Old School

08 - No Sacrifice Would Ever Be Too Great

"No sacrifice would ever be too great." Gloria Estefan - Cuts Both Ways (1990)

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I ran to Steve who's leaving me. "Steve, what's wrong with you? Did I do something bad?"

"Yes." He stated briefly.

"What is that, then?"

"You're too selfish, you can't even think about your friend. You've changed into the annoying popular person." He said angrily.

"I am not one of them!" I snapped.

"Then what are you? A nice little girl who's so innocent to cancel that so her boyfriend could come with her? Not anymore, Emily." He snapped back at me.

"Then why you just accept what I said yesterday?"

"I didn't want to have dinner with your family while you're having a very bad mood because I wouldn't let your boyfriend come, did I?" He raised his eyebrows and walked away from me, while I stood there.

Am I too selfish?

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I went home straightly after the argument with Steve and I had. I didn't get a ride with Kale, he still got something to do.

Am I too selfish?

I'm sitting on the green sofa at my bedroom, staring at the purple and green wall. Candy by Nat King Cole was playing on my gramophone my grandma gave. She was a nice person, she always gave the best to her children, grandchildren and of course, her husband. She was the best grandma ever, she played with me all the time that she didn't got a time to herself. She's so generous, loving, and not selfish. Why couldn't I be like her?

That's why my grandpa love her so much. Even though she's gone, he'll still go to her grave, talking to her like nothing's happened, like she never died five years ago because of a heart attack.

You never be like her.

I strum the string of the guitar, playing the acoustic version of Beat It. "You better run you better do what you can. Don't wanna see no blood don't be a macho man. You wanna be tough better do what you can. So beat it, but you wanna be bad. Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it. No one wants to be defeated. Showin' how funky strong is your fight. It doesn't matter who's wrong or right. Just beat it, beat it. Just beat it, beat it. Just beat it, beat it. Just beat it, beat it."

"Honey, aren't you going downstairs for dinner?"

"Yes mom, I'll go in a moment!" I shouted back at her, placing my guitar on my bed.

I got downstairs to see four pair eyes staring at me. Seth sat there, rolling his eyes at me. Conner just stared at me in no expression. Dad's looking at me excitedly, and mom created a beautiful smile on her mouth. "Hi," I greeted them.

"Don't greet me," Seth snapped.

Mom hit Seth shoulder in annoyance. "Don't be like that to your sister!"

Conner, on the other side, giggling at us. 

Mom decided to do the same with Conner, but she hit it harder. 

"Ow!" Screamed Conner.

Now, it's my moment to giggle. I sat on the left side of Conner who's eating his food.

"You look a lot different now, you let your hair down every single day and wear some prettier clothes than the Black Sabbath clothes you used to wear. I'm starting to get into you now." Conner said, laughing to himself.

"What got in to you?" Mom asked, placing a spoonful of macaroni on her mouth.

"Boyfriend, popularity of course." Seth muttered.

Mom glared at him but didn't do anything, instead she turned to me and asked more. "Really? How's Kale?"

I looked down for a moment. I never seen Seth like this before, he was a loving person I used to know. But that person was gone, he hates me, obviously hates me. "He's fine." I turned at them, smiling like nothing happened.

"That's nice, you should invite him some more sometimes." Dad spoke, as Seth choked himself with the food inside his mouth.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worriedly.

"Better than you," he snapped.

I think I have no appetite left, so I decided to leave my macaroni alone in the table. "I'm not that hungry anymore, I think I need to get some air." I told them and quickly grabbed my denim jacket and ran outside.

"Emily!" Mom and dad chorused.

I sighed. It's almost dark out here, but I could find a better place to stay on. 

I saw a gravel on the street and took it. "No sacrifice would ever be too great," I sang.

I threw it as far as I can but I didn't realize it hit someone's hand. "Hey! You should be more careful!" Shouted the boy who's standing on his front door. 

I approached him, keep apologizing. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"Uh, fine. Just bleeding a bit."

I felt bad about it, I shouldn't let my emotion hurt someone who didn't do anything. "Oh my, I'm sorry."

"Apologize no more." He told me.

"Okay, but I have to cure it for you, I threw the thing and I'm the one who's responsible of it." I begged him.

"Well, okay. I was about to leave a dinner, anyway." He told me.

"Really? I'm doing the same thing." I laughed. "Well, I'll take you to the drugstore."

"Thanks." He said.

_____

"So, I haven't know your name. What's your name?" 

"Emily."

"I'm Luca, and I'm pretty sure you lived next door. I have just moved here." 

"Oh, you're the new boy." He has a straight blonde hair and blue eyes, what every boys dreamed to have.

"So, what makes you run away from your dinner?" He asked curiously.

"My annoying brother. He pry the things about my popularity and boys. I just don't know why he hates to see me like this. I'm happy, you know?" I explained.

"Maybe he's kind of right, he just want to protect you." He told me. "Is he the over protective brother?"

"Yep, he is." I sighed. "So, what make's you run away?"

He groaned. "I'm getting married."

"What? Congrats! Isn't that supposed to be amazing?" I watched him rolling his eyes.

Then he turned to stare at the ground. "With the one I'm not in love with."

"Oh, sorry about that. I take my congratulation back then." I pat his back, I know he's older than me a few years but he's nice. I've just met him for a moment, but he's lovely.

"I think I have to go, my parents probably looking for me. If you need someone to talk to, come over to my house." I told him, leaving him sitting next to a drugstore.