Good Luck, Babe!

Tied from the start

Pearl White.

I woke up once again, something I was coming to dread.
I looked at myself from the body mirror in the corner of my room, the rising sun painting my white room pink.
I had always been one to wake up early, no matter how late I went to bed, I woke up before 8 'o'clock.
I sigh and get out of bed, already hearing my father talking with someone downstairs. I open my bedroom door and head down the stairs, walking into the kitchen to get water.
"Pearl! It's good to see you, sweetheart." The one and only Mr. Jenkins says to me.
"Hey." I grab a cup and turn on the faucet to fill it up.
"You know John, your daughter is a real beauty. Even when she wakes up." He chuckles.
"Oh I know, she gets it from her mother." He sighs and his face goes grim, like he doesn't know exactly what happened to her.
"I'm sorry about Rebecca, John. I've seen her missing posters all over town, I hope you find her soon." He nods his head in understanding.
He will never understand!
She is gone!
She's never coming back!
My hands grip the glass tighter and I turn off the faucet, my face twitching with anger. How can he be so comfortable lying about her demise?
Does he feel no guilt? No remorse?
I will never understand.
"Pearl, I have a nephew your age. He's visiting me and my wife for the summer." Mr. Jenkins tells me with a new smile.
"Ok." I lean my back on the counter and sip my water.
"You should meet him, he's quite like you and handsome." He grins wider.
"That sounds like a great idea!" My father says. "You need a distraction from your mother."
"Y'all can come over tonight for supper! I'll tell Cheryl to make extra food for you both." Mr. Jenkins smiles.
"Pearl, why don't you go clean up." Daddy tells me.
I nod and go up the stairs, I don't want to meet Mr. Jenkins nephew. I've never really liked boys. I mean, sure, I could find men and boys attractive, but I've never really had a crush, or giggled with the other girls about them.
I remember in the fourth grade, now 3 years ago, the time I maybe felt something like a crush.
But it wasn't towards one of the boys, it was towards a girl named Danielle.
She was your typical girl, with long auburn hair and green eyes that looked like leaves of a tree. Danielle was so nice, and so pretty, yet when i remember her all i feel is guilt. I feel the weight of my sin, only to remember that she tried to convince me it was fine, that I could kiss her like I would a boy. She tried leading me into something that would have us both shunned away from everything and everyone.
But that was one time, anyone can like a pretty girl, even another pretty girl. 
But who knows? Maybe his Nephew is different, maybe I will finally feel something towards a boy. It's what i'm supposed to feel, so maybe he will finally make me feel something.
                                                                       —
The drive to Mr. Jenkins' house wasn't far, I could've biked there. It was in the suburban part of town, it was blended in with rows and rows of one floor houses that would've looked the same if they were not different colors.
Daddy parked in front a yellow house with white shutters, colorful flowers lined the small cement porch, it had to be Mrs. Jenkins idea, no man like Mr. Jenkins could've made such a beautiful display.
"Pearl listen to me." I turned toward my dad as he started speaking. "We have to make a good impression, you can marry at 16 and I want you out my house as soon as possible, so it's good to have at least one boy who likes you." He unbuckled his seat belt and got out without another word.
What in god's name was he talking about!? I've heard about marrying young, but I doubt anyone would want to marry someone as ugly as me.
I followed him to the front door and he knocked, Mrs. Jenkins opened.
She was a plump woman, with graying hair and rosy cheeks, but no doubt she was a beautiful woman in her prime.
"Come on in! I'm getting supper ready." She smiled and moved out of the way for us to step in.
Their living room was a mix of light pinks and blues, with a television in the corner.
"Will, this was the girl we were talking about." Mrs. Jenkins told a boy on the couch, he turned around and gave me a small smile.
He had mid-length curly blonde hair with light blue eyes, he was at least 2 inches taller than me. He had on a gray shirt and jean shorts, his socks a comically bright orange.
Will walked over to greet me. "Hello, Pearl." He held out his hand for me to shake, so I did, it was good manners.
"Why don't you kids go to the park across the street? I'll holler for you when the food is done." My father told us.
"Ok." I turned to walk out, Will slipped his shoes on and walked beside me.
"Do you know why they wanted us to meet?" He asked me.
"No." I lied. "Maybe it's because my daddy wanted me to make new friends." That was the truth.
He hummed and we walked in silence the way to the park, which was only about 20 seconds.
We sat down on the swings and he started talking again. "What's your favorite color?"
"Dark brown." I said, i do not know why I said such a boring color, I think it was because I thought of Lia's eyes. I don't know why I thought of her eyes either.
"Weird." He snorted.
"Where are you from?" I asked.
"Michigan." He replied.
I thought of my grandmother and her lake house on Lake Erie. "What part?"
"My family lives in a lake house on Lake Erie." He looked at me.
"No way!" I looked back at him. "Do you know a woman named Ruth?"
"I think my mom might, why?"
"That's my grandmother!" I smiled a bit.
"Cool." He smiled back, then sighed. "I lied. I know why they want us to meet."
"Why do they? It seems sorta random." I said.
"My mother is trying to find me someone to marry, Uncle Pete said he'll help."
"Oh. My dad said I need to at least have one boy that will marry me by 16 because he wants me out of the house as soon as possible." I twiddle my thumbs.
"Dang." He leans against one of the chains. "Well I guess we are both doomed." He dramatically pretends to swoon.
I let out a huff of air. "Shut up."
He grinned at me, then my fathers voice was calling us back to the house.
                                                                    —
"So, how has your summer been, Pearl?" Mrs. Jenkins asks me as we sit around the dinner table.
"It's been fine." I take a bite of food. "How many calories is in this?" I ask before I can stop myself.
"Well, I don't know sweetheart. You shouldn't worry about stuff like that." She tells me.
I should worry about stuff like that, If I don't wanna be even uglier and fatter than I already am.
"What about any friends?" Mr. Jenkins asks me.
I freeze, I can't tell them about Lia, or Kenji, or Isamu.
"I don't really have any friends." I say, embarrassed. What kind of girl has no friends?
"If it makes you feel better, I don't really have any friends either." Will says to me.
"Then maybe you two can be friends." My father smiles at us, than grins at Mr. Jenkins.
"That sounds like a great idea." Mrs. Jenkins says.