The Change

Chapter 2

'Bilbo Baggins, how can you be so stupid!? Leave the ring! You are ruining your future and your grandson's as well!!' These are usually the thoughts that go through my head as I re-watch this movie. But hey, gotta love the story though!
My mom and I are now on the second hobbit movie about five hours after sitting by down. We love movies, especially me. During the first movie we ran out of popcorn so we just made five bags at once to satisfy us. Currently looking at the bag and a half left is making me contemplate otherwise. As we watch we hear the door unlock and open. This time I don't have a 'reaction' because I know it's my brother getting home.
My brother, Trace, works as a video game creator. You may be wondering why he still lives with us even though he is 22 and has an amazing job that pays well. If so, considering what happened when my dad.... He decided to stay and get us through everything. We were all each other's rock.
Trace loves his job. He always wanted to do something productive and useful. Engineering was one of his two choices. Online college was easy for him being the outrageously smart butt he is. He has a master's in video something and a bachelor's in engineering currently. My mom and I are so proud of him. He accomplished everything we knew he could, but we still know there is more to come.
To others we apparently look like we could be twins. The only difference is his eyes have hints of more brown making them look a calm brown instead of grey. His hair is shoulder length gorgeous light curls I wish I had. No matter how much my mom and I beg him to get a haircut be wont.
Every time I think about my brother it brings me happiness, the same warm love with my mom. They both are the best I could ever ask for. Trace is the calm in the house of uncontrollable crazy that is my mom and I. He has his moment though, that's what we are here for though.
I watch him come through the door putting his keys on the key hanger and take his shoes off. Adjusting his fedora that he loves unconditionally. His obsession started when dad let him wear one of his when he was around nine. The pull to fedoras in this house just keeps getting stronger from then on. As he sees us he looks at the TV smiling a smile I've known forever. Yes I know this sounds mushy and weird but when he smiles I'm just happy, knowing he's happy makes me feel better about life and what happened. When my mom smiles I have the same feeling but it's more extreme, because she went through the most.
"So you guys watch The Hobbit movies without me? I see, no love for me. Then I guess loyalty and family is in the trash. I'll just go pack my things." As he speaks I get up to hug him. His face shows sadness but I know him better than that, he's really trying not to smile. You can see in the minor twitching in his eyebrows and corners of his mouth. As I'm hugging him he tries to detach me and "pack his things". He didn't get far with me keeping him in place. The fight he is putting up is minimal too. I'm winning in keeping him from going anywhere .
My mom pauses the movie, stands and makes the 'don't even try it's while pose. "You know well that is not going to happen. We watched it because we needed too stop thinking and enjoy ourselves. Now get over here, sit down, eat some popcorn, and watch the damn movie." Mama can be very stern, you could hear it in her voice now.
He follows the order. We sit on the black couch with mom in the recliner, Trace in the middle eating the rest of the popcorn, and I have my feet in Traces lap. Once the movie finishes it's about 7:30 so we make sandwiches and talk about our days. None of us had exciting days beside mom getting off early so there isn't much to talk about.
After laughing for what feels like eternity from seeing Trace trying to eat his food fast while walking and talking, but somehow tipping - falling straight to the floor. It's now 8:45 so I kiss them both goodnight on the cheek, say my nightly wishes, and leave them to be.
I always take a little while to get ready and make the stupid decision to stay up till 9:24 reading. I love my sleep and so does my body. Properly functioning takes Ten plus hours for me. Anything less than that and I am unbearably tired and droopy. Getting up at six in the morning for school doesn't help either. I get up at 6 usually, even though I have a car I am - honestly, but sadly - scared to drive and the hour bus ride helps me prepare for school.
School starts at 8 and ends at 2:30. Being a Junior has its perks. Like know I don't have to do PE ever again, band can now be a normal class instead of at seven in the morning, and I take more classes I enjoy. I think I want to do something either in the medical field or something to do with math.
Finally my mind shuts down and I fall into a nice sleep. I always dream weird things that I eventually try to ignore, they are just that weird. But of course my peaceful and glorious sleep is interrupted by my alarm.
