The Promise

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

The Range Rover my mother retained in the divorce was filled with little. Mom had a small trailer attached to the station wagon's rear, which contained most of our meager possessions. Mom only bothered taking a little from the marriage - just what she needed, like clothes and small possessions.

Inside the trailer was my bicycle, amongst our other belongings. I had a driver's license, but my parents revoked my privilege when my eating disorder got out of hand. Therefore, my Schwinn bicycle was my primary method of transportation, which was a win in my eyes. I also got to burn off calories I hadn't even consumed.

I started to remove the boxes, clearly labeled. Sam's comic box was one of the heaviest outside of my two boxes of books. During the move, I had to downsize my collection. But that was a good cleaning opportunity. It allowed me to review and evaluate every book I owned or collected. I determined if I liked the book enough to read again or if I thought that it belonged in my collection. At the end of my book cleaning, I was left with mainly classics, a few books that I read and wanted to reread, and then about six books that I didn't have a chance to read.

Since I wasn't optimistic about the room situation, I grabbed the box of miscellaneous kitchen items. Sam tried to inch away, but I grabbed him by the collar. He yelped at a possible stretch when I dumped the box of comics into his arms. Sam huffed but followed me into the house.

"When you put those boxes down, the empty rooms are up the stairs," Grandpa stated, momentarily breaking the conversation with Mom. I nodded to show that I heard, and Sam continued behind me, curious about the interior of the log-cabinesque home.

"You two can pick first," Mom nodded at me. I smiled at my Mom in understanding and acknowledgment before I took my first step into the home.

It looked how I pictured it. Dark wood, with a cabin-like appearance. There was a loft overlooking the living room but a lack of natural light. The furniture was dark and wooden, seemingly hand-hewn. If there had ever been a woman's touch in the decoration, it was lost underneath the numerous taxidermied animals and masculine furniture.

"This is like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre!" Sam complained, being overly dramatic about the house. I rolled my eyes at his dramatism and theatrics, walking over the hardwood floors to the kitchen. Thankfully, the kitchen was lighter than the main cabin and could easily be seen in the gloom of the house. I just walked through the kitchen towards the back door, where I deposited the box of kitchen supplies by the door.

"What's wrong with this picture!" Sam's voice was louder and squeaker as he continued whining about our new home. "There's no TV! Have you seen a TV? I haven't seen a TV Aria! You know what it means when there's no TV? NO MTV!"

I didn't bother to voice a response to my brother. He was being dramatic and throwing a temper tantrum over a television set. I, for one, was glad to not have a television in the house. It would mean less distraction and more time for Sam to annoy me. Instead, I walked towards my brother, stopping momentarily and tapping on the comic book box. I raised an eyebrow, and then I walked around him. While he was distracted, I could pick a room.

There were twenty steps leading to the second floor. When I had made it up about twelve steps, I had to stop for breath. My lungs burned, my thighs ached, and I had black dots at the edge of my vision. Not to mention the heart palpitations literally taking my breath away. I didn't want Mom or Sam to see me in this state, so when I heard footsteps and their voice coming closer, I continued my trek up the last few stairs.

I poked my head into the rooms, finally deciding on the room that overlooked the paddock. The window allowed ample light to waft through the thin, lacy curtains. The room was big enough to be comfortable, and a bookcase was a bonus part of the wall. It was built in, which would mean less money to make the room more hospitable.

I set the duffel bag full of clothing onto the bed. Sam ran up the stairs and tried to claim the room. I folded my arms in front of my chest and tapped my foot. Sam had to concede defeat. He chose the room that adjoined the bathroom. It was a Jack and Jill room. I rolled my eyes - Sam was utterly disgusting in the bathroom. He never cleaned, but at least we had separate rooms.

I opened the window while Sam thundered down the stairs. I smiled, feeling the sun's rays warming my skin. Mom shouted at Sam to stop running. That's when I gathered the rest of the things from the car.

Sam's astute awareness of my ailments meant he realized I was struggling to trek up and down the stairs. Thankfully, instead of making a scene about my weakened state, Sam brought the heavier boxes up the stairs. Once he was finished, I nodded at him in thanks.

"Honey, did you find a room?" My mother asked, turning her gentle gaze onto me. I wished I could wear short hair like my Mom, mainly due to the sweat beading in my hairline.

I nodded with a smile. I actually liked my new room. It was a sharp contrast to my previous room in Phoenix, but it was cozy. I had ample amount of room for my books and room for growth. I made my way up the stairs, feeling as though I might pass out by the time I reached my room.

In case I did pass out, I shut the door. I didn't want my Mom or Sam to spy me sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. If I passed out, I knew from experience that I would wake up on my own. I sat on the bed, head between my knees, waiting for the feeling to fade. Once more stable, I stood and began removing the books from the boxes.

"Honey," my Mom knocked on the door and peeked her head in. "I'm taking you and your brother to the boardwalk tonight. Dinner will be at 6, then we will leave around 7:30. Alright?"

I gave a nod to show I heard. Then, I continued to put my books on the shelves. I decided that it would take too long tonight to sort the books. I wanted them out of the boxes, not contained for months. Therefore, I could sort them by genre tomorrow and then alphabetize the novels.