Crushed Rose Petals

As I looked beyond the lacy blue curtains at the soft light that came from the sunrise, I grew upset. I had the dream again, and I didn’t want to wake up, not now while it was better. I heard voices floating to my room and decided that I should concentrate on their conversation, it was very muddled. I tried to comprehend what they were saying, and I heard things I probably did not want to hear.

“Where’s Airmead? Honey, that boy hurt her, and now look what’s happening to her! I am afraid I will lose her, and I can’t do that.” My dad complained.

“I know but have faith. She must have time to heal and find herself again.” My mother tried reasoning with him.

I sighed. All they do was worried about me. I wished they would just stop worrying and go on with their lives. Mine was just keeping them locked up in my little trap of a life.

The bad thing about this day was that it was Valentine’s Day, and that day was the day I met him. I remember how he smiled, his eyes a deep topaz color, his golden hair, the way he looked at me. I remember when we would lay in the meadow, our secret meadow, and tell stories about our childhood, and when I told him something funny, he would smile his little perfect crooked smile. He would constantly make me breathless when he smiled. I hated holidays and this one was unbearable. Too many scenes played behind my eyelids, and they never wanted to leave. As I reached my hand to put on my forehead, hopefully to push the little scenes out of my head, I suddenly encountered something wet. Darned Tears! I promised myself that I would not cry another tear for him, no matter what happened. I sighed again and decided that I better got up before Tess came running in and screaming about today. I got up and chose out an outfit, nothing to fancy, just a good t shirt and jeans, and went to brush my teeth. When I finished, I took a risk and went downstairs to see if I had a chance at a good meal without any fussing. When I got down there, my mom, dad and sister, Tessa, was at the bar. Tessa was eating peanut butter on her toast, and Mom had a muffin with coffee, while dad was eating a bowl of Mini Wheats.

“Morning honey!” Mom exclaimed excitedly, which just made the day worst.

‘Hmph” was all I could manage on a day like this. I started rummaging through the cabinets, trying to find a bowl and some waffle mix, and then I went to the fridge to grab some fruit and milk and eggs. I trudged over to the sink and began to mix up my breakfast. Once it looked like some weird slime, I brought the bowl over to the Waffle maker, and poured enough batter to make 4 waffles. With nothing else to do, I went back to my room and worked on organizing my closet by color. When I heard the maker beep, I walked back downstairs at a nonhuman pace and snatched my waffles out. I put the leftover batter up, so anyone else could have some waffles later. I snatched the butter, syrup and peanut butter out of the fridge and cabinets and walked into the living room. Once I entered the way-too-bright-room, I settled on the couch and grabbed my book. The T.V was playing, but I could have cared less. I had no interest in the weather or a 101-year-old man’s birthday or this new tv show for kids that really wasn’t for kids. All I was interested in was whether Maven got Mare or if she kept the Newbloods like her safe. As I snagged a bite of waffle and got settled into my book, a certain someone came in the room bouncing around like her feet were jackhammers. I ignored her the best I could manage, which was hard with all her energy, until she finally stopped. Then she took to staring at me all sparkly eyed.

“What!” I growled, rising to my feet to get my bookbag.

“Nothing!” she giggled back, running to her room.

Sisters are confusing. I got my things, walked to the door, and waited for Giggles to come. She came flying down the stairs, her long skirt swishing and flying like a cape. She skidded to a stop as she neared me, almost knocking me down.

“Watch it!!!” I hissed, as she was gathering her stuff up. She looked up with an apologetic smile and stood up swiftly. “You could have killed me there!!!” I said with a smile. That seemed to lighten her mood, because she smiled back as we went out the door. We waved by to Dad, who was on his way to the fire Station, and Mom, who was on her way to the Nursing Home to help with all the patients and older people. We went to an old Pine tree that stands down the road from our house and waited for the bus. When the big yellow thing finally came into view, we walked forward to get on. Tess sits near the front, while I go to my usual seat, the main back. We don’t have assigned seats, but we all have a seat we prefer. By “we”, I mean the older kids, not the little balls of energy called elementary kids. They have no favorite seat, and literally try to sit anywhere they can, but luckily the bus driver won’t let them in the back. That means I get the whole thing to myself, other than a few other high school kids that are on this route.