Getting up I use the bathroom, brush my teeth, and do the rest of my routine. Once done in the bathroom I go to change. I put on my favorite 'chill day, don't care' outfit. Consisting of my grey joggers, soft cotton "oh bells ya!" shirt with my converse and black, soft beanie. I grab my chrome book from its charger on the desk and put it in my backpack. Grabbing my dark purple (big surprise, haha) backpack I trudge on through my door to the hallway. I smell the fruit loops before I see them, but that's always my breakfast so I can count on my mom to grab them out. I make my bowl from the utensils already sitting out for me. I hear my brother coming down the stairs as Mama starts to make her way into the kitchen. "Good morning," my voice travels to them both, but still sounds uninterested.
"Morning Little Lady, Trace do you want eggs or just a bagel?" she turns to lean on the counter waiting for his answer. Trace drops himself into the seat next to me laying all his limbs strewn about. Mom studies him, "Or how about some coffee first." Traces only answer is a nod. I sit patiently looking between the two as they have a conversation. Now that I think about it though it's more one sided than anything.
As my bowl becomes empty I see the time and deside to say my farewells. I give Trace a kiss on the head telling him to have a great day and to try to survive. His response was a "mmph," so i moved to mom. As she's watching the coffee I give her a hug, "Love you mama, don't work too hard. Please remember to tell Kevin that I will visit him again soon." My mom's boss and I are friends, we mess around a lot. Usually we just talk and eat a ton of food.
"Will do, have a great day! Now get out before you miss the bus! I love you!!" Her voice is boisterous as she shoves me out the door with a kiss. Before I can retort she closed the door and I see the bus waiting for me. Running down the moderately long driveway I get into the bus panting. I smile to the bus driver along with the younger kids in the bus. There are only five kids on besides me because I am one of the first people to be picked up.
I find my usual seat with the grey leather wearing out, happy notes adorn the back of the seat in front of me. It's a sort of tradition I believe good hearted people have done. The oldest one that has a date is April 25, 2013. I love all of them, they are my safe place when I go to and from school. That one is especially special because of the date. There wasn't a problem with it until everything changed on that day two years ago. It says, "My time here is now over and I hope to whoever finds this reads it with happiness. Life will constantly go different ways. All my life has been hard but I survived, because of the hope I will be ok and find a good life. You will too, I may not know you but my hope is my words help. You will prevail, be happy and fight for love.
~ Delilah R."
That note helped me. It is ironically sad that it fit so well what happened that day. It was part of the straining lifeline I used to keep going. All the others are motivating and loving as well, but that one is mine. Some are smudged and hard to see but for some reason I can read them all perfectly.
Pulling out my ear buds I pick a song. I am in the mood for some bass so I choose Wobble by Flo Rida. I press the shuffle until I like the lineup of songs. My knees are on the small area where there isn't writing and I lean back in the seat watching the barely blooming trees pass.
People just keep getting on but everyone knows not to mess with my seat. A kid was sitting in my seat one day and he was crossing out a message written. I got angrily territorial and gave him a bloody lip and black eye pair. Considering he is a big guy on the baseball team and I beat him for ruining my seat people didn't do anything with my seat anymore. No one even tried to sit with me beside my friends, but I'm okay with that. None of them are afraid of me they just know that that seat is not to be tampered with.
The bus pulled up to unload with everyone standing but me, I always wait to be last so others can go first. I say thank you to the driver and get of when it's my turn. The wind bites at my uncovered skin, I'm used to it though. I have always loved the cold feeling the wind can bring. It could comfort you, torture you, or make you feel alive. The possibilities are endless and I love exploring them all, though I hate the humid kind.
My music is now on an upbeat song - I Like Me Better by Lauv - as I walk with the throng of people going inside. As everybody gets close to the doors it starts to feel congested with all the students trying to get through. I clench my hands and teeth. These situations make me uncomfortable and claustrophobic. The clenching is a very bad habit that has harmed my jaw and I now have half moons on my palms. On a few occasions I cut into my skin from putting too much pressure so know I have the scars.
