The Night When They Arose

The sun was high again when I woke up. I rolled over onto my left side to ignore the big ball of fire; that shone too brightly into my eyes.

“Travis is she up or what?” My dad shouted from downstairs.

My door creaked open. I rolled over on to my right to face Travis; with my eyes closed and snuggled into my pillow. The door creaked shut and he left.

“Nah,” I heard him reply to my dad, as he stomped down the stairs. They mumbled for a bit and then the house was quiet.

“What did you do yesterday?” My dad shouted too loud at some one.

I jumped up from my bed and ran to the top of the stair case. “Daddy what’s going―”

“Get back to bed princess.” My dad and brother both shouted at me before I could even get half way down the stairs. I groaned and ran back up the stairs.

I ran straight to my window, to see Lance’s car in front of the barn. Obviously Dad was yelling at Lance. I sighed and sat on my window bench. I looked out towards the field, imagining a world far off from my own.

I noticed Lance come out of the house, pulling me from my reverie. He walked over to his car and opened the driver side door. On the passenger side was a blue tub. Lance pulled the tub from the opposite side of his car, and disappeared into the stable. He came back empty handed. With a sly grin he slid into his car and took off.

I bolted from where I was sitting down the stairs. “Okay what was that all about?” I whipped my head around, but no one was in view. The toilet flushed. I rolled my eyes and sat on the couch.

Travis came from his bedroom, and my dad came from the bathroom. “I’d like an explanation please.” I crossed my arms as I spoke.

“It’s okay princess,”

“Well then if it is then, why did I have to go back to my room?” I snapped.

“Now pumpkin,” he came over and sat beside me before he continued. “I just didn’t want you to hear anything that you didn’t need to hear.”

“Well did you really need to take that precaution?”

Travis shrugged. “Not really, I just wanted to tear a strip off of him.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, okay, whatever,” I jumped off the couch and went up stairs.

I checked my alarm clock; 11:45. I got dressed and fried an egg, and slapped it onto some toast. After I ate my short lunch I went out side.

When I first stepped outside I noticed that there was a haze of clouds, like yesterday. I sighed. I should’ve remembered that it always wasn’t hot, and it must be a dry season right now. It usually rained every second day at least!

With my realization I trudged off into the stable. “Hey guys,” I greeted the horses in the barn, so then I wouldn’t scare them. I walked down the hall to the door that read Darren O’Brian; my dad’s office. He usually left his door unlocked. I turned the knob to my surprise it was locked. I reached under the wall light for the little black box that held the key. I found it after a few seconds of looking for it. I slid the key out smoothly and unlocked the door. I cracked the door open, and then re-locked it, after I put it back into the box and put the box back under the light.

I stepped into my father’s office. He had remodelled it since I was last here. I walked around his desk and I found the blue tub that was in Lance’s car. I picked up the strange blue tub. It had three white triangles all pointing to each other, a recycling bin.

Why did Lance have a recycling bin? Or was he just dropping it off? Then I remembered that I told him that not recycling made me feel home sick. I blushed into the dim office. I heard my dad talking to some one, or just thinking aloud.

“I don’t know where I’ll find someone as good as he was.”

And that was my cue to leave, and leave quickly. I dashed out of Darren’s office. I shut the door as quietly as I could.

“Princess what were you doing in my office?”

“Nothing Daddy,” I turned to face Darren.

“Pumpkin,”

“Okay, I saw Lance leave something in the barn and I went to see where he put it. ― I guessed he put it into your office and I was right.” I mashed all of the words together. I could feel my face getting hotter.

“Okay then, go do something.”

I nodded and bounded off to the tack room. I grabbed a dandy brush and went off to Bay Berry’s stall. I brushed her for a good ten minutes, until she started getting uncomfortable. Then with almost nothing to do I went to my room and started cleaning it.

The rest of my evening was boring. I slept soundly through the night, and woke up not too early for school. When I arrived at school I noticed that Lance’s car wasn’t in the parking lot. My classes went slowly but productive. Lunch went by quickly, after I noticed that Lance wasn't at his table with his family. Gym was dreadful, I spiked the volleyball into someone’s head, and I got caught in the net.

When I took my seat in Bio I had high hopes of seeing Lance, but he wasn’t there. Bio went horribly slow, I knew that I was waiting for Lance to appear, but in what world would that happen.

I drove home slightly depressed. Lance wasn't there. Now I understood my fathers words Lance had quit. I choked on my breath. He wouldn’t come over to work for my dad anymore. If he wasn't going to work for my dad, then when was I going to get my fix?

It was the same pattern all week. Lance didn’t show up at all. His siblings ate without him, and my class with him was not complete with out him there.

It was now Saturday afternoon and Darren wanted me to take Lance’s place temporarily. At home I wasn’t myself, I knew Lance was to blame, and so did Travis and my dad. Travis kept on the down low and didn’t bother me.

