Restart, Reset

Chapter 3

"Alright Valentine, it's time for your presentation!" The teacher said all too excitedly, implying we wanted to do this.
Valentine got up from her seat and went to the computer on the smartcart. Freezing the screen as she found her presentation. I looked up from my book, which in and of itself wasn't very interesting either, but was better than the presentations on what was happening 20,000 years ago. But Valentine, Valentine I found very interesting, some would say I have a very large crush on her, I would say I was just dipping my toe in the water. I had tried to get closer to her, failing miserable each and every time ( 6 to be exact ) and now I'm not giving up, but I was going to try to get to know her better, so I could charm her. Sure, charm is the word for that I guess.
Valentine unfroze the screen and a detailed and elaborate slide showed up on The smart board. But my attention on that was short lived, my attention went to Valentine's face which was partially illuminated by the surprising amount of pink she was able to throw into the slide.
"Paleolithic era of human history, by Valentine Weiss" Valentine introduced. Her voice plasters a smile on my face. Her voice was so beautiful almost like angels. I immediately began daydreaming; And I'd rather not say what I dreamt about.
Time flew by she was at her last slice dead, reading out the bibliography by the time I regained awareness. She closed clicked off Her presentation and the rest of the class including me clapped.
"Uh Brantley, what was the third slide of Valentine's presentation about?" The teacher called out.
I mentally swore, not having a clue what the presentation even said after the first slide. "I can't seem to remember, Why?" I asked
"Cause that's when I noticed you Blank-faced almost drooling on your desk, now can I ask what were you thinking about?" The teacher asked
I drew a blank again, not wanting to reveal my secrets
But the question was answered for me.
"Brantley I couldn't help but notice a glazed look at Vlaentine the whole time" The kid next to me loudly reported.
I immediately went red as a cherry, the whole class erupted in a torrent of "oooooohs" and laughter. I looked at Valentine who was holding back snickers and covering her whole face.

