Blooming Luna

(1) BONFIRE

          Throwing my last suitcase on my bed, I unzipped it to reveal all the snacks that I had brought back from Utah. It was a rather large suitcase, it's capacity could probably hold about a month's worth of clothes if they were ironed and folded correctly. I had several large bags of chips, a bar of chocolate that would last me a month, and lifetime's supply of more chips. I had a couple things of cheese dip that would last me forever too. It was the last suitcase, I had to unpack, but I decided to just leave it alone and shove it under my bed so no one would know I had a secret stash.

          I had finally moved back into my old hometown in Washington. Snoqualmie, Washington was where I'm from. After swimming in a pool of my own tears, I gathered the courage to leave my aunt in Utah and live with my grandma up here. She seemed like she could use my company even more now that was school was back in a couple of weeks. Not that I would be going anyway. "Whatcha doin Tenderheart?" My grandma scared the crap out of me. I stood up and turned around as I slammed my suitcase together.

          "Just uh... unpacking my blanket, it's so cold down here, ya know," I rubbed my shoulders slowly but not too dramatic or else she wouldn't believe me. Her slick black hair flooded her ears to the point her hair was falling back over her shoulders. I looked at her attire to see that she changed into sweatpants but stayed in her flannel shirt. She crossed her arms and nodded as she stepped slowly to me. She examined my face like she was studying me and then suddenly frowned. "Are you wearing make-up?"

         "Err-uh, no I'm not. Why?" I replied.

         "You're glowing, are you really that happy to stay with me?" She questioned.

          "Hmm? Excuse me? Of course not, why is that a question?"

         "You dating somebody?" She continued to interrogate me.

         I scoffed with a slight cringe, "I wish."

         She laughed, "I'm going into town you want anything?"

        "Uh, no thank you."

        "Good answer." She eyed my suitcase and then me. When she turned around to let her hair swing and sway as she walked out my doorway. I sat on my bed, staring at the hall, listening to the sound of her walk. She looked just like my mom from the back; especially with that silk black hair. They even moved alike. I heard her light taps go up the stairs towards the kitchen. The light at the hall disappeared from her closing the door. I let out a sigh that seemed more like a huff. I could finally let go of my façade that I was actually happy to be here. I actually was, but I couldn't help but be sad that I left my cousins and aunt behind.

         Looking around my room, it looked really dark and glooming from the grey sky that came through my little windows. I shoved the suitcase on the other side of the bed so I could wrap myself in the blanket that my grandma knitted me a few months back. Laying in my bed, I stared out the window until I could finally fall asleep. I dreamed about random things very vividly and very quickly. I remembered my dreams cut scenes like a movie or a variety show. I was driving in my mom's car and she was in the passengers seat smiling so hard that her slightly slanted eyes seemed shut. Her jaws and her cheeks were so fat like my grandma's except they were a bit tighter. I remember she was teaching me how to drive on that day. It then switched to us playing in the woods and on the road in front of the house. Snowball fights were the best here. Utah had that weird snow that was wet, then suddenly stone like, and slushy at the end that became slippery. Here it was always fluffy. Another dream was coming, but my grandma woke me up before it could start.

        "You're friends are here," she smiled.

        "Friends? What friends-Oh," I quickly realized. My grandma was holding a bonfire for me coming home completely and also for my friends that were starting school Monday. I slid out of bed with a loud yawn. I watched my grandma adjust everything in my room that didn't need adjusting and threw my snack suitcase under my bed. I walked out of my doorway to the bathroom and checked my hair that was frizzing up from my sleep. I took my blow dryer that I had used earlier and started combing my hair as I turned it on. It began to straighten my hair back out a little bit more. My grandma stood next to me watching, making me stop quickly. She smiled at me and I smiled back. I was a few shades lighter than her tawny carmel skin and my hair was much thicker. Our hair differed completely as well, my aunt taught me my hair was 3b with the thickness of 4a, but when I blow dried or ironed it, it looked like my mom's and grandma's. They were lucky, never a bad hair day for them, I don't think.