Reason to Love

My World

Smack!

…And I’m on my butt again with a dodge-ball-sized mark on the smack-dab middle of my face.

“Ow…I can’t believe that happened again” I moan as I rub the left side of my face. Gosh, I had to stop letting this happen to me. It always was right in the middle of the face. Never anywhere else. Just the face.

Two years of gymnastics, mixed with a year of softball, four years of tennis, and ten years of swimming should have been enough to be able to let me win a simple game of dodge ball. No? "Hey are you okay?" Kala extended her hand out to help me up. I took it and brushed the dust off my gym shorts.

"I'm fine. Just...I just got a lot on my mind. That's all." I say. I keep my eyes on my feet. We weren't even playing dodge ball. Or at least I didn't think we were...

Jake, Sarah, and Anna all came over to confirm I was okay, although I was, if the definition of 'okay' meant a big red dodge ball mark on my face.

Sarah used her two fingers to lift my chin so she could look in my eyes, "you're worried about your new sibling. Your parents decided to foster a new child and now you're worried what...he...he is gonna be like. You're eyes tell it all. Your face, your actions and your words may lie but your eyes are deep. That means you are worried."

I sigh, "alright. I’m worried. Okay? If you read his file you'd know."

"File?" Jake looked at me, "someone to replace all the guys in your life?"

Kala shakes her head, "no one ever could replace you." She rolls her eyes, "anyway, what's wrong? Hate everything you love?"

I shake my head, "I don't wanna talk about it right now. Let me speak to Alice and Tristinee first." The bell rang; and I started to walk back to the locker room. I overhear Anna tell Sara, "something is up. I don't know what, but she seems a bit on edge."

The truth was that I was, A new 'brother'? How long would he be staying? Two years? Two weeks? Two months?

And all of this was so unofficial. Plus his file...

I met up with Tristinee during lunch. We both left to the auditorium and just sat on the stage. I tied my loose long muddy-coloured hair back into a ponytail and tied a bandana headband around my head. My typical 'black' was replaced with old jeans and a plaid shirt over a cami.

I got up and started on my painting project. It was supposed to be a wooden backdrop for a play. A night sky.

"You don't usually come in here for lunch. What's going on?" Tristinee was always so observant.

I dip my paintbrush in a light blue paint, "it's his file. I saw something my parents didn't and couldn't see. Also there were numerous things written on it."

"What did you see? Fingerprints?" She asked. She picked up my black paintbrush and went over the light blue.

I shake my head, "there was a seal. Something about feathers. Then again, both his parents are gone. And there are notes. Looks like he was looking for something, then two years ago he seemed to have a steady home, and all of the sudden he's alone again."

"Nothing's gonna happen to you. You know why? Because you're different. We don't call you an Angel for nothing—Len?!"

I took crimson paint and made lines on my arm with the end of my paintbrush. "I'm fine. We better be getting back to class. I'm gonna wash off the paint..."

I heard Tristinee sigh, "Lenneth..." ,as I washed the paint off and switched my outfit back.

We walked back to English and carried our discussion there. It started with Tristinee asking, "Do you know his name?"

I slightly nod, "Apollo."

"Like the god of the sun?" She asked, "Like the Greek or Roman god of the sun?"

I nod again, "yeah."

"Well then stop being all depressed!" She lightly slapped me on the side of my face.

"Thanks. I needed that."

She leans in closer, "then how old is he?"

I close my eyes, "same age as me."

Trist does a silent 'yes' as I passed the papers we needed back to her. She follows with a question, "do you know what he looks like?"

I take my iPod out of my pocket, enter my passcode beneath my desk, and show her. I sat backwards in my chair and used the top of her desk as mine. I showed her my iPod by putting it on top of her laptop. Her face widens with joy. I take my iPod back quickly, lock it, and place it back in my front right jean pocket. Same spot it always is.

"That's your new step-bro, 'ey (pronounced like 'hey' minus the 'h') Len'nith." Matt leaned into our convo. So did Seline (see-lean) apparently.

I nod, "yeah."

"He looks awesome." Seline stated, "he should join my band, if he can sing or play 'set."

I shrug, "doesn't state if he's musically talented or not."

Tristinee laughs, "well we're clarinet buddies.” We high-five.  In celebratory to the fact we play clarinet together.

But deep inside the lingering thought of him ate away at my brain.

I took a pen out of my backpack and scribbled on my hand, Must call Destiney when I get home. She always knew the answers to everything. Whenever I was in doubt, she was the one to ask.

But she even called me her angel sometimes…and I called her my vampire princess…only because she acts like a vampire sometimes.

Nobody knows—I don’t even remember—who first started calling me angel. I gave all credit to Destiney, because she probably was the first, but everyone kept the name…odd because Angel and Lenneth don’t exactly have a lot in common.