The Journey Thru My Life

The Arrival

If I thought the place was small from the outside it was definitely small from the inside. The living room and kitchen were divided by a narrow hallway. The walls were painted white, the floors were made of wood stained dark brown color, and there was only one large window on top of the sofa which was black and made of leather. The table looked family friendly with five chairs, and a green high chair at the far end of the table. The food on the table was my favorite dish Italian chicken with rice with a side of garlic bread which looked homemade and Cesar salad. At first I was impressed, until I realized it was just a tactic used by my sorry excuse for a step mother to try, and buy me off.
Then I composed myself by making a hard stern looking face. My father pulled me out of my thoughts when he said "Serenity why don't you go sit on the couch, and get cozy while I go get your sisters" he said walking into the narrow hallway. "Step-sisters" I mumbled but he was gone. I took the liberty to text my best friend Aurora and let her know I'd arrived. When I checked my phone it was blown up with texts from her. They read
AuroraS: How's the plane ride with your dad going?
AuroraS: Serenity is everything okay because you haven't texted me back. Wait!!! did the plane crash or something?
I had to chuckle at that last one, she is always so over dramatic. Then I kept reading the texts.
AuroraS: Oh come on Serenity you know that was funny. Don't be such a downer
A text 3 hours later
AuroraS: Come on its been 3 hours. Is everything okay?
An hour later
AuroraS: You know what if you don't answer in the next hour I'm going to call you, and we both know how much you hate that.
Ugh why does she always have to be so difficult. I checked the clock I only had an 30 minutes to text this pain in the butt. I know what you're thinking, why is she so horrible to her best friend. Truth is she was never really my best friend, we're  more like acquaintances. I was usually the kid no one wanted to hang out with but Aurora was new, she had just moved from Germany, and no one wanted to be friends with the new kid who didn't speak English, so she took a shot on me.
But we were never close. Within a few months people became more intrigued by her that she became one of the populars. Making me popular by association, but I never got invited to the cool table. It wasn't till a few weeks ago that Aurora started talking, and texting me again. She probably heard about my mom and was only creating the illusion of friendship out of pity. She supplies most of the conversation with bubbly banter.
My thoughts were interrupted by a tug on my left leg. I looked down at my leg, and saw a tiny little person clinging to it dressed only in his underwear and a white tank top. "Hey get off my leg rug rat!" I shouted. "No!"he shouted back. "Ugh Jay where are you!" yelled my sorry excuse of a step mother. She had short blond hair with curls at the ends with green eyes, that contrasted with her pale white skin, she was tall until I noticed that was just due to her red heels. She was wearing red heels, and a red blouse with black pants, and red lipstick. She flashed a smile at me "Oh hi Serenity, I'm Lauren" she held her hand out to me. I didn't shake it, so she let her hand drop. "I don't know if you remember me, but when you used to come and visit you'd stay in this very apartment". "Crazy huh". "Yup" I said popping my lips. Right then my half sisters came in. "Serenity I want to introduce you to some people" he gestured to the 2 children quivering beside him. He was standing beside my step mother. "I've seen you've meet your brother Jay, and Lauren","Jays the youngest of the three of your siblings, he's 4 years old"."I want you to meet Evie the oldest, and the middle child Sabrina", "Evie is 10, and Sabrina is 7". "Hi" they both said in unison. I was studying both the girls faces. They were pretty, they looked kinda like me in and odd way. First off they both had long black wavy hair with dark brown eyes, that contrasted with their white pale skin. They could practically be twins if it wasn't for the slight difference in height and age. The boy was adorable he had a baby face, the whole package including his shiny black hair, and dark brown eyes that were identical to mine. That was shocking. Something I'd definitely have to get used to. I was taken out of thought by my father's words."Girls don't just stand there give your sister a hug". They both walked towards me with shy faces and open arms. "Um I'm good" I said with my hands raised palms up. Right then my step mother intruded. "Why don't you girls go sit at the table while I get Jay dressed". "Kenneth you want to come help me?" Dad looked as if he was about to oppose but then he thought better of it. "I-I'll be right there sweetie". They both walked away leaving me with the two nightmares. They sat down at the table, and gestured for me to follow. I sat across from Evie, I kept on studying both their uncomfortable faces. Apparently they were doing the same. At that point I just faced the other way pretending not to notice their faces examining me. I was glad I did not have to deal with that for much longer. As soon as I was finished with family dinner I was going to ask to be introduced to my new room, that way I wouldn't have to be around these people anymore then I needed to be. So instead of staring at them I was examining the high chair that was placed right next to me. In my head I was thinking isn't this kid too old for a high chair. I just rolled my eyes at my thought. I was startled by my father's reappearance, I only noticed he'd reappeared when he said " Hey girls". "Hey dad" the two of them said in unison. I rolled my eyes as the ceiling. "So girls who's hungry" said Lauren cradling Jay in her arms. She placed him in the high chair next to me, and then sat down at the far end of the table across from the head of the table, where my father sat. "Well let's dig in shall we"said my father.
