One Year Ago...From the Memory of Isaac Vacker
I don't know what it was, or when it happened. I just kind of looked at her one day and realized, "Wow, I love her laugh." Then another day I realized, "Wow, she's beautiful". Then another day, "Wow, I love to be around her." Then another day, "Wow, I like her."
Wow.
Could falling in love be so easy? So slow? It was as if I was being slowly lowered down to the earth after I was abducted by aliens. Dad knows I like her and he says it's like when he met mom, except, he didn't figure out he liked her for awhile. He and mom knew one another for a long time before they started dating, and they went through a lot. I've never seen two people more in love... well, except for Auntie Bee and Uncle Dex, except they're a lot mushier. It's almost gross (almost), especially when Valentine's Day rolls around. They always make a big deal out of it and the basics are always the same. Auntie Bee makes chocolate caramel custard bursts just for Uncle Dex, and Uncle Dex always brings her home a big bouquet of flowers. They always give their kids lots of hugs and kisses and a little present like new hair pins or a new toy truck. They bring some for us too, Amy and I. Last year they gave Amy a new bracelet that Uncle Dex made and Auntie Bee embroidered one of my Foxfire sweaters with spaceships and stars and planets. It's my absolute favorite.
My parents get us some little chocolate boxes, and Amy and I always make them breakfast before they send us to stay at Auntie Bee's for the day while they go off on some adventure together. It's what they like to do. They go out all day and sometimes all night and when they come back, they tell us about their adventures. Sometimes it's something epic like taking a hike on Boubala Mountain (the mountain famous for having all four seasons present on the surface at different heights) or it's something simple like going to see Silveny and her family or a rowboat ride on the Mirrored Lake. It's basically just a day for them to spend time together without work or anyone else. I don't mind though, it's nice to see them when they get back all starry eyed. They're always smiling like the best thing in the world happened that day, then they hug Amy and I and we all talk over cups of warm hot chocolate until we fall asleep in the living room together.
This year, Amy claims that she's too big to fall asleep in the living room with her family and that I should be embarrassed about wanting to do it, but I don't care. I like to spend time with my family like that, it makes me feel special, AND I get to hang out with my little sister, who is completely embarrassed by me. How an eleven year old can be embarrassed by her older brother, I have no idea.
I love to be close to my parents, they're some of my most favorite people ever. I love being part of their world and being one of the things they love so so much. I just wish Amy could feel that way too, but she claims that the kids at school would never stop teasing her if they found out, but I think she really means Henry. They're always fighting and stuff, so like, I guess it would give him an upper hand.
Mom and Dad are disappointed that she won't be joining us for cocoa, but I plan to try to be enough fun for both Amy and I. I know they say it's okay that she isn't coming, but I can tell that they're upset. This has been a thing we've done ever since we were really little and now that Amy doesn't want to join... it's like she doesn't want to be close to us I guess. But that's okay, I'll be enough for both of my parents so they won't be sad anymore. Amy will miss these times when she's older and she'll come back, right? Until then, I'll hold down the fort and keep my parents smiling like they do after they come back from adventuring.
They're still out right now, and I have a daunting task ahead of me. I got flowers for Iris, and now I have to give them to her. They're only daisies, I know, but Auntie Bee says that daisies are the gentlest kind of "I love you", and she knows more about romance than anybody.
I'm standing outside of Iris's locker right now and I can't help but feel nervous. We've been friends for so long, would this make things weird? Would she see them as a friendly gesture instead of an "I like you"? Would she like them? Would she have preffered another kind of flower? Would she like me? Does she like me back? Could she like me back?
I tugged at the sleeve of my space sweater, the one Auntie Bee embroidered for me, and waited anxiously for the girl of my dreams to show up... but she didn't. At least, not before...
A guy with cerulean eyes and a face full of freckles tapped my shoulder, "Hey, man, would you mind moving for a sec? I need to get to Iris's locker."
I recognized who he was immediately. Oscar Valin, the most popular boy in sixth level. In his hand, he held a bouquet of rich, red roses with petals that sparkled like there were crystals embedded in the fibers or like they'd been sprinkled with stardust. There were over a dozen of them and they were tied together with a beautiful blue ribbon made of silk. I suddenly looked down at my daisies, which were freshly cut from the garden. There were only about ten of them and they tied together with my shoestring because I couldn't find any ribbon or anything nicer this morning. I then looked up at Oscar again with his fancy bouquet and crisply ironed uniform and then back down at my baggy space sweater and wrinkled jeans.
