After the Boys of Summer

Chapter 3-Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

3

I tapped gently on my little sisters door before opening it and letting myself in. She was getting to the age where she wanted her privacy, though what eight year olds needed privacy for was beyond me.

Desi was laying on her bed with her eyes closed and headphones in her ear. I took for a moment to examine my sister in her state of peace. She was exactly like my father when it came to looks and personality. Her hair was short and straight and her pretty brown eyes were surrounded by thick lashes. Like my father, she was always up to something mischievous. They were always looking for trouble or a new adventure, while I quietly watched and observed. They were game players where I was a seat warmer. They shared the same positive outlook and it shone in their eyes. Not like mine though. Mine were just filled with sadness.

She finally opened her eyes and smiled when she saw me at the foot of the bed.

“Hi Aya.” I smiled at her pronunciation of my name. When she was a baby and first learning how to speak, she couldn't pronounce the “L” in my name so Layla, became Aya. The nick name stuck and eventually my dad started calling me that too.

“Hi Desi. Mind if I lay down?” I asked loudly. She didn’t bother to remove the earbuds. She scooted over to make room and I made myself comfortable underneath the blanket. I pulled one of the earbuds out of her ear to make sure she could hear me. “Stole my iPod again?” She smirked and nodded. This girl loved music almost as much as I did. I place the loose earbud in to my ear, curious as to what she was listening to. The familiar melodic vocals of Morrissey filled my ears. “The Smiths? I’ve taught you well, young padiwan.” We continued to listen in silence until the song was over.

“I love that song.” Desi announced as she turned off the iPod.

“Me too.”

“How was work?” she asked me.

“It was fine. I was in the air conditioning all day, so it was a nice change of pace.”

“I wouldn't want to be kept inside all day. I want to be outside where I can run free.”

“You say that now but wait when it gets over 100 degrees and you’ll be begging to play inside.”

“I’ll just jump in the water.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“You couldn't do that if you're working.” I explained to her.

“Well then I’ll sneak in to the water, or I’ll find a handsome prince on the dock and ask him to take me sailing on his boat.”

I chuckled. She was such an imaginative kid, something that I definitely did not inherit. I was happy that she still maintained innocence despite everything and I loved how she still wanted to be a princess because I remember wanting the same. I would sit by my window for hours hoping for a handsome Prince to rescue me but that fantasy quickly evaporated along with all my other dreams.

“A handsome boy, huh? Why not get a boat and sail it for yourself?”

“That wouldn't be fun. I want other people to have fun with. You could come too.”

“That’s nice of you. What would I do?”

“We can take turns steering the ship and when its the handsome boys turn, we could jump in to the ocean and pretend we’re mermaids.

“Sound like you’ve thought of everything. Ok. “ I smiled down at her. “I’m in.” I held my hand out ready to shake on the plan but Desi turned her head away from me but not before I saw her somber expression.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want to be a mermaid anymore?”

“It’s not that. I heard you and mom fighting again.”