Chapter 1 – A Puzzle Piece That Doesn’t Fit

I rolled my eyes as my parents bragged about my ‘perfect’ brother to their friends. I stand picking up my little sister Emily and taking her out to our back yard. “Sissy?” she said in her adorable kid tone. “Yes darling?” my voice was soft. I put her in the baby swing and started pushing her. “I miss mommy and daddy,” she sounded sad. I furrowed my brow in confusion. “What do you men Em? They are right in there.”  She looked down sadly; I knew what she meant now.

A couple of months ago, our whole family got in a terrible wreck. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit the passenger side of the car, my dad being in the driver’s seat, and my mother in the passenger seat. In the back I was behind dad, and my little sister in the middle, our oldest brother behind mom, and our other brother sitting in the back.  Our eldest brother James was killed on impact. The rest of us were only cuts and scratches, and emotional turmoil.

Ever since then, none of us has quite been the same. Emily and I grew closer. We were close before, but now that our parents zero out on their only son left we had to rely on each other. Mostly, I took care of Emily. Not that I minded, I loved the little girl with every piece of my heart. I just wish every piece of my heart was together. 

I took her from the swing and held her close to me. “I know baby,” I whispered. I was sorry, because we both knew the sad truth. Nothing would ever be the same.

***

“I’m going to a concert with Emma,” I screamed at my parents rushing out the door. Emma, oh there was no way of describing this girl. She is my best friend in the whole world, she was that one girl who was there the minute she found out about the accident, and then help me while I sobbed.  She had never let me be alone, not even with my thoughts.

“Ready to see some Pitbull?” she winked at me. I laughed, and coughed under my breath, “Eminem please.” She laughed at my comment and punched me on the arm. “We’ll see him soon, be patient.” “How can I be patient?” I gasped. “He’s the love of my life!” Emma rolled her eyes at me and laughed. “Pitbull is my love. I’m going to marry that sexy bald man!” Emma shrieked staring off into the distant.

We both busted out into laughter, barely having any air to breathe. “I don’t understand you!” I giggled out.  She winked at me jokingly as we entered the doors of the concert, “isn’t that why we’re best friends?”

***

“Why can’t you be more like your brother, nag nag nag,” I ignored my parents as they complained about my all A’s and B’s grades. Don’t they get, that I don’t want to perfect? That I just wanted to be me? I walked outside and into the woods behind my house. I sat down on the swing, starting to swing.

I closed my eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun touch my skin through the tree branches. I focused in on the feeling of spinning around, without my control. This somehow made me feel better. It made me feel like, that not all things that you can’t control are bad. It gave me hope, that someday things will be okay again.

Taking in the scent of grass, and other nature type things I let my mind wonder. Wonder on what I was going to do when I get inside, or what I’m going to write about later. Nothing really serious though, because this was that time for me when I didn’t have to worry about anything; not my parents, or family, or even the fact that…

I’m just this puzzle piece that doesn’t fit in to this family.

 

Reviews

[Jamal]

ah nice first chapter, i know the feeling of being a the black sheep of the family. i can totally relate to this character. btw can you check out my novel it's called children of the comet. thanks

[TheDarkKnight]

Amazing :)