Just so you know

Chapter One: Hazel

Chapter One: Hazel

Three months from now, I’ll be off to Stanford, California and leaving Ontario, Canada, my home, behind. Everyone in my family knew that I must go and live my own life. My parents are working day and night in our bakeshop, Collin’s Bakeshop, just to gain enough money to send me there. As for my 12 year old brother, Max, he doesn’t take this going-away-to-college-thing well enough.

 Max and I used to be a team especially when it comes to sports. Since I’m six years older than him, I’m the brains and he is the brawn. Every Sunday afternoon, as a family, we would go to the park and play Dodge ball, mom and dad versus Max and me. We were always the defensive side because we eliminate our parents faster than they eliminate us. The game stopped when I was in my senior year. My parents were busy at work and I was busy doing school projects, that left Max playing alone. During dinner, my parents and I would usually talk about college and adult stuff. Max can’t relate to this, so he would cut our conversation by saying “Let’s play dodge ball!” Our conversation would be stop and agree with him but we never played.

As graduation is getting nearer, Max became annoying. He would hit me with a stress ball and say “Dodge ball!” One day he broke my Ming Vase. That vase was very precious to me because it was a gift from our grandfather when I was five and it is the most expensive vase in the world. I was so angry that I chased him all over the house but at the end I gave up and went to my room instead. Annoying Max didn’t stop there.

I was late at my graduation day because Max locked himself up in his room with my toga. We tried everything to make him come out and give it back to me but it all failed. It was already one o’clock and the ceremony starts at one thirty, this was the time he went out and tosses my toga to my face. Seriously? Make me wait for so long and now you’re going to ruin my make up? I was the last one in our class to go up the stage. It was very humiliating.

His annoyance never stops. Something new every day, I don’t know how he can put up with this stunt. When will he stop and give me a break?

                                                                                        *

Today is the first day of summer. Some people believe that first day of anything determine what to expect in the future. First day should always be something good so the following days would be the same. I want to make my first day of summer wonderful and start out great. I woke up in a good mood and I had a good breakfast. Everything was great, I thought, but as a flash of lightning things went bad.

One week to go before Tracey’s birthday. She’d been planning this since the last week of our senior year. Trust me; I still can’t believe it until now when she told us about her birthday.

Megan, Jill and I were at Jim’s Diner when Tracey came to us saying “Guess what,” she said as she slams the table hard with her hand. This act of her catches our attention, no doubt. All three of us in the table, said in unison “What?!”

“This better be important because you just gave me a heart attack” Jill said annoyingly.

Tracey was now laughing so hard and we stared at her blankly. She finally got back to her senses when she said “You wouldn’t believe it. My parents are letting me have my own birthday party at home without them!” Okay, I would admit that this was cool because Tracey was the least of us who goes out and have fun. Her parents were the old school type so they stick to old rules but this allowing her to have a party without supervision was something. They are now giving her the “trust”.

“Are you sure they said that or you finally tied them up and convince them to tell those?” Megan said waving the fries in the air.

“I’m not that bad” Tracey said defensively. “We had a heart to heart talk then BOOM! They trust me!” Her voice was so loud that the cashier lady is staring at our table.

I gave the cashier lady an everything-is-okay-look and said “Wow that is something hard to believe”

“Well it is true and I’m going to have the best party ever” she said proudly.

“I’m going to call you, Hazel, tomorrow at eleven o’clock so pick up okay?” her finger was pointed at me like I was accused of something.

I can’t believe she said this like I never answered her calls. There was one time when I was in the shower and didn’t heard the phone ringing so I got like six missed calls from her but just to be the “good” girl I replied smiling “Sure”.

After breakfast, I went up to my room to get my phone but I was stopped half way across the stairs when I saw my door open wide. Someone went inside my room without my permission. I checked my stuffs, nothing seems to be out of shape, but I can’t find my phone. I look at the clock, 10:47. Tracey was going to call me thirteen minutes from now. I need to find my phone before the clock strikes at eleven. First thing I should do is find Max and make him give my phone back. I need plan B just in case he doesn’t give in, in my sweet talk. Plan B would be strangle him.

I rush downstairs and I found my dad reading the daily newspaper. “Hey kiddo” he said not really looking at me.

“Have you seen Max?”

“Yes, he went to Dylan’s house. He said he’ll be back at four.” Dylan is Max’s best friend and he lives five houses away from us.

It’s already 10:55, five minutes before Tracey’s call. I run out of the house as fast as I could so I could get there by 10:53, which leaves me 2 minutes to strangle Max.