Alone

The loud obnoxious music blared through the mesh of the speakers and bounced off the walls. I sat there annoyed on the leather couch as my overly hyper family jumped around and danced perfectly to the Latin blend of music.

"Honey, smile!" My mom shimmied.

I smiled to satisfy her request and dragged my feet upstairs.

The mud tone colors of the walls greeted me as I opened the door. I walked over to my wall of pictures and grabbed the only photo I took tonight, with my mom.

Over six years, I had accumulated enough pictures to almost fill up one of my walls. This was probably the only thing I could say I was proud of.
This and my little sister.

I stuck the tack at the corners of the picture and posted it next to a picture of my recent visit to the beach.

Two quiet but noticeable knocks sounded at my door. I got up and swung the door open to see my twelve year old sister, Victoria, or, Tori for short.

"Can I please come in." She pushed her glasses up from the tip of her nose.

"Sure." I held open the door, letting her walk inside.

"You're wearing wedges?" She looked down at me then back to her own converse.

"I know, I'm shocked too." I said unbuckling the straps and kicking them off my feet.

"I hate dancing." She said playing with the end of her side braid.

"It's not the same without dad."

"Sucks that he doesn't want to see us anymore." She clicked her teeth and laid herself on my bed.

"Yeah." I agreed.

Our dad had left us three months ago for some girl nearly a year shy from twenty five.

"Poor mom is dyin' out there without him." She said.

"She still loves him."

She got up, "What's going on over there?"

I got up and peaked through the window, "It's another stupid party by the one and only Patrick."

"Of course," she sat up, "I'm gonna go to my room and watch a movie. See ya in the morning."

I kissed her forehead before she left the room.

Patrick Friedman was an idiot, an imbecile, and a jerk. My mom always thought I'd like him, but after years of pushing towards that, she gave up. She finally realized how much of a douche bag he is after all these years.

And what's one without his partner in crime. The infamous Austin Riley with his good looks and man-whore reputation to put the cherry on top that lived just two houses over.

Thinking about them even frustrated me and their idiocies.

I laid down on my bed still in this stupid spring dress. It wasn't my business in anyway, but I couldn't understand the love my mom still had for my dad...even after she caught them in our house, in our living room, on our couch. The one that was still in our living room.

And thinking about that frustrated me even more so.

I had no clue why we were throwing a party and why it was still going on. My mom loved having parties. I guess it was just to fill the weekends.

I changed into my pajamas and slid in blankets. I stared up at the blank white ceiling and began to slowly close my eyes.

---

Sunday morning crept up on me with birds chirping and my little sisters slippers going up and down the stairs. The morning was great, in my bed, and then I got up.

Church was in half an hour and I was no where near dressed.

I scrambled on over to the bathroom and jumped in the shower.

And in twenty minutes I was dressed and ready to go.

I hurried down the stairs running straight to the fridge to get something in my stomach.

“Honey, what are you wearing.” She said with a mouth full of cereal.

“What?” I looked down at the distressed jeans, loose top, and converse.

“You’re going to church, not school. Show some respect, go back up to your room and change.”

“Wow, mom.” I turned around and went back up to my room.

I stripped my clothes off, leaving them scattered on the floor. I desperately searched through my closet and took out a flowy white lace dress and slipped it on. I shoved my feet in some tan ballet flats and threw on a necklace or two that draped down the front of my chest while putting on earrings.

I ran right back down and did a curtsy in front of my mom.

“Now that is much better.” She grabbed her bag as did I and headed to the door.

“Victoria!” My mom called

Tori came running down the stairs and skipped out the door with a bag of her own.

We all stood singing in the pews, clapping our hands to the beat. In front of me was stupid Patrick oddly clapping to the beat while talking to an innocent girl in the row in front of him. Austin stood beside him running his hands through his hair while eyeing some girls butt in a material dress, and that girl happened to be Sammi. Besides her looks and shiny hair, she was a total bitch. But guys don’t mind total bitches, especially when they’re sluts.

The uptempo songs played on and on and I still stood there watching how Austin admired Sammi and her butt and Patrick continued to throw compliments to the girl as if there wasn’t a church around him. And I must’ve been observing for some time because intermission was on.
I wondered over to the pastry table with an eager stomach. I immediately grabbed for a bagel and whipped on some cream cheese.

