Silent

“Aellea!” My grandmother called from down the hall. I awoke and sat up on the couch, my notebook had fallen to the floor so I pick that up as well. “We’re going over Jenny’s house for drinks!” She said and I sighed, getting up and moving to my bedroom. She had laid out a little cream dress for me. This dress made me look 8 years old, not my ripe twenty- one. I put it on anyway- I mean what else was I going to wear?

My grandmother comes in to zip it up and she kisses my forehead lovingly. I wish I had something to say to her. But I don’t.

She gives me a bow to put in my hair and I do it. Jenny grew up with my mom, and my grandmother used to babysit her a lot before my mom was born. They were close. Sometimes Jenny liked to look at me because I looked like my mother. It was okay.

We get in the car. “What to you want to play on the radio?” My Pop asked

“Come on.” He egged. “Say it. I know you want to Rolling Stones. Just say it.” He said, his finger on the button.

I smirked. He always play this name. “Phil.” My grandmother warned in a whisper. Pop sighed and started playing the CD. Pop liked to mess with me. It was all in good fun. Nana always told him not to mess with the damaged goods.

We drove over to the big house and I sigh. It was much nicer than ours, but maybe it was too nice. Ours was a home. Lived in well. Loved. This one seemed too posh.

The second my father climbed out of his car his eyes went to the vintage truck parked on the street. “Maybe Jay got a new truck.” He mused about the head of the O’Callaghan household. I shrug and let my grandparents stand in front, knocking on the door.

It opens and we get pulled in. Maybe by the heating that thawed us from the cool December weather or maybe it was the excited blonde on the other end. I wouldn’t say that Jenny bothered me, but I couldn’t say the reverse. But I think thats how I was with most people.

“Aellea!” She said and hugged me. “You look more like your mother every day.” She teared me and I nodded, smiling slowly. People cried around me. Once I made my mom’s high school boyfriend cry just by looking at him. She brings us into the living room with Jay and Shane. A football game was on and my Pop sat down right away to watch. My Nana sat down next to him and I wandered off to find the bathroom.

“Mom. Why do you invite them over here?” Ross huffed and I paused. “The girl who can’t talk is weird.” He says, clear as day. I’ve heard it before.

“ROSS!” Jenny scolds. “She can talk. She just won’t.”

“Maybe she doesn’t feel the need to,” The older of the boys say and Ross rolls his eyes. “I don’t need your philological bullshit right now.” Ross sighs and Jenny does’t disagree with him.

I lock eyes with the older boy, John, and turn on my heel, walking away. I go back to the living room and sit on the couch. I grab a pen off the coffee table and start drawing on my hand, going from my palm to my forearm.

“Thats really cool.” He says motioning to my hand. I smile a little and nod at him. “Wanna draw on mine? You’re running out of room and I’ve got some more surface area.” He jokes and sits next to me. He holds out his hands and I look at it before crossing my legs and going to work. Doing a hard tribal pattern.

“I’m sorry about my brother. He can be an ass but he’s really a good guy sometimes.” He sighs and I nod. I got it. I focus on drawing this pattern on his hand and try not to get distracted by how warm it is. By how hard and strong it is.

“Aellea.” Nana says smiling. “It’s time to go.” She says and I nod. Getting up and handing the pen to John. “Thanks.” He smiles. I shrug and leave with my grandparents, I feel his eyes burning holes into my back until we disappear out the front door.