Chapter 3

In this chapeter i describe Willows life at home and the emptyness of it.

Chapter 3:

Home. Have you ever said a word so many times it didn’t feel like a word anymore? I’ve done that with home. Home doesn’t feel like home any more, I don’t really think it has been since the day my parents left and never came back. I love my sister dearly…. But the word home simply doesn’t apply to this two story, sea green building standing rigid before me.

 The door swings open with a creek.  The foyer greets me soundlessly past a short hallway with a closet and a potted fern. I move forward looking at the room so many memories were born in; blue sofas sloped at odd angles, a forest smelling coffee table, tall ceilings with a drooping chandelier, and blue walls. It’s the beautiful house left to us by my parents. In addition, Alice is a great interior decorator. She plans to go to college for that someday. Someday.  In the meantime she’s stuck with me, she’s my legal guardian. Which is weird because, being 22, she is only 6 years older than me. 

The smell of garlic, Italian sausage, and soup floods my senses, I inhale deeply; Alice must have started dinner. Just another one of her many talents. I yell a greeting and turn to the stairs, ascending quickly and open the door to my room that is littered with witty posters. My room is definitely one of my favorite places next to Oliver’s house, Rhia’s pool and my tree.  The deep purple walls that barely show through the hundreds of pictures and sayings I’ve put there over the years, a single lamp with a dark shade by a bed with black and white sheets with somehow make a tree design although I haven’t made my bed in so long I’m not so sure. Yeah, I love my room.  I do a fluttery dance over that junk on my floor reaching my bed in a swift motion.  My bag hits the bed with a soft thud and I swirl over to my faithful computer.  It buzzes softly to life and I immediately open various websites and being virtually social for awhile. By now the smell of Alice’s divine dinner has seeped into my room and is becoming over-whelming. I’m lulled out of my chair and into the hallway, I make my way downstairs and into the warm, welcoming kitchen with marble counters, pots hanging from the low ceiling and a cozy television room just beyond.  Alice’s medium length crimson dyed hair bounces around her head as she twirls through the kitchen tending to the delicious items before her. I watch her test the soup and a smile spreads across full pale pink lips reaching her sparkling hazel eyes.

“Smells awesome.” I say and she gives a small start; my sister often tends to get very absorbed in her cooking and anything else she’s passionate about.

“Oh hey Willow, how was school?” She turns back to her sausage and starts flipping the pieces.

“Alright I guess, how was work?” I shrug and walk over to near where she’s standing and lean against the counter. I somewhat recently became about two inches taller than Alice, being about 5’ 7” and her 5’ 5”, so it is weird looking down at her.

“Oh, well I have to tell you, I didn’t stop moving even once! Whew, I swear it had to be one of the busiest days we’ve had all year! Ah, I’m glad it’s over now, though I know I can’t complain about it, I owe my boss so very much.”

Alice works at a small but ever popular old fashioned Diner called Nelly’s as a waitress. Without Nelly, her boss, we would probably be living on the street right now because she saved us after my parents disappeared from our lives. At the time I was 14 at the time and Nelly was a close family friend. We were both so devastated for several weeks and our lives were falling apart around us but Nelly came and cleaned us up. She gave Alice a job at the Diner and got me back in school. The job pays well and provides us with benefits. So, really, we owe Nelly our lives.

“Yea,” I agree sticking a finger in the soup and sucking the contents off my finger as it scalds the skin.

Alice smacks at my hand and says “Stop doing that, you be all pink by the time you’re my age!”

Yeah ok, she’s not very old at all. I smirk, “But it’s so goooooooood!” I know complimenting her is always a good way out of being scolded. She smiles and asks what I did today. I could tell her I fell asleep in biology and had a nightmare that sends a tremor throughout my body every time I think of it. But no.

I say, “Well, it was pretty boring,” as I finger the design on the counter, “I mostly just slept.”

I let out a laugh that sounds a bit too shaky for my tastes and Alice smiles a rosy smile at me.

“Well dreams ARE a place of wonders, but you’re supposed to be at school to learn, silly!” She prods my ribs and laughs her tinkling little laugh and smiles again. The thing about my sister is that ever since Nelly gave her that job she has been painfully cheerful about everything. It’s as if she can’t bear to be sad after the tremendous amount of sadness we bore during The Time. I can’t say I blame her. When we got the news it felt like someone had dropped the moon on me at the most unexpected moment. I never want to have to go through that again either. But she’s always happy. She didn’t even yell at me when I got caught by the cops that time me and Rhia graffitied that underpass. All she did was say “Well that’s the rebel in you for sure” with another smile.  She’s good at smiling. She always shows just enough teeth, always make her little dimples show, and usually it reaches her eyes. Usually. Sometimes they don’t. It’s those times when I know she is still suffering, still blaming herself, and still alone.

I smile back and am about to ask when she thinks dinner will be ready when there’s a scratching sound at the glass door across the kitchen. I look over to see a dog peering in expectantly. Walking over I slide the door open and scoop up the little fluffy black schnauzer waiting there.

“Well hey Gargoyle!” I say tickling his belly. Gargoyle has been my dog for 6 years now; I got him for my tenth birthday. He’s my comic relief.

He abruptly sneezes onto my face and squirms to be put down. I obey and wipe my face with a paper towel. Alice laughs as he prances around my feet to be picked up again. I sigh and pick him up only to set on his part of the couch where he sits staring at the sausage in the pan.

“Can I give him one?” I ask, knowing Alice can’t say no to him any more than I can.

“Well alright,” she says reluctantly but there’s a glimmer of humor in her eyes and she plucks one out with the tongs and drops it to the floor where Gargoyle proceeds to gulp it down grease and all.

A few minutes later we sit down at the oak table that still holds four chairs and eat mostly in silence.

After dinner I say goodnight to Alice who echoes me and plops down on the couch to fold laundry and watch her favorite soap opera. I grab Gargoyle and scurry up to my room with my current read. Normally I’d sneak to go do something with one of my friends or hang at a party but tonight sleep calls strongly. I put Gargoyle on my bed and start my routine for sleep. Turn electronics off. Shower. Brush teeth. Take contacts out. Put on fluffy black pajamas with white skulls on them. And dive into bed before the monsters attack. That one’s something my dad always said to get me in bed. Old habits die hard.  I slip my glasses on and open my book while the dog curls up next to my head. Soon the pages begin to blur and I keep forgetting what I’ve read, my hand starts to lower the book to my lap and my eyes beckon my eyelids to shut. Then I’m asleep.

Reviews

[Jose Ramirez]

JUST finished and it was amazing! it made me really think haha keep writing and ill talk to you tomorrow

[PossiblyAlice]

*heart!