 | by
Ellen in Forks, Washington (I wish) |
I posted the first chapter earlier...i'm just going to post the rest.
Ebbony.
Of course, Mom is crying. I don’t get it-it was a tree. Actually, it was only the words on the tree that got covered. Why would anyone spray paint over “Avian and Kelsey”? I bet it was some weird girl who had a crush on Avian.
“How terrible! Mona will be absolutely crushed!” Mom wipes her eyes and sniffles, looking tired. We pull up to Mona’s two-story Mid-West home, feeling crumpled. I step into the gravel driveway, gasping as the hot air wipes away the feeling of air conditioning. Mona, a 40-year old woman with a dome of blond hair, is waiting on the porch, smiling. Mom completely ignores me-lugging suitcases out of the trunk-and runs to Mona, arms open. I roll my eyes as soon as Dad has turned his head. Then, the wind is knocked-out of me. Cousin Kelly is squeezing me ribs in a Western-y hug, rustling her face in my hair.
“Ebb!” She giggles. Kelly is, like, twenty something, but sometimes I think she is like five. She releases me and looks me over. I suspect I don’t look that great. My hair feels like a mat, and my jeans have a few holes. I have no idea what shirt I have on, but I don’t check.
“Hey, Kelly…” I wince, rubbing my forearm nervously. Kelly has her blond hair in a curly, Southern poof that reminds me of a Q-Tip. “So did you hear someone spray-painted on the Avian Tree?”
Kelly gasps. “No! Really?”
I don’t get why people always think you are lying to them. “Yeah. Really.” Kelly hurries over to Mom and Mona and they start buzzing about it, leaving me and Dad standing in the dust. They have formed a small, blond bob. I peek down at the drips of light brown hair that are twirling down my shoulders. Somehow, I don’t feel like joining the group.
***
Winifred Miller.
When I get back to the dorm room, my roommate Reagan is waiting for me. I forgot to trash the bottle. Shoot.
“Where have you been?” Reagan demands. She has a mother-y tone in her voice that makes me want to laugh, if I wasn’t so choked up.
“What? I was out walking.” I lie. I’m glad she can’t see my face that well in the dark.
She gives me a look. “You were out at that weird tree, weren’t you?” Her voice changes. “Oh my God did you do something to it?”
My stomach clenches. Last year, Reagan caught me hacking away at that tree. I had to lie and tell her the reason I was so mad about it was because I was in love with Avian-but Kelsey got him. Total lie, of course.
“You did!” She hisses, pulling herself out of the covers and tugging off my backpack. There’s no turning back now. She pulls out the half-full bottle of blue paint and shoves it in my face. “I cannot believe you. Avian was just a guy. You don’t have to get so heated up about it! You are so…ugh!” Reagan chucks the can and continues her painful glare. Reagan and I have been friends since I moved in. She’s in most of my classes and stuff-but I know that won’t keep her from ripping me to shreds, right here.
“You don’t get it, Rea! I didn’t have any crush on Avian-I lied to you. He wrecked Kelsey! We were only twelve, all of us, and she didn’t realize what would happen if she told people the story. You do realize that Kelsey is in a mental hospital. She’s only 20!”
“That wasn’t caused by him! She went crazy because he moved but that wasn’t his fault. It’s been eight years-you’d think she’s get over it!”
At that moment, everything stops. My heart skips a beat, and Reagan looks at me, pathetically.
“I’m so sorry, Winnie. I know she was your friend…” Reagan stops. She sits on the bottom bunk and presses her hands to her face. “ I just don’t understand. Tons of my friends have moved away…I just…”
“It was more than that, Reagan. She knew she would never, ever see him again. He had gotten the idea into her mind that if she could handle his secret-anyone could.”
“But wait-she was telling people that Avian had-“ Reagan stops. “Oh, my God. You can’t be serious.” Reagan rolls her eyes at me.
I don’t say anything else. I move to my dresser to get out the pictures.
***
Well, yeah. I'd really appricate if you'd comment. I won't finish this story, probably, because I'm working on something else. still comment. thanks.
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