Project.VRED: The Original Concept

Chapter One | Echo Andrett

I had been sitting on the couch, like any normal summer evening. I awaited for the return of my parents, cradling a cup of tea in my palms and watching the steam waft through the air. My blue blanket was draped around my shoulders, one that I had owned since I was no older than five.

It was scrappy and frayed at the edges, worn from its nine years of experience. I normally didn't use it, but I needed it that day.

Today, I had spent at school, as usual. I got assigned two new projects, even though it was the end of the school year, June 21st. Not very surprising, just annoying. Then, I had gotten pushed around at lunch, no surprise.

However, I had decided to visit my sister during the break. Since elementary and middle school were combined, we seventh graders shared our lunch period with kindergarten and first-graders. And my sister was in kindergarten, it worked out.

Unfortunately, getting picked on seemed to run in the Andrett family blood, because when I strode up to her usual table, she wasn't alone. Normally, I would see that as a good thing. That could have meant that she had finally found a friend, something that I, in my seven years of school experience, (not counting two years of preschool,) was never able to accomplish.
I was hopeful until I noticed that it was my two bullies, Carl and Poe, who were standing over her, playing keep away with her lunch money.

"Give it back!" she begged, seemingly on the brink of tears. I stood off to the side, watching.

"Sure," Carl shrugged, lowering it down to her height. She seemed relieved as she reached for her money, too young to spot any hint of a lie in his voice. She was close to grabbing the money until he threw it to the ground in a puddle of school milk.

She glared at the boys as they laughed, apparently pleased that they were being awful human beings to a child. As I calculated my next move, she caught Carl by surprise, slamming her foot down on his. He yelped like a girl as Poe froze, bewildered. As the boy was wailing in pain, Poe regained his senses and struck the girl in the face.

That was not cool.

I raced over to the boys, anger evident on my face.
And then I punched Poe, right in the stomach. As he doubled over in pain, I punched Carl, too. I helped my sister up, examining her red face with concern. However, right as I was able to convince her to get an ice pack from the nurse, I was struck in the back of the head. I felt the world spin, throwing another punch at whichever boy had hit me.

And then we fought.

And then I had to explain to the principal how Beatrice, my little sister, did nothing wrong.

Of course, we were all suspended. Yes, in the last week of the school year.

And now, I reclined on the couch, holding a plastic-zip bag of ice to the back of my head, trying to formulate a plan on how to tell our parents we got suspended, preferably without being killed.

"Echo!" I heard a voice call, one that I immediately recognized as my little sister, Beatrice. I craned my neck to peer out the large, partially cracked window and saw her stout figure, a mere silhouette in the dim light of the moon. She was perched on the railing, beckoning me to come to her.

I sighed, reluctantly brushing the blanket off of my shoulders. I debated on the tea, but it was too expensive to go to waste. I clutched the mug, stretching and walking across the wooden floor. I took my time, observing the furniture we had. It wasn't much. A broken down couch, a dining table, a few cots, and a kitchen stove. A framed photo of my family sat in the middle of the dining table.

I reached out to it, scooping it up and brushing my thumb against the faded gold frame. It was an image of myself, Beatrice, mom and dad huddled under a tree. We crouched on a checkered blanket, grinning widely. My mother wore a sundress, sun hat, and gloves, and my sister wore similar. My father and I wore old suits that were just tight enough to become annoying. But they fit well enough, and that was as good as it got.