Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Fourteen

 

By my third year of college, I knew one section of the campus like the back of my hand. When I was running on twenty minutes of sleep, or seven hours, I could maneuver myself round the campus to my classes. Life evolved for me. I made new friends. I learned life lessons that I hoped to pass on one day. And I even experienced some of the things my mother did when she was in school:

Ramen noodle shortages;

a lack of quarters for laundry;

and the amazing feeling of coming back home for weekend, just to snuggle up in my bed.

I found myself embracing many new things, like staying up ridiculously late just to talk to someone. Even Dani was surprised despite this habit formed almost two years ago.

“You’re going out again?” Dani asked, brushing her long, and now green, hair. “Does that mean I can have Saul over without you moaning and groaning?”

“You do whatever you want, my friend,” I smirked, scooping my bag up off the floor and slinking it over my shoulder.

“Is it Sabin?” Dani asked before I made it out of our dorm.

My smile was all that was needed.

Yes, it was indeed Sabin. It was funny how it happened, really. We met the first week of school when I was a freshman. I didn’t realize it until we actually started talking much later. He had to point it out to me that he was the one who handed me a bottle of water to drink when I got a bit too tipsy at my first college party. After that moment, we had made our nightly coffee sessions a tradition. Sometimes he wasn’t there, but sometimes he was. I tried to focus on those days more than those where he wasn’t there.

When I got to the cafe, I quickly ordered my drink and made my way to what I deemed as “my table”. It was only because I sat there every night.

“9 o’clock on the dot,” the man behind me chuckled. “I think that’s what they call an addiction.”

“Poking fun at my need for coffee?” I chuckled as the man’s own cackle carried around me and ended up before me. “You’re one to talk. You’re up now and till god knows when. And–” I said, pointing this his full hands, “ I see you’re basically double-timing your intake.”

Sabin rolled his eyes and placed one of the cups on my side before sitting down. “I didn’t know if you got yours yet, so I went ahead and got you a cup.”

My eyes widened. “W-wow, thanks.”

I saw Sabin’s lip twitch upward. His sheepish smirk was electric—sure made the hairs on my arm stand tall.

“Now, don’t drink all of it at once, kay? I need you around tonight. Haven’t seen you the last few days and I was hoping to catch up.”

“I should be saying that line,” I mentioned, leaning forward. “Everything okay? You didn’t even really text me about it…”

Sabin’s brow furrowed. Somehow I felt I shouldn’t have said anything, but he leaned back in his seat, letting the cushion absorb him. “I’m sorry about that, but I just didn’t feel well enough to keep you company. Wouldn’t have been fun for you.”

“Did ya catch a cold?” I asked. God, I wanted something more out of him than apologies. We were really starting to get close. We started sharing things, but the closer we got, the sooner Sabin would cut off our personal chats.

“No I—look, Alma, it’s okay.” He bowed his head and smiled, only slightly, but smiled nonetheless when I nudged his foot with mine. “I’m better today.”

“And I’m happy to hear that. So what do ya wanna tal–”

“Can I take you out this weekend?”

I was happy that my mouth wasn’t full of coffee and that I wasn’t even holding the cup, because when Sabin spoke, I thought I was going to soon find Otto, his roommate with a camera in my face—screaming “HAH! GOTCHA!” I didn’t respond to Sabin immediately and I knew the pause was killing him, but I was taken back. Can’t blame me, right? He doesn’t show up for days, then just blurts out he wants to take me out? Like, wait…

“Like, on a date? O-or,” I quickly tried to come up with an alternative, but nope, I was blanking.

He nodded. “Like, a date.”

I was still quiet, feeling my body tense up to the point even the softest peep out of a chair screeching against the wood floor, or even someone clearing their throat would sound loudly, but Sabin’s soft chuckle soon alerted me of him and him alone.

“Your cheeks are so red,” he whispered tauntingly. “Does that mean we can try this?”

“T-try?” I smirked while I tried my best to have the color in my face stop concentrating on my cheeks.

“Something other than coffee for a change,” Sabin responded.

“Yeah…” As if there was anything else I could say when the thought of talking with him about nonsense had me looking forward to my evenings. “I think I could give up coffee for a night.”

***

The rest of our night was spent talking as if nothing happened. We went about our night touching up on subjects of new movies, new park attractions at the amusement park twenty miles from the school, and very rarely did we acknowledge the fact that our eyes lingered on each other longer than usual. Now it didn’t seem so innocent anymore. Now there was purpose.

“So, hold on,” Dani sat on her heels as I relayed what happened that night with Sabin. “Seriously? You’re finally going out with him? Girl, I thought you two were already getting down and dirty and you just weren’t telling me…”

“Yeaaaah, I wouldn’t do that.” I said softly. I never really felt the things that Dani did.

She clicked her tongue and hugged her pillow. She understood how I felt, but she still clicked her tongue and winked at me. “Yeah, I know. I’d be able to tell immediately. Wells, I can read you like a book.”

I shrugged.

I laid in bed that night, staring at the cream-colored ceiling. There were many nights spent wondering about what just happened and if it would ever become a reality. Some nights I’d lose sleep over silly things that he’d say, because I’d want to dig into some hidden-meaning when there really was none. But tonight? Tonight there was something to be analyzed.

Sabin felt something and that something went beyond me just being a friend he killed time with because he couldn’t sleep.

[Author’s Note: Yes, I am aware that there aren’t any pictures in this chapter. I’m currently finishing up my semester at school and loading the game to get a few pictures that eventually just crash my game is a bit much to deal with when I have 4 chapters (even if a bit shorter than usual) to post. I think 4 months is long enough to be on a hiatus.]

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Thirteen

Life at home was rather crazy, and even now that I was back at school I could feel the lingering presence of sadness. Before coming back we had Grandpa Grey’s funeral. It was a long week that I had to watch Dad struggle with the hope that there was a way out of a coma. In reality, that coma was what was keeping Grandpa Grey still with us. It was truly upsetting, and I felt horrible that I couldn’t be the most comforting person in the family. Mom was good at being there for Dad and for everyone who came to say their goodbyes. She asked me many times if I was okay, because I hadn’t cried. My expression faded and lost all trace of happiness, anger, and even sadness. I felt incredibly numb, but I–I just didn’t know what to do in such a situation. I never had to face such a situation where I almost lost someone. Well, not at an age where I actually understood what was happening.

But as expected, life keeps moving forward. There is no way to pause anything. Dani had heard about what happened over my holiday, so she kept her questions to a minimum the moment she saw my body tense up. She was like my sister. She could read me like a book.

“Did you want to hang out tonight?” Dani asked, flinging her backpack onto the foot of her bed. “I’m done with classes for the day!”

I was happy that she offered, but the reality was that I had to actually study for my horticulture classes. With a foggy mind, I knew I couldn’t pass any of my classes without putting in extra hours with my books, and well, with my plants as well. “Maybe another day? Maybe you can spend some time with Saul? I’m sure he missed you over break.”

She opened her mouth quickly before shutting it again. She changed her mind. Dani bobbed her head. “But next time, please let’s hang out. I feel like I’m not getting nearly enough one on one time with you. And you know I’m here if you want to talk, right?”

“Yeah, Dani. I know,” I smiled, picking up my bag to head out. “Thank you,again.”

The day was coming to an end, but that didn’t really affect me. That was mainly because sleep wasn’t treating me all that well, so I made the best of it by loading up with my favorite tea late and spent most of my time at the college cafe. I actually got a lot of my homework done that way.

You could say that I was a bit of an insomniac at school. My productivity was at its highest outside of my dorm and between the hours of midnight and 4 in the morning. I was lucky that semester, because the majority of my classes weren’t until 1 in the afternoon, which gave me some time to actually get a good nights sleep after powering through my studies.

 

***

“Alma, thought you wouldn’t make it tonight,” the barista said. “Green tea late?’

I took the warm cup from the barista and dragged my feet to the back of the café. Tonight there was a small group of people studying, but no other special events. The ethereal sound of Soren Juul occupied the air.

Days passed like that.

I lost track of what was happening outside of my school work. Getting ahead on my homework and taking on extra projects mainly to help myself became almost cathartic.

Thinking of my grandfather and of my father became easier with each month, but I still stayed at the café each night.

I loved the solitude that I found in a busy space.

Before I knew it, months had passed, and like clockwork I’d make my way to the café. By that point I only had to slip the barista money and my order would be waiting for me.

It was the middle of April when I heard the chair behind me screech like a fork against a porcelain plate. Even if it was annoying, I did my best not to turn around. I was sure the person who caused it didn’t want any additional attention drawn to them.

Then it squeaked again, so I had to turn around except that the person was no longer in their seat, but standing in front of me. Being seated didn’t help, because the guy was tall. Like, very all. I craned my neck up to look at him.

He was lean with facial features that could help distinguish him from others. His cheek had a discolored line that trailed down his cheek and his cheeks were decorated lightly with freckles of different shades of brown. I looked at him as if I had seen him before. The hair was different, but the blue tint was like a blurred memory.

“What’s up?” I finally said. As those words left my lips, I remembered. I remembered the hair, but it wasn’t until his lips parted lightly to show half his teeth that I knew exactly who he was. All that was missing from his hands was a plastic bottle of water. Instead he had a steaming drink in each hand. “Ah….hello there.”

His face appeared to be tense, knotted with some form of anxiety. I only knew because I saw that look in the mirror every morning when I rushed to get ready for my classes.

“Don’t know if you remember me…,” he said.

“Oh,” I chuckled, “I remember.”

His name was Sabin.

Sabin and I talked till six in the morning that night, which normally wasn’t easy for me with people outside of my family, unless it was Dani. We didn’t seem to run out of things to talk about, but I admit that the majority of our conversation ended up with him bringing up the party where we first “unofficially” met.

Sabin continued to laugh heartily until he covered his mouth to cough. “You know,” he said breathlessly, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you for months.”

“What?” I asked suddenly stopping mid-bite of my stale croissant.

“I saw you here a few months ago. You seemed really down, but I didn’t want to be some random guy walking up to you ask if you were okay…”

I didn’t know which night in particular, but I knew it had to have been not long after the funeral. My life was all sorts of crazy then. The café served as one of the few places I could escape to.

“Well, you’re certainly not a random guy anymore,” I smiled. “Now I’ll actually remember your name instead of a partially blurry face.”

He chuckled.

I was so drawn into the conversation that I barely noticed that the baristas changed. The morning girl was there, Aimee.

“Oh my god! What time is it?”

Sabin stopped and glanced at his cell phone. “Oh wow…”

I quickly stuffed my notebooks and laptop back into my bag while Sabin sat without flinching. He simply watched me. I had to stop for a moment to glance over at the barista then back at him. “Why don’t we make a little routine out of this?”

“Routine?” He said with a smile.

“Yeah. I’m here every night. And if you’re around, then let’s talk…,” I bowed my head. “I could use more talks like this.”

Sabin bobbed his head and got up as I did. “Yeah…I’d like that, too.”

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Twelve

So much of life passes us by in a single blink of an eye.

You don’t think much of it until you’re struggling to grasp each second as it begins to slip past your fingers, like sand…

We arrived at the house not long after we originally promised. Oren and Jax were still young enough to have the excuse of their bladders not being strong enough to withstand a few hour drive. Our slight tardiness, however, did not mean that we weren’t welcomed with open arms.

“You’re here!” Aunt Arecia exclaimed. She practically busted down the door and ran to us just to be the first one to wrap her arms around all of us. “I sure hope you found this place alright. I know we’re a little secluded.”

Mom assured her that everything was fine and that our tardiness was not the fault of our GPS failing. In fact, at some point during our trip we were actually able to outsmart it!

When we walked inside the house, I finally saw the holiday decorations. Lights and festive garlands decorated the already rustic atmosphere of the house. To be honest, this house was perfect for the holidays and everyone seemed to agree. If someone was lacking the holiday spirit, then all they would have to do is step inside Aunt Arecia’s home to immediately be embraced with the fuzzy feeling of Christmas.

“Is that my baby, I hear?” It was Grandma who came from the kitchen once we were all filing inside. Mom was right! Our grandparents were here, and I couldn’t wait to tell her about my time away at school. Grandma looked amazing for her age. In fact, she was one of the few people, aside from Grandpa Grey, who rocked a cane. I mean, she had quite a swagger to her walk!

I wanted to just right into my conversation with her, but I was going to hold myself back until after dinner, or at least right before it. We were only getting warmed up, and some of us weren’t even in the house yet. Kaden was running back and forth with Dad, bringing in all the presents we had for everyone. I was really beginning to feel the holiday spirit when all I could see were the smiling faces of my family. I mean, even at this point in my life, and even Mom’s–people who we used to see every day, or at least once a week, were only seen a few times a year. It was a no-brainer that life got pretty crazy. I suppose this was a good example of importance of “stopping to smell the roses”. The older I got, the more harder I tried to appreciate that thought.

“U-um,” Madelyn yelped. No one seemed to notice it at first, until I gave my Mom a tap on the arm. My younger cousin looked both horrified and confused.

“What’s going on, sweetie?” Mom asked, suddenly raising her hand, to pause the conversation she was part of.

The poor girl was speechless as she continuously pointed back to the kitchen and in no time everyone was rushing to see what was happening. We all made it there quickly only to find Grandpa Crescendo on the ground with  Grandpa Grey, laying on the wood floor. Everyone gathered around them–my cousins, my uncles, my friends–they all stared in disbelief as our grandfather was working on keeping  Grandpa Grey’s head from hitting the hard ground. Past me came my dad, and his reaction was one that sent the entire moment into a slow motion montage. I loved my dad more than words could ever possibly express, and there was never truly a time that I saw him look more scared than he did at that very moment.

Mom was right beside him within moments as she quickly instructed me to dial for an ambulance. I did that without thinking twice.

“911 what is your emergency?” The operator asked.

“My grandfather collapsed; he’s unresponsive…”

 

The flickering red and blue lights blurred the holidays lights. Despite the beautiful decorations in my Aunt’s house, the feel of solemness couldn’t be taken away. My dad was shaken. Mom was doing her best to console him, but even then it was difficult to watch, because all my life I saw my Dad as the true pillar of strength in our family. When Mom was stressed, he helped her fight back and regain her strength. Now, it was her that was working on being there for him. I loved him, but seeing him like that–I was afraid to step closer. That was how I was stuck with babysitting duty along with my brother.

“When will we go home?” Jax moaned.

“Is Grandpa G going to come back for story time?” Oren pouted, squeezing my arm tightly.

I didn’t know what to say.

Oren and Jax were huddled under my arms. Their spirit was dimmed, and it had occurred to me that this was the first time they were in the hospital for something like this.  This wasn’t the Christmas they were picturing in their mind. Normally around this time we would be seated around the holiday table and often everyone would be moving onto second helpings of delicious holiday food. I made eye contact with Mom from time to time while she remained with her arm on or around Dad’s shoulder. Then when I wasn’t around to get Mom another cup of water for Dad, or snacks for the kids, Grandma Attie and Grandpa ‘Scend were cruising around the waiting room asking to provide the same thing.

