My coat was draped around my body poorly and it hung down to my knees. My gloves lacked of warmth and my scarf was flying off my body. My hands grasped onto my book.
“Hey, watch it!”
“Oops, sorry,” I responded.
“Stupid girl.”
I just kept on walking, but there was something about that person I had bumped into. I just had to keep following him. I turned back and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. It was five, and I had to get home, but the man. He was just so intriguing. I put my iPod in my ears and pretended to listen to it while following the man. I sifted my thin, short body through the crowded streets.
It was right before Christmas and everyone was doing last minute shopping. I told my mother that I was too, but honestly, I just wanted to get out. I was pushing against the wind and the crowd. I could see the man’s long overcoat dangling. I haven’t seen anyone wearing an overcoat in this small town in a while, but it was surprising how many people wore different clothes. I grasped the man’s tail of the coat and yanked on it.
“Stupid girl, stay away from me,” he commanded.
I stepped back but looked at him with my deep blue eyes and said, “I’m sorry I just thought that you looked like my-.”
“Your what? Pish, I don’t want anything to do with you! Now stay away from me!”
His eyes flourished with anger, but inside that anger was just a fire burning him. I felt like I was about to cry. My tongue stung like the taste of cough syrup running down your throat. No matter how much you pinch your nose, it doesn’t go away. My eyes filled with tears. Run away was all that my mind could say. This man’s eyes were not what I had hoped for.
If you look at a person’s eyes long enough, you can pull apart a story. I do it all of the time. I leave myself open for others through my eyes, just not my words. My cell phone vibrated.
“Hello?”
“Kimberly Anne, where are you? It’s time for dinner.”
“Oh, sorry Mom, I just lost track of time. Um, can you pick me up at the corner of Peter Street and Merlin?”
“Sure I’ll be there in five.”
“Thanks Mom, bye.”
I hung up the phone. She knew that I hated when she called me Kimberly Anne. Why couldn’t she just call me Kim? Its much less syllables than Kimberly Anne. I stuck out my hand and counted the syllables. My full name has four syllables. I was bored so I turned on my iPod for real this time and not to stalk people. The song Ambrosia was on by Alesana.
I sat on a bench and watched as people walked by. My mom’s silver Volvo pulled up and I gracefully walked up to it.
“Kimberly Anne, you need to find some new friends that will take you off of books!”
“That’s what I like about them Mom. Just relax.”
“Did you even buy anything?”
“Um…no, but I did see something.”
“And what was it, how much was it, and who is it for?”
“It’s for Michelle and it was twenty bucks.”
“Was it a book?”
“No it was two.”
“Get rid of these books!”
“Mom, why can’t you just understand what books do to us?”
“Because you read the same ones over and over. I will buy you new ones if you just give me time.”
I looked out the window. Why couldn’t I just have walked home? My mother pulled into the gravel driveway. I got inside and ran upstairs to my room. I pulled my coat off and put it on the bed post. I threw my scarf and gloves on the ground near my shoes and pushed the new clean clothes off my bed. My room was a mess.
“Kimberly Anne, get down here!”
I jogged down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. I sat down at the counter and my mother told me to go get some plates and set the table.
“Um, Mom, I want to study some more. Can I take my dinner upstairs?”
“Fine, but no eating it on the bed.”
I sat down cross legged on my bean bag chair and my cat joined my. I offered him a peace of my baked ziti, but he didn’t want it.
“What’s wrong Elephant?”
I named my cat Elephant because I had nothing else to do. His real name was Tiger, but seriously, elephants are better. He sat down on my lap and I rested my plate on him. As he kneaded my knee, I picked away at my dinner. I pushed the thick slices of tomato off to the side and gathered up my dinner.
Snow began to fall outside of my window. Crap. I hated snow. I grabbed the remote control for my stereo and turned it on. I pushed my half eaten dinner on the ground and raised the volume. I picked up my book and began to read it, but I got bored. I ran my pointer finger down Elephant’s back. His purring slowed down and he quietly felt into unconsciousness. My cell phone began to vibrate.
“Hello?”
“Hey Kim, it’s me Michelle. Did you get my text?”
“Um, no. What did it say?”
“I just wanted to know if you wanted to come to my house for um… I don’t know but it’s tonight.”
“Oh, sure. What time is it at?”
“It’s at seven.”
“Who will be there?”
“Oh just Nicole, June, Ally, Colin, J Star, and Ben.”
“Okay, I’ll see you guys then.”
I hung up the phone and placed it next to me. I stroked Elephant’s back gently. I picked up my list of German numbers. (I’m learning it.) I wasn’t in the mood for that either.
I picked my phone up and dialed my home phone number. My mother, father, and brother were eating dinner, but they would let the answering machine pick up.
“Hey, it’s me, Kim. Can you drop me off at Michelle’s at seven?”
“Sure!”
I picked Elephant up and threw him around my waist. His nails dug into my sweatshirt, but he was warm against my cold body. My pink fuzzy socks warmed my small toes and I headed downstairs with a cat and a plate. I threw out the rest of my dinner and tossed the dish and fork into the sink.
“You’re not going out dressed like that!”
“Mom, you seriously think that I will go out in a short sleeve?”
