Stormy Skies (On Hold)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Saturday, June 27th

Alexis

            “Is everything packed and ready Alexis?” Dad says, peeking into my room. It’s bare and empty now. The movers are here, early in the morning, loading everything of ours into their big U-Haul van. They won’t get to Arizona until nine o’clock tonight. Dad is going to follow them in his car so we’ll have a means of transportation in Arizona. Valerie is taking Adam and Nick and me to the airport. Once we get there, we’re staying in a hotel for the day and that night. When my dad gets to Phoenix, he and the movers will throw all the boxes into our new home, and then the next morning he’ll pick us up and drive us over to our new home.

            “Yeah,” I say, looking around my room. It looks so big and hollow without furniture, like it could swallow me whole.

            “Well we’re going now. Bring your bag,” he says. He pulls his head out and walks down the hall.

            Down in the car, I’m squished between my two giant, smelly brothers in the backseat of our little Ford Escort, who think it’s funny to squeeze into me and shout “Alexis sandwich!”

            Dad drops us off at the airport, and soon, we’re boarding our plane at seven in the morning.

            “Mom, I still don’t understand why we had to leave so early,” Adam says while yawning. I see his mouth open wide, and suddenly, I’m yawning too.

            “Yeah, we’re gonna be there all day long, and Dad won’t be there until late,” Nick says.

            “All we’ll be doing is sitting around...”

            “...nothing to do...”

            “...dying of complete boredom...” My brothers alternate speaking. They do that all the time. It’s kind of weird. It must be a twin thing.

            Valerie shakes her head at the boys and takes a seat. I squeeze past her and sit next to the window. The boys sit in the seats behind us. As the plane lifts off, they start kicking my chair. Of course. I sigh and sit up straight so I can’t feel them as much. Valerie takes out a magazine and starts reading, completely ignoring my troubles with my brothers.

            After a few minutes of kicking without a reaction from me, they stop and take out their shared laptop and watch stupid videos on YouTube. I can hear them snickering and pull my iPod out of my bag to block them out.

            I fall asleep to the music of Swan Lake as we head to my fourteenth home.

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Sophie

            Tomorrow we’ll be picking up Rebecca.

            The past few days, Rena and Ivy have been spending their time at the Taylor’s, so they don’t get in the way of Samantha and me.

            We’ve made trips to IKEA several times to buy things to accommodate Rebecca. We’ve bought a new bed and a bigger dresser for both of our clothes. She’ll be sharing my room.

            Samantha also said that after we pick her up tomorrow, we can go shopping for clothes for her and also for me. I’ve been borrowing clothes from Ivy and Rena for the few weeks I’ve been here, since I didn’t bring much from my old orphanage. I’m guessing Rebecca doesn’t have many clothes either.

            When Samantha told me we’d go on a shopping spree, I asked if she was even able to afford it. All she said was her job paid well. It must pay very well, in order for her to raise four girls and be able to buy these things for us.

            Today I’m rearranging my room in order to fit the new furnishings. Samantha had asked if I needed help assembling the bed, but I said I wanted to do it all myself. I want to practice my power by using it to move the nails into the wooden frames.

            Now I sit on my bedroom floor, with all the pieces strewn around me, and the instruction manual set on my side.

            Let’s see, Step One, nail the wooden base boards to the side boards. Easy enough.

            I close my eyes and enter my core, just like my mother, Jennifer, showed me. The whole family apparently had weather powers, except for Jenny. She passed her metal power down to me.

            I find a spot of concentration where I’m able to hear the nails’ voices.

            We’re right here, Sophie!

            “Ready to build?” I whisper to them.

            Yes ma’am!

            I open my eyes, while still concentrating, and I force one of the metal nails into the wooden frame. Once it’s in, I let go of my concentration and congratulate myself. The nails join in.

            Good job Sophie!

            You’re getting better!

            Their voices really are self-esteem lifting. For a fleeting second, I wonder if Adrianna is learning how to use her power. But I push the idea away a moment later and continue pushing nails into the bed frame.

            Once I finish assembling the bed, I stand up and admire my work. I barely even broke a sweat, which I surely would’ve done using tools. Although I could’ve used tools if I wanted to, they are made of metal also.

            The next step is moving the bed into place.

            I gear up my concentration once again and take hold of all the nails embedded into the wooden frame. All at one time, I push them towards the wall, moving the bed along with them.

            Once the bed is where I want it, I begin assembling the dresser. It takes a shorter time than the bed. I find that the more I use my power, the easier it is to go to my core and concentrate. My mother says there will come a time I don’t need to enter my core in order to use my power, or even concentrate quite so hard. It will come naturally, as easy as walking or breathing. I can’t wait until that day.

            “Sophie! Lu-unch!” Samantha’s voice resounds up the stairs.

            “Coming!” I shout back. I give once last look at my handiwork before heading to the kitchen.

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