“How are things at school?”

I looked at my grandmother and I couldn’t think of what she was saying. I saw her lips moving, but nothing was registering. “W-what?” Did she seriously ask that?

“I-I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized before taking a seat beside me. “I was never good at hospitals. I’ve been in so many in my life, and rarely was it a good time.” She exhaled softly and rubbed her head. “I don’t know what to say, truly–gosh, I was just hoping to maybe change the subject. You’ve been sitting here so quietly–are you alright..?”

I couldn’t answer Grandma’s questions when even I didn’t know the answer to that. How was I to know how to respond. I saw my father cry for the first time yet there I was without a single hint of moisture in my eye.

Grandpa walked to us and placed his hand on Grandma’s shoulder. “Have you heard anything?”

I shook my head. Grandma did too.

It was Christmas Eve in a hospital. As happy as the holiday was generally assumed to be, there were high spikes in attendance during the holidays too. As upsetting as it was, it was the unfortunate truth. I didn’t know what to say to my grandparents, but talking about school was just something that I couldn’t do. It didn’t seem right, you know? We were all huddled on the uncomfortable seats in the waiting room long enough that Grandpa ‘Scend offered to take the younger kids back to Aunt Arecia’s place. Mom agreed that it was a much better idea for them to be there while we waited for any news on Grandpa Grey. I was asked if I wanted to go back as well, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave my parents.

As the waiting room slowly vacated, a middle aged man with his blond hair slicked to the side walked out the door with a clipboard in his hand.

“Cateo Saunders?” He asked like a professor taking attendance.

Dad quickly got up from his seat and walked to the doctor. It was then that I saw how heavy his eyes looked. “C-C-Cateo Saunders. Y-yeah. I’m uh, that’s me. My last name changed, but yeah, I’m Grey’s son. How’s he doing, Doctor?”

You know those moments in movies when someone receives bad news and all of a sudden all dialogue fades and all you see if the gestures while emotional  music plays? Well, this was nothing like it. This was nothing like that at all. The waiting room wasn’t quiet at all. Coughing patients occasionally walked by and nurses pushed wheelchairs, but even then I could see my father’s face lose all expression that even held a smidge of hope.

“I’m sorry, Doctor,” Mom said, stepping to Dad with her arm immediately around him. “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Saunders has suffered a severe stroke.” He quickly looked over his notes on his clipboard and rubbed his head. “It is to no surprise, I am sure, that Mr. Saunders is very old.”

“But I’ve known people who’ve had strokes and they’re fine! I’ve even seen them with some facial paralysis, but they were still alive and well as they could be for many years!” Dad suddenly exclaimed before being pulled back by Mom. He was clutching his head; I couldn’t even think of how horrible he must have felt. I never really knew what it felt like to lose someone, and seeing the way Dad was reacting had me wishing to never feel it. If I were in his shoes at that moment, I wouldn’t be able to take it. Grandpa Grey was Dad’s father. He was all he had left since his mom passed away when he was much younger. This wasn’t fair. Grandpa Grey still had so much life left. This couldn’t have been it for him.

The doctor bowed his head and ushered for Mom and Dad to follow him down a hallway where I felt they were keeping Grandpa. I quickly shot up from my seat only for my uncle, Mattieu, to help settle me down.

“There’s nothing we can do right now, but just wait.”

Waiting was the worst part, because we couldn’t do anything. We didn’t know what was happening, and we definitely had no medical knowledge to know how to help him, to help anyone in our situation right now.

How does one help others deal with grief when they don’t know how to grieve themselves?

I felt so useless in a time when I knew my family needed each other the most.

~

Grandpa Grey was brought home to us for the finals days that he had left. Being that he was so up in age, Grandpa was kept in a coma, which was essentially the best way that doctors could alleviate the pressure on Grandpa’s brain. The doctor mentioned doing everything to help make things easier, however any additional operations wouldn’t have  aided him. Despite there not being many days left, Dad didn’t want Grandpa to be stuck in a hospital that lacked the feel of true comfort. It was a sterile environment without a single hint of home. So after renting out all the medical equipment required to sustain Grandpa, he was brought home for his final days, which would be spent with family.

Our holiday was cut short due to the obvious circumstances, but Mom never failed to try bringing some brightness to our days, even to Dad who very rarely left Grandpa Grey’s side. Even though he was comatose, Dad believed that his dad sensed his presence, and didn’t want him to think that his only son was celebrating during a time of great struggle for the family. As hard as Mom tried, it was the simple reality that our holiday wasn’t going to magically turn into an amazing celebration. To me it made sense and I understood completely, but Mom definitely had to spend some more time with my younger siblings, the twins specifically, to explain to them why we weren’t going sledding, or allowed to play with their new toys around Grandpa Grey.

Grandpa Grey was taken care of very well in his final days, but even so, his time had come in the early morning with no pain or discomfort. It was as we were told: he simply drifted deeper into a sleep that freed him of any pain.

~

“Is Dad going to be okay?” I asked, keeping my head bowed in some poor attempt to muffle my voice enough for Dad not to hear me. He was sitting outside the church just beside the cemetery where Grandpa’s funeral was. Everything happened so quickly, like dominos collapsing into a pile of active dynamite. There was no slowing it down, no stopping to smell the roses. A life had ended and the aftershock was finally hitting those around us. Friends and family were sending their condolences and yet there I still was–unsure of how to respond.

Mom sighed, the fatigue she felt was underlined clearly by the bags under her eyes. “I don’t think so, sweetie,” she responded.

That was a stupid question, really. How could anyone who lost their parent be okay?

“So you’re heading back to school soon?” Mom asked, doing her best to stray from other topics, mainly ones that were unfolding behind us. “Is Dani going to be back yet?”

I shrugged. “No, but I figured I’d go get my stuff setup again. I have some stuff to review before my classes start up again.” Every word that left me felt like complete and utter bullshit. I felt pathetic, and frankly pretty shitty because I didn’t know what to do anymore.  “Will you let me know if you need anything? I’m only a short flight away,” I mentioned. I wasn’t good at coming up with the right thing to say in that situation, but I needed them to know that if they needed anything, I’d be there in the blink of an eye. Even if it meant having to take time off from school to help–I needed them to know I’d do that.

Taking a quick look at Dad, Mom smiled as heartily as she could. “I think we’ll be okay. In time it will get easier. I think we just–your father especially–need some time to process and grieve properly. I’ll be staying with him and working out any legal things that are left on Grandpa’s will.”

I stepped back, but before I could walk away to catch the taxi I had called to take me home and then to the airport, I forced myself to walk to Dad. The closer I got the more clearly I could see his discomfort. Dad was lost and he needed us. There wasn’t anything that I could think to say, except for that I was sorry. He had nothing to say in return, but he pulled me into a hug. His arms were trembling, but he was still so strong.

We knew we would make it through. Maybe not in the next few hours, or even the next few weeks, but in time we would.

And I would be there every step of the way.

~

[Author’s Note: Hey, guys! Thank you for reading!! And thanks for being so patient. This was supposed to be out last night, however, my game is just a pain in the butt right now. This explains why the post isn’t FULL of pictures from start to finish. When a game takes about 10 min. to start up and crashes constantly…well, it’s a little annoying. I really don’t have the time for that to be happening every time I play, especially since I have a full school schedule AND work. So I think I should say that posts won’t be too frequent while I work on figuring out what to do with this. This doesn’t mean I’m done posting–I just ned to redo some stuff in my game to hopefully make it run better.

Thanks for your understanding!

xOlga]

 

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Eleven

Winter break for college students meant that finals were finally over and it was time to sit back, relax, and go back home to spend the month with family. I was eager to go back home since I hadn’t seen my family much since the beginning of the school year. I knew I missed a lot, because each time I would call or Skype with my mom, she would fill me in on all the different happenings in St. Claire. Now I had an opportunity to be part of these moments rather than just hearing about them through the grapevine.

My semester concluded with average grades. Well, three B’s and one A’, which to me wasn’t as well as I knew I could do. There was always next semester to really kick butt. Dani was in the same boat as I was, however her sorrow did not come from having average grades but rather knowing that she would be leaving Saul for a good month. Unless they would find a time to meet up over break, which as romantic as it sounded was close to impossible being that Saul’s family lived in Washington and we were all the way on the other side of the country.

“I’m going to miss that big goof,” Dani sniffled in the taxi that was bringing us home from the airport.

“Aren’t you going to Skype and stuff?” I asked.

“Well,yeah, but you know that it’s not the same.”

I was going to say something about it being a good way to stay in touch over long distances and periods of time, but I knew that it wasn’t the communication that she was talking about, but rather the physical aspect of her relationship with him.

“Ah well,” I cleared my throat and gave her a pat on the back. “The Holidays will be over before ya know it. Then you’ll be able to get back to him.”

While Dani’s mind was elsewhere, I looked out the window as the suburban area of St. Claire finally came into view. One by one, we drove by all the decorated houses. I always loved the holiday lights. All the bright colors illuminated the front lawns and even if the town was behind on getting an adequate amount of snowfall for that time of year, the feel of the holidays was apparent.

I said goodbye to Dani once we made it to my house and as the taxi drove down the street with my friend, I stopped to gaze upon my home. Bright lights were hung up along the roof and festive decorations were set out on the lawn. It had been quite some time since I saw that lawn, and it felt like it was ages since I saw those decorations. Not wasting another moment, I threw my bag over my shoulder and pulled my suitcase behind me until I got to the door.

The door swung open and I was nearly tackled to the ground by my twin brothers. Holy smokes! Those little rascals were not so little anymore and their excitement to see me was truly appreciated.

I ruffled their hair with the palm of my hand and laughed only to end up coughing due to the cold. “I take it you missed me?”

“Yes! So much! Caius sleeps in your room all the time now! Old kitty!” Oren exclaimed while Jax huffed and puffed—trying his best to climb on top of us.

I smiled at the thought of Mom’s cat sleeping in my room. Caius had been with us for such a long time now, and even though I knew that he probably wouldn’t be around forever, it was nice that he was able to be around for everyone through all the years. We didn’t know how that cat was still going so strong, but who knew, maybe we had a super strong cat.

Unfortunately I knew the same couldn’t be said for poor Angelo, who had “run away to join his bandit brothers”. At least that’s what Mom wanted the twins to think. Normally she would tell us the truth, but over the years it had appeared that she had softened up a lot more. Well, for the sake of the holidays and the happiness of my brothers, I didn’t say a word about poor Angelo.

“Thought I heard someone over here,” Dad said, walking through the doorway and straight towards me so he could embrace me. “Aw, pumpkin, good to see you. Was your flight alright?”

“Yeah. It was just fine!”

Before long everyone had come downstairs to greet me. I swore we were catching up more much before I even unpacked! My brother was maturing before my eyes and I admit I now had to take back any mocking comment I ever made about his facial hair looking like peach fuzz! Then there was Mom. She looked just as beautiful as ever. I was praying to take after her when I got older, then again I wouldn’t mind if I was more like Dad. I was pretty blessed with two parents who were aging like fine wine! Dang!

As much as I wanted to stay up with all of them and catch up, I knew that I wouldn’t last. The flight from school tired me out and the not so smooth ride in the taxi didn’t help either. I was ready to hit the hay in my own bed, in my own room. Tomorrow would be a day for catching up and reminiscing—a true Wells holiday tradition.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

After a quick rub, my vision was finally clearing up to see that Mom was moving my curtains away from the windows. “W-what time is it?”

“Sorry to break it to you, but it’s almost nine. I figured I’d wake you so you can come eat some breakfast.”

I yawned as I sat up. “Who’s going to be here this year?”

It was rather funny. There was once a time when we spent the holidays together. All of us. That meant including all of my aunt’s and uncle’s, but now that everyone was starting families and moving away for jobs and overall better opportunities, such large family gatherings were becoming rare. Grandma and Grandpa were still there, so that was such a special treat for everyone. I couldn’t want to tell my grandparents about school. They were always such a great support when I talked to them about what it was I wanted to do with my life. On more than one occasion, Granny Attie helped talked me out of reconsidering my goals.

“Your grandparents, of course. They’re excited to see you,” Mom admitted as she moved to sit at the edge of my bed. “Aunt Arecia and her sons, and of course your Grandpa Greyson.”

“Really? It’s a for sure thing for Grandpa G?!” I exclaimed. Grandpa Grey was getting up in age, so his visits weren’t quite as frequent. He lived in a retirement home in Hidden Springs, so traveling was a bit much for him often times, but when he was able to visit us it was definitely a great time!

“You bet,” Mom smiled, “know what’s even more exciting?” She added and didn’t bother waiting for my reply. “We’re not hosting this year. Aunt Arecia really wanted full reign of Christmas Eve. Shuyin says he’s pretty excited. They’ve been cooking and baking for a while.”

“Auntie Arecia? Really?” I couldn’t help smiling. “She sure sounds like she’s full of energy.”

Mom nodded. “Yeah…she’s in remission, sweet girl. Her treatment went according to plan and she’s been fighting so hard. You know, Alma,” she said, getting up from the bed, “you come from a line of really strong women. Maybe I’m not up there with the rest of them, or at least as high, but when I look at you and your siblings, I know that I did something right in my life. So if you’re every feeling down know that it’s in your blood to overcome even the shittiest of situations.”

“Thanks for the motivational pep talk,” I smirked.

“Hey—it’s all part of the job description, okay?”

Oh, it definitely was. If I had any intention of being like my Mom, I had to start memorizing her format for these lectures. No child of mine would  ever go without knowing they come from a line of fierce women!

I got out of bed not long after my chat with Mom. As much as I wanted to sleep the day away, it was Christmas Eve and I was not going to pass up a once a year opportunity to feast on Mom’s gingerbread waffles. It would be sinful! Downstairs, utensils were clanking against plates and my brothers were in the middle of a debate about a new show that they were obsessed with. It wouldn’t be long, I thought. Oren and Jax often wasted little time in dragging me into their little fandoms.

“Alma! Alma! Good, you’re up! You can help settle a debate!” Jax shouted with half a bite of waffle in his mouth.

“Don’t listen to him!” Oren pouted. “Captain America will survive! He can’t die!”

Once again Jax finished chewing his food and raised his fork up in the air. “Yeah, right! I don’t think so! He’s going up against Iron Man for creating the Ultron program! I’d be angry!”

“They’re a team!” Oren shot back.

“Not anymore!” Jax hollered.

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh!”

The back and forth banter of my siblings had me look past them to the end of the table where Kaden shrugged. “They got a hold of my Civil War comic.”

That. Explained. Everything.

Mom turned away from the counter with another plate of waffles. “Alrighty, settle down everyone. Captain America and all his buddies will be just fine. Let’s enjoy our breakfast before we have to really scramble and get ready. Aunt Arecia would like us at her house at five. And knowing us, we’ll have to leave extra early, okay? It’s going to be a long drive.”

