Perfecting Amelia

A memoriable train ride

“BS!” My words echoed across the train cart, one of the boys groaning and pulling the pile towards him. I let out a laugh snuggling into my seat.

“How the hell are you so good at this game? What is this like the twelfth game you’ve won?” The team laughed and I smirked.

“Thirteen boys, thirteen games.” And I shifted my body to lean against the tall blonde boy next to me. I was sweating in my pajamas, old navy yoga pants and a cami, with a bra of course. It had been a long train ride, the night came soon, and I changed quickly, as I came back, the blonde boy, Todd, invited me to play cards with them. In shorter words, I owned them.

As we sat in the stuffy cart for over three hours I got used to the being hit on, and as their coach came in he put an arm around my shoulder, giving me iced tea he got from the next cart over. “You poor girl!” he said to me, “These boys pick up girls like dirt; they’re never going to leave you alone.” And they all laughed Todd putting his hand on my leg, and I beat them again.

As the woman from the train came in she shot as all a horrid look. Clearing her voice she took the iced tea out of my hands. “I was sent to pull out the beds; we should be in Dallas by one in the morning.” And she got busy pulling down planks of wood and putting two measly sheets over them. She scampered out as I stepped up to one of the top beds. Three hours left and I was gone.

“I was going to sleep there.” Todd said grabbing my ankle. I laughed, putting my hair into a tight braid. The boy didn’t know what was coming for him.

“Well I guess that’s just too bad be-“then I was interrupted by one of the boys flicking on the light and shouting.

“Remember how we said she looked familiar? I got it I know who she is!” a few who’s echoed through the room, I blushed, great more people to pity me over the trial. “She’s one of bambi's models! Look!” and out he pulled the spring catalogue. Many of the guys crowded around, Todd shot me a look and went to see.

I turned crimson, this was so embarrassing! In the shot I was in a green and blue under wear and bra set. I’m the cover page, lying in the grass. My makeup is exotic; I had a butterfly face, with much glitter. My head is propped into a male models lap and I’m laughing, because it wasn’t Ryan, and I still created sexual tension, this model did not cause me to fall in love though. He’s threading daises into my hair and I’m holding my stomach from laughing so hard.

“Lea, is that really you?” I let out a laugh and climb down snatching up my purse.

“Yeah it is, so are all these.” and I pull out multiple photos, some of me and Ryan, some just me, all sorts of pictures.

“Gosh Lea, your even sexier.” Todd yells out to me, I let out a timid smile. He hands me a napkin, a team email is written on it. “Seriously Lea, email us, and have fun in Dallas, even if we won’t be there. Smiling I take the napkin and my photos, tucking them in my bag. I felt warm and loved, it was an interesting train ride, and I crawled back up to my wood bed and wrapped myself into the sheets.

About an hour before we arrived in Dallas I woke up, dragging a bag into the small bathroom. Setting it on the hook behind the door I drew out a tampon, Mother Nature did not have good timing. I scrubbed my teeth and washed my face. I let out a sigh, I wasn’t ready.

At home friends where hard to find, especially during Ryan, and I wasn’t looking forward to having to make new ones. Aside from that aunt Lizzie was a therapist, who I hadn’t talked to since I was ten, seven years ago. I could remember my mother, pacing the room and shouting. I was eight at the time.

“I finally call my sister! What do I get? A therapy session for god’s sake! “Why didn’t you call me Marie? What emotions caused this Marie, why?” I remember giggling, my mother shooting me a glare. The last thing I wanted was my aunt asking me why I put ranch dressing on my fries, and lots of other stuff. That would drive me insane. Aside from that I didn’t want to share a house with my cousins.

Vicky was fourteen, and hated me. Maybe because I was more loved and I always got to stay in her room when I came to visit. My uncle Chris really hated me. When I was thirteen, Colby and I decide to pull weeds out of his garden; we ended up leaving the weeds and pulling the plants. Chris screamed at us, told my mother to pack us up and leave. My mother, of course threw a fit. They screamed at each other for hours. It was the better then a movie.

  Luke was her son, he was my age. Luke was annoying, and immature. He was a nerd. He had a mop of curly orange-red hair and had a face covered in pimples. He wore t-shirts that said stupid movie related quotes. For father’s day he bought my uncle a shirt that had a picture of darth vadar, on it, written in bold letters was, LUKE I AM YOUR FATHER. They thought it was hilarious, I, did not. Luke constantly bugged me, asking me question upon question. He was bound to be like his mother. The worst part was the neighbors.

Next store was Emmalee, or Emma. Luke had been in love with her since, well ever, and Emma never even looked my way. She had a group of friends always over, and one fall visit my uncle, whom had a deep hatred of me decided to taunt me. “Mia, why don’t you go play with them? Go and talk! Look, there in the pool.” I was fourteen at the time, going through puberty, my uncle, had found one of my pads.

I remember crying. His words insulted me, no one heard the hidden meaning but I did, go ahead you shy retarded thing, with your greasy hair, go try to talk. I’ll watch and laugh as they make fun of you. Since then I hated my uncle Chris, I hated him a lot.

I ran minimum makeup on my face, pulling on a cream tank top with sequins on the neck line, next was the navy shorts and gold sandals. I put on my clatter ring, something I wore everywhere, and stepped out the bathroom. I quickly Dutch braided my hair.

This was it, I was going to Dallas, and I wasn’t the shy freak girl like I was before.