Crystal Eyes

-(04)-

-J a m e s-

      I pattered up my front door and recognized my mom's small blue car in the driveway. I prayed that she'd picked up Jade and Jude from daycare before returning home. I was too exhausted and weary after school. The first day left me weary, imagine the rest of the year. 

      Sarah had bombarded me in the hallway at school and attempted to convince me that we were perfect together. A lot of my old friends had avoided me for the day. They didn't all exactly agree with my decision to take off school, they thought I'd picked my grandpa over them or something. 

      Basically, my only friends left were Danny Willa and Brock Gaton and Ellery, if she counted. The rest were history. I was nineteen, a legal adult. I made the decision and I don't regret it. I was able to say that I'd been there for my grandpa's last hours. 

      Then, Sarah had to go and jump crystal eyes on the bus for absolutely no reason and scolded the poor girl. God, that was so embarrassing. I wished I could go back and remove Sarah from my life. She had absolutely no right to jump Ellery. She just couldn't get over her own jealousy and insecurities. 

      "James!"
      "Jamie!" 

      I hauled both Jude and Jade onto my shoulders and held them securely against my hip. I pecked them both on their plump cheeks and walked them into the kitchen. Mom was passed out on the couch with a blanket sprawled lazily over her hip. I drew my hand through Jude's soft blonde hair then through Jade's deep chocolate hair. That was the only difference between them, Jude blonde and Jade brown. The only reason I could tell them apart, truly. 

      "Are you hungry? Want a peanut butter and honey sandwich?" Jade's faces lit up while Jude recoiled in loathing. "I want peanut butter and jelly, not honey!" Jude complained in a high whiney voice. "Okay, Okay," I said jokingly and ruffled her hair. She pouted at me. 

      I set them both on the counter and started to assemble them both a sandwich. Jude huffed and puffed while Jade flopped her feet and giggled. Two very different personalities. 

      "Did you see Sarah?" Jude teased. "No, Sarah and I are over. No more. You won't see her ever again," I said breezily. "I didn't like her either. She said Jude was more pretty them me," Jade muttered sadly, tipping her head down to gaze at the tiles.

      "What?" I questioned. A strange fury built in my stomach. Why would she say that to a three-year-old? For what reason? To make herself feel better or to pin two three-year-olds against each other? Sick. I clenched my fists in anger. 

      "Yeah, Sarah said that Jude had prettier hair than me because it was blonde." Jude humphed in sadness. Jude could be snippy herself but never mess with her sister. I slid my hand down Jade's hair and pressed a little honey on her nose. "You are both beautiful girls. No one is prettier than the other. Don't ever listen to anyone like that, Sarah is just a spoiled brat."

      Jade smeared her finger in the honey on her nose and licked it off gleefully. "Yeah, she's just jealous!" I laughed and smeared some jelly on Jude's sandwich. Jude smiled and dunked her finger in the jelly. "Yeah, she's just jealous cause we are cuter than her." I huffed a chuckle. 
Jude was obviously the more outgoing and charismatic twin. 

      I guarded them both as they pattered into their room with a sandwich in their mouths. I spread out some crayons and watched as they colored and chatted about the kids at daycare and friends. I eventually grabbed a crayon and helped them color a page with a large-headed princess. I gazed at their bright pink walls and contemplated the day's events. Ellery's eyes flashed in my head and stained there. 

~~**~~

       Several days later, everything was going fine. I'd watched movies with Danny and Brock last night and we'd caught up after so long. Apparently, Danny man had a new girlfriend this year named Joaquin. Brock and I betted twenty bucks that he'd break up with her in five months, max. We'd stayed up so late that my mom had busted in and sent the guys home.

      My father had called me after that and I'd talked to him for a few minutes before his bedtime. Jade and Jude had said hi, even if, my father wasn't their birth father. They still talked to him sometimes and gratefully mom was still talking to him a little, even after their divorce five years ago. Not much though, she still held much resentment for him. 

      Gratefully, Jade and Jude had a stable father that visited them often enough and he paid his child support, although I never saw their father because mom always scheduled their visits when I was gone. Something about not wanting to make me feel bad because my dad was not involved and theirs was present and active. 

      Mom had the day off, so Jade and Jude stayed home and I drove myself to school. I didn't get to drive often even though I had gotten my license almost two years ago. My mom was always deathly afraid of me getting into a car crash, even though she drove like a lunatic herself. Something about cars freaked her out, made her uneasy when I drove. She constantly peered over my shoulder to ensure I was doing everything perfectly. 

      I pulled into the lot. I swiped my hands down my usual clothing, a solid colored shirt, and a long pair of denim jeans and sneakers. My wardrobe didn't often shift, only if I was going out somewhere important. Which was also not often. I hadn't dated since Sarah and I broke up six months ago. Six months and she was still wholeheartedly chasing me. 

      I spotted Sarah in her car a few parking spaces down putting on a fresh coat of something...dark on her eyelashes. Some kind of makeup? I sped up my steps and tucked my head down in hopes she'd wander past me unknowingly but as she stepped up I knew immediately I was screwed. Her eyes brightened when she made eye contact, she batted her newly made-up lashes. 

      A hand settled on my shoulder as I was peering away and contemplating options to escape. I whipped around rapidly, ready to tell her off. I gasped when crystal eyes staggered back in shock. Sorry, sorry. I thought you were someone else. She nodded meekly, pointing vaguely at Sarah trotting in our direction. Help me. She's going to try and convince me to get back with her. All week she'd been not-so-subtly stalking me and texting my phone from different numbers. 

      I can't help you. You're alone on this. She's going to kill me first then take you. Good luck though, she signed teasingly. I made a 'haha' motion as she darted off with those quick lean legs. She flashed me a simper on her way inside and signed a quick 'sorry'. 

      I'd been 'talking' to her every day at lunch since she usually never sat with anyone. Ellery didn't open up much...hadn't said a lot. It was mostly me signing and her attempting not to laugh when I said something that was meant to be serious but ended up coming out totally ridiculous. 

      I did manage to get the following information though, she wanted a puppy really bad, she was eighteen, she was totally deaf and it was just her and her brother named Ryan. I think...might've been Darryl or Rick. 

      "Jamie! Hi! What are you doing this week? Maybe we can hang out. Oh! Or we can study at my house." I loathed when she referred to me as Jamie. Only Danny, Jude, and Jade were allowed to call me that. It wasn't even my real name. Just a stupid nickname. "Sarah, look I'm not really free this week, I have a lot to do with-"

      "With that Ellery girl? Huh?" she snapped abruptly. Her demeanor changed with a snap of her fingers. "Why? I'm prettier than her...why choose her? I see you eat with her and talk about me behind my back!" she cried softly. Her fists clenched on her small pencil skirt. 

      I dropped my mouth utterly open. 

      "I have a lot to do with my homework, Sarah," I said gradually. Her face went deathly pale and flustered. She opened and closed her mouth in a repeated change. It finally settled into an 'o' motion. "But now that you've mentioned it, I think I'll get Ellery's number and contact her this week also," I shouted as I shuffled my feet against the ground and hastened off. Even if just to make her a tad jealous. 

      "Also, don't ever talk to my sisters again! It's sick to tell a three-year-old that her sister is prettier! Don't put your problems on them."