Just Your Average Girl

Chapter 3: Tales

I woke up Monday  in my own room. It was such a strange feeling not to feel the whole bed shift as I got up. I looked around my medium sized room. Three walls painted spring green; one painted in the landscape of a meadow that went on forever. Two green walls were adjacent and  broken in their everlasting green by a fiberglass vertical window on each. My circular bed stood before the other green wall and next to my wooden door.

    My wardrobe was another matter. I slipped into my walk-in closet and I looked into a line of blacks, grays, and whites. I barely wore any bright colors, which contradicts with my bedroom image. I pulled out a black T-shirt with red paint blotches and navy jeans. I threw my outfit onto my bed and headed for my bathroom next door. I got ready for my return to school and pulled on red converses. I lept down the steps to the kitchen and made some cereal. My mom and dad already left for work, so I had to walk to school. I grabbed my backpack and headed out the door only to run into Enrique and Tammy coming over.

    "Morning, you guys."

    "Morning, Leni," they greeted me. We walked to school, me and Tammy the only ones talking.

    "So are you feeling better?"

    "Much. Actually, I got in trouble for climbing a tree! They thought I was about to commit suicide from 10 feet off the ground."

    We giggled. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did," Enrique stared straight ahead and continued," Damien would never want to be with you now. You could just die from it. Why would he, let alone any guy, want-"

    I heard a loud slapping sound and noticed my hand near Enrique's face. I blinked back tears. "Ricky, you jealous bastard!" I stared in fury as he put his hand to his cheek. "Don't talk to me anymore. Just leave me alone.- I'm done with your ass.- And just so you know' he doesn't remember me. I hope you're happy!" I stormed off with Tammy in tow, leaving an ashamed Enrique behind.

    We reached our lockers in school and were suddenly surrounded by classmates. Tammy (the rumor queen) was bombarded by questions about the latest news on Damian's health and what happened. The only thing the the student body was told was a woven tale of a hunting accident. However, Damien's friend said that he was kidnapped and shot in the stomach and a girl with a dog tag dragged him to the hospital, half dead. I stuffed my dog tag in my shirt when they mentioned this. I'd rather be nothing to Damian than have him reject me. Suddenly, Philip, Tammy's cousin and a very popular boy, brought his attention to me.

"Why were you  out so long, Marleni? Were you sick?"

    I struggled for an answer, but Tammy quickly supplied one. "She sprained both her ankles playing two hand touch. She tripped over a pipe on the bridge field. Plus she had a fever, so she was out for two weeks." Everyone gave me sorry looks and helped me catch up with homework. I spent the whole day reviewing the 

textbooks for each class.

After school, I walked home a little later because I was busy asking teachers the dates for makeup quizzes. I stopped midway to my house when I saw a male figure sitting on the front steps with a large satchel. His army attire was huge compared to the slender figure I've known so well. He looked 

above his red rimmed glasses and stared at me our eyes locking as a gentle breeze shaking the stubble of his brown buzz cut  hair. Excitement filled my heart as I called, "Jacob Madison, is that really you?" He smiled and joked, "Well, it ain't the Easter Bunny. How've you been, Lil' Sis?"

    I  ran into his open arms and nuzzled my head into his suit. I breathed in his familiar scent of cinnamon and licorice. "Jake, I'm so glad you're here and okay. Marge had the baby and-" He patted my head, signalling me to be quiet. I giggled and looked up at my brother. " There are many tales we must share Jacob. You must rest and I'll get you something to drink," I said in the voice of a wise sensei. We walked inside and just talked, recounting tales of time well spent and time apart.

    I'm extremely close to my brother. Actually, I'm so close, my friends say I have a brother complex. Like hell, I do. I consider myself a strong admirer of Jacob. He was so smart that even colleges from England and Japan begged him to attend their school. Even though we didn't have much money, he managed two jobs and still kept his grades up. He didn't have to go to the army because he paid for college on his own. Yet, he wanted to serve his country.

  I almost hate to admit it, but my bro is kinda hot. So hot that he won the heart of a beauty queen. He's the kindest person in the world and I'm so proud to have him as my brother. If that makes me a bro-con, then oh well.

    My parents went into tears when they saw Jacob just sitting on the couch like he'd always been there. His wife Margaret (Marge) came with my 10 month old nephew, Robert. The boy had his mother's pitch black hair and his father's light blue eyes. He stared at his father's matching eyes. Jake was so nervous about holding his son, I was afraid he might drop him. Both he and Marge were pushing back tears.

  I went up to my room to do my piles of homework. I had cried one time too many that day.