Dad came in sipping his coffee before he joined us at the table. “Which is why we’re all starting early with our coffee, right, kitten?” He paused for a moment, long enough to see Mom bob her head before speaking again. “This is nice,” he said. “It’s been a while since everyone was present around the table.”

That I could definitely agree with. For many months the closest that I got to have a family dinner was sitting across from Dani in the dorm’s dining room, while scarfing down a bowl of ramen noodles. So, being home was nice. Eating food that wasn’t full of chemicals and whatever else it had, was even better….

“Are you happy to be back home?” Dad asked, finally sampling Mom’s breakfast. “Sure hasn’t been the same without you around,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, it’s definitely nice to be able to sleep in my own bed. Super comfy. Finally.” I answered.

“Have you met anyone new?” Mom asked, only I knew in her cheeky tone that she wasn’t asking about friends, but boys.

“Hey! HEY!” Dad hollered, pointing his fork with a waffled skewered onto it at Mom. “S-she’s in school to learn, ya know! She doesn’t need some boy right now! Right, baby girl?”

I laughed at his sudden protective response, but I shrugged. I thought back to the first party we attended, and then some of the others, but all that time no one really caught my attention. I really found no reason to go out and look when I had Dani to fill me in on all her romantic happenings. After hearing all of that, I just went about my own business. So, to calm down my Dad, and sadly disappoint my mother, I shrugged.

“Nah, I haven’t. I’ve been keeping to myself for now…”

And even as I said those words, I came to wonder if my entire college career would be just that…”keeping to myself”. I tried not to think about it too much, because there were better things to think about at that moment, like if I could manage fitting another gingerbread waffle into my stomach. Which I did, actually. With a few pauses.

“OKAY! Wells family, let’s get these dishes cleaned up,” Mom exclaimed after we finished eating, and giving Dad a playful smack on the arm. “Time to shower, get dressed, and head out! Our Holiday is just about to begin!”

 

 

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Ten

Three months into my first year away at school and my desk was already littered with papers that needed to be proofread, turned in, and filed away. It was to be expected that we were going to be swamped with homework, but the reality always seemed much more intense than the expectations.

I heard Dani groan from her bed as her alarm beeped right on time: ten minutes before her philosophy lecture that evening. Our schedules aligned in such a way that while I was done with class, she was still stuck in lectures, and vice versa.

“It’s too late to listen to a professor ramble on about ancient philosophies.” She rolled her eyes and reached into the cardboard box on her desk, pulling out a granola bar. “Snooze fest. What will you be doing?”

“Um,” I smiled and turned away from my computer screen. “Well, why don’t you come by and take a peek?”

 

 

She did just that and her face immediately lit up at the sight of Gia’s face on the screen. We both managed to have a free moment, so we simply had to Skype.

“Oh my god. I’d freaking skip this lecture and get in on this conversation, but I really need to ace this next test otherwise my Mom will probably smack me upside the head and never let me forget that they’re paying for school.”

“Understood,” Gia laughed. “Kick some ass, Dani, and text me later! We have to catch up!”

Gia was studying at a university in California, which was exactly what it sounded like. It was sunny, it was refreshing, but after all, it was still a university. It wasn’t a vacation. She was studying psychology and was already in the middle of picking out which school she wanted to continue with when she had to get her work experience in the form of research projects. That would probably involve using her fellow classmates as guinea pigs in studies about anxiety and depression when course workload increased. She laughed about that for a bit, however she leaned in close to the camera, so her face magnified.

“So, you—what about you? How are things going for you?”

Those questions could mean many things, but if I knew anything about my friends, then I knew it wasn’t a question regarding how my studies were going. What Gia was asking about was my personal life, also deemed my “desert-like love life”. It’s not like I was upset about that. My nose was buried in my books and as far as I was concerned, the only evening companion that I needed was in the form of a thick business textbook. I wasn’t really focused on relationships and I wasn’t concerned that nothing was happening in that department. Hey, if I was supposed to meet someone while away at school, then it would happen eventually, right? Well, I liked to think so.

“Just doin’ my own thing,” I said. “Ya know, studying!” While Gia rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at the screen I took a moment to look at her background, which I finally found the right moment to comment on. “Well, if you’re looking for some juicy stories, I’m sure Dani would have something. I’m pretty sure she is starting a collection of all the numbers she’s been getting from the fellas, and even some ladies–not that I’m surprised.” My eyebrow raised–Gia finally spotted me eyeing the mass laying on her bed. “I suppose you have some eye candy in sunny California, hmm? Not trying too hard there to hide him.”

 

Gia’s face flushed, but it didn’t seem like she was expecting my assumption, which didn’t make immediate sense to me. “Oh! Him?No-no! That’s my lab partner for class. He’s actually waiting for this boyfriend to come for him. We’re going to the arcade later.”

“B-boyfriend?” I asked and she confirmed.

“Yeaaah, he swings for the home team, but let me tell you it’s been super fun. And I do admit that I am enjoying my stay here. There’s so much eye-candy here, so I think I’ll have to snap a few pictures to show you and Dani. You know, to show you what you’re missing.”

I laughed because I knew Gia would do such a thing. She was a doll and I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed that much during the week. It had been a long time since we had seen each other face-to-face, but we were already planning out our first get together since starting school. She wasn’t going back to St. Claire for winter break since her family will be flying out to her, to spend the holidays with the family they have in California, but Spring Break was sounding like it was going to be a possibility.

Soon our conversation had to end because her lab partners boyfriend did end up showing up, which meant that Gia had to go. It was bittersweet, but I knew that it wouldn’t be long before we would finally see each other again. Ugh, I sure did miss her.

While many students found sanctuary in the privacy of their dorm rooms, especially when their roommates weren’t present, I couldn’t say the same for myself. There was something about our room that just didn’t settle with me as being the right place to study. At least not when it came to serious studying. Finals were coming up a lot faster than expected, so I was beginning to bond much more with my textbooks at the library than at the dorm.

“Wells?” A young woman at the front desk asked. She appeared to have recognized me from the last four straight nights that I found myself stumbling into the quiet building.

“Back again,” I laughed halfheartedly. I mean, what else could I say? By that point I was sure the girl wouldn’t be surprised if I showed up with a sleeping back.

“The last study room is actually open right now, so you don’t need the key. And just so you know, the library will be open the full twenty-four hours starting next week for final exam preparation.”

As I acknowledged the announcement, I walked deeper into the building. The first few months at the university were spent avoiding this place like it was the plague, because we were too preoccupied with trying to “live life”. Yeaaaah, well living live away at school basically consisted of living without rules and curfew—basically, everything our parents probably wouldn’t let us get away with back home. However, after a few parties, several hangovers (which were caused by my own doing), and a few all-nighters trying to stay on top of our studies, we decided that it was actually time to buckle down and figure out our strategy to still have a great time and not kill ourselves over ten page papers on early modern use of some business tactics, or whatever it was that I had due that week.

I flipped through my notes quickly while on my way to the study room only to notice that while the first two rooms were occupied by groups of sleep-deprived students struggling to finish their assignments, the third room was occupied only by two people who—let’s just say weren’t preoccupied with books on human anatomy, but rather trying to learn through experimentation.

My head was turned for a moment, to look over my shoulder. Was I just seeing things, or did I possibly stumble upon a moment that was just too good to be true? There was no one to see this but me. Damn. Who would believe me then? Oh wait–I almost laughed out loud. This behavior was typical for sex-crazed college students, wasn’t it? Ah, evening hormones. No thanks. The two people were so closed together that the mix of blond and green hair looked like a weird cotton candy swirl. Cotton candy gone wrong, in my opinion.

“Seriously?” I scoffed only until I did a double-take. Green hair? Wait–I delayed my walk to the room reserved for me, so I could get a closer look at who was inside that room. Curious and not wanting to jump to conclusions, I slid my phone out of my pocket and quickly send Dani a text. If I knew my best friend, she had it on vibrate and she never took longer than five minutes to respond when she wasn’t in class. Without fail, the two bodies soon parted only to reveal that the girl attached to that guys face was in fact Danika Lace!

The rest of my time at the library was spent pondering about the identity of the mystery man Dani was making out with. I took a few glances at my homework, but trying to pinpoint that guys identity was proving to be a bit more rewarding in my eyes. Dani and I were incredibly close. I mean, we talked about everything, which included nitty gritty details of Dani’s love life. Hey, it’s just the type of friends we were. I’ve known about every boyfriend Dani ever had and each guy she ever had a crush on, so not knowing about this was definitely confusing. Was he new and she was testing the waters, or…I couldn’t even think of it, because it seemed so out of character for her. Was Dani trying to hide him from me?

What reason would she have to do that? It wasn’t like I was jealous. Then again, Dani wasn’t even really lying to me about her whereabouts because, as I checked the time on my phone, Dani was already out of her lecture. So this wasn’t her skipping class to suck face, but doing that after her class. Well then.

 

The confusion–and what I could admit was slight frustration– kept me from  getting any work done. I had to force myself to type out the remaining four pages of my paper for class before even thinking about leaving the library. I was hoping to come back to the dorm before Dani, but we would see how that would pan out. I couldn’t help my curiosity, okay?

When I got back to our room I wasn’t met with the presence of Dani looking innocent when I knew she was not. My sneaky friend was still out of the dorm, so I made my weekly call back home. Mom loved hearing about my adventures at school, but often times she was just like Dani and Gia–asking me if I met anyone I liked. My Mom was apparently pretty interesting during her college days. So interesting that I wasn’t even told all the details, because Mom always ended up shushing whoever was telling me the story. Just like I told Gia, I told my mom that I was spending my time with my books rather than boys. Dad was definitely happy to hear about that part. My protective papa apparently wasn’t so set on the idea of me bringing a boy home for the holidays so soon. That was actually the next topic we brought up.

“Okay, sweetie, we’re mailing you the plane ticket tomorrow. Do we just send it to the dorm room and address it to you?” Mom asked while the additional rustling of papers echoed into the phone.

“Yeah.” I smirked. “That will be just fine. We have a mailbox in the dining room anyway, so they separate it. I can’t wait to come home. I feel like I haven’t seen you all in ages.”

“That’s because you haven’t!” Dad spoke up. “The boys miss the hell out of you.”

“I miss them too,” I admitted.

“Still getting along with Dani?” Dad asked with a chuckle, which then prompted him to trail off into a story about him and Uncle Reno’s first experience as roommates. Apparently Uncle Reno wasn’t too into the “no girls after midnight” rule. Yikes, that wouldn’t be too fun, but Dani and I were different. We were getting along great aside from what I saw that night in the library, but still, it wasn’t something to lose my mind over. Dani had a boyfriend in her life and the only reason I wanted to know about it was so I could be happy for her. That was it!

Our conversation carried on and eventually ended on the note of a promise that I wouldn’t miss my flight home for the holidays. That I could promise without hesitating. There was no way that I could miss out on Mom’s cooking and Grandma’s baking. Seriously? If heaven had a flavor it would be Mom’s pineapple baked ham and Grandma Attie’s  Gingerbread mousse cupcakes. Nothing could top it!

 

The door creaked open and Dani finally walked into our room. Without missing a beat, I wiggled around in my bed and sighed heavily. “Sooo, my dear friend, how was your time studying in the library?”

Dani knew me better than most people, and often times I could say that she knew me better than my own mother. So when I asked her about the library, she knew exactly what it was I meant.

“I’m guessing you saw me, huh?”

“Got that right,” I said with a wheeze and helped myself to an upright position before patting my blanket–an invitation for her to sit down. “Girl, you’re keeping a new hunky man away from your buddy!”

Dani smirked, but I could tell that a subtle blush was found on her cheeks. Clearly it was something that actually touched her in a way that well, made her blush! Dani wasn’t an inexperienced virgin, I could say that much, but it was definitely rare for her to not tell me something like this.

“Everything okay? I mean, you know I’d only be happy for you, right?”

She nodded. “I was going to tell you, but you’re so busy with your papers right now that I was going to wait to tell you once you finished. Plus, I was going to bring him over this weekend so he can play some games with us.”

“For real?”

“Yeah…”

“I don’t know what it is about him, Alma, but I think I actually genuinely like him.”

Hearing anyone else say that would sound a bit odd because if people are dating then it can be assumed that there is a genuine like for each other, but hearing Dani saying that meant a lot. She was never one to really date people for longer than a month. If she were to get a tattoo it would read Carpe Diem, because that was how she lived her life–seizing every moment, living in the moment.

“I think he’s actually boyfriend material, and the type of boyfriend I’d actually want to introduce to my parents. Can you believe it?”

“Well, what’s his name?”

“It’s Saul.” The way she said his name made her smile. It was actually really cute to see a man’s name bring a smile to Dani’s face. If I had to say so myself, I had a feeling that my best friend was falling for his Saul guy. As long as she was happy and he was good to her, then I didn’t have a problem with it. Frankly, I was ecstatic for her, because it was something new and it was something that she wanted to share with me.

“So you’re not too mad, are you?” Dani asked, noticing my silence.

“Nah, I’m just thinking a little bit.”

“About what?” Dani asked, nudging me.

“About how I’m going to kick your boyfriend’s ass at Mario Party.”

[Author’s Note: Thank you, April for the photo-editing help!]

 

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Nine

The first week at school consisted of welcoming activities and additional tours of the campus. Classes weren’t officially going to start until the following week, so this was our time to explore the area. You know, so we wouldn’t get lost on the first day of class, which I admit happened for a week straight in high school. As much fun as the activities were, Saturday came along real quick, which didn’t really entice me to keep absorbing historical information into my noggin. Like, for example, who was the creative man behind the Jameson Science Hall where we would be taking our mandatory science courses. Yeah, at that point in the week, we weren’t too fixed on that information when we were more focused on what outfits we would be wearing to the much-anticipated co-ed frat party!

Sorry, Alexandros Jameson—whoever you were! Thanks designing our Science Building! I’m sure the lecture halls are the bomb!

Once we finished with our final tour that morning, Dani and I were finally able to get back to our room. After a week living there, I had to admit that the generic dorm room was finally taking on some personality courtesy of the posters and knick-knacks that we brought from home. At that point it was no longer a plain ‘ol dorm room, but Alma and Dani’s humble abode for the next four years.

Dani wasted no time in digging through her drawer while I plopped down on the bed, but the frustrated grunts and whines kept me from getting even the quickest power-nap. “Do you think I could borrow that top you wore for Gia’s graduation party?” Dani asked as she tossed the contents of her drawer onto her bed before moving to my dresser. “I need to ask Sofia or Claudine to send me the rest of my stuff….”

“Why not ask your Mom?” I muttered lazily, and turned my head to look at her. As she moved away from the dresser and to the mini fridge to get a can of soda, I sat up on my bed.

“You think my Mom would willingly send my crop tops and short-shorts over to a place where there are boys? Honey Lace? Really?”