I was sweeping the stable floors when Darren came in with a kid I went to school with by his side. “Prin― Alice, Grant is going to fill in for Lance now.”

I looked at the scrawny Grant Yule, what could he possibly do? He wasn’t strong enough to lift a fork of hay; that much was obvious because of his pipe cleaner arms.

“Oh,” I lifted the broom and passed it to Grant. “Here, I did the east side.” I said as I handed him the broom.

I trudged off to my room again. I thought that I must be developing obsessive compulsive disorder; my room was as straight as a needle. I went to go email my mom, and step-father.

Harold said that he wouldn’t Be coming in until September now. It was kind of a let down, but after the past week, it wasn't really much.

Monday was another empty day. Lance wasn’t there.

Tuesday was another no show. I informed Blake that I decided I didn’t want to go to the rodeo; Amy called later on that evening.

“Alice, I think you broke that boy’s heart.” She sounded sad.

“I just didn’t want to approach on your territory I can tell you two like each other.” I mumbled.

“Really you think he likes me?” She screamed.

“Yeah, totally,” I knew that would get her going.

“Do you think that I should ask him to the dance?”

“Mhmm, ― hang on what? There’s a dance?”

“Yes, two weeks from this Saturday.”

“Oh,”

“We were talking about it at lunch were we not?” Now she was tick.

“Maybe, I’m not one-hundred percent sure.”Travis and my dad walked in, and it was getting late. “Oh hi guys.”

“Oh they’re in now okay, see you tomorrow.” And then she hung up.

“I wish this sunny weather would end soon, it’s starting to get too hot.” Travis complained, in a whiney two year old voice.

“Well then check the weather channel you doofus.” Darren replied in the same tone.

The TV flicked on.

“Sweet, it’s going to be back to normal tomorrow.”

“I’m going to bed,” I announced. “’Night,”

“’Night Princess,”

“See you in the morn’”

I got ready for bed and cuddled up with my teddy bear; she kept the bad dreams away, as weird as it sounds. Her name was Rusty; I had called her Misty when I was very young. I was having nightmares too often, so I snuggled closer to her and closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes again there was an overcast of clouds, normal weather. I glanced at my alarm clock, the alarm didn’t wake me at at 7:30 like it was supposed to, and it was an hour later, 8:30.

I jumped out of bed with a race against the clock. I got into my car at 8:50, with ten minutes left to get to school. I turned the windshield wipers on because it was raining, back to the normal weather for Custer. I ran to trig with three minutes to spare.

The day flew by; it wasn't until lunch that Lance was at school. I kept on looking at his table while I was walking to mine, and sat down. He never returned my glance.

Gym was brutal we had moved on to basketball. The ball liked to go every where with out me, and I also ran into a lot of people. I was great full when Ms. Sekelsky dismissed class a bit earlier than usual.

I rushed to Mr. Simon’s class waiting for Lance to appear. I watched the rest of my class file in, as I waited impatiently for Lance to walk through. Blake smiled at me; I half smiled back too keyed up to smile properly. I looked to my left and then suddenly he was there.

Would he want to say hi, or should I break the ice? I decided after a long second that I would break the ice after all. “Hey Lance,”

He turned to face me in his seat, with cold eyes, like he was focusing on something.

“What are you staring at?” I asked after a second.

His nostrils flared before he answered. “Nothing,” he said darkly.

I turned in my seat quickly to face the front. I could tell that my eyes were wide, I tried to close them but it wasn’t working out too well; so I pulled my much needed to be cut baby doll bangs in front of my eyes. I didn’t even bother trying to start up a conversation with him again, I was too scared to.

When the bell rang I got up and collected my books like any other day, but walked carefully showing Lance that I watched where I was going after the last day of school we had seen each other. I got a few odd looks, but I was happy showing off for him. But after the class room was behind me I started to walk fast, it felt impulsive, but I knew I wanted to rush home to see if Lance was going to show up.

I threw my books onto the passenger seat. I tried to get out of the parking lot as fast as possible with out causing any damage to myself or anyone else. I almost broke the speed limit on the way home. I drifted in the yard creating a huge pile of dust behind me. I grabbed my books and scuttled upstairs, where I placed my books on my desk.

I stared out my window waiting for Lance to arrive. I didn’t realize how hard I was concentrating, until my dad knocked on my door and made me jump.

“Alice, I’ve been calling for you for like a minute.” Darren gave me a look.

“Oh sorry Daddy,”

He sighed. “What are you doing Alice?” He asked, for I had started to stare out the window again.

“Did Lance quit for good?” I asked my voice broke on the last word.

“I’m sorry Princess,” his voice was full of concern and worry.

“Not your fault Daddy,” I sniffled. I didn’t realize that I was crying until a fat tear rolled down my cheek and landed on my hand.

I heard my door creak shut. I was all alone.