This Time It's My Turn •remodeled edition•

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"Mom, I'm home!!" I yelled through the house as I stumbled with the many paper bags that hung on my arms.

Mom, Fritz, and I were left to fend for ourselves for a while when Dad left for Chicago last Tuesday. Fritz put up a real sissy fit because he wouldn't be able to play the pool table with Dad for a long time. Fritz is only two years younger than me at 14 years old. So, ya. He's a big baby. :p

"Kai, darling! I didn't send you off with that much on the list!!" She rushed to my side and heaved a load off my left arm, now sore from the weight of about 7 glass tomato sauce jars and 3 bottles of cranberry juice.

"Heh. Yea mom. Long story short, I lost the list, so we make due with what we got."

Mom immediately stopped in the middle of unpacking a particularly heavy bag and gave me the death stare. She has her many pet peeves that I always have to watch out for. Hence the incorrectly said sentence that "oh so uncarefully stated!" Chillax Mom!!

I released a heavy sigh and rolled my eyes.

"So we make due with what we have." She smiled heartily and continued to unpack.

"Very good, darling. Oh, I cannot wait for your etiquette classes next year!!"

"Geez, mom."

"Geez mom!" she puts her head down, still smiling, and mumbles to herself. Obviously reliving the moment. "Geez mom she tells me....oh...geez, mom.....!!...."

I swear my mother is high off the smell of roses she smells in the morning. I don't hear the rest of what she says as I clumsily climb the stairs to my bedroom. I walk past Fritz room.

"Hey, pea-brain!" I roll my eyes and keep walking to my room, making the responsible decision to ignore his childish-ness. "I'm talkin' to you!!" Fritz calls from his room.

I just can't resist:

I hurry back to his open door and stick my head inside to see him playing Call of Duty Black Ops. I poke my tongue out at him and he grabs a Men's Warehouse catalogue and chucks it at my head. He misses by inches. I begin back to my room Fritz's sudden remark bring me to a halt.

"Fine. Be that way, penis-head!!! And see if I talk to you again!!"

I slowly walk back to Fritz's doorway in shock at his juvenile choice of words. When I can see him, I say : "You. Did. Not."

"Oh, I sure did, honey!" I scramble downstairs to tell mom, but Fritz is soon on my heels.

"Hey MOM!!! Fritzy over here just called me a penis-head!!" I called out.

I just noticed how crummy my brother's name was. Wow, mom.

"Fritz!! Get in here right now!! You are in serious trouble with me, young man. How many times do I have to tell you?? RESPECT ALL WOMEN UNLESS-"

"Blah blah blah. Unless they threaten or kidnap." Fritz says, rolling his eyes. "I get it mom."

"Well then how are you going about treating your sister with such disrespect??" Her eyes are widened with shock. She acts like Fritz never says anything like that in his life.

I didn't hear the rest of the argument as I decided to take a walk in the park and get some fresh air. When I got there, the sun was just beginning to fall. Mom would probably blow my phone up telling me that it's time for dinner, but I contined to walk anyway. A few minutes passed before I ran into my two best friends, Ava-rose and Michael.

"Omg!! Kai, what are you doing out here at this time? I would think you're doing homework or something!" Ava-rose says (more like shouts).

"I...I...wanted...to get some....air..." I said between heavy breaths. Ava-rose didn't reply. She was now looking over my head at something obviously much taller than me. I waved my hand infront of her face but she didn't react. I turned around to see a familiar face (after looking up, of course). I was speechless for a moment, but regained the ability to speak a few moments after.

"Hey, you're the guy from Whole Foods!!" I said awkwardly. Unfortunately, I failed to remember his name, so the silence between all of us was made even more so, strange. My words hung in the air as we stood there staring at each other. The- yet again- unknown guy just stared at me. It took him a little while to recollect his wit.

"Oh, hello, Kai! Long time, no see." I felt a sudden guilt surge through me for not remembering his name. No fair. He remembered mine, I should at least know the first freaking letter. I didn't realize how long I had been just looking at him, racking my brains for the name. I had only just met him today!!! Stupid brain.

"Um...Kai? You home? It's Ransom..." Ah! Ransom !! Ransom Avery.

"Hi, Ransom. Must be the heat getting to me." Ava-rose and Michael stood behind me, hopelessly clueless to what was going on. Not cool, Kai. Not cool. Introduce them, of course!

I shakily cleared my throat. "Heh. Oh, Ransom. These are two of my very close friends, Ava-rose and Michael. We all go to M.L.King High School..."

Silence.

Awkwarrrd...Ransom just shifted his feet.

"Oh. Nice to meet you!!" He said, hurriedly as he shook their hands. "I actually go there as well. Sorry. I kinda zone out when it comes to meeting several new people all in one day. That's why I can't stand visiting schools I want to go to during the day. I nearly faint on the first day of school!"

New people. Hmm. He didn't seem that way when he met me. Ransom slowly began to walk past us.

"I have to get this last mile in. See yea at school!!" He then jogged off along the stone path. Ava-rose just stared at me in awe.

"Is THAT the guy you met at WFM??" She said, wide-eyed.

"What? Got an issue?" I said.

"NO. HE WAS FREAKIN' HOT!!!" I blushed."Did you see those abs??!!"

"What abs?" I wasn't even looking any further down than his face. Ava-rose threw her hands in the air and grabbed Michael's arm. She practically dragged him down the path! He looked back at me in semi-sympathy as he was guided away.

Ransom had abs. So? Should I really care?

I started running at an even pace in the same direction that Ransom jogged.

••••••••••

A few weeks later Ransom and I had gotten familiar with each other and found out we had the same English and Science classes. He had been a transfer, and didn't know anyone, so I took action and showed him around like any student would do, right? Although he was a senior, and I a junior, we got along quite well and developed a sort of... friendship, I guess. But i t never felt like your average friendship. It always felt much deeper. Not that I'm saying we should be together or anything...

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