Inside their Minds

chapter seven-aribella (daliawritesbooks)

        Some things I should tell you about my family, we live in a tiny town house a block away from Aurora Grove...and let me tell you, town houses are even smaller than what they look like. Especially when you have three siblings. Most town houses have three bedrooms, one for the parents, two for the kids, well most family's in town houses only have TWO kids. We have three rooms, one for my parents, one for my Twelve and ten year old brothers, Josh and Lucas, and one for me and my fifteen year old sister, Audrey- Let me tell you, these rooms, are SMALL- One bathroom..yep, so basically there isn't much privacy in my house. My brothers and sister are always trying to embarrass me for comedy, my parents work till eight thirty. We learned to make our dinner on our own, as siblings we raised each other in  the time our parents were never around. But when they were around, that's when we were at our happiest. Today isn't our happiest.

        When I walk through the front door I hear my sister cry out, "LUCAS, JOSH, SHUT UP, I'M TRYING TO WATCH SUPERNATURAL," an image of my sisters form, slumped on our couch, wrapped in a blanket cocoon, devouring a bowl of chips, enters my mind. I stifle a laugh and proceed to walk up the flight of stairs. Just like i had guessed, there was Audrey, wrapped in her makeshift cocoon, "Hey Audrey, I'm going up to our room to finish up some homework, can I use your laptop?"

"Sure" she shrugs, shoving a handful of popcorn into her mouth, eyes glued to the screen. I'm left unsure if she even heard what I said. Regardless, I walk through our little kitchen and up a second flight of stairs to our rooms.

        I knock on the room to the boys' room and enter. Lego's covered the floor from the door to the boys' bunk bed at the other end of the room, both boys sat on the top bunk, pointing their Nerf guns straight at me, "What on earth is this?" I ask.

"We thought you were Audrey..." Lucas says.

"...And that she would come and kill us..." Josh continues.

"...Because we chased her..." this is starting to creep me out.

"...Around the house with Nerf guns." Josh finishes.

"When you two talk like that you sound like you're linked or something. It's creepy," I say.

Then in unison they both say, "Come play with us," tilting their heads to the side in synchronized movement.

"Why did I even come in here? You guys are just...something," I leave the room and enter my own.

        I hate my room, mainly because half of it is covered in all of Audrey's dance awards, and track and field ribbons, and framed report cards, and pictures of her and friends from sport clubs and leadership teams. Audrey annoys me so much, because she has something to work towards. Her life is so easy. She's pretty but modest and most boys in her high school are falling for her. She's brainy and has never gotten less then an A-. She has never missed a day of school. She's made every sport team and took her teams to regionals. She's gone to France for two months, she's been her teachers' favorite throughout middle school, and now high school.

        Audrey has a bright and clear future full of success. My future was fogged. My report cards were filled with Bs and the occasional A that came from language class. I have only made two sports teams in six years of trying. I have missed seven days of school each year, sometimes more. My teachers compare me to her and do not focus on my own capabilities or the fact that I am a different person, that shouldn't be like Audrey. She is full of life and is social and...basically the opposite of me.

        After staring at my sister's wall of accomplishments vs my bare wall, I decided to Skype Jess. I open up Audrey's laptop and go onto Skype. I don't really remember why I kept my Skype account, I haven't used since grade four...I'll tell you about that later. I begin to call Jess and he answers straight away.

"Well It's about time!" the boy says, "I've been waiting here for a whole THREE minutes!" I laugh and he laughs with me, then I take a minute to read Jess. His brown hair was tousled, his nose and cheeks were so red I could barely make out his freckles. He didn't have many. His green eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What happened to you? You're face is as red as a fire truck!" I say

"Oh so we're on similes now, are we...Grammar Queen?"

"Similes aren't in the grammatical area!" I reply, "But Grammar Queen does have a nice ring to it, I am a queen, aren't I?"

"Oh lord, what have I done?" He exclaimed, covering his face with his hands.

"Will you tell me why your face is so red?"

"I'm just not used to this weather, I had to stay out and shovel the snow cause my sibling is too lazy. So the red, is actually the blood rushing to the surface in attempt to keep me warm," he says and I nod my head, "Quiet the scientific explenation, sir,"

"Actually I had googled 'Why the hell are my cheeks changing colours' about two minutes before you called," I laugh a  little to loud, so Lucas and Josh come running into the room. They look at the image on my computer and scream in unison, "ARIBELLA'S GOT A BOYFRIEND!"