"Well?" Oscar asked impatiently, and I moved to the side.
"Sorry, I got distracted by the flowers. They're really pretty," I lied.
"Yeah, they're pretty cool, right?" smiled Oscar, "I got them at a greenhouse yesterday. It took forever to find ones unique like she is."
I smiled, and things suddenly got awkward.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Oscar frowned a little, "were you going to...?"
"No!" I said a little too quickly, "No, I was waiting for someone else. Go right ahead. I'm sure Iris will love them."
"Thanks man, I'm glad you agree. You know her better than almost anyone, I'm glad I made the right choice," Oscar said as he hung the bouquet by the loops of the ribbon on the lock of the locker. "See you around, okay?"
"Yeah, see you," I waved, watching as he walked away.
How could I compete with that?
Feeling defeated, I walked down the hall, trying to hide my now crummy daisies under my cape so no one could see how awful they looked in comparison to those roses. I kept my head down as I walked and tried not to meet anyone's gaze as I walked because I was so ashamed. Why did I think I could do this? Why did I think daisies were a good idea? Why did I tie them with my shoestring? Why did I wear this sweater? Why couldn't I be as well put together as Oscar Valin?
I trudged along the wall so I could try to escape from the scene of humiliation, hoping that the day would go by quickly. I was so distracted that I bumped into a first year girl and she shrieked. I blinked and realized I'd just bumped into my own sister. What are the odds?
"Can you watch where you're going?!" demanded Amy, who crossed her arms angrily. Her face was red, and I realized that her eyes were red too. Her mascara was a little runny and she sniffled a little as she breathed.
"What's wrong?" I asked, wondering what had happened. I hadn't seen her since breakfast where she scarfed down her food and ran ahead of me to the leapmaster while I lingered in the garden to secretly cut a few daisies for Iris.
"Nothing," she lied, trying to move around me, "now can you MOVE?"
"It's not nothing," I pressed, blocking her before she could escape so easily, "Amy, what is it?"
She huffed in annoyance, "If I tell you, will you let me go?"
"Yes."
She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Henry said I'll never get flowers for Valentine's day because I'm too bossy."
"What?" I demanded, "Where is that little punk, I'm gonna-"
"Don't bother," Amy said sharply, her voice cold as she continued, "he's right anyways. Just like he always is."
"That's not true, Henry once thought Jelly beans grew on trees."
"That was when he was six."
"Yeah, well he was wrong about the flowers thing," I pulled the flowers out from under my cape and handed them to my sister. "Happy Valentine's Day, sis."
Amy looked stunned and only stared at the daisies for a moment before asking, "Wait, why did you bring flowers to school? Are these meant for Iris?"
I shook my head, "They were, but she already has some, and I think it's more important that you get some too right now, even if they are a little..."
"Beat up?" Amy offered.
"Well you don't have to take them," I reached for the flowers but she quickly pulled them away from my reach.
"No! They're mine now! Just because they're a little beat up doesn't mean that they aren't good flowers."
I couldn't help but smile, "Just because you're a little bossy doesn't mean you won't get flowers. Bossiness is just part of your charm. Henry's just a jerk."
She flushed, "That's dorky."
"Well I'm the big dork out of the two of us," I opened my arms widely. "Cocoa later?"
With a small smile, Amy nodded and stepped closer. I kissed her hair as I pulled her into a hug and rested my chin on top of her head. I love my little sister so, so much.
A few girls of various levels giggled as they watched, whispering things to one another like, "So cute!", "I wish I was like that with my siblings!", "I love his sweater!", "Dorky guys are soooo cute!", and "I hope that happens to me someday.".
I couldn't help but smile, and when we pulled away, I offered my sister my arm, "Shall I walk you to class?"
Amy rolled her eyes, but accepted it, "Whatever, dork."
Together we walked down the hall, people watching the entire way, and at one point, Iris came up to us with the flowers from Oscar, asking if I could help her look for him, but I simply smiled and told her, "Sorry, Iris, but my sister needs me right now."