Just a Freak

Mom wants to bleach my freckles.

She had freckles when she was younger, too.

She said she always bleached them out.

I like my freckles.

I think they add personality.

They're very me.

She said she wants my skin to look perfect for the wedding.

I have to behave at the wedding, apparently.

I am really dreading this goddamn wedding. I really am.

Mom is still hellbent on that ugly ass dress.

I told her I look like a frigging dead ballerina in it.

She said that's because of the way I hold myself.

If I stood up straight and smiled I would look like a lovely young lady.

And then she asked me if I wanted to bring a date.

I didn't say anything.

I just stormed upstairs to my room.

I listened to Queen.

Princes of the Universe.

That song is mad crazy.

I feel like an evil emporer when I dance to it.

I love that feeling.

It's that power trip, you know?

The same thing I get when I freak people out.

I love their reactions.

It's so interesting.

"Hello, Princess."

Princess of the Universe.

"Hi, Dad," I grumbled.

"I heard you're going to a fancy wedding."

"Mmph."

"Not very excited, huh?"

"No."

"You'll have fun."

"I bet."

"Well, we should get together some time."

He always says that.

"Sure, Dad."

"I have to go, though, Princess. 'Bye."

"'Bye, Dad."

I made a sweater for Mikey.

Out of this old, cut-up tee-shirt.

I'm pretty good with a needle and thread.

I hate to sound like a Stepford Sweetheart, knowing how to sew and cook and all that matronly household knowledge, but I do.

Mikey tried to slip out of it the moment I forced it over his head, but he's too fat.

So he just gave up and laid there on my rolly chair, glaring at me with his ears back and his tail swishing angrily.

I love how cats look when they're angry. They're so cute.

I got two phone calls that day.

One from Dad.

One from Caleb.

Mom smirked at me the entire time she was walking toward me with the phone.

"Hi, um, Riley?"

"Hello?"

"I, uh, well, I-- we, uh, have a problem."

"Uh-oh. What did you do?"

"I, um, I broke Debbie."

"You what?"

"I broke Debbie."

"You broke our baby?"

I was glad I was in my room by now. My Mom would have given me a weird look if she heard that.

"I'm sorry, I just opened up my backpack and there was egg yolk everywhere--"

"Stop! I don't need to here the details."

"Um, I'm sorry."

His voice was quaking.

Oh, God. He's adorable.

"Um, alright. It's okay. It's not your fault. What're we gonna do about this?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"Sorry."

"I said stop apologizing! Anyway, um, can we make a new one?"

"Mrs. Fritz already knows what Debbie looked like. We're hopeless. I made us fail."

"Well, I just hope you never become a Dad. Who cares if we fail? We're not getting graded."

"I know, but now that means I'm not responsible."

"It was a goddamn egg, K. It was gonna break eventually. That was a stupid project to give us."

I'm just shocked that it was him who broke the egg, and not me.

"You broke the egg?"

Translation: I thought it was going to be Riley, the crazy careless bitch.

Poor Caleb looked like he was going to piss himself.

He's definetely got some self-esteem issues.

Mrs. Fritz rubbed her frizzy head.

"Well," She sighed. "You're just going to have to get a new egg."

"I told you!" I said to Caleb.

He has a nail-biting habit. Sometimes he gets so into it he'll start to chew on the sleeve of his sweatshirt, especially when he's really nervous, like now. So it's all wet and raggedy.

He also has really long fingers.

"Calm down, Caleb, honey, I'm not going to punish you." Mrs. Fritz's voice was all soft and slow, like she was talking to a little kid who got lost in Stop 'n Shop or something.

I'm guessing she deals with kids freaking out a lot. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave him this little half-hug and smiled. "It's okay. It's no big deal."

I just kind of watched. What else was I supposed to do?

I always hated getting caught in that position. Like, when your seven or eight, and your friend slips and falls, and is bleeding and crying, and their Mom comes running out and coddles them. And you're just standing there watching.

It's so awkward. And not in a good way, either.

"Are you okay, now, honey?" She said to Caleb.

He just kind of nodded really quickly. It's one of those things were you're so upset you can't open your mouth without crying.

I don't think an egg can get someone that upset.

The way he was acting made me ever the more curious about him. The curiousity I have is almost painful now.

He's so fragile. Why?