Surviving the Andersen Brothers

Operation: Southern Belle

Michael and I walked down the corridors of the college that he and Walter attended. They were showing me around in case I decided to go here after my senior year of high school—which I will be entering this fall. Walter had excused himself to go to the bathroom, leaving Michael and I alone to roam the school.

            The tour was nearing its end when Michael and I rounded the corner to a very gardened area, with trees, bushes, and flowers galore. Sakura trees made up the majority of the flora with sections of bushes lining the perimeter and the pathways, flowers of the very outside, nearest to the buildings.

I stopped suddenly, seeing Walter standing in the center of the small paradise with the bacon-woman, Rebecca. The look in her eyes was so different than when I saw her at the store so many months ago. It was so loving, so longing to be with the Andersen that stood before her. I recognized it from the way Lilly looked at James, from the way my mother had looked at my father, and the way I knew I looked at Vincent now. Walter looked as though he was holding back some things, more reserved.

            Michael took another step, not realizing that I had stopped, his foot snapping a twig underneath his big foot. He might as well have been cutting down a tree in this quiet square for as loud as he was.

            I grabbed Michael’s hand and jumped over a bush, landing on all fours, my hand pressing down on Michael’s. Quickly and quietly, we sat back on our rears with our backs to the bushes.

            “Wha—?” Michael began but I cut him off with a finger to his mouth.

            “Not a word,” I whispered.

            “Why not?” he mouthed.

            “Walter and Rebecca are talking.”

            Michael rolled his eyes. “That’s dead and gone,” he whispered.

            I smacked his arm.

            He narrowed his eyes and rubbed the spot on his arm like it hurt. I am pretty sure he only knew I hit him because he saw it.

            I parted the bushes quietly to see Walter and Rebecca still talking. Oh what I would give to spend ten minutes with Rebecca alone to pick her mind and maybe learn why she hasn’t gone after Walter again.

            They looked so good together. They seemed so good together….

            That’s it.

            I was now assigning myself a new mission. Operation: Southern Belle. I would get Rebecca and Walter back together.

            Rebecca reached over to Walter to pull him in for a hug goodbye. She turned to leave and as soon as she was out of sight, I jumped back over the bushes and ran back in the direction were had entered—opposite the bacon-woman.

            Don’t follow me,” I told Michael as I left.

            I wasn’t sure what direction I was heading; I was just hoping to run in to her somewhere. I made random lefts and rights, staying straight on course at some points.

            What was I going to do if I ran into her? Flat out ask what I wanted to know? She would think I was crazy if I did that. She probably already thought I was crazy for living in a house with all those guys.

            After about two minutes, I saw her in the corer of my eye. I stopped dead in my tracks and she stopped too, noticing me.

            I saw the look of recognition flash in her eyes. “… Jasmine, right?” she asked, walking closer.