Chapter V

Chapter V

          January had been waiting all summer to meet these girls but the first night with them was odd. She thought after talking to them all summer there would be no awkwardness, but there was.

          Willow was up at the crack of dawn even though her first class didn’t start until ten. Willow sat up reading. The cloth cover book she was reading was old and faded. January was pretty sure everyone in her family had read that book at least once. It reminded of the old book her grandmother owned. These felt like they were covered with cloth and the only thing written on the covers were the titles and author’s name; no pictures, no synopsis.

          January had set her alarm to go off at 8:30. Xandera had barely opened her eyes before closing them again. She had less time then Willow or January; her first class starts in thirty minutes.

          “How much coffee do ya’ll want?”

          Willow looked up. “Two should be enough for me.”

          “What about you Xandera?”

          Xandera hadn’t stirred an inch. January went ahead and poured enough coffee grounds in for ten cups.

          “We should at least get a bowl of cereal before school starts.” January had meant for Willow to respond back, but she didn’t.

          “What are you reading?”

          She lowered her book. “Anne Green gables. It belonged to my grandmother. It’s about a girl who is sent to a family who expecting a boy.”

          “Where they adopting her?” She asked.

          “Yes.”

          There was a long quiet as pour coffee into her and Willow’s travel coffee cups. “How many sibling do you have?”

          “Seven girl, including myself, and six boys.”

          “Wow your mama and daddy were busy.” January spurted out without thinking. She was sure Willow would scorn her for saying that.  Instead she sadly responded, “I guess you can say that.”

          January handed her a steaming cup of coffee. “What about their names?”

          “Addison is the oldest at 30. Then there’s Hazel. She’s 28. Dean is 25. Helene, he is 24. Elbert is 22. Holly is 21. Indy, she’s 19. Then there is me at 18. Holden, he is 16. Isaac is 14. Izzy is 11. Jacob is 8. Finally Jamie is 6.”

          January was stunned. “Normally when I hear people list that many names they are talking about kids in one class.”

          “The house was never quiet. It was a benefit to live in at a farm. There were 100 acres and cattle and chickens and fruits and vegetables.” She looked up at me and blushed. “I really should stop about myself talking now. We have twenty minutes until we have to be at class.”

          January wasn’t aware that it was so close so she left with Willow (leaving Xandera still asleep) and hardly talked to her on the way to class.

 

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          When January met Xandera’s friends she was surprised. They had the same piercing as her, dressed in black like her and all had long hair. One of the boys was cute though.

          Wearing black was as much a part of January as anything else. Also just like them she had a nose ring. The biggest difference was that they looked Goth and she looked like a crazy artist.

          “This is the sonofabiscuit that let me over sleep this morning.” Xandera placed an arm around her shoulders and smiled.

          “What was I supposed to do? I’m not your momma.” January said gigging. Despite Xandera’s smile she wasn’t sure if she should smile back.

          Xandera chuckled, “I know, I know. I wanted to pick on you.”

          “So are these your friends?”

          In front of January were three other people. There was one guy with a soul patch on his chin and his Mohawk was dyed a dull red. He was thin and looked like if someone sat on him he would break in half.

           Then there was a girl. She wore a black hoodie and torn jeans.

          All though it was the boy on the far left that caught her attention. He was beautiful. His hair was a natural reddish-blond. His beard hung thin and three inches off of his chin. His eyes looked more beautiful then the ocean. 

          “Who is that?” January whispered into Xandera’s ear.

          “Which one?”

          “The one with the beard.”

          “He’s Jared.”

          January’s heart beat a little faster. She could imagine herself becoming close to the boy. Xandera calling her name finally pulled January out of la-la land.

          “I need… to work on homework.” She really did. Her first professor gave them the homework of sketching the tree in front of the visual arts building. She wasn’t sure why the man picked that tree but she knew she had to get dinner and do that before doing anything else.

          Just as January was leaving Xandera called out, “Are you doing anything tonight?’

          “Nope.”

          “Wanna come to a party?”

          January thought about it. Her mother had warned her about college parties, but she didn’t want to live her life in fear of what can happen.

          “Sure!”

Reviews

[Tina Kline]

A very engaging chapter. I sense danger approaching with this party.

[Coyote Poetry]

A very nice chapter. The young woman are getting to know each other. Education of college life. Party and new people. A very good ending. Left a open door for the next chapter. A excellent chapter.
Coyote