Reminder: The disclaimer still holds true! :)
So without further delay...
Talli
Talli glanced around her room;
the boxes seemed to be stacked to the ceiling. Her pink walls bare. She sat on
the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. She was going to be in middle
school next year; and if going to a bigger school wasn’t scary enough, now she
was changing states as well. She had spent the last year and a half making
friends, now she’d have to start all over. Why did she have to move again?
Talli looked up to see her twin
standing in the doorway. Knowing that look she scooted over on the bed, the
unspoken sign allowing him to enter her room. Brian and her spoke more silently
than they ever did with words. The slightest nod, shrug, or look sent messages
to the other. Certain times they’d only look at each other and break out into
spontaneous laughter, befuddling anyone in attendance not attuned to the twin
telepathy.
Brian put his arm around his
sister’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. She rested her head against his,
sighing. This was there sixth move that Talli could remember, but her mom had
told of the times they had moved while the twins were babies and also before
they’d been born. Talli had been so sure they’d at least make it through Middle
School this time. Now they were moving, again. And two weeks before their birthday,
which would surely be forgotten.
“Why do we have to leave? I wish
I could just stay here.” Talli told her brother.
“Well according to mom, they
bought a house, no more apartments, so maybe we’ll be there through Middle
School.” Brian comforted her.
“Whatever. We’re going to be
living in the country. What are we supposed to do there? Here, if we want to
walk around the corner to get a soda at the market or a gelato from the guy on
the corner we can. What are we going to do in the middle of nowhere?”
Brian squeezed his sister’s
shoulder again, his reply stuck in his throat as he saw his mom in the doorway.
Talli straightened.
“Guys, almost done packing? The
movers will be here first thing in the morning.”
Talli sighed.
“I am.” Brian said cheerfully,
“I was just helping Talli finish up. We’ll do our bedding in the morning that’s
what that box is for.” Brian pointed to the open box by the door. Mom nodded
and walked back toward her room.
Brian and Talli were as
different as they were alike. Brian and Talli shared dark hair, but Brian had
blue eyes while Talli sported chocolate brown eyes. Brian was studious and
while Talli, by no means dumb, had less interest in academia. Brian was
optimistic and tended to be introverted; Talli was more pessimistic, but made
friends easily. Maybe that’s why she feared the move, the whole summer in the
middle of nowhere with no time to make friends. Two whole months just the two
of them.
Brian suddenly brightened, “Hey,
I think mom said, we were going to start going to church again there. Dad said
he went to one a couple times while he was visiting there for work. I bet there
will be lots of kids for you to meet.”
Talli rolled her eyes; they
hadn’t been in a church since they were little. She didn’t know what would be
worse, being bored to death every Sunday, or spending her whole summer in the
middle of nowhere with the closest person hundreds of miles away?
Pushing up from the bed Talli
began sorting through the last of her stuff. Brian silently at her side lifting
things, with the slightest of head movements Talli signaled whether things
staying or going. When they had finally finished Brian talked his sister into
going out to shoot some hoops with him.
Nearly five days later, Brian
and Talli sat with their parents in church. Brian was thrilled, Talli was
nervous. They had come on Friday and met the pastor and were informed that the
“kids” had a special class after worship. Talli sat arms folded during the
singing and announcements. After the announcements the “kids” were dismissed to
their classes. Brian and Talli joined the middle school class, they were told
that everyone moved up in June, whatever that was supposed to mean.
Talli looked around the
classroom from the doorway; the girls were in a small group talking quietly,
while the boys were doing something by the front of the class, Talli couldn’t
tell what. They were snickering and whispering which could only mean trouble.
“Hi I’m Seara. I’m going into
sixth grade next year. This is only my second time in this class. We just had
our moving up ceremony last week. You’re going to love Mr. Tom and Miss Kerry,
they’re our teachers. According to my sister, that’s her over there, her name’s
Alyssa. The boys try to play a joke on Mr. Tom each week. If they get him, they
get a prize, but they haven’t yet.”
Mr. Tom and Miss Kerry walked in
then. “Okay guys, take a seat.” Talli watched in amazement as people walked to
the couches and bean bag chairs instead of going to the tables.
“Come on you guys can sit by
me.” Seara waved them over.
There were five girls and six
boys including Talli and Brian. Talli looked around the room and noticed they
all had books in their laps. The girl named Seara led them to some empty
cushions along the wall.
“I see we have some new people
with us today, I’m Mr. Tom this is my wife Miss Kerry. Why don’t we take a
minute and introduce ourselves.”
The youth seemed to know what
they were doing and without anymore prompting began saying their names around
the circle. Talli said, her name to finish the introductions. Miss Kerry asked
some general questions about if they were siblings, what grade they were going
into, and where they had lived before. By unspoken agreement Talli answered the
questions directed at the two of them. It didn’t last long and soon class was
under way. Talli was soon comfortable, and even though she didn’t know much of
what was being talked about she really liked her teachers. They seemed
genuinely interested in what the youth had to say.
Before they knew it class was
being dismissed. The youth seemed to stay and hang out for a little while
longer, but not sure what to do Talli and Brian headed for the door.
“Hey, it was great meeting you
guys.” Seara said, “Will you be here next week?”
Talli shrugged, secretly hoping
they would. Brian surprised Talli and spoke up, “Yeah we’ll be here. Mr. Tom
mentioned something about a Wednesday class.”
“Yeah that’s at seven every
week. We meet here we don’t go to the sanctuary first like we did today. Did
you guys say you live on Johnson Road?”
After talking for a few minutes
they found out that they were neighbors, sort of. Talli was excited about this
revelation, she was thankful she wasn’t going to have spend the whole summer in
the middle of nowhere with no one around for miles. She didn’t want to admit
it, but it seemed this move wasn’t as bad as it once appeared.
No comments:
Post a Comment