everyone calls me Alex, and I like it that way. I'm nine years old, I love animals and have a big imagination and......I have a sister .......sadly. My sister's name is Melissa. She is 13 and very hormonal. She's the kind of girl who likes fashion, designing things and shopping. And make up. Well she's not aloud to wear make up yet, but I know for sure she's got a big bucket full of all these different coloured lipsticks. She's even got black.
Today I woke up feeling happy as a song because it was a Saturday – and that means no school. Yippeee! I day-dreamed myself awake and boy did I have a lot of things planned for today... When I was lying in bed last night I was living Awesome Alex, zooming around Zeptocity, shooting carrot-Ninjas and tomato wrestlers – basically a whole gang of evil vegetable invaders – with a licorice blaster. With my head bursting with visions of Awesome Alex, determined to draw as fast as I could to get it all down, I looked around for my felt-tips which I had left on my desk last night, all ready for the morning. The special ones, my mother had given me with 48 different colours. But they weren't there. Where were they? My first suspect was... Melissa.
I raced to the kitchen, almost tripping over myself, only to find Miss Goody-two-shoes and my dad with their heads together. And there was my pink felt tip clutched between her skinny pink painted fingers. Everything in the world seemed to stop around me. It seemed as though my dad and her had formed a special bubble that none could penetrate. She was drawing a portrait of herself wearing a pink crop with "seriously?" written on it and shorts that were so tight I imagined in my head them making her toes turn purple and fall off one by one I was stunned that dad accually let her wear that ( but she gets everything )The worst part of it was that I had to admit it was pretty good, and dad seemed to also think it was amazing, because he kept complimenting her in an encouraging way. All I could think was: when did I ever get credit for my Awesome Alex drawings?
Then, I can't quite remember what happened next. I was so angry I screamed out my anger and frustration. They must have been quite some words because dad sent me to my room. Well I was going to leave anyway and slammed the door properly. I ran into my room, words racing through my head. I dived onto my bottom bunk and wrapped myself in my duvet like a cocoon. I never wanted to come out. All I could think was "why does everything come easy for her? Why am I the one always in trouble? Why do I never get the attention I want?" I wanted to get revenge on my sister. Very badly. The plan that was uncontrollably growing in my head might get me into trouble, but it would get HER into even more trouble.
So I put my camoflage onesies on as they seemed to fit my mood. I had to think quick because I didn't know how long she'd be in the kitchen, so I quickly but quietly tip-toed to her room (which was right across the hall from mine). I searched everywhere for "it": in her dresser, behind her closet –but then it hit me: It had to be under her bed! I slid under her bed over the dusty floor and siezed the box. There it was, her precious collection of lipsticks. I decided to choose ones that would fit Awesome Alex's custume best: a dark red one for her cape, blue for the AA on her t-shirt, and black for her pants and boots. I clutched them in my hands and ran. I closed my door behind myself and jumped up and down on my bed again and again. Yay! I had done it!
Then I got to work sketching. It took me two whole hours to do, but it was worth it. It showed Awesome Alex in Egypt (complete with pyramids and tombs) fighting the evil Melissa monster with her trusty blaster. Melissa was dressed in a tangy top and waving a gun which shot out make-up monsters, karate chop lip gloss, sneeze and itch blush and gluey nail polish that made you stick to any surface (very dangerous). It was a sky battle so we were wearing sky high boots. It was epic! I was putting it up on my red wall too see how epic it looked against that red, when in popped Melissa to return my ruined felt tips. She saw the lipsticks on the bottom bunk and the picture on the wall, and boy did she scream! I've learnt to ignore these when she gets like this and pretend she's speaking in a different language, so this is what I heard for awhile "BLAH BLAH BLAH BLEH BLEBLAH" But sadly I had to come back to earth and had to hear the rest of it: "I JUST BOUGHT THOSE YOU PATHETIC ACCUSE OF A SISTER !!!!!!!!!!!YOU HAVE TO BUY ME NEW LIPSTICKS NOW!!!!"
"NO I DON'T YOU MORON" I screamed back, then Melissa jumped on me and pinned me down on the floor, but although I'm smaller than her I'm much stronger, so I pushed her off me, and she banged her head on the floor with a horrible THUMP!!!!!! She started crying and dad must of heard all of this because he slammed open the door.
