*Listen to the song up ahead while you read*
➖🌹➖
I try my hardest to stay ready. Ready for people to make mistakes, ready for people to hurt me. That way when they do, it's no surprise.
But the one thing I would have never been ready for was the death of my mother four months ago. She died peacefully, in her sleep, like she'd wanted. I was happy her suffering ended. Or at least that's what I told myself at night to quiet my pondering mind. I knew truly that if she could endure just one more day of suffering, one more day for us to be together, I'd be content. How selfish of me, I know.
Now, as of today, I live with my stern, but loving, aunt Nadia, her husband Tommy, and their daughter Georgie. The situation still brews foreignness each morning I wake here because until the days following my mother's death, I didn't know these people existed.
Nadia showed up at my mother's funeral and stood close to me, knotting her fingers through mine like she'd known me forever. "I'm Nadia, your aunt. You'll live with me for a while, yeah?" She said lowly, her ruffled black skirt blowing breezily in the wind. Why did my mother never tell me about her? What was it that kept the two of them apart all these years? Perhaps I'd find out soon.
Tomorrow is officially my last first day of high school. What should be excitement feels more like a brick sitting dead center in my stomach, quenching every time I think about it. I hate starting
The smell of something sweet lures me out of my bedroom. When I make it halfway down the hallway, the smell intensifies. Something's baking. Muffins. No, cinnamon rolls. I hear a soft voice singing the theme song to 'Golden Girls.' I smile involuntarily, I've always loved The Golden Girls, thanks to my mom. Rounding the corner I see Georgie cutting up pieces of fruit and tossing them into a bowl. Strawberries, grapes, and bananas. My mouth waters, breakfast has always had special spot in my heart;
"Hey." I say, pulling up a seat at the bar.
She looked up smiling my way. "I was thinking we could go out today. The Sprinkle Shack has the best ice cream. One of my friends is gonna meet us there."
I take in her disheveled appearance. Her curly sandy brown hair rolled up messily into a bun, reddened cheeks, sleep still resting in the crooks of her dark eyes. I hardly recognize her some days with all the makeup she cakes onto her face.
"Sounds fun."
"It should be," She says, turning to grab the cinnamon rolls from the oven. "She's...different. I think you'll like her. But I'll tell you ahead of time, don't stare at her scar. Don't ask about it either."
I nod. I wouldn't stare at her scars, and I wouldn't ask about them. But I would definitely wonder. It's what I'm best at.
*
I could already tell The Sprinkle Shack was bound to be one of my favorite places. Inside, multi colored Christmas lights hung loosely all over the dark purple walls. To fill the room, different tables and chairs hung around. Some metal, some plastic, some patterned, some cushioned. All of them uniquely colored.
A special wall placed all the way in the back was filled from top to bottom with pictures, sealed letters, braided yarn, dollar bills, and wilted flower petals. It was a strange beauty, alluring really.
"We call that The Gemstone." Georgie said looping her arm through mine. "It started as just a way for people to post ads. Then it turned into something more. A way for people to get rid of their demons, say goodbye to their pasts. If you put something up there, you can never take it down."
"What happens if you take it down?" I ask.
"You die." A voice says from behind us.
I turn to a tall, dark haired girl. She smiles down on me, her grey eyes glittering under the lights. Moles dotted across her cheeks, expertly placed. Her eyebrows stand out, thick and muscular.
I push out a stale chuckle not knowing exactly how to respond.
"She's kidding." Georgie said tightening her grip on my arm. With her other arm she latched on to the tall girl.
"Emerson." The girl said reaching over to shake my hand.
Starting at her wrist and trailing all they way up her forearm lay a long jagged scar. Quickly I advert my gaze to her eyes, shake back, then say. "Tatum."
We began to walk over to the counter. Different ice creams lined up in front of us. Seemingly all of them calling my name.
An older, lanky looking woman walks slowly up to the counter. She ties her blue wrinkly apron in the back and slips on a pair of gloves. "What will it be?"
"Don't you look beautiful today." Emerson chirps, sending a sincere smile at the withering woman.
"And every other day honey." The woman responds, much to my surprise.
Emerson chuckles. "The regular for me and Georgie."
The woman nods and looks over at me. "And for you?"
"Two scoops of pistachio please."
She starts on the ice cream, taking her time to round each scoop. Grabbing a sundae bowl from behind her she places a three scoops of vanilla inside and drizzles on chocolate sauce and candied almonds.
Next, she rounds my pistachio ice cream, placing two scoops onto a cone. She reaches up shakily, over the cool glass, to hand Emerson and Georgie their ice cream. Then she hands me mine. Suddenly I regret my boring choice of treat. I should've added caramel sauce, or maybe sprinkles. Georgie goes to hand the woman a few dollars but is cut short with a slap on the wrist.
"Let me pay this time." Georgie insists.
"No." The woman says, loosening her apron and ripping off her gloves. "Go on and eat your sundae."
Georgie sighs in defeat, shoving the dollars back in her purse.
"I don't even know why you try." Emerson says, walking off to find a table.
She settles for a bench by the window, light pouring in over the table and onto the multi-tiled floor. Once seated Emerson doesn't hesitate to dig into her treat. Georgie takes her time, taking only small scoops.
"So," Georgie starts. "Eli and Sasi are having that bonfire tonight."
"And why would I want to be anywhere near Sasi?" Emerson remarks morosely.
"You'd realize she's not that bad if you at least tried to get to know her."
Emerson quirks an eyebrow before shoving another mouthful of ice cream into her mouth. "I know enough."
"Tatum," Georgie says, looking over at me.
I stop eating- removing my chilled lips from the cone.
"It would be a good way for you to make friends, and you know-" She makes a hand gesture. "Get the feel of everything. It's usually a good time."
Emerson chuckles. "If you're drunk."
Before my mom got sick, I'd go out with my friends all the time. We'd pound tons of makeup in attempt to look older and crash all the local college parties. College boys are even stupider than high school boys if you ask me. They'd try and lure us into their bedrooms with stupid drunken promises, and sometimes we'd play along, but most nights we were only there for the free booze.
"I'm down," I finally respond.
She smiles widely, then says. "That's why you're my favorite cousin."
I smile at this. "Well, if it means anything, you're my favorite cousin too. Considering you're the only one."
She dramatically places a hand over her heart and wipes a fake tear from her eye. "Now all we have to do is convince this one." She points her spoon at Emerson who's nearly finished all the ice cream.
"You guys go. You'll be good without me." Emerson protests.
"If this is about what people are saying-"
"I don't care what people are saying. Gosh, Georgie, do you always have to bring that up?"
Georgie throws up her hands in surrender. "Sorry. Just come with us okay?"
Emerson takes the last scoop of ice cream and shovels it into her mouth. She gazes out the window the sunlight highlighting her sharp cheekbones and chin. Her face is masculine, handsome in the most beautiful way. She sighs heavily, peeking slightly over at Georgie, then says "Fine, but you're the designated driver."
simmy's note:
Thoughts?
Things get quite interesting in the next few chapters, stay tuned!