Forget Green Gables

A Break, Well Earned

After our last final on Friday, Jamie and I pile into Greg's SUV along with Felix. All of us are exhausted and ready for our two hard-earned weeks of winter vacation. Normally, we go to Pittsburgh to see my dad's family, but this year we are staying home.
After dropping our book bags in the living room and kicking off our shoes, both Felix and I take naps until our rumbling stomachs force us back upstairs. I microwave a Cup O' Noodle; Felix makes grilled cheese. The house phone rings as Felix is shutting the smoke detector off, his sandwich two charcoaled slices of bread. Dad is on his way home; does anyone want him to pick up anything for dinner? Felix puts in a request for pizza and me for chicken wings from the pizza place. I ask for an order of my favorites, the Honey BBQ, and for an order of Mom's favorites, the lemon garlic. Into Wokie's bowl goes the Cup O Noodle's content.

When Dad arrives home, I put a piece of black olive pizza and some wings on a plate, grabbed a cold can of Coke, and retreat into my parents' bedroom. My mom lays on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Wokie jumps up with her and nudges her with his squished little nose.

"Hi, Mom," I say softly. "Dad got pizza to celebrate the semester being over. I had him get wings too. Do you want some?"

She shakes her head. "No, I'm not hungry, and I don't like that crap anyway. If you didn't eat so much of the crap your father brings home you wouldn't be so puffy, either." Mom's eyes never leave the ceiling. I feel like someone has slapped me.

"Well, here's a can of Coke. Still cold. I'm going to put it on a coaster on your headboard." My mother's pill bottle is in the trash next to the bed; if the count is right, she has been off her meds for almost two weeks.

I leave the pizza and wings plate on the headboard next to the Coke. Wokie hates pizza, so I know the dog will leave it alone. He snuggles next to my mom, doing his best to give love and support in his quiet doggie way. Going into the living room, I find my dad and brother sitting on the opposite ends of the couch watching Remember the Titans. Felix wordlessly hands me a plate of salad and my wings. He might be a meathead sometimes, but my twin is a good guy. I debate asking Dad to pick up another round of my mother's prescription but decide to leave a note on the fridge instead. Speaking will lead to a conversation, or worse, an accusation that I am trying to control everyone's lives. Lashing out at me is easier than trying to help my mom, so that's why my dad does it.
Gleeful at the prospect of no school for two weeks, I wear my footie pajamas with my hair in a pair of braids down the side of my head. Felix and I play Mario Kart on his bedroom floor. In my room, the hot pink phone rings. I pause to answer the phone as Felix flings a turtle shell at me, and he groans.

'Pittman, Leo,' the caller ID says.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Cheyanne, it's me, Rebecca."

"What's up?"

"Nothing much. What are you up to?"

"Just kicking my twin's butt at Mario Kart."

"LIES!" Felix shouts from his room. "You overgrown, smelly, brainless turtle!"

"Sounds like fun." Rebecca views brothers as a mythical creature of joy, infinitely superior to her own younger sister. "I'm calling because I was thinking it might be fun for the four of us to have some sort of Christmas celebration together."

"What are you thinking?"

"Well, we've got that huge basement," Rebecca responds, "and all that kitchen counter space. My mom likes to make sugar cookies, but she hates decorating them so she's always trying to con us into helping her. I was thinking we could have a sleepover in the basement, make sugar cookies, decorate them, swap presents, watch all those horrible Claymation Christmas movies we all loved so much as kids..."

"I'd love to. When?"

"I was calling to see if you wanted to and if there were any days that were better for you than others."

"Nope. My family is just staying here all break."
"Ok then. I'll call Jessie and Jamie and see what they think and call you back tomorrow?"

"That sounds good." I return the phone to its base and go back into Felix's room. "Ready to die, Fungus Face?"

"Bring it, Bowser Brains."
We play Mario Kart and then Super Smash Bros until almost midnight. Felix shuts off the game after my Kirby transforms into a brick and falls on Felix's Donkey Kong who, after recovering from the blow, throws me off the side of the arena to my death. I yawn.
"Go to bed, Cheyanne. Want to make French toast tomorrow for brunch? I'm not getting up before ten no matter how many times Mom sends that mop of hers down to rouse us out of bed."

"Sounds good, Felix. G'night." I return to my room, where Wokie is sleeping at the foot of my bed, snoring through his squashed nose. "Oh, you little Ewok!" I say softly as I slide under the covers of the bed and tickle the little dog with my toes. He opens his eyes and sighs, moving up to sleep next to my leg. I shut off the bedside lamp and gazed up at the glowing neon stars above my bed, absently stroking Wokie's head. Perhaps I need to add more stars; just like the universe, my world grows every day.