“Forget I even asked,” I smirked. It was always funny thinking about how different Dani was from her mother. If it wasn’t for her dyed hair and well, extremely prominent facial features that determined that she was in fact the product of Honey and Silas Lace, then I’d think she was adopted. Dani was finishing up her drink–her way of stepping back to brainstorm her next move–so I got up and fished out the coral top she was after. I had to admit that it looked a lot better on Dani than it ever did on me. Dani was a lot more full-figured than I ever was. She had curves and not to mention boobs! You know what I had? Mosquito bites. After shaking the thought out of my head, I glanced over at my dresser, doing the same thing Dani was doing: thinking of my perfect party outfit. Earlier that week, Dani suggested for me to wear everything from a crop top, which I only slept in, dresses, and basically everything that I’d never wear outside of our room. Maybe it wasn’t so much that it wasn’t my style and that I lacked the confidence, but it was our first party. I was only testing the waters.

The party scene in college was much different from the few parties I’ve been to where conversations are awkward, games are attempted and the flirting is abysmal. Funny only sometimes, but ridiculous for the most part. When we were ready to head out, Dani grabbed my arm and initially said nothing. After waiting for a few seconds, I rolled my eyes and asked what was the hold up.

“This is a college party, girl. We’ve learned this from the past: never show up right on time,” Dani declared like an Oracle for Party advice.

She was so right. Our first party back in high school was a hot mess. We showed up right on time and we ended up being the only guests for a good half hour. When we weren’t the best of friends with the host, it made for a much more awkward time. Learning from experience sure was a blast! Once you were able to look back on those embarrassing times without cringing. Ahhh, we were almost there.

We left a good half hour after the party “officially” started, so we managed to make it there just in time to meet a crowd of people walking to a large house, which we could only assume was the frat’s house. There were people of all ages there. Compared to the boys we had in high school, the ones here were all man. I mean, facial hair, muscles, skyscraper-like statures—these were the big leagues. I had to look over at Dani for a minute to make sure her mouth was keeping in her drool, but she was alright. In fact, she was already in the zone. She stood straight with her chest out and her pants pulled up to “give her booty all the support it could get”. Dani was hilarious and I found it amazing how different we sometimes were, especially with this type of stuff, but it was still nice to be included. Like the rest of the flock, we followed them into the house. Then, oh man, it got interesting.

There were lights everywhere and of every color coming from one room and then another. Disco balls, glow sticks, balloons—I didn’t even know where to start looking because I was honestly over-stimulated!

“Holy sheeeeeeeeeit,” Dani clapped and grinned widely. “This is going to be hella amazing. Where do you want to go first?”

I shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m guessing it’s safer in a corner somewhere rather than standing in the middle of this living room?”

“You’ve got that right!” Dani linked her arm with mine and we made our way around. Her eyes were all over the place and I admit mine were as well. People were well into their conversations while clutching plastic cups and some people were already starting to dance. Wow, guess it didn’t take for the party to almost be over for people to dance. Ah, memories of my middle school dances never failed to haunt me. For a good while, Dani and I just people-watched. I mean, there was enough to entertain us, but I could see that Dani was tapping her foot impatiently, like a dog waiting to be let of its leash to chase a juicy looking steak that was tossed only a few feet away from its reach.

“Hey, you don’t have to stick around,” I said as I nudged her. “I’m not going to dance just yet, so you go on ahead. I have my phone on me, so we can check in. Just,” I pouted. “Holler if you need me, okay? I’ll join you soon…”

Dani giggled and gave me a quick hug. “Sure thing, Alma! Don’t have too much fun without me!” She laughed.

I nodded. “Yeah-yeah! You know me! Now, go dance. Your booty is feeling the beat, I’m sure!”

As I watched Dani head off into the crowd of people, I looked around the room. Once again, I didn’t really know what to do. Dancing wasn’t really an option right now, because I suppose I still had that middle school mindset of “I guess I’ll dance eventually”. And I guess it was because I wasn’t much of a dancer either. I was the type to chill around the table with the snacks, because nothing was more useful in getting out of a conversation than stuffing a handful of chips into your mouth, right? This was such a different scene! It was loud, messy, and just college crazy. I glanced at my phone and smirked. Dani had posted a status update on Facebook declaring that tonight was going to be spectacular. I agreed that it was, because it was a new experience, which makes sense why i even agreed to it. Plus, it was something that Mom never failed to tell me. Her words of advice never failed to include me trying to new things. Yeah, alright. As I scrolled down the images and text on my phone, the sudden whiff of cologne caught me mid-swipe. I looked up to find myself towered over.

“Could I get you a drink? I noticed no one offered you one,” a man asked me. The baritone of his voice definitely took me by surprise, but I simply shrugged while I looked him up and down. He was tall and his eyes were such a bright color that made me grin involuntarily. Hello there, Mr. Handsome eyes…

“I take it that’s a yes?” He asked.

“S-sure! Yeah, but um,” I leaned in, “I saw you had lemonade? That would be just fine, thanks.”

He chuckled and saluted me after taking my order. “Girl knows her taste, I like that.”

The guy soon came back with two plastic cups and handed one of them to me. Wow, how cool was that? A college guy just brought me a drink, that I even watched him pour, but as I was internally freaking out, I noticed that he was still standing next to me.

“Um, thank you for the drink. It’s sweet and I definitely needed the boost of a little sugar rush.”

Wow, I didn’t realize how loud it was until I had someone trying to talk to me. At some points in our conversation I actually had to yell my replies for the words to reach him.

He chuckled and took a swig from his cup. “Yeah, I feel ya. I’m Brian, by the way. You new here?”

I nodded. “Oh yeah. New to the school; new to the state—yeah, this is definitely different from St. Claire.” I took a sip from my cup and swallowed quickly before patting my chest. “And I’m Alma.”

“St. Claire? Nice. I’m actually from Sunset Valley. Not too far from there,” he said.

Phew—okay, Alma, I kept thinking. Don’t screw it up. Don’t do anything stupid. Just continue the conversation like a college student who can actually function in social situations.

“That’s pretty darn cool. My family is from there.” I said. Nailed it. Nice and calm.

We kept talking for a little bit more or at least long enough for him to get me two refills of my drink. Frankly, my drinks were disappearing quickly from my cup, but as long as it wasn’t empty, I kept going. I mean, it was fruity and pretty damn tasty. Mmm, was it Strawberry lemonade?!

Eventually I saw that his eyes weren’t focused so much on me, but on the crowd of girls that was inviting him to come dance, so we went our separate ways.  I wasn’t upset of course. In fact, I counted it as a victory! I made it through my first college conversation with a real college guy! I threw back the last three gulps of the juice in a single hit and swallowed hard before hitting the “dance floor” myself. The music pulsed through my body and I finally felt that I was allowing myself to let loose a little bit. Excellent party, I thought as I threw my arms up and swayed my hips from side to side. Excellent party for sure! I could see Dani from the corner of my eye and she looked like she was having a great time, but as I leaned down to try to pull off some “sexy” move, I was faced with the worst feeling of light-headedness. You know, the kind you get when you get up too quickly, but only this one made my stomach turn. This was ridiculous, I didn’t get back up that quickly to have my balance compromised!

“Ouchy,” I moaned, stumbling out of the group of sweaty bodies. Luckily, I managed to tip over onto a guy who was as tall as a freaking tree. WHAT WAS IN THE WATER OVER HERE THAT MEN TOWERED OVER ME LIKE FREAKING TREES?!

“Woah there!” He groaned, clutching me by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”

I looked up at him and smirked. “My head feels funny.”

His eyes widened and he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Did you have anything to drink tonight? Did you mix?”

“Mix what?” I asked. “I was only given juice and lemonade. The guy gave my lemonade, the kind that I saw on the table.”

The man groaned and sat me down. “Now, I don’t think you’re drunk, because you’d be a bit more rowdy than you are now, but you’re definitely tipsy and it doesn’t seem like you’re too familiar with this.”

I nodded. “Just juice.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but I don’t think that was it,” the man responded and patted my head. “Why don’t you just sit here for a little bit and drink some water,” he said, motioning past me. Another man soon brought a bottle and handed it to him, who then extended it to me. “Slow sips, okay?”

“Um, thanks,” I said. After taking the bottle I looked at him, knowing damn well that my cheeks were flushed with shame. There I was advocating for people to always check their drinks and I was the one who had mine spiked with booze. Mom would’ve been so proud of me, I bet.

“Are you here alone?” the fairer skinned man asked. True concern locked in his eyes when he saw me bring the bottle away from my mouth. “We could take you back to your dorm if you need…”

“No,” I admitted, feeling like a complete fool who for some reason forgot about the concept of hard lemonade. Seriously, Alma? “My friend is still dancing, but I’m going to hang out over here while I apparently sober up.I sure feel like an idiot, but thank you for this. I appreciate it.” I raised the plastic bottle to my face and sighed. “I appreciate guys like you who don’t just take advantage of a girl who has zero experience with parties like this…”

They chuckled and nodded. “It’s been a while for us too, so please don’t worry about it.” I looked over my shoulder, noticing the man who barely said a word to me pull his hand back, that he clearly wanted to use to pat me on the shoulder.

“Yeah,” he finally said. “It’s been a while, so just take care. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like they serve anything other than booze and water here.”

The two eventually left me on the couch, which left me feeling so fucking embarrassed. My first college party and I was stupid enough to think that they would serve lemonade. Unbelievable. Although as ridiculous as i felt, it was nice to know that at least someone was willing to help me out. Needless to say, it was definitely an interesting way to start my time in college. A big part of me wanted to shove the memory of that night into the darkest depths of my mind, but knowing me, I’d engrave it there instead. It would be a cautionary tale to tell my family some day.

“Of course this would happen to me, too,” I sighed, pressing the rim of the bottle against my teeth.

“You crashing too?” A girl asked me. She didn’t look much older than me. Her nose was red, but sure looked a lot better than I did.Somewhat more in control of what she was doing while I was only tipsy and flying off the handle.

“Crashing?” I laughed. “No, more like settling down. Apparently the lemonade they serve here tasted funny because it’s actually laced with booze and not just made with some bitter water.”

“Oh, the hard lemonade?” The girl asked and bobbed her head. “Yeah, that’s the shit they bought at the liquor store just outside of campus. Figured you knew.”

Was that common knowledge? Damn. All we really had was wine, beer, and cider at home. Not like I really explored my options with alcohol.

“Never mind that.” She looked at me and held out her hand for me to shake, which I did. “I’m Neah, by the way. You’re a freshman too? Got one of those flyers that advertised this shit of a party as one crazy shindig of the century?”

After I shook her hand and introduced myself, I reached up to fiddle around with a loose strand of my hair before pushing it back into my hair wrap. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” I admitted. “Some eye candy, maybe?”

“Sure, I suppose that’s what some people go for. I was in the mood for a good party. Ya know, I was expecting something a little more hard, but it’s only some frat house. Not like they can get their hands on the good shit, ya know?”

Honestly a lot of it was going right past me, but it was nice that someone else decided to talk to me, without having me try anymore of that lemonade. I shuddered at the thought of Brian’s enthusiastic grin. What a fool I was. Aw well.

Neah looked like she wasn’t totally there either, but somehow in her eyes I could tell that she genuinely cared about what she was talking about. I mean, I was now thrown into a melting pot of people whose lives were essentially part of a different universe that was now in the petri dish that was labeled “college”. There we were, two separate universes colliding in a single conversation over the ridiculousness that could happen in college, especially at parties such as the one we were in the middle of.

“That’s sort of what I learned,” she said, glancing at me to whisper, “from my own experience, that people will basically walk all over you and fuck you up if you let them. Hey, if you choose to party, go for it, but do it on your own terms. Everything I do?” She said, trailing off softly. “On my own terms.”

Before I even had a chance to ask for any clarification, I watched as Neah’s attention get drawn to a man motioning to her from the doorway. I wasn’t going to keep her, so I gave her a quick wave and thanked her for the short chat. Despite its brevity, it was nice to relax and keep my mind off the reality of what just happened. I was only human and Neah was right, it’s was just the kind of atmosphere that we were in where people were all about getting others messed up if given the chance. I smirked and leaned back on the couch, making a mental note not to ever do that again, unless, you know, I decided on my own that I wanted a drink.

“My god, there you are!” Dani called out, making her way out of the crowd of shimmying bodies. “Are you okay?”

I lifted the plastic bottle that had only a few sips of water left in it. “Still here and I’m alright. What, did word travel fast?”

Apparently she did, which meant that my little loose routine did not go unnoticed. Luckily, Dani read my mind and we ended up leaving the party a lot earlier than we originally anticipated. That wasn’t my fault either as it seemed that she wasn’t as pleased with the party as she thought was was going to be.

I totally agreed with on her that. 100%.

“So that was something,” I admitted with a soft rub of my hand against my head. “Was it everything you wanted it to be like?”

“Well, aside from you almost getting fucking drugged by some tattooed jockstrap of a guy?” She groaned and leaned against the couch. The living room of the dorm room was open. We ended up leaving the party a lot earlier than everyone else, ans by the look and sound of it, everyone was either there or partying it up somewhere else. The worry was slowly beginning to dissolve from her expression, but then it looked like she wanted to smack me upside the head and then hug me. Eventually she just shook her head and bobbed her head against mine. “Just–thank god that you’re fine. Your mom would’ve killed me. Can you imagine? This is only the beginning. Can’t these assholes understand that no booze means no booze? Or maybe they’re all so drunk at the start of their own damn parties that they can’t tell the difference between water and vodka!”

“Not everyone is an asshole,” I smiled, reminding myself of the kindness of the two men who helped keep me from making a fool of myself.

“Yeah-yeah, guess you’re right.” Dani stretched out with her back against the couch and yawned noisily. “What do you say we go upstairs and play Mario Kart? I totally got Claudine’s copy!”

Grinning, I forced myself up from the couch and followed Dani from the room and up the stairs where the couch looked so incredibly comfortable. Way more comfortable than the cement-like couch they had at the frat house.

“Hey, time for that dance and then we can head back to the dorms? I totally snatched Claudine’s copy of Mario Party.”

I watched Dani move to the console while I tried to walk around and make sure what tipsiness was in my system finally cycled out. “So, you know your sister is going to kill you for taking her game, right?”

Laughing, Dani shrugged. “We’re in a different state! What’s she going to do, face-time me to death?”

“So, we can cross that off our list,” Dani said once we were finally situated with a the controllers in our hands and the game illuminated on the TV screen. “I thought it would be a bit more fun, you know? Like, there was absolutely no eye candy for me tonight, which is a shame. Thought that would be the point of a fun co-ed fraternity.”

I leaned back against the couch and tossed a chip into my mouth. “So, I guess we can learn from this experience as well, huh?”

Dani laughed. “Uh, yeah. I can’t leave you alone, you can’t drink, and well, yeah, buddy system. Oh! And fat boys aren’t really that cute.”

