The Forbidden

Showers, Deep Thoughts, and the Grand Canyon

After a while, I pulled myself up off my bed, went to my bathroom, and washed my face. After scrubbing my face near to raw, I looked up at myself. My eyes, usually light, warm brown encircled with gold and black, were dark and had lost their usual brightness. Actually, the top half of my right eye is blue-green-gold, like Ivan's and my dads. I know. My eyes are seriously screwed up. My tan skin is pale. My waist-length hair, straight, the color of tree bark and streaked with blonde, is a tangled mess.

Honestly, I look like I was run over by a semi.

Twice.

Internally moaning over my appearance, I turn around and walk over to my shower and turn it on. Waiting for the water to heat up, I head back into my room and grab a towel from my closet. Returning, I strip down and hop in, relishing in the hot water. I close my eyes, leaving myself to be lost in my own thoughts and sing along to a few songs.

I start thinking about everything. James, how in God's name Bacchus slept through my crying, the road trip.

The road trip.

My eyes snap open. I quickly wash my hair then shut off the water and jump out. Drying off quickly and running over through my room and to my bureau, I grab out the first clothes my hand touches as I scrounge through my drawers. Then I dressed as quickly as I can and run out of my room, managing to make my door hit the back wall as I fling it open.

Practically flying down the stairs, I run through the living room on my way to the kitchen to find my mom, probably still cleaning up from breakfast. But then I stop in my tracks, right in front of the fireplace, and look slowly down at Ivan and Nicholas, poring over something that looks suspiciously like a map.

"What are you guys up to?" I ask them.

Looking up at me, Nicholas giggles and continues to read the map. Ivan, however starts talking.

"Actually, we are planning our road trip. Mom put us in charge to plan all the stops we are making. Our first stop is the Grand Canyon and Salt Lake City." he tells me all the while tapping his left foot against the floor, something he does when he gets excited or nervous.

"Okay," I say, dragging the word out as I think to myself.

"Mom's in the garden, in case you were with wondering," Ivan tells me, looking at me and looking back at the map. With that, he starts talking with Nicholas.

Sprinting out of the living room, I fly through the kitchen and take a right, slowing down as I run into my dad.

"Hey, what's the rush?" he asks, grabbing my shoulders to steady me.

"Have...to...ask...mom...about...trip," I puff out. For some unknown reason, I'm out of shape so bad I can't even run through my house without becoming out of breath. Man, I need to start working out more.

"Well, then, she's in the garden. East side," he tells me, patting my shoulders and releasing me. My dad isn't that much taller then me so I don't need to look up very much to make eye contact with him.

Reaching up to ruffle his shaggy dark hair, I open up the door and take off, thinking of how much he needs to get a hair cut. He hates it when I ruffle his hair, so I always go out of my way to do it to him.

Tearing out the door, I book it to the right and slow down, not wanting to scare my mother. Turning the corner, I see my mother kneeling in her flower bed, pulling up pachysandra plants that had spread out of their designated bed.

"Hey mom?" I ask, hoping she can hear me through her thoughts. If you try to talk my mom when she's gardening, you'd better yell, because she gets so deep into her thoughts that she wouldn't notice a four-wheeler flying by her head. However, today, she must not be very deep into her head because she hears my naturally quiet voice immediately after the words leave my mouth.