THE BLOOMING CLUSTER [ mix short storys]

Endless Love: part I

They say when you fall in love for the first time, everything around you seems magical, like finding treasures hidden in a seashell. Love makes life more beautiful. It's a feeling that all creatures with emotions understand.

I felt this way during my fifth-grade year. It was a time of innocence and discovery, where every feeling was intense and clear. Her name was Gabriella Santoro, but everyone called her Cherry because her cheeks were always pink and soft like cherries.
Gabriella was a Italian-American girl. Her mother was from Lexington , a small city in Virginia. And her father Was from Manarola, a picturesque village in the Cinque Terre region of Italy .

Our first meeting is a memory I'll never forget. I remember the exact day she arrived at our school. The classroom was buzzing with nervous excitement, like a busy marketplace. We were all worried because we had a surprise test the day before, and now we were waiting anxiously for the results. Each of us wondered how we had done.

I was nervous too, thinking about what my dad would say if my grades weren't good. He's a Judge and expects me to do well in everything, especially school.

My dad Brady Prescott, our home's self-appointed judge, loved to wield his 'order hammer' over all of us. He started each day with a scorching cup of black coffee and the morning news, insisting on reading it before anyone could even think about breakfast.

Everything in our house had to be just right for him-whether it was the coffee cup perfectly aligned on the coaster or the sofa cushions plumped just so. If anything dared to be out of place, he'd unleash a storm that made sunny days seem like a distant dream.

Then came Marina, our new maid who seemed to have a talent for turning order into chaos. One day, while setting the table, she accidentally placed the fork on the left side and the knife on the right. It was a small mistake, but enough to trigger Dad's silent but deadly fury.

Dad stormed in just as we were about to eat. Silently, he grabbed Marina's arm and marched her straight to the living room, where our 'house Maine-maid Madam Sarah, awaited.Marina got an earful that could have melted an iceberg, and our dinner ended up exiled to the hallway.

I discreetly wrapped the food in my mouth in a tissue and quietly dumped it in the bin, trying not to attract Dad's attention. He controlled everything-our seating, our meals, even our bathroom use. There was no peace if Dad didn't approve.

Grace, my stepmother (technically 'steply mother,' but she loves me like her own), is a saint for putting up with Dad's antics. Despite all the headaches Dad gives her, she's made our lives bearable, especially for my little step-sister Cindel.

Poor Cindel was terrified of Dad; despite being only five years old, she never dared to misbehave or cause trouble in front of him. She abandoned childish antics and began behaving like an adult to avoid Dad's wrath.

Sometimes, I feel sorry for Grace. I wish she had never married Dad. Then maybe Cindel wouldn't have been born, and neither of them would have been stuck in this mess. But who knows what she saw in my grouchy Dad.

But amidst all the worry, I couldn't help but notice Cherry. She had strawberry blond hair that flowed around her shoulders, with a few curls that kept falling onto her forehead. She looked calm as our teacher, Miss Zhang, introduced her to the class.

When our eyes met for the first time, I felt a rush of emotions. I was excited and nervous at the same time. It felt like she brought a special brightness into the room, making me feel strangely happy.

At that time, I didn't understand what was happening, but now, looking back, I can't help but laugh at myself for feeling so awkward

There wasn't a good place for her to sit, so Miss Zhang placed her at the desk next to mine and made us desk partners.