The Heart of Viviana Alston

Part One

I wake up, light streaming through my window and my face beaming. This is my fourteenth birthday! Today I'm a teenager, just like my siblings! I bolt out of bed and look in the mirror. I don't look that different. Same light brown hair, same green eyes. I sigh and walk into my closet. I throw on the fanciest clothes I have and run downstairs. My mother sees me and gasps, "Oh, Viviana! You look beautiful!" I spin around joyfully in my blue dress. My older sister, Dottie, walks into the room groggily holding a cup of coffee in two hands. "Don't you want to say happy birthday to your sister?" My mother asks, a demanding look in her eye. Dottie sighs, takes a sip of coffee, and says, "Happy birthday sis." Dottie looks me up and down. "Nice dress." She smiles now. If there's anyone into fashion it's Dottie. She practically lives on Polyvore! But she's the most judgemental person too, especially when it comes to fashion. I grin and hear a familiar knock on the door. "Your boyfriend's here!" Dottie calls, looking through the peep hole. "He's not my boyfriend!" I yell back trying not to blush. I adjust my hair and rush over to open the door, pushing my sister aside. "Hey Vivi, happy birthday," He says his hands in his khaki pockets. "Hey Kaleb," I say back. Kaleb is my best friend. I've known him since kindergarten and he's my one true friend. Also, he's, like, four feet tall and I'm almost five. Kalebpushes back his shaggy red hair. "I like your dress," He says, his freckled cheeks slightly pink. I never wear dresses, like, ever. I'm what you would call a tomboy. I'm more interested in plaid shirts and high top sneakers than dresses and skirts. "Thanks," I say spinning around once again. He chuckles. "What?" I ask. "It's just that I've never seen you wear a dress before," He says adjusting his tie. "Wanna come inside?" I ask, slightly wanting to change the subject. "Sure," He nods and walks in.We sit at the table as Mother prepares breakfast. My brother, Robin, walks in the room, his hair messy from sleeping. "Good morning," He yawns. My mother turns from the stovetop, "You know what day it is?" She asks. He sits down next to Dottie. "Yeah, Saturday," He says smirking. "I'm just kiddin'! You know I'd never forget your birthday Viv." He ruffles my hair. I smile. He was always my favorite sibling, but don't tell Dottie!Mother finishes cooking breakfast and sets plates of scrambled eggs and bacon before us with glasses of milk for Korey and I and coffee for everyone else. Our dog, Ozlo, emerges from his dog bed and trots over to me. He sits down and sticks out his tongue from the side of his mouth. He sniffs my food from our low table. "No, no Ozlo, my food! You'll get your food soon" I say to him. He cries a little, but still obeys, lying down next to my feet. Kaleb chuckles. "Tough love," He says to Ozlo. Ozlo seems to nod and puts his head between his paws. Kaleb turns and looks at me, it kind of gives me a heart attack when he looks at me I don't know why, maybe it's his cute freckles or the way he laughs or maybe the dimples he forms when he smiles and the way his eyes wrinkle or his sparkling green eyes which make me happy everytime I see them. "He agrees" Kaleb laughs. He's talking about Ozlo, something about Ozlo. Just laugh! I laugh too. He smiles at me at and my heart skyrockets. "You're finally fourteen Vivi" He says suddenly giving me a hug. My heart skyrockets again. I hug him back. His grip is tight and his head rests on my shoulder, He feels cuddly like a teddy bear. He lets me go, blushes and continues to eat his breakfast. I wish that hug was longer. I sip my milk and eat some more of my breakfast.Kaleb has gone home and I'm up in my room, lying on my bed. I look at the ceiling where my dream catcher hangs. Encase you don't know what a dream catcher is it's basically a wooden circle with a spider web looking pattern on it. Sometimes I just look at my ceiling and daydream which might seem weird but it really isn't, I do it often. I hear a soft knock on my door. "Come in!" I call. Mother opens the door and sits next to me on my bed. "Viviana, don't you wanna go downstairs and hang out with your siblings?" She asks placing her hand on my knee. I turn my head to look at her. "No, not really" I answer. "Do you want Kaleb to come back?" She asks. She knows about my staring at the ceiling thing and sometimes it makes her worried, like today. "No his parents wanted him to go home and they might be mad if he comes back over" I answer putting my hands under my head. Mother nods and walks out of the room. I look back at the ceiling. I daydream about a lot of things, sometimes about my family, sometimes about Myself, but today I daydream about Kaleb.