“Hey! Cute dress.” The girl who being harassed by Patrick popped up behind me.

“What?” I said with bagel in my mouth.

“Cute dress!” She smiled.

“Oh thanks.”

“My name is Kristen, I’m new in town.” She nervously smiled.

“I’d shake your hand, but I have cream cheese on ‘em” I attempted to say.

“Its okay.” She smiled.

“Well, Kristen, I’ll tell you this. I’m awkward, I’m not popular, and I have no intentions of ever dressing like this again, at least not for a while. Blame this all on my mom.” I cleaned up my fingers.

“What are you trying to say?” She looked at me a little confused, I could tell.

“I’m saying, Kristen, if you wanna make your big arrival in town as the new girl, you’re better off over there, with the them.” I air quoted my last word to emphasize the trio standing in the corner.

“I’m think you forgot ‘I have no friends’ on that list.” She giggled.

“That too.” I shrugged, picking my teeth, but then shoved my hand down my side as I saw my mom flick her eyes to me.

“Kristen Summers.” She held out her hand.

“Emma Brooks,” I shook her hand awkwardly, “So how do you like being harassed by Patrick so far?”

She giggled again, “He’s cute.”

“Ew, he’s annoying.” I said with a disgusted face.

“What is he? Your ex?” she asked with a momentarily serious face.

“Worse…he’s my neighbor.” I said, my nose scrunched.

Her face lit up in sparkles and color regained its confidence and surfaced her face, “How about the blond guy, he seems hot and fully…developed?”

Austin was most definitely developed…as manly as they come. Broad shoulders, defined body, and eyes with a mixture of: blue, green, and grey.
He was definitely my cup of tea, but way too hot to touch.
You could get lost in his ocean, but once you realize what he's known for or you’re just not his type, you drown.

“Austin is my across the street neighbor.” I said.

“Goodness! Who else is your neighbor? Brad Pitt?” she threw her hands up letting them slap her sides.

“You’d think I’d be in heaven right? Wrong. It sucks, but then again, they don’t even acknowledge my existence, so in the end it all works out.”

Church had only lasted another hour before it was over. Kristen had stuck by my side throughout the entire last hour. It must’ve scared Patrick away because he didn’t dare send over another wagging eyebrow or seductive glance towards her.

Kristen's mom, who just so happened to be recently divorced which is why they moved, approached my mom after church and talked for some time already sharing each others lives since they had something in common; they were both recently divorced.

Kristen was asking questions about Patrick and occasionally about Austin, but you could tell she was quite infatuated by Patrick.

She invited herself over, which in my book was a little odd, but in this town it was quite usual to be kind and invite anyone you could to your home.Everyone knew everyone and everything. There wasn’t a damn way you could get away with anything.
Another way my mom found out my dad was cheating.

She followed me up to my room as our moms talked down in the living room going into the depth about what they were talking about earlier.

“So why don’t you have any friends? You seem to have good morals, your hygiene is good, and you have a nice house. You know, normal?” She bluntly asked.

“Normal?” I scoffed, laughed almost, “You’ve only known me for a day. Its not so much what I have or maintain, its just what they call me at school, its what reputation I was given. A weirdo, a loner, a bitch… should I elaborate more? Plus I don’t mind not having any friends, You know how great it is to be alone sometimes…just to think.” I smiled.

“Point proven, go on.” She nodded.

“Thats it," I shrugged, "So whats your story?”

“Average student, not labeled as anything, and an only child. But that’s an old story now,” she got up and stood in front of my mirror, “I want to start a new story, same grades of course, but I want one with a boy…” she smirked.

“And when you say boy you mean Patrick.” I looked over at her.

“Yeah, hes a total cutie.” She squealed.

“Hes a total idiot.”

“Hes a cute idiot, I think I can put up with that. Now tell me,” she plopped herself on my bed, “How does one get Patrick's attention?”

I was kind of a little annoyed at how comfortable she was already in my room, but then again, she seems like a people person. The complete opposite of me.

“Honey,” I began, “You already have.”