Making Her Fall

Chapter 21

      "There's my track star!" Nicole Hart's dark brown hair wraps around me along with her arms. My arms find their way around her lower body as she is lifted in the air in a tight hug. Her girlish squeals only end when her feet have returned to the ground while she places her hands on my shoulders. "You know you really should call home more instead of just seeing us during holidays."

     "I know mom. I just get caught up in stuff and you know how forgetful I am." Glacial blue eyes lock onto mine while she studies my face. Her glowing eyes were a reminder of her Nordic roots and when she sets her sights on something she means business. A thread of fear runs down my spine remembering her cold eyes whenever she would scold me in years past. Time resumes when her smile returns to her face as she pats my cheek before making her way inside the house.  

     Leaning down I grab my bags bouncing into the house wandering towards my old room upstairs. Clothes still litter the floor forming a path only between the bed and the door causing me to groan. I throw my bags on the bed before pulling out my phone starting my playlist.  Dogs of War by Blues Saraceno engulfs the room while I find an empty clothes hamper beginning my task of straightening up my disaster of a room.

     The room quickly begins to look normal again as the basket gets filled to the rim with dirty clothes. Slipping my phone into my back pocket I hoist the heavy basket in front of me walking downstairs. I don't bother separating the clothes and throw them all in the washer kicking it on heading back the way I came. Family pictures dance along the wall beside the stairs while my hand trails below each one.

     My feet stop at the cracked door at the top of the stairs leading to my sister's old room. My breath hitches in my chest when I push the door open with a loud creak. Old movie posters still cling to the wall above the towers on books left in the room. I wipe my finger along the edge of antique desk revealing no dust. My only thought is mom has been cleaning in here recently.

     The pink bed sinks with my weight as I take seat on the end. My mind drifts to the last time Grace was home before she got sick. I raced home after my first date bounding up the stairs and crashed into her room. She screamed at me for interrupting her phone call as I tackled her in a hug telling her about the cute girl I was with. My older sister quickly hung up the phone waiting for all the details. After I spilled everything she held me just long enough to hit me with hardcover book.

     I lay back sprawling out on her old bed looking up at old glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. The room still smells like the flower spray she practically bathed in everyday. Rolling to my side I spy a family picture sitting on her night stand. My hands fumble to grab it pulling it into the light.

     My fingers trace the wooden frame then circle each person in the picture. My father stands tall with his light blonde hair combed to the side while his hands rest on my mother's shoulders. My mother's chocolate hair spreads down in front of her with a restless baby boy tries to attack the tickling hair. Beside them is a small girl in a flower dress doing her best to get her brother to focus on the camera.

     "You know we tried for over an hour to get a good picture that day. Apparently your mother's hair was more entertaining that the toys behind the photographer."  My father's voice caresses the silent walls making me sit up beside him. The picture is pulled from my hands so he can take it in. "For some reason she always liked this picture more than any other family picture we took."

     "She said it was because that picture was our very first family photo. She was sappy like that." The evidence of that was all around the room in the many books that cluttered any space possible.

     "Your sister chose to keep her mind on happy scenarios instead of stuffing her nose in medical books like you did." The picture makes its way back into my hands for me to return it to the nightstand. My father's gaze never falters from me as I take my place beside him. "I hope those marks on your knuckles are from a bag and not a person. You know how your mother feels about you fighting people."

     I unconsciously run my fingers across my red knuckles remembering the deal I made with my mother. I promised her years ago I would never fight in a ring and I would only train at boxing. I was only allowed to defend myself and my friends. "Mostly it's the heavy bag. Some guy went after Mel and Amber over a month ago. I may have crossed the line with him, but he deserved it in my opinion."

     His eyes rake over me before he just nods at me understanding. "Always the savior. Do you plan on doing anything over break or do you just plan on goofing off?"

     "Honestly, I haven't figured it out exactly. I got invited to the Knight Christmas party on Saturday, but I am not sure I want to go." Going to a party to stand awkwardly to the side was not appealing. I had a feeling that Alex and Melanie would be there, but I believe they need to do some talking without someone butting in.

     After finals I found Alex in our dorm white knuckling his phone. I panicked when I saw him and I was afraid something happened to his parents. I had to shake the words out of him to stop the constant mumbling that was coming from his mouth. He was also invited by Bethany to the Christmas party and his idea was to ask Melanie to be his date. He was prepared for the worse and she said yes. That idiot had me freaking out over his good news because he couldn't believe it himself.

     "I never expected my son to run from anything." His voice wasn't even angry. His words were in an even tone that made my stomach twist. I tried to open my mouth, but his hand shot out stopping me. "Don't lie to me. You're phone hasn't gone off once since you got home so I can figure out something is going on between you and Amber. You need to figure out what is going on between you two and talk it out. Take your own advice for once."

     His words chilled me to the bone. My own guilt began to fill my gut as I stared at the floor. I could give all the advice in the world, but dad was right. I have a hard time doing the things that I preach to others. Amber had ignored and ran from me at school. However, she would have nowhere to run at her parent's party so it was the perfect place to confront her. I knew what I had to do. "Do you happen to have a red tie I could borrow?"

     His proud smile graces his face as he stands up. "That's my boy. Come on, we can check my closet to see what we can find."