My eyes rolled at the thought of how ridiculous that night was. If would have been just our luck for all of that to happen, and basically all at once. We were damn lucky that this wasn’t any crazier, otherwise, we wouldn’t have been playing video games, but probably passed out on the floor of that frat house. That definitely wasn’t a way that we wanted to start off our time at school.

 

Although the night took a spin for absolutely ridiculous, I couldn’t have imagined it ending any better way. We were in our room, wearing comfortable clothes and chowing down on junk food while playing a game that Dani’s sister  probably whine about until Christmas.

“I’m going to kick your ass, Wells!” She declared, shoving me to the side.

“Yeah! You sure think so? Let me remind you that I passed my driving test the first time I took it!”

“I thought the instructor was telling me to stop because he was flirting with me, okay?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at our constant exchanges . Even when things got crazy, I knew Dani would be my partner in crime.

Through the good and the bad, and the inexplicably insane.

~*~Author’s Note~*~

Thank you for reading, my darlings! ❤ What did you think? Feel free to let me know in the comments section! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

ALSO I’d like to give a nice thank you to Shea for having her lovely creation, Neah, be part of this weeks chapter [: You can find her story here: Infatuated! 

Thanks, Shea!

and THANK YOU, EVERYONE! I’m not sure if you guys follow the legacy on the Facebook page, but this blog has hit 100,000 views and I couldn’t be more grateful! Thank you so much for your support! It means so much to me! Thank you!

Till next time!

Olga

 

 

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Eight

A week before graduation we were handed our yearbooks. Filled with memories—both good and bad—we now had a memento of the four years that we spent within the walls of Clairewood Public High School. Each page had so many faces. Some I was familiar with while others well, Liberty was on one of them. Although I must admit that she didn’t write anything mean in my yearbook. Even if it wasn’t anything amazingly apologetic, she still managed the cliché “Have a great summer! Good luck in college and all you do!” type of greeting. Hey, it was better than what could’ve been.

 

From then everything tumbled on fast-forward. Senior Night, Gia, Dani, and I dressed up and spend the evening at a country club that the school rented out for us to truly help bask in the final moments of high school. I wasn’t overly fond of celebrations like that, but I had to admit that it was fun to be there with my friends. At that point, it was Gia who was going off to have this great college adventure where it was always sunny and where men probably paraded around in nothing but beach shorts! Well, not really, but who knew! Either way, the point I was making was that she was going off to the other side of the country, so the moments we shared that night were incredibly special for us all.

 

Graduation was similar in that way too, because we got to be together that last time while finally getting our diplomas! My Mom cried, of course, and Dad just about broke my spine when hugging me. It was a really good ceremony filled with great anecdotes from our graduating class and plenty of moving speeches that really sent us off on a positive note towards a hopeful future. I often figured that the ones giving the speeches rated their own work based on how misty the audience got.

Now…it was all over and we were to begin anew in a new town. Hell, even a new state that I still wasn’t familiar with aside from the orientation tour.

“Hey, pumpkin,” Dad interrupted me with a nudge from the box of ramen he was carrying. “Did you want this anywhere particular?”

“Oh, no, not really. You can just set it down and I’ll figure it out.” Knowing us, it would probably be gone within the first month, so there was no use in putting it anywhere special.

Dad stopped beside me after setting the box of salty goodness I packed. I think he could tell how much was on my mind by my constant delays in responding. I mean, it was a huge change in environment, in company, in education—there was nothing about this move that wasn’t going to be a huge weight that I would have to tackle.

“Wow,” Mom finally said upon stepping into the room. She was downstairs for the majority of the time until that moment as she was helping out with unpacking the trunk. “Look at you, college girl,” she cooed. “Your dorms are so much nicer than the ones we had at my school.” She brushed her hands over her forehead and smirked. “Looks like you can even open the windows here. Back in St. Claire’s dorms, I had friends were weren’t able to open up their windows because the humidity over the summer would set off the fire alarms! Bet people didn’t like waking up at 3 AM just because Jenny from down the hall figured there would be a breeze.”

I laughed at Mom’s story, but the more I saw her and the more she talked, the more it was beginning to set in that I wouldn’t see her every day anymore. What would I do without my mom, my best friend?

“Alright, that’s the last box, Alma. We’re going to head back down to make sure nothing was forgotten, but just in case we don’t head back up, meet us at the café we saw on the way here, okay?” Dad said. “I’d like for us to have a nice meal together before we head back out to St.Claire…”

The finality of the upcoming moment was nothing something I necessarily wanted to deal with right then and there, but I knew I would have to eventually, so I nodded yes and watched them leave my room. No goodbye hugs were administered just yet. Just Mom trying to form a secret handshake with me that involved her rubbing my forehead and telling me I was “kick some major ass” at school.

Left alone, I stood looking at the taped up boxes until I just forced myself to sit down on the couch we brought from home.

It was probably going to be one of the few times that I would be alone like that. The room still lacked personality, but it wouldn’t even be a few days before hints of myself and Dani would begin to take shape. This would be our new home for the next four years. Unlike most universities, we weren’t going to move buildings each year, and for that I was thankful. I couldn’t imagine taking down everything each Spring only to put it back up a few months later in a different building.

Three knocks on the open door had me turn my attention to the visitor.

“Oh hey! Freshman?” The girl asked.

Of course, I had to nod.

“Good! Well,” they casually stepped inside and placed three colorful flyers on the arm the couch. “We have a little mixer this Saturday for all the incoming freshmen. It’s pretty low-key and it’ll be in the Sigma Phi Delta house. Hand these out to your friends, too! Welcome to University life, girl!”

She was gone before I could even think of a question, or even before I could thank for the invite. Guess things just sort of worked that quick here.

Dani came back a few minutes later without her parents.

“Parents decided to give us some time alone to get settled. They’re looking around the campus with the rest of the parents. You know, the tour. They said we should meet them for lunch at the Campus diner.” She shrugged as she dragged her feet to her bed, and then fell onto her stomach with a thud. “This is exhausting.”

Well, the heat sure wasn’t helping. It was the middle of August.

“Hey,” I started, grabbing one of the flyers. “If it makes you feel better, we were invited to our first college party.” When Dani didn’t budge, I threw them at her. “Come onnnn!”

Dani rolled over immediately once the flimsy paper landed on her side. “What, what?”

“College party.”

“Mhm.”

The look of devious plotting replaced her fatigue. Never failed to work. She immediately rolled off the bed and waltzed over to snatch the flyer from my hands. Scanning it quickly, she nodded squealed.

“Holy crap, Alma. Do you know what this is?” She asked, shaking the sheet of paper in front of my face. “This is an invitation to a college, co-ed party.”

“Well, I assumed it would be co-ed, I mean it is campus life after all.”

“No-no,” Dani stopped me. “Co-ed as in, a co-ed fraternity, Alma. This is like, not just some regular nerdy college party with one keg and maybe a few video games. This. Is. The. Real. Shiz. Sistah!”

It was so amusing to see my best friend to excited, but I suppose she had a point. This was pretty huge. College was all about the opportunities and the experiences, so if this was one of these so-called experiences, then I wasn’t going to turn away.

Yeah! This was a new phase in our lives and I wasn’t going to sit out and let it pass me by. Come Saturday, Dani and I would be attending our first college party!

While we discussed what we would wear and what we would do, we completely spaced on the time. Unbelievable, I thought. I quickly reached to yank my phone off the table only to find that setting it to the quietest volume wasn’t exactly ideal.

“Three missed calls from the parents,” I sighed. “Come on, Dani. I’m starving and they’re probably on the verge of eating a shoe.”

She laughed at my assumption, but wasted no time in hopping off the bed. We were pretty darn hungry ourselves after helping out with bringing our belongings into our room. Even though it was just the beginning, it was definitely time for a break.

The campus was full of families pulling and dragging around carts and suitcases to the dorms. I was definitely glad that we got there early enough to avoid the majority of the crowds. Sure, it was still a bit difficult getting around, but it was much easier than what it would be right now. As we made our way through the campus and out onto the sidewalks that housed the strip mall, we continued to keep a lookout for all the faces we may see over the next four years.

 

“Did they say they were here already?” Dani asked and combed her fingers through her wind-blown hair. “I hope so because I’m so hungry I’m not sure I can wait for everyone to get there before ordering.”

Laughing, I nodded and urged her to speed up. “Same. But knowing them and the amount of times they sent us messages, I think it’s safe to assume that they’re feeling just the same.”

Sure enough, our parents were already there and luckily no shoes were consumed. Yet.

“Took you long enough,” Mom smirked and held out her arms for me to snuggle into. “Did you doze off or something, or even better: did you get lost?”

I shook my head. “Just lost track of time. Sorry, but let’s eat now.”

We were seated at the college town diner, which gave off a very bohemian vibe. I mean, the paint job wasn’t pristine, and it was done on purpose. The decorations were very artsy, which constantly reiterated how big the art scene was at this school. Mom couldn’t stop looking around since this entire atmosphere was right up her ballpark. She went to an art school and I had no doubt that it was beginning to feel nostalgic to her. I didn’t spend a lot of time looking at the menu and ended up going a toasted ham and provolone toasted sandwich with sweet potato fries. After reading reviews about this place after being accepted, I had dreamed of trying their food.

“So are you ladies excited for the first week of school?” Dani’s mom asked. Her eyes looked red, but I didn’t dare say anything about it. “Scared at all?” I watched Mr. Lace put his hand over his wife’s hand.

“Mm, well, getting around will be a little tough the first week,” I answered while Dani continued perusing the menu before reciting her order to the woman with a notepad. “But I heard the first week is pretty basic, especially for freshmen. It’s almost like a continuation of the orientation.”

“Is that only for those in the dorms?” Dad asked.

Honestly I wasn’t sure, so I shrugged and chuckled. “I’m sure they’ll explain it to us eventually!”

Eventually the chatter about school seceded when the food arrived. You could tell how hungry a person was based on how silent they were when given some food. It wasn’t until I saw Mom reach for her iced coffee that I slurped up a fry and wagged my finger, announcing that once I would swallow that I would speak.

“Don’t rush,” Mom laughed as I dabbed my chin with a napkin. “We raised a classy lady.”

“Yeah-yeah, no, I just wanted to ask if guys are staying the night.”

Mom glanced at Dad and then looked to the Lace’s. With a slow shrug, she leaned back in her chair with her drink. “We figured that you gals would want some time to settle in, but if you need help, we’re here for you.”

Mrs. Lace rubbed her nose with a tissue and exhaled. “We’ve decided to hang around for an extra day, but mainly to see the sights you ladies will get a chance to see every day. However,” she grinned wildly only then for her husband to scoot close enough to drape his arm around her shoulder.

“We’re going to be on a little vacation while you gals get situated. So don’t worry about us budding in.”

We could all see the disappointment in Mrs. Lace’s face, but could you really blame her? Dani was her eldest and always her baby. It was a bit painful to watch it happen like that! Don’t worry, Mrs. Lace! I was going to take care of Dani! She’s like a sister to me!

Saying goodbye, or rather, see you later, was much more difficult than I figured it would be. I mean, we were only a phone call away, and we were even able to use Skype to keep in touch, but somehow it felt different.

“Hey-hey,” Mom sniffled with her arms suddenly around me. “Don’t cry, sweet girl.”

“I-I know, Mom. I do. But it’s weird…”

She nodded and brushed my hair out of my face. Probably snot-covered and disgusting, I looked up at her with hopes of hearing her guidance. Even if one more piece of advice, I just needed to hear her.

“You’re going to be so great, sweetness. I promise you. And I won’t get so sappy otherwise I’d probably just never leave you. Listen, it’s tough for a little bit, but you will bounce back and rock it. I know you will. After all, you’re my baby, aren’t you?”

I giggled through my thick sniffling. Talk about a hot mess!

Dad stepped in soon after and wrapped his arm around both of us. “No crying, ladies, or I’ll just have to join in as well,” he laughed. Eventually Mom had to pull away because I saw the same tears welling in her eyes.

We pulled away and when I was handed a tissue to blow my nose; I caught a glimpse of Dani’s mother sobbing. I knew that was too expected, but I couldn’t really begin to imagine the magnitude of even separation anxiety from a child. It must have been different from the way we felt. It was like splicing off a limb. Yeah, it had to be like that. A limb that would only be reattached during the holidays and over breaks.

“YOU’RE NEVER COMING BACK! YOU WON’T NEED ME ANYMORE” Mrs. Lace wailed as Dani did her best to calm her down. If only she really knew how much she was adored not only by Dani but by me as well! Often time she was like a second mother! Well, I did spend enough time at their house in order to be considered a part of the family!

“College is a great experience. I promise you,” Mom said over the sound of Mrs. Lace’s sobbing. “You’ll probably be begging us to stop keeping in touch,” Mom joked, watching as the Lace’s finally began to settle down. “And I’ll be sure to keep Mama Honey occupied and smiling while Dani is away.”

This was it. This was the beginning of a new phase in our lives. It was a time of great responsibility and independence for us, and as scary as it seemed the majority of the time, I was excited to give it a try. All I had to do was keep my ultimate goal in mind. I was going to learn everything I could about flowers and all the other plants. I was going to be a pro, and ya know why? Well, it was because neither nothing nor no one  would be able to stop me from achieving what I wanted.

Eventually our parents were able to break away from us, so it wasn’t so bad. It was quieter for sure, but we just went back to our rooms and worked on getting everything in order. Boxes still had to be unpacked, schedules had to be picked up, and meals had to be consumed.

This was only our beginning, but I already knew that the things we would encounter in our four years there would be some of the things we would never be able to forget.

And our first new experience was coming up that Saturday!

College parties, pretty boys, school work, and all the junk food on campus—Watch out ‘cause here come Alma and Danika!

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Seven

“What about this one?” Gia cooed from the backseat. “This place says they have a big discount for college students. Wow,” she squeaked. “We’re college students!”

“In like, three months,” Dani snorted. “Calm yourself.”

Gia stuck her head between the two front seats and leaned her head against me. I was in the passenger seat, looking at a similar list of stores. This was extreme coupon-ing on the go. “But we are basically done with all the important stuff. Now, we’re just hanging out in classes and going on trips and having picnics. I mean, last I heard, signing yearbooks and stuffing seven ice cream sandwiches in my purse doesn’t exactly count as school.”

“Holy fuck–you grabbed how many?!” Dani exclaimed, eyeing Gia in the mirror.

“Hey-hey! Eyes on the road!” Gia cackled.

“I suppose you’re right,” I added, patting my friends head with the newspaper. “I personally don’t like to think of it that way right now. I mean, how many more outings will we have before you go off to freaking–”

“Sunny California!” Gia exclaimed.

We laughed about it now, but boy was it hitting us hard. School was basically over, in a  week or so. We were participating in senior activities, but that was it. There were no more exams, no more assignments–we were basically enjoying a week-long graduation party with our class. Even though our year wasn’t over yet, the gals and I waned to spend as much time together as we could. It wouldn’t be long before Gia would be flying out to California for orientation and then basically just getting situated at her school. So as mundane as it sometimes seemed, we were going shopping…for school supplies.