Doesn't anyone read my door sign?
OUT OFF
ALEXS DEN!
(MAINLY MELISSA)
BUT YOU TOO DAD!
Dad had to pull me and Melissa apart to stop us from killing each other. He had to bring his man voice into it "Melissa! Stop fighting with your sister. You are the oldest!"
I smirked with joy on how well my plan had worked (bad move).
"Don't think you are out of this yet Alexia" (he always calls me that when he's angry)
"Alex" I mumbled under my breath.
"What did you steal from your sister?" he demanded to know.
"Lipstick" I said, ready to celebrate in my head.
Dad took away all of her lipsticks and shouted at her about how she was not old enough to wear lipstick, blah, blah ect. "What am I going to do with you" he said and put his head in his hands.
Then he looked straight at me and told me I was officially in the dog box and I had to do all the dishes for a week! But it was worth it to see my perfect sister in such trouble for once.
But I was still mad as hell. I ran to my bunk bed and I looked at the picture of my mom on my bedside table. I missed her so much. She was a tomboy like me. But she had died in a car crash on the way back from Cape Town last year. She had given me the felt tips before she left, telling me to make beautiful things while she was away. I was feeling very sorry for myself.
A bit later dad knocked on my door and walked in and stood looking at me for a bit. Then he lay next to me with my head leaning softly in the crook of his arm, (its my favourite safest place to be). I felt safe and warm and protected in my dads arms. The dim light on my bedside table showed all his wrinkles and his tired face, I WAS still a bit angry with him, "why can't he be more like mom? Mom would have been able to handle all of this so much better".
But at the same time I felt sympathy and rather sad for him. After all he missed mom too. And it must be hard being an only parent and dealing with two girls, so i was going to do him a favour: I was going to try and be nicer to Melissa. It would be hard, but I would just have to deal with it.
The next morning I woke up and looked up at my latest picture of Awesome Alex and Melissa Monster. Today instead of battling her, I would have to make friends. A good time to start was now I supposed. So took a deep breath, squared my shoulders and strolled into the kitchen. Melissa was already up, fiercely writing in her journal.
"Morning", I said politely. I hope you slept welll"
Melissa just started at me in shock, like she's seen a ghost. I suppose I can't blame her. On Sunday mornings I emerger from my room rather late and usually ignore everyone, not even making eye contact till I am properly awake. But not today – today I was going to be nice to my sister! So I grabbed my favourite cereal (Otees) and scoffed it up thoughtfully. The whole time I was thinking about what I could do to be nice .........mmmmm LIGHT BULB! I would get her new lipsticks with the pocket money I had saved to replace the ruined ones. The money I had been saving up for new felt tips....
There was no time to waste. I hurriedly brushed my teeth, dragged a brush through my hair, put on my super-woman T-shirt and my favoutite camo-pants. I let myself out of the house quietly and I grabbed my skate board. It was rather old and battered but still usable. Dad was already at work (sometimes he has to go to work on the weekends to catch up), so I just left. I skated to the nearest corner café and chose ones to replace the ones I had used. I had brought them along to show the lady so she could help me find the right ones. They were very expensive, but I still had a little leftover money for a packet of sherbet. I ate it right there outside the shop then headed back, humming a little tune to myself. I put my skate board back in the garage (to keep dad happy when he got back from work) and went inside.
I found Melissa hanging out in her room listening to music. I knocked gently before I walked in (she screaches if I don't) and gave them to Melisa and said I was really sorry ffor stealing her things and forcing her into trouble. Then we both hugged........it was a nice feeling. We stepped back and smiled at each other. She ruffled my scraggly hair and affectionately whispered "HeyFlossy head I miss her too." This was the love name that mum used to call me. I have curly hair just like she had. When I looked up at Melissa's face she looked different. And her eyes were soft and kind. She kinda looked a bit like mum. I must admit my eyes did prickle a bit.
Anyway, enough of all that emotional stuff. What happened next you might ask? Well I can say that things DID get better. Well sort off. We still had many rough patches – a few arguments here and a few wrestling matches there....but we also got better at making up.
And we made some new good memories and did more things together, like that midnight feast for example.
Of course there was that "little" ear piercing incident, but let's save that for another story...
The end?
