, I let myself in. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and no, I am not breaking and entering. Mrs. Whittaker told me when I was seven that I could let myself into her house at any decent hour.

The warm smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, along with the home’s usual apple cinnamon scent, reached my nose. The house wasn’t as large as mine- in fact, this was the smallest house on the block. It was quaint, with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a small living/ dining room, and a large kitchen.

“Peter, is that you?” Mrs. Whittaker called.

“No, Grams, it’s just me, Emmy! I brought in your mail!” I called, setting it down on the small coffee table.

Mrs. Whittaker bustled out of the kitchen. “Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were my grandson. He was supposed to be here by now and the house isn’t even ready yet!” She fussed, bustling around the house trying to make a hospital envious of her cleanliness.

“Well, how about I help you?”

She sighed heavily and walked over to me. “Would you? I don’t mean to intrude.”

“How would it be intruding if I already promised that I would spend some time with you today? Besides, I don’t care what that grandson of yours says, you’re as much as my grandma as you are his.”

She just flashed me a smile and nodded. “Help me with the bed sheets in the guest room? They’re clean, I just need help putting them on the mattress. My body isn’t what it used to be.” Smiling widely, I nodded and followed her to the back of the house after grabbing fresh linens from her linen closet.

It was funny watching her try to put the mattress cover on the double bed because she still had the mind-set of a stubborn teenager. After five minutes of trying to lift up on mattress corner, she gave up with a huff and threw the cover at me. I laughed and put it on with ease. She huffed again as I walked back over to my side. She stuck her tongue out at me as she threw the fitted sheet in the air so that it could air out while allowing me to catch the off-side.

“So, Emmy, was it a broken-nail crisis?”

“Not originally, but Cait did manage to squeal to me that she had broken her nail after I hung up on her.”

“That’s Cait for you. Well, what was the original reason?”

“Oh, just what we were doing for teacher presents and such, planning social events, you know the usual stuff. Complete waste of time, too.” I replied, tucking the sheet under the mattress.

“That sounds nice.” She replied with a warm smile while throwing the comforter on the bed. I grabbed the other end of it and stretched it over the bed. “So, how are you and Parker doing? You’ve been going out for how long? Two years?”

“Yupp, two whole years today and we’re still doing fine. He’s taking me out tonight. He told me to dress nice. I wonder what he’s up to.”

“Well, it sounds like today’s something special.”

“I don’t think so. I’m just hoping he’s not proposing or asking me to promise, because I know that I’m not ready for anything like that yet. No offense, Grams, but getting married right out of high school is a stupid idea- especially in today’s society.” She nodded, knowing perfectly well what I meant. These were different times than during the war, when she was married to her deceased husband while being only a senior in school.
She let out a long sigh and said warmly, “I can’t believe that you’re already a senior! I remember the day that you and your brother first came home from the hospital. My, does time slip out of your grasp…” I just nodded, she would always say things like that. She would go on and on about how this town used to be and the changes it went through. She was interrupted by a not-so-subtle knock on the door. “Oh my, that must be Peter! Can you get the door? My hair is such a mess! Can you also get the cookies out of the oven?” she fussed, running out the door and into her private bathroom.

I chuckled and hobbled down the stairs and towards the door, which was getting a very bad beating. I rolled my eyes at the person’s impatience and opened the door. “You’re Peter?” I gawked.