“I saw Alister’s had a lot of cute bedding!” Gia announced, tearing out a coupon only to wave it in front of her. “Using this bad-boy.”

“So, what did you Mom think of you going out-of-state?” Gia asked me as she pulled out a cart for all of us to share.

“Not much, I guess. She never suggested any local schools, but I guess that has to do with her own experience. Her Mom wasn’t really happy about her leaving their home town for school…” Then again, I thought, it wasn’t long after Grandpa Auron passed away that she asked. If Granny Attie was as close with her parents as she was with all of us, then I could only imagine the hurt she felt. One more person to leave her–even though in Mom’s case it would only be temporary.

“My Mom is going through like, an intense empty-nest thing. I mean, the twins are still there, but she’s making it seem like I’m abandoning her!” Dani added, yanking a pack of fruit snacks from the shelf. “Aren’t parents supposed to want us to go off and get an education?”

Maybe that was what was going on with Mom too, I thought. After all, she was making a habit of showing up in my room right before I went to bed just to talk. Even thought she wasn’t really vocal about actually missing me so desperately, she increased her dosage of life lessons.

Gia cackled. “Yeah, I guess. My parents are pretty a-okay with me leaving mainly because at any point, they can just get up and visit me. We actually have a summer home in California.”

The more we talked about it, the more odd I felt. We were graduating–this was no longer something that we just fantasized about, and I honestly didn’t now how to feel. I think the sheer awe of it was keeping me from showing the same kind of excitement that my friends were showing.

We made our way through the maze of bedding, clothes, food,and all the other college essentials. I had my eye on a few things, but I wasn’t set on buying much of it just yet. I had a feeling Mom would want to help me out and to, you know, have some of that mother-daughter bonding. I think I would need it, because even now I had uneasiness beginning to creep up my back. Wow, this was happening much too rapidly. Although I wasn’t there to really shop around for supplies, I did have to pick up some toys for the twins, because today wasn’t only about hanging out with my friends. Oren and Jax were going to have their birthday party that afternoon. They were finally old enough where it was actually worth spending more money on a party seeing as they would probably remember it. They were debating between a pirate and dinosaur, and–Man, I even forgot. Either way, there was no exact theme settled on, but part of their presents included some new costumes for them to dress up in. Finally, Oren could be the city-crushing T-Rex he always wanted to be!

I was surprisingly exhausted after a morning of shopping with my friends. Who know lugging around a few toys and helping Gia pick out dorm supplies would be so draining? Anyway, I still had enough energy to go have fun at the little birthday party we were throwing for the twins.

Brushing the thought aside, I yanked my keys out of my bag and unlocked the front door.

“Alma!” Jax exclaimed.

I nearly threw the bag with their presents across the room when I heard him, but luckily I stopped myself in the knick of time. Jax was hanging out in his little red car that he operated with his tiny, chunky feet. He had the more ridiculous grin on his face, especially when he lead over the steering wheel with his arms extended towards me. Honestly with the way he was leaning, it wouldn’t have been much longer before he’d flip out of the toy car.

“Holy lordy, little Jax! Are you that happy to see me?” I asked, blowing a raspberry against his cheek. “Did ya miss me?”

“Yes!” He giggled. “Where did you go?” He asked sweetly.

“I had to do some big girl shopping, but what are you up to, birthday boy?”

Immediately his previous grin returned and he began to bounce around. It was remarkable to see that kind of excitement from a little tot like him. Come to think of it, he wasn’t all that little anymore, but still it was fun to see and recognize that it was his birthday and not just some ordinary day. The twins sure were smart cookies. But as much as i wanted to spend some time with Jax, I knew that I had to get my presents set up in the backyard, as well as report back to Mom on my findings. So, I did what any sibling could in this situation:

“Little buddy, I have to go on a mini mission right now, okay? I’ll be back soon for your party!” I announced, giving him a quick pat on the head.

After shimming my way away from my brother and still keeping his present hidden (by some miracle), I quickly made my way to where I could hear my mother. However the closer I got, the clearer I was able to make out another voice in the mix. It was quiet, hushed, but it was there. After taking a look at the time lit up on my phone, I clicked my tongue.

Of course, I thought. We were only an hour away from the party officially beginning, but knowing out friends and family, they were generally all an hour early.

I walked into the kitchen, leaning in to plant the present I had for the twins on the counter where Mom had already scribbled and crossed off things off her to-do list for the party. That was when I finally saw who was sitting at the table.

“Auntie!” I grinned happily and walked straight to her so I could wrap my arms around her lanky frame. It had been some time now since she started her chemo treatments, which was why she decided to shave her head instead of waiting for it to fall out on its own, but feeling her skeletal frame in each embrace—I hoped for that to never become a norm for her.

She looked up at me with eyes clouded with weariness, but she still smiled. “Hello, angel.”

“Hello, Mom! Nice to see you too!” Mom mimicked my voice from the counter where she was working on decorating the birthday cake. She looked over her shoulder only to smirk and stick her tongue out at me.

“Yeah-yeah, Ma!” I chuckled briefly before leaning against the table. “So, how’s it going over here?

Aunt Arecia brought the cup of tea in front of her to her lips, gulped loudly, and then cleared her throat. “Everything is just fine. But how are you? I heard you got into a wonderful school—Oh my, you must be so excited!”

Aw man, did Mom tell everyone?

And just as if she was reading my mind, Mom stuck up a chocolate frosting-covered spatula and waved it around. “I said nothing! It was your father!”

Scratching the back of my neck, I finally nodded and confirmed it. “Yeah, I guess I did. I can’t tell believe it—not so much that I got in, but that it’s coming up so soon. It’s funny how we spend all of our time wanting to get out of high school and to grow up, and stuff, but when it comes time to finally talk about graduating like a serious thing, then it’s–”

“Scary,” Auntie answered for me.

“Yeah, exactly.”

“You know your mom was like that too. Well, more so when she actually moved out,” she said. I half-expected Mom to turn around to deny it, you know, like siblings did sometimes when trying to mess with each other, but she didn’t.

“She called me almost every night to talk, and of course I answered and stayed on the line for a good hour or so. Since, I’m such a great sister, of course.” She smirked and called out to Mom. “Isn’t that right?”

Mom finally turned around, wiping off frosting from her hands. Her expression was one of understanding. I could see myself in her, especially in the thin film of moisture that coated her eyes.

“That’s exactly right,” she said. “And look at how I turned out,” she chuckled to disguise the noise of her sniffles. “I got used to it, but I kept Arecia on speed dial. Best sister there is. So I would listen to her, because I was lonely and scared for a good portion of my first year at school.

Auntie nodded and pointed to the corner of her eyes. “Now-now, there’s no need for the waterworks, okay? We all made it.” She then turned to me and sighed. “What I mean to say is that it’s totally fine to be scared. Everyone is going to struggle, especially in college, but you’ve got our spirit, Alma.”

“Oh, you bet,” Mom added. “If the Wells have something special, then it’s the will to plow through shit like it’s nothing. Your Aunt is the perfect example. Our very own champ. Did you hear the chemo is helping tremendously?”

My eyes grew wide and I hopped away from the table with a wide grin on my face. “Seriously?! Oh my god! That’s amazing!”

“Thank you, thank you,” Auntie smiled before pushing herself up from her seat, catching a glimpse of the commotion that was starting outside in the backyard. “I suppose we should get a move on, ladies? The yard will soon be full of kids and,” she rolled her eyes at the sight of her husband running around with Oren on his shoulders, “the big kids as well.”

She was right to say so as within the hour all the guest finally made it.

Plus, not like this day was going to completely be made up of my worrying about the same thing, like some sort of broken record, right? With Mom and Aunt Arecia working on getting the rest of the food ready to be set out, I picked up the presents for the twins and made my way outside where the party was truly underway. We had a slip-n-slide set up and the usual playground equipment that the boys loved. There were vibrantly colored balloons ties to lawn chairs and stationed all over the yard. It was really fun to see the party take on the personality of the little fellas.

“Wow,” Kaden called out from his seat in the grass, “we thought you got lost at the mall or something!” He joked, which definitely seemed to work for Claudine.

“Funny stuff, yeah-yeah, “ I said and placed the presents I had for the boys onto the pile that was gradually growing with each small bag and box that people brought. Dang, those little tots were getting spoiled this year!

The party was in full swing as all the guest finally made it. My best friends were there, of course, so I had some people to talk to while munching on Mom’s homemade chips and salsa. A lot of the people there were actually friends of Mom’s and Dad’s. We had Auntie Raine, and even Dani’s entire family, which was really nice! Ever since Kaden started dating Claudine, I barely saw the other twin, so it was nice to see everyone hanging out here. In addition to friends, a good portion of family came over, and yup, that definitely included Granny Attie and Grandpa Crescendo! They’ve traveled so much, and we were so happy for them, but it was always so nice to have them over.  I had to admit that I owed a lot to my grandparents, as they, other than my parents, were the ones to encourage me without end. They never told me that there was something I couldn’t do. And look at where I am! Heiress to the family’s name and about to head off on a new adventure outside of St. Claire!

“My sister is going to suck off your brother’s face soon, I bet,” Dani stated, biting into a chip. “Who knew they have all of these pent of feelings.”

Gia rolled her eyes. “Ladies, even I could tell that Kaden had a thing for one of the twins. Frankly, I was hoping it was going to be me, but,” she shrugged and sipped her drink. “Whateverrr.”

I nearly spit out my drink and slapped my hand  on the table. “What?! You like my brother,too?!”

“Nah,” she smirked,” I’m just saying  that I wouldn’t mind if he liked me. What? Would that bother you, sister?” Gia giggled, reaching over to pinch my cheek.”I’m just kidding; calm down, okay? You’re turning purple!”

I had some things I wanted to say, yet my voice was nowhere to be found. Luckily, I was interrupted mid-thought when Mrs. Lace approached us.

“Hi there, girls! Just wanted to come let you know that the boys will be blowing out their candles. Since the sun down for the day soon, we thought it would be a good idea to do it now.” She announced with her hands at her sides. “Come on, chin up, big sister!” She poked her cheeks. “Your brothers would love your support!”

Oh, if only she knew that my brothers weren’t on my mind, but the strange thought of well, Kaden doing anything remotely sexual. Ack!!! He was my brother! My baby brother!!

The sun set much quicker, and by the time everyone was situated and the twins were snatched from their prior occupation of plucking grass out of the ground, the cake was ready to be marveled at. The boys were automatically in awe at how big their cake was. Being that there were so many guests for their party, Mom ended up making two different cakes. Chocolate–mainly for the boys, and caramel green apple for the rest. I admit I liked that one the most!

“I just wanted to say thank you on the behalf of the boys,” Mom said, bouncing Oren on her hip once she lit the candles. “This party wouldn’t have been as wonderful if it wasn’t for all of you being here. It’s so hard to believe that only a few years ago I was swollen like a bloated walrus,” she smirked and kissed Oren’s head before smooching Jax. “Now, why don’t we all  come together and sing happy birthday to these two little cuties!”

I watched my brothers laugh and squirm towards the cake. it was definitely difficult for me to hold back a wide grin. I mean, it was amazing that I was there when Mom found out she was pregnant. But now? Wow–I couldn’t believe how much they’ve grown. They were their own little people with the sweetest personalities. Mom and Dad sure looked happy each time we had a birthday that it was touching, although I didn’t blame them. It’s common knowledge that every parent wants to do their best to raise their kids well and to be happy, right? I suppose that I sometimes wondered how many birthday parties for my own kids I would be able to host, you know? Would they be just as fun as ours? Would I be just as proud as my parents are?

Well, that was a thought for another day.

I joined in with the rest of the family, cheering loudly when we finished singing happy birthday to my brothers. Jax and Oren didn’t waste their time in leaning in as far as they could once everyone broke out into cheers. Their heads were close together and they raced with all their might to blow out all of their candles. By some luck, they managed to make it to the last candle together. They looked so accomplished as they blew out the final candle. Mom and Dad snuggled them close against their bodies. Their happiness emanated from their smiles and it was hard not to join in. The joy was contagious. As it should’ve been.

 

See, no matter what stress, what sadness plagued a family, or what anxiety there was in everyone’s lives–there had to have been moments where all of it paused, even if for a moment. My concerns could be tackled another day, I thought. Nothing at this point could stir me from  planning anything ahead of eating some tasty cake! Birthday parties were magic like that, weren’t they?

While we cheered the lined up for a piece of birthday cake, I felt someone poke my shoulder.

“So, have you finalized what your major will be in college?” Grandpa Grey asked.

Oh, dang it all, I thought.

 

 

 

 

Gen.10- Alma. Chapter Six

~*~Isobel’s Point of View~*~

There was rarely a day where looking out the window wouldn’t result in the sight of my daughter down on her knees in her garden. It was hard to believe that just a few years prior the flourishing garden was nothing but a patch of soil with seeds we didn’t have too much hope for. The land wasn’t exactly the best in terms of fertility, but Alma didn’t want to give up. She mixed fertilizers, soils, and vitamins which resulted in what we had today. I couldn’t even put together the right combination of words to truly explain how I felt about Alma’s dedication to her garden. She reminded me so much of myself with my art, and so much of Cateo when he fought hard to make his voice heard. She was our daughter from her head and down to her toes. So, if I was so proud of her, then why was I keeping her college letter in the drawer of my desk?

It was only yesterday that it came in the mail and Alma wasn’t hopping to the mailbox with the same zeal that she had just a few weeks ago. I admit it was strange, but after everything that happened in just the last few months alone, I honestly didn’t blame her. I never truly got the full story, but what the judges must have said to her about her plant definitely didn’t give her a great sense of worth in their little community. They were snobs, I told her so many times. Stinkin’ snobs who couldn’t recognize the blood, sweat, and tears of hard work if bit them on the fucking ass! I hated them for doing that to my little girl, but since then she was so involved at home. She stopped worrying about school, and she even stopped wondering about what assignments she would have the next semester. It wasn’t that she wasn’t working hard anymore, but she wasn’t so stressed. Part of me worried her passions were dwindling, but seeing her hard work in her garden kept me trying to think of a good moment to hand her the big envelope with her name stamped on it. As much as I didn’t want Alma to leave my little cozy nest that I created with Cateo, I knew I had to let her know that she could start planning the next phase of her life. But…maybe I would wait until dinner.

“You know you’ll have to give her that letter sooner or later, kitty,” Cateo murmured from the stool as he quietly strummed his guitar.

“I know, I know!” I groaned and dragged my feet along my studio floor. “After everything, I just want her to feel happy, you know? I mean, she worked her ass off for this. She already has her major in mind and the classes she wants to take. Cateo, what if she changed her mind?”