My mom made a noise and I put Elephant down. My father began talking with his mouthful, but no one ever understood him. My brother laughed at the thought of me going out in the snow, but I just went behind him and swatted a bit at head.
“Mom, did you see that?!”
“Kimberly Anne, leave your brother alone.”
I hated my brother for most of the time, but sometimes when he’s really, I mean REALLY, quiet, he can be nice. His name was Sam. I called him Sammy just to make fun of him for the times he was a big asshole.
I left the dining room and went into the computer room. I opened up my screen and went on the internet. I just sat there in the giant black computer chair spinning myself. The chair stopped as it faced the window. The sky was almost pitch-black, but the beauty rested all over. The snow contrasted against the black, but the only good thing about snow was when it fell. It was so beautiful.
“Kim, are you ready to go?”
“Um, yeah Mom, just let me get my stuff.”
I hopped off the chair and ran upstairs. I picked up my scarf, gloves, jacket, and shoes. I closed the door and began to go downstairs. Shit. I forgot my beret. I got back into my room and grabbed it off the dresser. I jogged downstairs and my mom was waiting. The car engine was already started up, so we didn’t have to wait for the gas to heat up.
I slipped on my jacket and my hat and gloves were on. My shoes were half way on my feet, and my scarf was slung over my shoulder. I twisted the scarf over my left shoulder and started out the door. My feet crashed against the noisy gravel as my mother closed the back door.
We drove down the streets making constant turns. Michelle’s house was not far, but it just had a bunch of turns. The ride was silent. My mother slowed to a stop and I closed the door behind me.
“Kim!”
It’s the usual thing to do at Friday nights. Everyone comes up to you and hugs you after they stop the screen on YouTube. I went down into the basement where the television, computer, Michelle’s room, and games were.
J Star (his real name was Jason, but he had awesome hair like J Star) was hugging a Tickle Me Elmo and huddled on the couch. Two words: Salad Fingers. J Star was terrified of that damn cartoon. I looked at the computer screen and nodded.
The television was flashing with bright lights from Chowder (best show on EARTH.) Scrabble letters were tossed on the floor, obviously, someone had a spazz attack. It was most likely Ally. All noises were blocked out of my head as I observed the world around me. I stopped and the sound flashed back. There was a groggle from the television, laughter from Colin, a screech from Nicole, and other noises. I continued to listen to the screaming, otherwise, I’d be a freak. Michelle walked up to me and jumped on my back.
“Go pony, go!”
“Neigh!”
I galloped around the basement until we collapsed laughing. I was still laughing and holding myself together with my arms wrapped around my waist so that I wouldn’t explode, but it felt like something was happening, something unreal. June came and sat on my legs and Ally joined June. Nicole sat on Michelle’s legs.
“Is this some other form Chinese torture?”
They laughed and Michelle lifted herself up. Her elbows supporting her and Nicole weighing her down caused her to sit almost like a mermaid poised perfectly on a rock.
“Would you guys mind getting off, because, honestly, I don’t remember committing a crime of this torture?”
June laughed and got up.
“Ally?” I asked.
“Never!”
Nicole got off of Michelle and began to yank Ally off of me. Ally made a weird (casual for her, at least) noise as she began to kick Nicole. Nicole collapsed too, and Ally sat on her.
“Ha ha!”
Nicole sighed. J Star, Colin, and Ben were fighting over the microphones for a video game. I guess this place was a Hell Hole because there was random violence everywhere.
Michelle’s dog, Vanilla, came down and began licking my hair and face. All that I could hope for was her NOT to sit down on me. Thankfully, my wish came true. Ben jumped on Vanilla and she tackled him. Yup, I was right; this place was a Hell Hole.
Finally, the violence stopped and I stood up to pee. I walked upstairs and towards the bathroom. A fly buzzed in my path leading upstairs. Oddly, I followed it. It flew up to a door and slipped underneath. I opened the door and there was the attic. I stepped up the staircase. My hand ran along the cold rail.
Oh crap. I had to get downstairs. I went to the bathroom and flushed the toilet. I also ran some water for effects.
I flew down the stairs back to the screaming people. The real Jeffrey Steininger (J Star) was playing in the background. J Star (the famous one not the friend) liked to spell his name oddly, but it worked. He spelt it Jeffree Star. I wish I could do something like that to my name.
“Kim, you wanna’ play Buzz with us?”
I looked at June, “Um, sure.”
I was the queen at Buzz for most of the time. I had wits, a lot of wits. I looked at the clock. It was already nine twenty! We only had forty stinking minutes. The time passed by very fast while playing buzz. Michelle and I were on a team and killed everyone! We had to be the best people at Buzz in the world.
Even though we were in high school, Michelle’s parents felt that ten O’ clock was late enough for everyone to stay. My mom called me on my cell phone and told me to come outside because it was time to go home. I gathered my stuff up and headed out the door. Again, the ride was silent.
We pulled into the driveway and I jumped out. I felt restrained because of the routine I had to perform in the car every time. Sam and my dad were not home, but they would be soon. I walked up into my room and threw my stuff on my bed. I looked out of my window as the cold still blanketed the area.
