Forfeit

Chapter 1

A twelve year old girl lay on her bed, the sunlight of the midday streaming in through an open window and illuminating the magazine she was reading. She kicked her legs back and forth as her eyes skirted down the lines of an article and then to the accompanying picture. She played with a strand of hair that was hanging by her cheek and then turned her head slightly to look at it. She kneaded the hair between her finger and thumb and thought about how badly she needed to brush it. I guess I'll have to ask mom for a new brush... Sarah thought to herself as she recalled the earlier incident that occurred between her and Ed. A small part of Sarah knew that she had gone too far this time, but the rest of her argued that what she did was justified; she, of course, agreed with that sentiment and decided to ignore the smaller, meek voice that mumbled something about being too hotheaded. She never admitted it to anyone else, mostly because everyone else already knew, but she knew she could fly off the handle at times. She knew that she could be cruel to others. She knew that she could be the biggest bitch around. She also knew that she liked being the biggest bitch around very much. She reveled in it. It was like a drug that she took to feed her addiction. It was a rush that she just couldn't shake.

Sarah hopped out of her bed and stretched. She let out a yawn, her big mouth stretching like a huge chasm ripping through the ground from an earthquake. She wandered lazily over to her dresser, where a big, oval mirror reflected her image. She looked herself over in the mirror as she continued to play with the strand of hair earlier, which refused to let her take her attention off of it. She wore the same clothes she used to wear four years ago, although in a bigger size due to her growth in height. She had also acquired some bust, although, compared to the other females she knew, it was like the Appalachians versus Mount Everest. She had cut her hair a little shorter recently, although now it was a total mess due to her lack of a brush. She had to have a new brush.

Sarah's attention was snatched away from her reflection and to her door when she heard a shuffling sound from the hallway. She removed herself from her post in front of her dresser and began to creep over to her door. She put her ear up to the hard, white wood of her door and listened intently. She heard someone shuffling down the hallway very slowly. She sighed. "Here we go..." she mumbled to herself before opening the door, letting the stale air of her room filter out into the hallway. She took a step out of her room and peered down the hallway. She saw a tall figure shuffling down the hallway. Sarah rubbed her chin as she thought about what she should do. She smiled. "Oh, Ed..." Sarah called out in her usual fake yet polite tone. The large figure stopped and his head slowly turned around. He peaked over his shoulder at her.

"Yes, baby sister?" asked the tall boy who looked intently at his younger sibling. He had a slight smile on his face.

"I just wanted to say something about earlier," Sarah started as she continued to wear the biggest and brightest smile she could muster. Ed waited patiently for Sarah to continue, now deciding to complete turn his person toward her. Sarah knew what Ed was hoping to hear, and that small part of her so badly wanted her to say it. That small part of her, as usual, was shut out as the bigger, more vocal, and far more cruel part of Sarah spoke up. "You know when I took my favorite and only brush and shoved it down your throat?" Sarah asked politely. Ed shook his head in acknowledgement. "Well... that was my only brush you big ape, and you're going to buy me another one!" Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs. The wind generated from her voice nearly knocked Ed off of his feet, which was no easy task. Ed's face returned to it's usual mopey expression.

"Yes, baby sister," Ed repeated pathetically, this time in surrender to Sarah's demands. He turned back around and shuffled slowly down the hallway and into the living area. Sarah stood there with her arms crossed, a large grin on her face as she waited to hear a certain sound. She heard the door open and then closed. She sighed in satisfaction, pleased with the result of her yelling. She had gotten what she wanted, once again, and it made her happy, once again. She no longer had to ask her mom for a new brush; Ed was going to use his own money to buy her a new one. She returned to her room, shutting the door behind her before flopping down on her bed and resuming where she left off in the magazine. Her hand returned to it's post at that damned strand of hair that kept dangling in front of her face. Her day had started off great, and she was looking forward to that new brush that Ed was going to buy, as she knew it was probably going to be of a higher quality than the one that she had wasted when she shoved it down Ed's gullet. Ed, after all, wanted to make sure that his sister was happy and content. That way, he would be left alone by his sibling tormentor. Sarah's smile faltered a bit. She thought about why she had gotten in the argument with Ed in the first place...