“Then she’ll change her mind,” he simply replied. “Clearly she still loves gardening.” As a frown began to creep across my plump lips, I watched him set his guitar against the stool. “But I don’t think it’s Alma’s love for gardening or that competition that’s keeping that letter hidden in your desk.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, crossing my arms.

“Right,” Cateo chuckled, walking to me with his eyes breaking down my defense without even breaking a sweat. “Alma’s not a little kitten anymore, Bel. I hate to admit it too, but I think we should be proud of her. Look at how dedicated she is to what she loves,” he said, pointing out the widow. “That’s our flesh and blood. She’s going to do just fine. Hell, maybe she’ll become some big time botanist! Think of how hard you worked to get to where you are now. She has your drive, Bel.”

Everything he said made so much sense, but it wasn’t anything that I didn’t already know. I knew my sweet Alma wasn’t a little girl anymore. Ah yes, my little girl who refused to keep her diaper on. My little girl who helped me plant the herbs in our first garden.

My little girl…

“Hey now,” Cateo whispered as his arms wrapped around me. “It’s okay, Mama,” he said, kissing my cheek and then the warm skin of my shoulder.

“It’s–it’s just that fucking dust, I-I swear…” I managed a chuckle when his facial hair tickled my neck, but regardless a few tears escaped me.

Right, like there was any way I could fake my heartache. I was so proud of her, but damn it–I was a mother and I had every right to cry knowing my daughter would be graduating and heading off to college!

I pulled my body away from him, knowing very well what I had to do the moment I would step out of that room.

In my heart, it was now or never.

Outside the soft breeze blew the hint of spring through my hair. You could almost smell it in the air–Alma’s garden was on the brink of a blossom. No wonder she was tending to her plants like a mother to her children. She didn’t even hear me walk out, so I approached her slowly, the grass between my toes restrained me.

Take your time, Isobel. Fumble with anything and you’ll confuse the girl into thinking she’s getting bad news. Just think of her happiness…

“Alma,” I finally said, raising my hand that held onto the large envelope. It was now crumpled and even a little stained–blotches of dark spots were on the recycled paper. My tears were like acid. Alma, without a doubt, was distracted by the soundtrack of her garden, so I stepped closer, beginning to utter her name like a song.

When her head turned at attention, I didn’t say a word. The only communication I had to give her was a small wave of the envelope. The rustle within showed promise and I knew she felt it too. Alma hopped to her feet and didn’t bother wiping off the dirt from her pants, or even her hands. There was nothing else in her line of vision, but the envelope that was snatched from my grip within moments. The life in her eyes couldn’t have been mistaken for anything else.

Alma knew exactly what was going on.

~*~Alma’s Point of View~*

I had no words when I held the envelope in my hands. No words at all. I was worried sick for months–not so secretly anticipating a thin envelope. After my confidence was rattled by those judges, I didn’t think I’d be able to recover in the eyes of the college board. I thought of the worst scenarios where they built me up only to bring me down. Luckily it was all in my head. All of my cruel thoughts were wrong–oh, so very wrong! In my hands was an envelope as thick as a short novel. It was heavy in my hand, like the weight that I used to feel on my shoulders. This was the weight–the answer within was what drove me nuts for months!

I looked at Mom. She looked blurry to me, and I had no doubt that I looked blurry to her.

“Go ahead,” she managed to say then sniffled noisily.

My mind screeched for me to tear the envelope to shreds, and to free the papers inside it, but my hands were trembling far too much. It was as if I lost my motor functions just out of pure excitement. Oye, how was I going to do this? I finally forced myself to tear open the top of the envelope that crinkled with each touch. Careful, I thought, you don’t want to tear the message you’ve been waiting to hear.

Oh my god. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Did they not get news of my failure at the competition? Did they not know? Or…did they not care?

Regardless, I reached into the package and pulled out the contents. I knew well what was going on at the presence of catalogs and pamphlets for the school. but all I cared abut was the single-sided piece of paper that I brought close to my face and failed to even read aloud before bursting into a frenzy of incoherent blubbering. I couldn’t believe it.

I did it–I actually did!

I stopped quickly to hug my sobbing mother before running inside where Dad stood with a much brighter expression than Mom. He congratulated me with a tight hug that sent me a bolt of energy to sprint up the stairs for me phone so I could tell Dani. She got her letter a few weeks before I did, mainly because I procrastinated getting my application in till the final minute. Of course with my adrenaline keeping me on a super-high, I did my best to refrain from even trying to type a message after my fifth attempt of writing “I got in!”. Dani was usually great when it came to deciphering messages, but even this one would be difficult for her since we hadn’t talked about college at all. Part of me worried that we wouldn’t get into the same school, but dang it–“ERT GT UNN!”

Send.

“Mom, Dad!” I shouted from upstairs as I began running down. My feet stomped down hard against the steps. “I’m going to the Lace’s! I’ll take my bike!”

I didn’t even wait for them to say anything. Dinner wasn’t for a few hours, so there was no harm in going out to visit my best friend at work! The bike ride was exhilarating. The wind whipped against my cheeks and cooled off my heated brow. Honestly, I didn’t care if a few bugs ran into my teeth. I was too excited; I was in academic ecstasy!  When I made it to the diner, I hopped off my bike and busted through the door, panting and wheezing like someone running away from the terrible danger of a zombie, or a coyote–whatever worked, right?

“Oh my!” Mrs. Lace yelped, nearly dropping her notepad. “Alma, is everything alright?”

“Y–” I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. “I…”

“No rush, sweetie. Breathe, please,” she giggled.

“Is Dani working today?” I finally managed to spit out.

“She sure is.” She pointed toward the cafe side of the diner. The moment I heard the confirmation, I rushed through the doors connecting the two places. All I was able to shout were quick thanks before continuing my rush to Dani.

She was expecting me, because I found her leaning against the counter where she kept all sorts of sweets that her dad made. With her elbow on the counter and her other hand clutching her phone, she wiggled it around and called out to me.

“Were you high when you wrote this?” She joked.

“I have news! I declared.

Suddenly, all jokes aside, Dani straightened out and looked at me. I had a feeling that part of her knew what I was going to say, but she waited for me to confirm. “Don’t keep me waiting, lady. I’ve tried make sense of this for the last two minutes. You’re lucky no one wanted coffee recently, otherwise I would’ve been a horrible barista…”

My jacket was rummaged through quickly in search of the acceptance letter I had stuffed into one of the pockets. I was so excited that I even forgot, for a moment, where I had stuffed it. When I did eventually find it, I stuck it out in front of Dani and squealed. “I did it!”

Dani yanked the letter out of my hands and quickly scanned it. First, she read the heading and her eyes widened at the college insignia at the top. It was the same school she got accepted to. Not a sound left her open mouth, but I watched her mouth “No way!”

“I got in, Dani!”

Dani stuffed the letter back into my pocket and we grabbed each other by the wrists before jumping up and down the way we used to when we were younger. There was relief in the moment and another wave of excitement. With us going to the school, we could consider rooming together, which was always the fantasy we played out during out little make-believe games. Dani and Alma–stuck at the hip since Day 1. Dani was like my sister, so knowing she would be at the same school just made it all seem better. I guess we were each others support systems. We talked about boys, school, my garden, and more boys–when it came to Dani’s life. I mean, she was like my other half. I loved my other friends, but there was a bond that some friends shared, the one that ran almost as deep as blood.

The cheering and squealing soon subsided and Dani reached up to high-five me.  The clap of our hands was like a roll of thunder. Strong and bold.

“I can’t believe it. Sucks that Gia isn’t with us, but at least we’ll have the breaks to spend time together,” Dani mentioned. “So, it’s not like we’ll never see each other after high school. Now that would really stink!”

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “We can definitely make it work, but I’m just so relieved because this school has the best gardening program. They have two huge greenhouses, they have amazing botany courses and just–“

Dani rolled her eyes and bumped me with her hip. “Like I’ve been telling you, woman. One mistake won’t cost you your career. Even doctors fuck up every now and then, but they learn.”

“Doctors?” Laughing, I shuddered. “I don’t need to hear that sort of stuff, Dani! But I guess that’s true. I’ll finally get my chance.”

Before long I realized that we had spent a few hours talking about what we were looking forward to about starting school somewhere else. The excitement was all too real and then we started making mental notes of the shopping that was ahead of us. We had so much ahead of us and knowing we wouldn’t be apart made it that much more special. But the time for all that would come eventually. For now, I had to head back home before my mother would lose her mind from my sudden fleeing.

But, soon enough, Dani and I both knew that our college preparations would stop being just talks of fantasies and daydreams. Soon, it would all become a reality. Holy crap…

Th rest of the day, I enjoyed my high. I think after being worked up all the time for the last few months granted me that sort of ease. Dani and I were going to attend the same University. It was going to be around a seven hour drive from our homes, but it would be worth it. Plus, wouldn’t this be our opportunity to truly explore and bask in what the college experience should be? Well, what we got from the movies and such! I couldn’t wait! I was so eager to learn and to see what that sort of experience would bring me. Who knew, maybe I would meet some famous botanists and maybe even go to some parties! Amazing! I scrolled through my e-mails on my phone to see that I even got a welcoming message from the school. A piece of paper was solid proof that I got in, but it didn’t stop me from feeling like it was all so surreal. The more I read, the more excited I got. This was no longer a fantasy of mine, but a wish that was coming true.

Three knocks sounded against my door frame, which ushered my attention away from the bright screen. I didn’t even bother shutting my door.

“Hope you’re not busy,” Kaden said, then slowly revealed that he wasn’t alone. Holding his hand was Claudine who walked in with a shy smile spread across her face. “Claudine bears a gift…”

She was carrying a bag of goodies. I knew they were the work of her dad, because I knew they were my favorite: cosmic brownies that smelled like my childhood. How could I say no to that? Well, plus I had a hell of a sweet tooth. Chocolate was my weakness and sugary sprinkles were the drug that went hand in hand with chocolate. YUM!

“Thanks so much,” I said, sitting up on my bed. “Wanna share some now? We all know that I’ll just polish them off the moment I’m left alone with them”

Kaden looked at Claudine and shrugged. He let go of her hand and walked in deeper into the room. I did admit that I invited them to stay for more than one reason. My brother was finally public about his relationship with my best friends sister. It was really sweet to see them together since you know, she was basically the reason my brother smiled more. It was kinda sweet, you know–the puppy love that we all hoped would last. Plus, it was interesting to me that my brother had an actual love life, unlike me. My love life consisted of tending to a garden and serenading plants in need of cheering up. Yeah. That was about it.

Regardless of my feelings, I enjoyed their company in my room. Claudine was a sweetheart and congratulated me on my recent acceptance into the college. She joked and asked for me and Dani to invite her and Kaden to all the college parties. Yeah, because I could definitely imagine them doing all of those crazy things–beer pong, keg stands, streaking–well, um, whatever actually happened at those parties. How should I know? My only knowledge about those things was from movies and books. If people really ran around in togas, then that would be insane.

“I have to ask, Alma,” Claudine stopped her giggling and touched me on the shoulder. “Are you scared at all about the change? I mean, the school year is almost over. You’ll be moving to another state over the summer. Does not being only a mile or two away from home scare you?”

I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and shrugged. It was something I thought of, yeah, but did I fear this kind of change?

“No,” I replied. “I think I’m a lot more excited than I am scared. Home will always be home, but this experience is something that can bring about the best change in my life.”

Oh, how I hoped I was telling not only Claudine, but myself, the truth.

Gen.10-Alma. Chapter Five

“Okay, class,” Mrs. Sterling announced while she finished patting down her thighs to ensure her skirt was laying flat. Once she finished and everyone’s attention was on her, she turned to motion to the two people standing beside her. “Here we have Mr. Nocturne and Ms. Pearson who will be walking around to see all of your plants in a few minutes. Each contestant here will have a few minutes with our judges to talk about your plant. So, if it isn’t your turn, then you are free to walk around and enjoy the refreshments…”

The first half of the school year was almost over, which was hard to believe, but it meant that the end of the year competitions weren’t scarce. In the gardening club we had a small competition with some actual judges who knew a thing or two about gardening! I had my plant in the domestic plant category and I was beyond excited to see how Cynthia (yes, I named my plant) would do in this competition! I plucked all of her brown leaves and made sure the soil was damp, but not soggy. All microscopic creepy crawlies were nowhere to be found either, so we were in the clear! I was certain that everything was in tip-top shape, but the worst part was just to come–waiting for the results.

I had some time to kill while waiting for the judges to make their way to me, so I just had to do my best not to think of other things that were lingering in my mind–specifically, anything that had to do with the Fall college applications that I already sent out. My mind was racing, but I just had to agree with Grandpa that everything was no out of my control with those applications. To honor him, I just did my best to keep myself occupied. After all, I was a senior in high school and I had to try to enjoy it! Even if it wasn’t about classes, I had to remember that my friends and family were still there. And on this day in particular, I was extremely lucky to have my best friend at my side.

“Now all you need is a few minutes of sunlight and you will be in tip-top shape,” I cooed, gently turning the clay pot.

“How do you know that?” Dani asked, munching on a crisp apple that she was juggling a moment ago.

I loved hearing her say that. I loved when people wondered about the world of gardening and all the awesome things that happened even as close as their living room, if not their own garden. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to keep talking about what truly excited me. Getting to the point, I pointed at the curled up leaves of my plant. “See? When it’s in the right amount of sun, the leaves will expand. This plant only likes to be in the sun for a few hours, so I have to monitor it really closely otherwise the leaves could actually burn!”

Dani’s eyes shot wide open and she spat out the apple she had stuck in her mouth like a stuffed pig. “Holy shit! You mean like it would explode?!”

“What?” I snorted, pushing the pot closer where the beam of sunlight from the window would hit it. “Nooo, brown spots could form on the leaves, or it could just wilt. It’s just that this plant has its limits.”

“That’s it?”

I nodded. “That’s it.”

Apparently dissatisfied with my response, Dani shrugged and leaned against the table. “I still think a plant blowing up would be more interesting.”

“Sure-sure, but I don’t think you realize what’s at stake here…” I turned around and wrapped my arms around her shoulder, to pivot her body in the direction of the competition poster we had hanging in the room. “This is the club’s annual competition and it’s only minutes away. The grand prize is not only cash, but respect from the gardening community, which is worth more than some check!” Dani leaned her head back, trying her best to roll her eyes, but I stepped back and looked back at Cynthia, the plant. “These people are the ones who spend their life perfecting their gardens. They have orchids in amazing conditions and other plants that seem only possibly to tame in their natural climate! I just–,” I exhaled, adjusting the scarf I had hanging loosely around my neck. “It would be nice to get noticed by them, you know?”

