Hanging by a Moment

6 (Part 1)

Chapter 6

        My breaths came short and rapid, as my feet thundered on the unpaved road. My body glistened with sweat as I pushed my legs to their limit. Pentatonix's Daft Punk mix sounded in my ears as I ran through the empty streets of my neighborhood. Running always helped my clear my mind and relieve my stress.

So if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm stressed. An email from FSU popped up in my inbox today and I have yet to open it. My anxiety led me to end up doing a forty-five minute run, and now my body aches.

        I hate the fact, that I doubt myself so much, but I can't help it. As I neared my home, I slowed down my brisk pace, and started a lazy jog. I wasn't in a hurry to get home and face my demons. Speaking of demons, I still had a duet to finish planning with Rebel. I don't know what I hate more, having to do a duet with Rebel, or having to do a duet with Rebel.

Since I started living here, the place has noticeably expanded. The once isolated street, now had five houses on it, and a little park. I didn't take long for me to notice an unfamiliar car parallel parked in front of one of the houses. Being my nosey self, I decided to stalk...I mean walk a little slower. I took one earphone out, so that I could hear more clearly as I passed the door of said house. Luckily for me the door was ajar, and I could see straight inside.

        I knew the house to belong to the Sheller's, a nice elderly couple that were way too invested in their front yard.  As I casually glanced through the door, I spotted a small girl. She looked to be around Maya's age, and her brunette hair fell to her waist in beach waves. I didn't see her face because she was faced away from me.

Bummer! I was hoping it was some hot guy. Assuming the girl to be the Sheller's granddaughter I walked away, all the while wondering who drove the car was parked in their yard.

Quickly losing interest in my new discovery, I reluctantly made my way through the garage door that is always left unlocked.  I walk into the kitchen and I am immediately greeted by the delicious smell of curry chicken.

"Mmmh, auntie it smells amazing in here, you haven't made curry is so long." I said while embracing my aunt in a side hug.

"Thanks sweetie, but it wasn't me who made it." She said as she pointed in my mother's direction. She smiles at the secondhand compliment.

"Oh." I replied feeling the needed to take back my compliment, instead I turned to my mother and I sarcastically said, "How nice of you to feed us?"

        Her smile instantly drops into to a frown. My aunt makes a noise of displeasure and glares at me, telling me to behave with her eyes. I quickly oblige, knowing that my aunt raised me better than that.

"So..." I attempted to start a conversation to break up the awkwardness, but as I have nothing to say it just increases its intensity.

Giving up on making small talk, I walk over to the fridge and grab a bottled water. As I gulped down the refreshing liquid like a starved animal, I take a quick glance in my mother's direction to find the she's already looking at me. I don't look away; I just roll my eyes at her and wait until she turns her head.

"I'm going to take a shower." I told my aunty as I left the now stuffy kitchen. She nodded in my direction too busy slicing up provisions to look at me. I make my way up the stairs slowly finally taking notice of my aching muscles. Why the crap did I run so much?

I skipped  going into my room and headed straight to the bathroom. Maya, Danny and I all share a bathroom and you can tell by all the hairbrushes on the counter. I strip of my sweaty gym clothes, and turn the water to a slightly hot but not scorching temperature. As I step under the heated water my body immediately relaxed under its steady warmth. I pull the floral print shower curtain and bask in the heat of the water. I grab my strawberry shampoo, and wash my hair that has turned frizzy from today's run.

        After my fifteen minute shower, I hastily dress and run downstairs to find everyone in the dining room. It's Monday, and Monday is family night. I go to take my usually seat next to my sister, but she is already in it. Not bothering to hide my irritation, I nosily sit in the last available chair making sure to drag against the wooden floor.

        Auntie walked in shortly after and placed the food in the middle of the round table. She carefully placed the dishes down and then returned with a pitcher of grapefruit juice. Like always, she told us to bow our heads, and like always Maya offered to say a prayer. This time however, mummy dearest offers to do the honors. We join hands and she began to pray.

"Dear God, thank you for bringing me back to my children. I don't deserve their forgiveness, and I don't even deserve to ask for it, but I hope for it. I ask for the chance to get to know them, and hopefully they get the chance to know me. I just want to get to know the people they have become. Though I haven't done anything to show it, I want them to know I love them and have always loved them. Amen."

        At the conclusion of her pray, Maya smiled at her and hugged her. She then looked at me expectantly, but I ignored her and began to pile the food unto my plate.

. I refused to fall for her pity prayer. Oh, look at me, I'm sorry and I just want to know my kids. Blah! Blah! Blah! Just because she says all those things doesn't mean anything. Words are just wind, if she wants a reaction from me she needs to put some actions behind hr words.

            After dinner, we cleared the table and brought out tonight's game, Scattergories. The game gets intense really quickly, and Danny is in the lead by four points. The letter is P and I am ready to go when the timer starts. I zoom through the list and fill all but two categories, but make up for it by using a world that gives me double letter points.

        Soon enough the timer dings, and all pencils drop. The only thing that can be heard is the even breathing of all of us, as we size each other up. There is no laughing or smiling, this is the last round and serious business is taking place.

"It's about to go down," I say to Danny, who's basically my enemy right now.

We all start going down the list calling out our answers. We make it to about number 3, and I am confident that my answers are far more peculiar than the rest.

For crimes, Danny answers with public nudity, while I answer with prostitution.

For countries, I proudly answer with Portugal, not expecting anyone else to put that. I was wrong she did.

We run through the list pretty quickly and I lose points for having the same answers as my mother four more times. Four. At this point I'm annoyed, why is her thinking so similar to mine?

Number 12, last category is things that you save to buy, "Pandora bracelet!" My mother and I shout at the same exact time. I swear we used the same inflection and dictation in our voices. We have had six identical answers, and the fact that my brain seems to be wired like hers ticks me off.

            My auntie comments on how we had common answers and smiles at me knowingly.  She has always been able to read me like a book, and can probably sense my irritation.

To my dissatisfaction, Danny wins the game and has bragging rights until the next time we play. Disgruntled, I make my way to my room. Before I reach the stairs the doorbell rings, and since I'm right in front of it, I open the door, liking what I see on the other side.

A/N: Thanks for reading, please vote and comment. Next chapter will be up soon. Have a nice day!