Against the Current (Awakenings 1)

Blair 1

Cardboard boxes sat nestled inside one of another in the corner of my room. A couple of layers of tape were poking up at the seams. The once black marker that had my name spread across the side was now a fainted and almost looked like connect the dots letters against the ridges of the cardboard. They claimed this would be the last move for a while. If I had a dollar every time, I had heard that.

I plopped down on the bed as my eyes went around the grey room. It wasn't the worst color a room had been when we moved in. Light grey was neutral of a color, the color of time to move time to repaint the walls. The top of my worst room list was that pink room that had a green carpet. I kept telling mom I felt like I was living in a watermelon. She told me to stop being dramatic. That was until I taped little pieces of black paper on all the walls. When my mom came into my room later that day then she saw the watermelon. She took me that day to pick out a color to paint the room. I got to enjoy the color about a month before we were getting our orders to move again. It was a steel-blue color.

My mattress sagged slightly under me and the worn material of the comforter was under my palms. It was an olive shade, so it wasn't terrible against the grey. It was also the new comforter I got after I had moved from the steel-blue walls, I didn't want to remember it. The bedding would kind of match until the next move. I was a junior in high school and this was my tenth school. My eyes scanned the room. There were faded squares on the walls. I wonder what it was like to live somewhere long enough to leave memories on a wall.

"Blair! Can you come down and help with dinner?" my mom's voice carried up the stairs.

Glancing around the room I sighed. It was what it was at this point. Pushing myself off the bed I dragged my feet out of my new room. Next to my room was the bathroom then across from my door was the room my sisters were going to share. Their boxes were outside the door as I squeezed by. Their joyful screams travelled up the narrow hallway. Maybe I didn't want to go that way. Hopping down the stairs I was greeted by a wall of totes and cardboard. My sister, Winnie, was sitting in the middle of the kitchen in her diaper and a shirt. Her caramel hair was in corkscrew curls, perched on top of her head with a tilted bow. Winnie's round, blue eyes found me, and a wet smile spread across her face.

"Bee!" Winnie squealed and she spread her arms out wide.

Thuds came from the side room. Persephone came into the room and was barefoot in a short sleeve, maxi dress. Her brown hair was tied back in a waist length braid. There was a chocolate smile mustache on her face. The edge of my baggy jeans swung by my feet as I ruffled the top of Winnie's head. Crossing my arms my hands slide by my bare arms. My mom had her brown hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. She was in jeans and a short sleeve top, but unlike me she was wearing skinny jeans. There were a few pots and pans on the white counters. The entire kitchen was white, with us it wasn't going to last. I could already see brown, red, and so many other color fingerprints painting every surface.

"Bumble Bee can you help cook dinner as I finish up in here. Winnie is finally done with her tantrum, so I am able to unpack."

Persephone raced out of the room and I heard the back-door slam. I shook my head.

I smirked. "Not our Winifred."

My mom glanced over her shoulder with one eyebrow high.

"You can't even say that with a straight face."

"Still not as bad as Persephone." I retorted.

My mom shook her head causing the bent strands to wobble on the top of her head.

"Your dad still holds it over my head, naming her after Hades' bride."

"I don't blame him. Way to pick a fitting name by the way."