It wasn’t hard to see how passionate I was about gardening. Dani could see it too. She never mocked me, which was nice, because at least I could tell that she didn’t think I was foolish for pursuing a career in botany and everything around it. I wanted to be taken seriously and luckily my parents understood it. After moving the pot away from the sun, I exhaled sharply and dusted off my hands. There was still some time before it was my turn for judging, so I shrugged my shoulders and nudged Dani. If there was something that I could always count on, then it was for Dani to have something amusing to say. Dani lived in a house with two other sisters and parents who were still young at heart. Let’s just say you had to be extra careful when opening doors at the Lace’s house. But the main story that was unfolding wasn’t so much one that revolved around school or even the strange things out parents did, but it was about Kaden. My sweet brother was experiencing some girl troubles, so naturally we wanted to know who was his little crush. Not like I was going to tease him. If he wanted my help, then it was always a bit better to have a visual of who we were dealing with.

It had been weeks, but maybe we were getting closer.

“Say,” I started, “anything new on your end? Ya know, so I’m not taking up your time just babbling about plants, photosynthesis, and all that fun stuff.”

Dani’s full lips pursed and she pushed herself away from the table. She had that sly look in her eyes, so I could only wonder what it was that she knew. Aside from news about my brother’s love interest, my buddy always had some interesting gossip from her job at her parents’ cafe.

“First things first,” my friend said, “the eye candy at work finally came back! I think it’s midterms time, because he’s always there for, like six hours. He always orders a red-eye and some scones. Best seven hour shift ever.”

She continued on for a bit with a break down of who this “eye candy” guy was. I wasn’t too into the whole guy thing like she was. Dani was much more open in pursing the men she was attracted to while I kept my nose buried in my books and my garden. That was the only eye candy I really had time for. Although I had to admit that I loved hearing her stories about these cute guys in the cafe. Sometimes it was like listening to a romantic comedy, or better yet–a Spanish soap opera where even the most mundane moments in life, like stirring coffee a certain way, were turned into the most dramatic scenes. Having a friend working in that business was amazing for more than just discounts–the stories were a gift of their own!

We talked and walked around the room while the judges began their work. To keep my nerves down, I asked my friend questions until we reached the refreshment table where I found a muffin with my name on it. Before I could move to grab it, Dani walked past me and stopped me mid-thought.

“Yeah?”

“I have something even better to tell you,” Dani snickered.

Oh man, the look in her lack of composure was evidence enough that what she was holding back was great.

Go on! I silently urged her with my gaze.

Dani’s eyes flashed her teeth at me and leaned in closer, snatching a fruit tart from the table. “Let me tell you about last night.”

“Stop holding back, Dani!”

“Wellllll,” she dragged it out before beginning with another smirk. “I saw your brother last night.”

Ooooh, Kaden!

“So I was getting ready for bed and I just so happened to walk by the window, thinking I saw some creep walking up the path.”

I was moments away from slapping my hand against my face. Good lord, Kaden. What was he even doing at their house?

“I was about to open up the window an shoo him away, still thinking it was some pervert, but it got so  much better. You know how?”

“No,” I answered.

“He walked up to the door, then walked back, then back up again. This little dude did that two more times before running up to the door to drop off a mix CD at the door step.”

I tried to wrap my head around all the words that left her lips, but none of it really made sense. Yeah, Kaden had a crush on some mystery girl, but what did that have to do with him going over to Dani’s house so late at night…No…

My best friends face lit up as she finished munching on a fruit tart. “YES! I think we finally solved it! I think your brother has the hots for my Mom! I mean, do the math—she serves him food at the restaurant–”

Bursting out in a fit of laughter, I pushed Dani playfully. “Come on, Dani…”

I allowed her to enjoy the moment a little longer before my posture shifted to the side. The mystery of my brother’s crush was something we wondered about on the side, but if we were going to talk about having solved it, then it wasn’t going to include the adults. I mean, I understood liking someone older, but someone like Dani’s Mom! Come on! Kaden wouldn’t.

“Well, it’s not like he has a thing for me, dear Alma. We all know I like them a bit more buff and well, not three years younger.” She chuckled until it finally struck us that we were pretty darn close to figuring out who my brother had a thing for. And from the looks of things, it had to be one of Dani’s sisters. To be honest, I didn’t think it was all the surprising seeing as our families were close since well, a long time now. But for him to have feelings for one of the twins now, well, it was quite the news, and not mention a perfect distraction from what was about to go on.

“Did that make you feel better, little botanist superstar?” Dani grinned, resting her hand on my shoulder.

“All competitors pleased head back to your tables. The judging will commence shortly…”

The wave of anxiety overcame me like an unexpected tidal wave. My throat closed up until I felt Dani shake me gingerly.

“Calm down, Wells. You’ll be just fine! You live and breathe plants! Like…photosynthesis and stuff…”

Smiling, I bobbed my head and turned around to return to my table. However the closer I got, I realized who was standing at my table with her hands fixed stiffly on her hips. The last person on this planet that I wanted to deal with at that time, or ever, you know. With her lilac hair and floral top, I could sense her confidence from where I was standing and even more so when I walked up to my table. I don’t know, maybe it was the amount of drama’s that I’ve seen that made me suspect for a moment that Liberty would do something crappy like sabotage my plant.

Cautiously, I stepped up with a forced cough. Smooth touch, Alma. Smooooth.

“It’s funny how you leave your post, Wells. With this excuse for a plant, I’d expect you to poke and probe until it would actually look presentable.” Liberty turned around and with her tight lips to show me an even more sinister sneer than I thought possible. Was she seriously that competitive? What the hell did she have to worry about? Ms. Pristine here…

Both of my brows shot up–shocked that she’d honestly just come to me to insult my plant. A plant. If people ever thought that gardening competitions were child’s play, then they were so wrong. With people like Liberty and people who tried their very best, well, it was often a giant mass of tension.

“My plant is fine,” I groaned, stepping past her to the point my move actually forced her step aside. “So can you go back to your table? I’m sure you want to hear everyone to fawn over your orchid.”

Liberty scoffed. “You think I’m just going to have this little back and forth banter with you, Wells?”

“No,” I said plainly.

“Good. Because I think you should just listen to me instead of trying to pick a fight.”

Boy, was she wrong.

“Your little plant?” She said, pointing past me to the pot on the table. “It’s not going to last one second in this competition. See mine? It’s an orchid that I’ve taken care of. It’s a challenge and it’s in perfect condition. What do you think you’re doing by entering this competition with something so boring? Next thing you know, you’ll think your tulips are a work of art!”

I thought of what to say, but I figured that speaking at all would just add fuel to her fire. But jeez…did she have to really throw that in there? No, Alma, I thought to myself. She’s just trying to psyche you out. You’re totally fine. Everything will just be okay.

Liberty, sensing I wouldn’t respond to her, turned on her heel and began her walk away, but this was Liberty we were talking about. With a swift wave with her back to me she spoke:

“These are the big leagues, Wells, and if you think you’ll get anywhere with that boring thing, then you should really fucking reconsider what you’re getting into.”

I watched the judges approach my table. All of a sudden it looked like the entire room was thrown into a slow-motion montage. The thumps of their shoes echoed and my breathing became the loudest thing in the room. I fought hard to ignore what Liberty told me. That’s all that she did anyway–she did her best to bring anyone down just to make herself seem superior. Yeah, her plants were great, but did she seriously need to tell me my work was worse than crap? Not exactly what I needed to hear right before everything around me became muted at the arrival of the judges.

Slow and shallow, I swallowed hard and stepped behind my plant in preparation to hopefully blow them away. As much as I loved the greats of botany, I felt so intimidated, so small in comparison to those giants!

They soon arrived with their glasses fixed neatly on the bridge of their nose. Before they even looked at my face (trying so hard to hide the fact that I was drenched in stress sweat), they were already eyeballing my plant. I felt violated for it as they didn’t even need to touch it to pick it apart.

“This is the Chinese Evergreen?” The tall woman asked, lowering her glasses down her nose. Wow, she knew before I even had to tell her.

“Y-Yes, ma’am!” I answered. Immediately my mind was thrown into full swing of the speech I had planned to recite. “This is indeed the Chinese Evergreen–” As I spoke I watched their eyes fixed on the plant and not so much on what I was saying. It was a bit provoking, to say that least. “Y-yes, um, this is a variation of the Evergreen plant as it doesn’t require as much sun, which is good for the St. Claire climate. A few hours a day will keep the plant from wilting, as well as with the help of keeping the soil damp, but not a soggy mess. Um,” I  did my best and kept my throat from making some ridiculous sound. God, they seriously looked like giants and the longer I spoke, the more vulnerable I felt.

“How long as you had this plant?” The man asked.

“A little over a year,” I admitted. “This plant is from my garden at home. I planted it and did my best to make sure it adapted to the pot I had it in. There were some bugs that I had to take care of in the last few months, but the plant has made a recovery.”

The judges looked at each other and did the one thing that drove everyone nuts—they began to whisper to each other. What sweet nothings were there to whisper if not the failures of a competitor? B-but sometimes things were okay! I mean, Cynthia looked great! Not a single brown leaf was on there!

Taking her turn to speak, the female judge stepped closer to the table and leaned down as if to take a whiff of the nearly odorless plant. “I see you have spent a lot of time with this plant and it looks good, however in terms of show quality,” she scrunched up her face and sighed. “It is not what we are looking for. This plant has been diseased–”

“But it’s no-not diseased anymore. I got rid of the fungus organically!” I spoke, half-pleading for reconsideration.

“I’m afraid the stem has scarring, which would be the number one red flag for all botanists. Once it is scarred, I feel that it will be difficult for the plant to reach its full potential in growth.”

“It was a great attempt, Ms. Wells. I’m sure next time will be better…” The man said.

I could almost hear Liberty’s cackles from here as the judges walked away. Scarring on the stem? How could have I missed that?! It was so plain obvious and I missed the one thing that was basically staring them in the face! With that there was no way that I would place, and the judges confirmed it when the top prizes were announced to two of my fellow classmates, and of course with no surprise, to Liberty—for her impeccable orchid.

Orchid-shmorchid.

I watched in sheer disbelief, not so much that Liberty proved herself right, once again, but more so that I had such high hopes and that they were crushed.

Was that what my entire life was going to be like? I spent the majority of my life obsessed with botany. I started planting vegetables with Mom when I wasn’t even old enough to go to school, so what did this mean? Was there even a small chance that what I was passionate about wasn’t going to work out in the future because I was too positive about my work? Huh, too positive to not notice the obvious, probably.

There was not a single part of me that wanted to stick around to talk with my classmates, let alone with Liberty, so I gathered my things and went on my way. I walked home from the club instead of catching the bus, or even stopping by the Lace’s diner to hitch a ride with Dani. At that point all I wanted to do was be home in my room. I was fine with losing a competition, it wasn’t the loss that troubled me, but it was more the fact I didn’t see me errors before they were announced so blatantly by the judges. I must’ve looked like such an amateur to them. Approaching the house I could see the flickering of lights from inside. That would make sneaking in unnoticed a bit more difficult, but maybe if I was lucky, then they would be too distracted by the twins or something.

When I opened the door, all the muffled sounds that were held back by the walls and the door came flying straight at me, embracing me. The holidays were just around the corner and my parents were putting up and tree and decorating it with the twins. After all now that they were a bit older, they could help out a lot more with all the fun stuff. Holiday music played from the speakers and I could hear from the living room that Mom was cooing over how nice the tree looked this year while the twins giggled excitedly. That sound of my family’s joy should have made me just as happy, but there was the nagging feeling inside of me that was just causing me to question everything. I tried so hard to hold it back, but the rush of emotion around time–my present, my family, and what would become of my future–I let out a shuddering wheeze that startled those in the living room.

I covered my mouth quickly and rushed out past the hall and towards the door to the backyard before Mom could get my attention. despite me noticing her run to the doorway and call out after me.

I just wasn’t in the mood to explain myself and what happened at the competition. Now, I did arrive without a ribbon or trophy in my hands, so it wasn’t that difficult to assume what had happened. But for the time being, I just wanted to be along in the backyard without anyone asking me about what happened.

The garden in our backyard was still blossoming despite it already being winter. The snow hadn’t come down yet, so my plants were hanging on as long as they possibly could. Just looking at them I could remember the exact days when I planted them. Each of them was like a stepping stone in my supposed career as a botanist. I got down to the soil and I buried my hands in it, digging up the perfect hole for each seed that would eventually grow into the small shrubs of veggies and herbs. I was proud of myself for getting that far–I mean, it wasn’t an easy task to grow and support a healthy artichoke. I could say that because I had tried four times before it actually stuck. When I thought of moments like that, of my little success stories in my garden, I had to keep telling myself that it would be worth it. Even the greats had their struggles, right? Maybe this was mine.

The tears that had fallen, dried on my cheeks. Taking one last look at the garden, I sniffled and planted my foot down firmly on the grass. No, I had to stop crying over one little mistake, over someone’s criticism…I was going to make it because I had that passion. I had to learn from my mistakes, right?

Before I could answer my own question, I heard the door open. Part of me expected Mom to show up sooner or later. She always did that, anyway. She always showed up and asked if I wanted to talk about it, but when I looked over my shoulder, expecting her, I felt my lips twitch into a small smile. It was Dad. It was weird having him home again like that, but it was definitely the best surprise I could’ve asked for at that moment. No offense to Mom, but today I just didn’t feel like talking.

“I,” I began, taking a moment before trying again. “I just wanted to check on the lavender. I heard it’s going to be cold next week, so I was thinking of cutting it down to bring inside…”

“Okay, sweetheart…”

“A-and, about today?” I sighed, “I just…I don’t think…”

Dad didn’t tell me to wait to tell him, or told me to slow down. He just walked to me and placed his arm around my shoulder. He didn’t ask me about what had happened, but somehow in his gesture I could tell that he knew. I looked up at him with glazed eyes only to meet his sympathetic smile. He understood my silence.

“Why don’t you come inside? Mom’s making some hot chocolate and we were just about to show the twins some of our home videos. Pretty sure we have some clips of you in your little footie pajamas,” said Dad.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I think that would be really nice…” I felt Dad turn around, but before we could head back inside I grabbed onto his shirt and tugged on it the way I would when I was younger, when I wanted his attention. “Thank you, Dad…”

Rubbing my shoulder, he leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “Don’t mention it, kiddo. Tomorrow will be better…”

Despite so many days ending up as major fails, or even as one perfect recipe for an anxiety-full mess–I wasn’t done believing that it would get better. Eventually, I knew it would.

 

Author’s Note:

Wow…it sure has been quite some time since there was any word from Alma, huh? I just wanted to take this moment to thank all of you for hanging on with me here. I really appreciate it. I finished my Fall semester on Friday, so I’m super happy to be back here again. I’ve had this post in my drafts for….well…since the last time I posted for the Legacy. Anyway, I’m working on a Holiday post that I /hope/ will be out some time closer to Christmas.

Who’s excited to see some of the older Wells crew? Like, Isobel’s siblings? holy smokes. ALL of them! 😀

Anyway, I really hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter! I’d love to hear what you thought of it! You may do so in a comment ❤

Take care ! 

-Olga

Thank you, Avi, for Liberty [: