Strings and Stitches

Chapter 2

I hate the feeling of being powerless but what am I complaining for? It's not as if I'm not used to it! Yes, I am and it's sickening especially the part where I can't do anything about being powerless- powerless of being powerless. And that's not all, it's been eight days since I shouted in front of the school's soccer field and now the whole school's seen my rampage because of Ezra Sanchez.

After watching the video, the School Counsellor, Ms. Smith, called me the next day. She's usually very nice and comforting, but this time, she was twice how she usually was. I heard she had a crush on my Dad during their university years. He was from a different town and with his looks and talents he immediately became exceptionally popular enough to capture mom's attention, the apple of everyone's eyes.

Anyways, she offered me chocolates, I didn't take them. Instead, I asked her if she could hurry it up because I still had a Math exam right after Lunch. Of course, she didn't dilly-dally and asked me about the whole incident. I had to lie because Mr. Wright was there and I didn't want him to fail me in case he got offended.

So I kept it subtle and told her I was practicing my voice because my dream was to become a singer and I was planning to enroll for voice lessons over the summer.

She bought it, he nodded and they left me alone.

So far, nothing outstanding happened but after the whole incident, I was grounded for two days, Amber's been rewarding my every presence with a glare and she's keeping her distance from now on. She's acting as if I had some kind of disease. Grace, it's not as if the both of you never keep a distance between each other.

I'm right. The Grace and the Amber have never been seen together except during family occasions and such. We don't even share the same ride. Mom always drives Amber to school because she's afraid her beauty pageant worthy daughter would develop some muscles on her legs while Dad gave me his old Camaro because he bought a new car. I still believe that the final verdict was a win-win situation for the both of us.

I close my locker shut and head to the school parking lot. I always park it under a tree near the guard house so it takes me a few minutes to get there. I dump my things at the passenger's seat before heading to the driver's seat. Two hours ago, I got a text from mom saying that they're both having dinner at Italianni's which means I'll have to cook. Amber never eats anything 'fattening' but she has her food and I have mine.

I haven't had anything to eat since lunch because I left my money but thankfully, I brought my cards. While pushing the kiddy cart and walking down the first aisle, I can't help but think about what sort of dish I'll make. My parent's Italian dinner date makes me crave for carbonara and pizza but then there's also Ina Garten's new recipe. That reminds me, she has a new dish! Okay, Ina Garten, I'll go for Ina's dish this time.

Whenever there's a new dish she whips up, I always note down the ingredients. This time, I'm going for an Ina Garten with a Grace Stunning twist. After buying all of the ingredients I head back to the car to drop them off before entering Alkaline's Music Store just next to the grocery store. I don't usually buy the physical album because Apple blessed us with the iTunes. But Amber's birthday is coming up three weeks from now and I want to give her something. And right now, even if she treats me bad, I want to buy her an early present.

My sister likes to listen to boy bands and male solo artists especially those who play guitars but knowing her and her massive collection of albums, I know this will be hard. A clerk approaches me and asks, "Would you like some assistance?" he smiles at me and I awkwardly smile back.

"Yeah, I'm looking for some boy band albums or anything with a hot guy on the cover. He raises his eyebrow and gives me a weird look. I sigh and say, "I'm giving them to my sister. She's an avid fan."

"Well, One Direction, The Vamps and 5 Seconds of Summer are really famous nowadays," he trails off to the centre aisle and I follow him. He takes out three different albums and hands them to me. Yeah, they're all handsome and I know she'll love them but she probably has each and every single one of these.

"Thanks," I tell him. He smiles again and I pretend to look at albums in my hands. He doesn't leave me for more than three minutes or so and I guess he's expecting me to buy all of them but no luck Sherlock, I'm still considering which one to buy. I turn around, leaving him alone and wander off to some other spot in the store.

My attention trails off to find some movies. Amber likes to listen to music while I like to watch movies. Another difference added to our list of polar differences. I grab a movie that I know I'll definitely like and move on to returning the three albums. The clerk already left me so he could assist one of the new customers. I sigh knowing that I won't be able to find anything and move on to pay for the movie I picked. I place the movie on the counter and lean my arms on the glass.

While grabbing for my card holder, the cashier taps the glass. I follow her hand and find a sign: DO NOT LEAN ON THE GLASS. Ohh. I drop my arm and she smiles at me. Just then, I notice an album inside the glass. It has dark blue background with the name RONAN STONE in a silver colored font.

"Would that be all?" the cashier asks me.

With bright eyes, I enthusiastically point at the Ronan Stone album. "Wait. Can you please show this one to me?" I ask her.

"Sure, it's a newly released album," she informs me before grabbing a key and opening the metal lock. She takes it out and tells me, "We just got the first batch delivered today."

I examine the album and find that it is exceptionally well-designed but I haven't heard about an artist named Ronan Stone. Frankly, I don't really keep up-to-date with the latest celebrity issues. "Do you know this guy?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I've seen one of his videos on youtube. He's a viral sensation right now and he has a great voice..." she suddenly trails off and gives me a confused look. The look of 'Why don't you know this celebrity?' I get that all the time. I'm not really into celebrity stuff and music stuff or the like. Even though I watch a thousand movies, it doesn't mean that I'll put a pin on them in Google. I'm mainly into books and photography. And just because we're in the 21st Century, doesn't mean that I have to be knowledgeable of everyone who is anyone and the kind of things that are trending right now in social media.

I'm the kind of person who doesn't like the very definition of stereotypes and I'd hate to be the kind of person that I would hate.

I guess the cashier is a fan of this new addition to the entertainment industry because it's almost been fifteen minutes since she started filling me with information. I don't really need it but I'd hate to be rude but thank the Heavens she's done. "I'll take this," I tell her without a second thought.

I finally arrive at the front porch but I caught a glimpse of Amber's room. I guess no one's home. I'm kinda disappointed though that Amber's not home. Anyways, I'm really hungry right now so I better dish out a fantastic Ina Garten twist.

The lamb dish is really easy and it doesn't take me more than fifty minutes to make it so I'm really glad and unquestionably famished. I leave the unwashed tools on the sink and move on to make a presentable dinner setting.

Just because Mom, Dad and Amber aren't home doesn't mean that I can't have a satisfying dinner. I smile at myself and start to cut it. Just then, I hear the sound of a loud vehicle stop in front of our house. Before I am able to savour my well-cooked dish, someone starts to furiously ring the door bell. I'm sure it's Amber again. I roll my eyes and drop whatever I'm holding. I open the door and find her arms crossed against her chess.

"Took you long enough," she rolled her eyes and didn't pass up the chance to glare at me. I don't want my night to be ruined so I leave her there without looking at her face. I proceed to the kitchen table where my dish is laid out spectacularly asking me to eat it."Ughh. What is that smell?" Amber struts herself to the kitchen.

I never tease her or what but sometimes, I really like to. It's an itch that begs to be relieved. I pierce a juicy part of the loin and begin to cut it as gently as possible. She watches me and I let her. I then take it near my mouth and savour the goodness with a little bit of exaggeration just to tease her. I see her roll her eyes a few times then I exhilarating say, "delizioso" in my most well-pronounced Italian accent.

I watch her eyebrows furrow and her mouth gulp down. I end everything by asking her if she wants any and she storms to her room.