Life As A Treehouse

Chapter 2: Come Back to Us

I hear a car pulling up. The voices of Tori and Ronnie fill the air. I decide to sit in the treehouse and stare at the picture on the wall. It was the last family photo ever taken. It was the last moment we were all happy. The photos were taken last winter. We did a family photo session outside. I remember that day. I wasn't super excited to get dressed up. I wasn't excited to be cold.

"It's okay to be cold, Ollie. The winter won't last forever."

The memory of my dad's voice strikes my soul as my eyes turn red. I haven't cried about his death yet. I haven't even known or understood how to process his absence.

Sometimes I lie to myself that he went on the world's longest business trip, and he will return one day. I hear footsteps on the ladder as Tori, Ronnie, and Dale climb into Tori's half of the treehouse. They cross the squeaky bridge that connects our two worlds.

Tori and Ronnie both look at me. "Are you okay, Ollie?" Ronnie asks.

I can't even form words. Today sucked, and dad's dead. I shake my head no to signal to my sister I'm not fine. She sits next to me and hugs me with her familiar grasp.

Our eyes meet. I see the same eyes as my father on her. Those deep green eyes she is so lucky to have inherited. Yet, when I look in a mirror, all I see is my mother's face in masculine form. My eyes are dark brown. My hair is bushy and goes in all directions. Ronnie has dad's red hair, green eyes, and freckles.

"You look like him," I say.

A single tear comes to my face. I feel my eyes getting redder, my heart getting heavier, and my day almost ending.

"It's okay to cry about dad, Ollie," Ronnie says. Then, Ronnie turns to Tori and Dale.

"Can you guys come by later? I think he needs me now. Thanks for the ride home, Dale. Do you need gas money?" As she says this, I hand Dale $2.00.

"Thanks, man. See you all tomorrow," Dale says.

I shut the door to the treehouse. Ronnie invites me back to the couch.

I sit down by Ronnie and let the tears hit me. I don't cry long.

"What happened with you today, Ollie? Why did you snap like that?" Ronnie asks.

"Okay, for starters, I didn't snap. That asshole deserved what he got. Any punishment from punching him is worth it. He kept going on and on about how Tori won't be friends with me anymore because of her new boyfriend. And then he kept saying shit about him having sex with her. It was pissing me off," I reply.

Ronnie sees the anger in my face as I hear it in my voice.

"Well, thanks for standing up for her today. And yes, Jake Brady had it coming. Don't go doing it again. I guess it's nice to know. Tori is your pressure valve. I knew you were jealous this morning," Ronnie raises an eyebrow at me.

"I don't know, Ronnie. Maybe. There are you happy? You already told me to stay the hell away from your friends, and besides, she likes that Dale guy."

I look down. Why the hell are my sister and I having this conversation?

"We both know I would end you if you dated my friends. It's weird," she laughs.

"Yeah, I suppose it would be weird if you dated my friends. Like Lucas or Maximus," I tease.

Now I'm testing her to see if any of those names sound tempting.

"Your friends are either too high or too low for me," Ronnie comments.

I see the look in her eyes. She means it.

"Ronnie, you can be so shallow at times. I need to go to Mrs. Jenking's house to walk Ruby. And thanks for taking care of me," I say.