Ever Since You Walked Into My Life

My fingers glided along the multiple bills that scattered around my small kitchen table. My frown had yet to subside, knowing that these had to be paid soon. It had been a few weeks that Sammi and I had hunkered down into our new home, which we found very pleasing. The utility bills had come seeping through our front door in what seemed like a matter of seconds. The price may be considerably low to other families, but to me, my eighty dollar bill was expensive.

I ran a heavy hand down my face and felt a quiet whimper pucker at the bottom of my throat. I knew I couldn't be too upset, because for the first time in a long time, I was able to pay off the few bills that starred up at me. Sammi and I would have our water and electric a bit longer than I had expected. Karen, my boss at Stop and Shop, was considerate enough to grant me more hours at work. She knew just slightly of our living situation.

The extra money I had been putting aside in a small glass container, which currently held around one hundred dollars. This had given me time to make a new dinner, which Sammi was thankful for. Instead of the dull spaghetti we ate night after night, she could taste what a burger was like over the oven. Within the last week or so, I had become more content with how things were going. Every little bit that I had recieved helped, even if by an inch.

I jumped suddenly as the clapping sound of metal against sheet rock met my ears. I turned toward the front door and watched as Sammi stumbled her way into the kitchen. Her smile showed her white, crooked teeth, which had taken me by surprise. I hadn't seen that smile in a long time. She dropped her back pack to the floor and in a quick gasp, she shouted, "Rascal! Guess what!"

"Wait! Wait, just one second, Sam."I stuck out my hand and asked, "Do you have any papers for me to sign?"

"Oh,"She bent down and dug her hand into the deep crevices of her bag.

When she pulled her hand back out, she had a handful of crumbled papers sticking in every direction. Even though Sammi could tell you where everything was in her bag or bedroom didn't mean she was very organized. I slowly peeled the papers from her hand and said, "Alright, what is it?"

"I met a new friend in my class today!"She grinned.

"Really? Oh, Sam, that's great!"I looked down at the papers, which were more so for sports for the year."What's his name?"

"His name,"She stopped for a moment and pressed a finger to her chin."I think his name is Michael. Or Mitch. Min - I don't remember, but he was really nice."

"Sammi, I'm so happy for you."I smiled warmly.

When we had first arrived in this new town, I had only hoped that Sammi would adapt well to the new school. It had seemed like she was gaining a lot of positive attention from her class mates. When I had gone to pick her up the first few days of class, I had found multiple students saying hello and goodbye to her. I was happy to admit that she had yet to come home and complain about any sort of conflict with her classmates. I grabbed at her hand and whispered, "I'm happy you made friends, Sammi. I really am."

I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before I looked back down at the papers in my hand. Most had mentioned baseball, football or soccer, except for one. On the top, in thick black letters, read Cheerleading. I reluctantly went to put them aside, when Sammi suddenly piped up from the side. When I looked over at her, I could see it in her eyes that she had already expected the answer from me to be a no.

It hurt me so much to know that that was what Sammi had become accustomed to. Quietly, she asked, "Can I join cheerleading, Rascal?"

Sammi never gave me the excuse that all her friends are doing it, because most of the time she didn't have friends long enough to say so. I put on a happy smile and plucked the cheerleading paper from within the pile. I flattened it out against my thigh and began to read over the rules, dates and the thick, bold lettering that had caught my eye. I chewed roughly on my bottom lip when I saw that it was thirty five expensive dollars to join the squad.

I would have to dig into the money I had been saving to let Sammi join the team. I looked up at Sammi and found that her smile wasn't happy and excited anymore. It clearly showed how hurt she was that I was hesitating on answering her. She reached down for her bag and said softly, "It's okay if you can't afford it, Rascal. I just wanted to ask anyway."

I turned my attention back to the glass jaw and shook my head quickly. I would be damned if I had to tell my little sister no once more because of financial issues. If she wanted to join the cheerleading team, she would become part of it. I looked back at her as she shifted the strap of her bag on her shoulder. A smile suddenly sprouted against my lips as I said, "Sure, Sammi. I'll sign you up right now."

She turned, her brown hair bobbing against her shoulders swiftly. I watched as that frown slowly grew into a toothy, excited grin. She jerked forward and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck happily. I began to laugh as I pulled her close and into a warm hug. I wanted to give Sammi everything I could, considering I had a little extra money on the side. When I pulled away, I seemed to be unable to stop her from thanking me over and over again.

I laced my fingers around the first pen I saw and signed her up without a second thought. I tore the piece of paper off of the top and shoved it into an open envelope. I stuck my hand into that open glass container and carefully counted out thirty five dollars just for her. When all was said was done, I sealed it and pushed it in Sammi's direction. She went to reach for it, but I quickly pulled it back. She looked up at me, almost confused that I had done just that.

"You put this right into your bag, you hear me? If you lose this, than that's it. You give this to your teacher as soon as you get into class tomorrow, okay?"I stated slowly.

"I know."She smiled warmly."Thankyou, Rascal!"

"You're welcome."I said softly."Go play, alright? I'm going to make us dinner."

I leaned back into my seat and found that the smile I had yet to give today was coming back to life. I was slowly giving Sammi the life I wanted her to have. Karen had given me more hours, resulting in a better pay check, which had kept us on time with our bills. I brushed my hair from my eyes and looked down at the other half of her cheer paper. The first practice was schedueled in two weeks, right in her school's field. I let out a quiet sigh when I realized that things were beginning to look up, even if by a little.