Not So Special

Two (Charlie)

Brooklyn runs downstairs as soon as we get home. I can hear her crying from the kitchen, but don't bother her. Let her get it out of her system and deal with the consequences.

I make myself another PB+J and write an email to the soccer coach explaining why I missed practice. I assume that it's a good reason, but he thinks otherwise. He replies that I can only miss one more practice and stay on the team.

Yikes.

There's a note that I didn't notice on the counter. I recognize the curly handwriting as Ren's, so I assume it's not important if they didn't just text me.

Char + Brooke

Mom and I are going to pick me up a new phone, mine broke. We'll be back by dinner (Charlie, remember to make it this time!!)

See ya, Ren

So that's why they didn't text me. I get a magnet from the bin and stick it on the fridge for Brooklyn to see when she comes up from her room, and start making dinner. We still have some leftover ground beef from yesterday, so I throw it in with some ketchup and spices.

I dance around the kitchen while grabbing ingredients. Celery, onions, brown sugar, lemon juice. It's Gran's recipe, so it has to be good.

Brooklyn comes up an hour later with puffy eyes and no makeup. "Where's Ren?" she asks quietly. I turn down the music.

"Their phone broke so they went with Mom to pick up a new one. They'll be back by dinner."

Brooklyn sits at the table, her eyes far away. "I hit someone with my car." she says slowly. "I could have killed her."

I put the hamburger buns in the toaster. "But you didn't. She just has a broken leg."

"Shattered!" Brooklyn says. "I shattered her leg because I was being stupid!" She starts to cry again and I realize that I shouldn't have said anything.

Mom and Ren walk through the back door. "Hey, what's wrong?" Mom asks. Brooklyn doesn't answer and runs down the stairs.

"She hit a girl with her car. How did you not hear?" I asked.

"My phone broke and Mom's has been glitching all day." Ren says, setting down their messenger bag on the counter. I take it and hang it on the hooks. We're going to be eating soon and I need as much room as I can get. "Does that mean y'all ditched class? This is assuming you went to the hospital."

Mom goes downstairs to calm down Brooke. "She did, and I went after school to pick her up and stayed with them until Alexa's dad came."

"Alexa is the girl she hit?" I nod. Ren runs their hands through their hair and closes their eyes. "Okay, do you have the girl's parent's number?"

"No, but if she's at school tomorrow I can get it." The buns pop and I set them on plates.

"Take Mom and Brooke's to them. Do you want to eat outside?"

"Yeah."

Brooklyn opts out of school the next day, and the next, and the next. Ren nearly makes her go on the third day, but Mom doesn't want to push her over the edge like she did in middle school. I spend the morning trying to find Alexa, but she's really good at hiding.

I finally find her in the library, looking at books on foriegn languages. I see she's holding one on Spanish and smile. Ren taught Brooklyn and I Spanish when we were little. "Are you taking a Spanish class?" I ask.

"No," she replies. She sounds angry and it's honestly so funny when short girls get mad. They look like angry little puppies and it's so cute. I wait for her to say more, but she doesn't.