Forming Anastasia

Newby

   The town is small, but nice. The stores are all inviting. The people passing always wave and smile. Johnston stayed home with the girls. I walk all along the cracked sidewalks weaving in and out of stores. I pass a store that sells farm supplies. I figured I could go ahead and get the fixings for the fences. The store was covered in tools, hunting supplies, anything to do with a horse, and storm supplies. I walk to the aisle of  'wires and wood'.
   My eyes travel through the many brands of tools and wires. As soon and I see what I'm looking for a guy walks up next to me. He wore jeans, a black shirt, and a red apron. His light brown hair is neatly combed and he smells nice.
"Anything I can help you with?" He asks.
I say the wire cord on the lower shelf and look at him. He is very handsome. Johnston had been wanting camouflage seat covers to go in the my grandfathers old truck, he and my dad had been fixing up.
I look up at him and smile. I brush my blonde hair behind my ears. I tug on my t-shirt.
"Do you have seat covers?" I ask. He smiles back.
"This way." He says walking. We walk to aisle eight. It has tons of decor for vehicles. He leads me to the middle on he aisle and faces the left side. It had many seat covers. I pick up and camouflage set, grab the wire off of the other aisle, and walk to the counter. The same guy was standing there waiting to check me out.
He grins and takes the seat covers first. The scanner clicks and he sits them into a white bag with the label that reads "farmers anonymous".
"I don't think I've seen you around before." He says typing in the code for the wood.
"Maybe because I haven't been around." I say looking at him. He looked good, he smelled good too.
"New here?"
"Yellow house, huge white;dusty porch, passed the huge, almost knocked down barn."
"Pratt. What's your name?" He says reaching out his hand. I ignore his gesture and grab the bags. I pull my hair to my left shoulder.
"Annabelle, but call me Annie" I walk out.

   I step onto the porch to find Johnston sitting on the third step. He's on the phone as usual. His girlfriend of four months,Lenny, is coming over in about an hour. He hangs up the phone and looks up.
"What's the grin on your face for?"
"You're the one with the face as red as a beet"
He smiles and stands up taking a bag out of my hands. I step on the surface of the porch and the wood creaks.
"I'll start dinner. Chicken ok?"
"Just great."
I open the screen door and walk to the left onto the kitchen. Amberly and Kate were sitting at the bar coloring. Amberly's brown hair is matted up and Kate's blonde hair the same.
"Girls, go upstairs and I'll be there in a minute to fix your hair." They smile. They stand up and walk towards me. Amberly heads to the stairs and Kate stops in front of me. I sit the other bag on the kitchen table and smile at her. She lifts up a piece of white copy paper. On it there are scribbles of stick people, all with smiles.
"It's us, the whole family" she says in her light, young voice. Above their heads are sloppy names all in red crayon. The words in order read, Daddy,Mommy,Annie,Johnston,Rosetta, Amberly, and Kate. I smile and walk to the fridge. I take the "best mom ever" magnet off and place the paper underneath it.
"This is fridge worthy" I say.
She grins and skips upstairs.

                                        ****
"Lenny is here" Johnston hollers from the hallway. I was sitting the last plate on the table.
"Foods ready!" I holler back. Amberly and Kate rush in first with their freshly braided hair. Behind them is Lenny. She steps in and gives a stern look all around the kitchen. One of those "I don't approve looks." I replied with a "I don't care" look. Behind her trails Johnston. We all sit down. Within almost ten minutes dad walks in the kitchen side door.
"Smells good" he says taking his boots and hat off. I stand up to fix him a plate. I lay it ok the place mat next to Johnston and I.
"Thank you Annie. Hey kids. Hey Lenny. Haven't seen you in a while. How ya been?"
"Good" Lenny snips.
I haven't liked Lenny very much from the start. She ran over Johnston, always thinks she's to good to be seen with him, and is rude to my family. Although I didn't like her, I wasn't about to step in. Johnston would hate me; puppy love I guess.