Dinner was a quiet occasion. Although Lauren tried to make small talk, which I paid no attention to. I was the first to finish my dinner it wasn't that great, it needed less salt. As I waited I just tapped my fingers on the table, waiting in annoyance till my father was done with his food. That took forever. Before he could finish his food he threw his fork at the table. "Serenity stop it!" he yelled startling us all. "What" I said in an even tone. "Oh please Serenity you know what you're doing, you're tapping your fingers on the tables to ruin this lovely family dinner, and quite frankly I've had it" "Are you trying to be a burden to this family!". "Kenneth!"yelled Lauren. I ignored her "Oh I'm sorry I'm such a burden to you and your perfect family!"."Trust me I don't want to be here anymore then any of you want me here!". I shoved away from the table, and stopped out of my chair and headed for the door. "Serenity where are you going?!"shouted my father. "Anywhere but here" I shouted back. Then I slammed the door on my way out.
I hurried down the stairs and ran to the kiddy playground. I sat down under an oak tree, with lots of shade. I was so mad I could say a bad word, luckily I didn't. In fact I was about to, until an apple hit the top of my head. "Ouch!" I said. As I looked up, and saw Asher perched in what looked like a comfortable position on the branch of the tree, with apologetic eyes. "Sorry" he said in a sincere tone that made his velvet voice even more alluring. I was trying to be mad at him, but his eyes made me melt, they were filled with so much sincerity. "It's okay" I mumbled. "Are you okay?" he asked with a concerned filled voice. "Why wouldn't I be" I said in a defensive tone. "I don't know maybe it's because people that are okay usually don't come crying to a tree". "Look I get it were strangers but couldn't we try and be friends?". Now his eyes were burning with sincerity. "I guess so" I said in a teasing voice. "So you want to talk about it up here or down there?" he said with an equal teasingness in his voice. "I think I'll go up there" I said in a teasing voice. "You need he-" he was cut off by my presence as I adjusted next to him. "You were saying" I said in a playful tone. "That you are gifted with extreme agility". "How'd you do that?" "I was a gymnast back in the 6th grade, but I quit after I broke both my wrists". We both chuckled. "So what's it like living in North Carolina?" he asked."Sunny" I replied. "So how do you like living in the big city?" "I don't" I said curtly. He made a pained faced. I felt bad for my tone "Don't get me wrong it's just hard" "Adjusting to a new life, new family , and now a new school all which was something I didn't want". "Well maybe you just need help enduring all this" he grabbed my hand. "Maybe I could help?". I found myself pushed up against the hollow tree with my face only inches from his, I could feel my heart pounding inside of me, the sweat coming off of my palms that's how nervous I was, I looked into his big green blazing eyes and we both leaned in until we got startled by my father's voice "Serenity it's sundown quite this teenage nonsense and get in here". He was right the sun was setting, and he sounded a little less angry. "Well that's my cue" I mumbled. He shrugged away. I hopped off the tree with a thud. "Hey so are we friends or what?"he asked. "Sure,sure" I called back.
I ran back to the house. On the foot of the stairs I could see my father at the door staring at me. I looked back at Asher, and he was staring right back at me. I had no clue on how to interpret or label this boy.