Now that feeling of living love, was one of the first things I thought at about 3:30 when 'they' got home, I knew who May was, and I figured out who the crib was for. May was David's Wife. And the crib was for Winter, their daughter who is the same age as me
There's just something about Winter that awestruck me sitting on the couch down stairs looking at the lake which was unfrozen, but with two feet of fresh show around it on all edges, that was beautiful in and of itself, but Winter, she's a different kind of beautiful. And when she came in and ran up to me and then just started at me after she got home, struck me as different. From my knowing girls don't just do that. I don't know maybe it's different here in rural Michigan. I don't think David has a neighbor for 20 miles.
"So your the foster kid eh?" she asked.
"I guess, I mean, who else would be sitting in your living room" I responded
"Agh, the cringe!" She winced.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked confused.
"Your voice" she responded
. "What about it?"
"I've never heard anybody pronounce the G in any wind endin' in 'ing', it just doesn't sound right" she told me. I could here her accent much more in the longer sentence, she spoke like there was no tomorrow, quickly, I tried to keep my words pronounceable, and she was stumbling and hyphenation every other word such as 'doesn't' sounded like 'Does-n' and then a cut short 'T'
"I've never really heard someone drop the G, or the T in doesn't either, so I guess we are both at a loss." I informed.
"Well then if you'll excuse me I got some home work to do" she Informed, throwing her backpack in between the coffee table and the chair and sat down next to me.
"What is your homework for?" I ask.
"Algebra, History, physics, the good ole' deutsch klasse" she answered
"Dutch Class?" I asked "I thought the three languages were German, Spanish, and French?"
"Du bist bloed" she spoke, "deutsch is German for German" she answered my question. She opened her pack and pulled out her packet, which sprawled across it had the words 'deutsch 1, einhiet 5' . She adjusted herself which put her body too close for my comfort to mine
"Why so close?" I ask
"Your just full of questions aren't you" she said still focused on her work "I find this comfortable after 7 hours of the BS chairs from the school." She answered my question.
"Brantley!" David called out from up stairs.
"Coming!" I shouted, hopping up on my feet and speeding up the stairs.
I entered the Man Cave and found David siting on his chair, and a Dirty blonde haired woman a inch or two taller than me.
"Brantley meet May, my beautiful wife" David motioned with his hand towards the woman.
She stuck her hand out, turning to her body was facing towards me.
I shook her hand, her handshake was almost as strong as Davids "Hello" I timidly said
"I Heard you introduced yourself to Winter." She informed
"Yeah, shes um, different, than what i'm used too" I reported
"Well i guess there would be a difference in lifestyle growing up in the woods than in Chicago." she figured
"we mainly nailed each other on our speech" I exclaimed
"figures" David said "Anyway, you start school in L'anse tomorow." David Picked up a bag full of papers and a laptop. He opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper "It seem like you'll be followin Winter around, you two've got the same classes"
"Thanks for tellin me that in advance!" Winter shouted, having overheard the conversation.
"Your welcome!" he shouted, snickering at the end of my he sentence.
"So, what time do i have to get up now?" I asked
"Oh five fourty five" David answered "thats' the time that Winter gets up"
"Great, that sound fun" I snarked "Waking up before dawn just so I can get to school"
"Yup" May said. "Oh and by the way we need some wood, there is none left by the fireplace" May noted
"Saw that" David got up out of the chair "Brantley, lets go get some wood"

~~~~~

"Holy crap it's cold" I say as we walked out to the pole barn, the wind wasn't that bad, but it had to be below ten degrees.
"You should've been here in February, it was negative ten with a negative forty windchill" David said. I shivered at that.
"No thanks"
We continued walking to the side of the pole barn, trudging through the foot of wet snow that had fallen. It stuck to everything pant legs, the bottom of the sled, itself. So by the time we reached the pole barn, sled in tow, I gained five pounds of snow just from my pant legs.
We pilled wood into the sled, and then threw some into the wood burner that heated the house then we proceeded to trudge back though the house, and undo everything we did, then stack it next to the fire place.
It was then four-thirty in the afternoon. And I had nothing to do.
I sat down on the couch after removing my winter gear. Winter had finished her homework and was in her bedroom so I laid on the couch.
"Brantley!" Winter called
I muttered profanity "What?" I shouted back
"Com'ere" she shouted at me
Again I muttered a profanity, but walked up the stairs and to her room. "Yes," I peaked my head in through a cracked door. Her room was mainly of earth tone, tan, green, but with touches of pink
"Come in" she told me.
I complied opening the door enough to walk in the door.
"Sit down," she ordered again sliding over on her bed witch was of the king variety, the covers were pink camouflage. She patted on the spot next to her.
Again I complied. "What do you want?" I asked
"Mom n' Dad told me to get to know you," she exclaimed "and frankly I agree with them, but I don't really know how to get to know somebody, so I figured I'd tell you a little 'bout myself" she explained
"Alright" I said looking over at her. "Go ahead"
"For starters I'm Winter S. TenHagen, the H is capital, I was born on May twenty-six of two-thousand and three, but my due date was July fourth, I was premature by a month and that's not too much but apparently it was enough to screw me up. I was born weighin' five pounds three ounces, so even if I wouldn't have been premature I would've been pretty small. I was plagued by sickness, respiratory illnesses to start. Just wasn't even discharged till a month after I was born. I was sick every few weeks. And when I was a year old I had a tremor"
"Whats that" I asked.
"I uncontrollably shook" she answered. "Anyway they fixed that l, after six months."
"Dang took them long enough"
She laughed, what a horrible thing to laugh at, illness, especially one she had. But the split second she laughed was beautiful. It lighten the tone "right, from what they told Mom n' Dad they couldn't do anything, but apparently I outgrew it and now I'm mainly fine"
"Winter, Brantley dinner time!" May shouted across up the stairs.
We ate dinner, but didn't touch the subject again that night. For we had to he up at five fourth five.
I hate school sometimes.