Warmth greets us all as we walk into the school. I never use my locker because my backpack carries everything I need. My first class it upstairs with Bio II, I honestly hate science so much but if I don't live with it I don't graduate. So in the meantime I'm going to trudge along, starting with these freaking stairs. They are red because the schools colors are red and black, but there are 27 of them. I counted. Like most other people by the time I get up them I am slightly winded, so then I go fill up my water bottle. Surprisingly the schools water isn't too horrible though I still have a filter to help not make it taste anything but clean.
As I pull away from filling it up I put the cover back on. But as soon as it is secure back in its pocket I get pushed over, no scratch that I get jumped on. I almost fall but catch myself just before my knee bends to far. Wracking my brain I search to see if I have pissed anyone off lately and came up with nothing. Somehow they have a perfect grip on my backpack. This also makes them covered so I can't see them. Like I said, not a clue how. Out of nowhere I hear a very familiar humor filled laugh and look to my left seeing one of my best friends ever. I look at her wondering why she is laughing at me getting attacked, then it's like a light bulb went off. My other best friend is the one acting like a freaking monkey on me.
I finally get her off and look around to see multiple eyes on use but I just glare at them making them look away. I have been told my glare is pretty terrifying, though my family laughs at it.
Turning to my best friends I smile. We like to call ourselves ELE (in other words El or like my middle name). It works because our names make it up. Echo, Lux, and Eila (Ee-la). Usually when people refer to all of us we are called Ele and we actually like it. It stuck after mama called us that on accident, because she was thinking about it previously. Then the rest of the parents caught on, now everyone. We have been a trio since 3rd grade. I had just gotten bullied badly and was hiding in a covered corner. Then here comes two girls I had seen around the school. I wouldn't say anything to them thinking they would just hurt me like all the other 'friend's I thought I had. So they just sat with me. After a few minutes I started crying and they just hugged me. They are one of the best things that ever came into my life. Since then we have not only been partners in crime but sisters.
Echo is very similar to her name. She likes to copy others and is very up to date in the fashion/makeup world. Her hair - straight - is the most unique blonde, not only is it light but it almost looks silver. She has never dyed it and there is no reason to. Almost black eyes contrast it so beautifully and it's not hard to believe why boys lust after her. Red pouty lips, Eila and I like to point out, gives her a disadvantage at looking serious. She has that perfect hourglass figure girls would die for with a short height. Not to mention an amazing personality. But her complexion is very pale and gets only slightly tan.
Eila has that athletic look down pact. Light brown wavy hair reaches to her shoulders. Its immaculate condition always frames her face incredibly well. Eyes deep blue like the ocean and her smile just makes you feel overwhelmed. with the athletic figure she is talk but still a few inches shorter than me. She is the most boyish of us all but is still girly sometimes.
The three of us fit together perfectly. We all change roles a lot but I'm usually the mother but I also get into trouble so I contradict myself. Echo is the most girly and party girl. While Eila is the one that spends more time in books or doing something to do with running. Our friendship is nine years old, our anniversary was last month. Eila and Echo knew each other before they knew me, but we are still as thick as blood.
Echo finally stood laughing, but I still shoot them both a glare. "Why did you have to do that? Not only could have we both gotten hurt, but it was uncalled for too!" My words come out angrily. I'm pretty sure most people could hear my amusement in them though.
"Don't act like you don't know. Why didn't you call us last night!? Not to mention it was Wednesday, we always go hang at the park!" Once Echo is finished she looking at me like she would tear me apart. If you were looking in from the outside you would see a tiny girl looking like a mad kitten.
I gave Eila a 'can you help me out' look and she just shook her head. Just tell her the truth, she knows the time you have with the whole family is limited. She will understand. My thoughts responded and I sigh. "Echo, hun. I know we always do that and I'm very sorry I didn't contact you to let you know, but mom got off early. Then Trace came home...I just wanted some family time," looking towards my feet I finish not wanting to see the sadness in their eyes. I feel arms around me in no time, both sets go around my stomach.
"Its okay," Eila starts.
"But if you don't contact us next time I will beat your tall ass!" Finishing for Eila, Echo points at me making herself heard.