Brooke’s Character

“So, I heard we’re getting a new kid.” Bellah says. “Bitch’s probably going to get terrorized.”

“Yeah.” Nailani says. “Rumor has it she was raised by the CIA.”

I snort. “And why would that be?”

“I heard that she has wings.”

I take a bite of my sub. No meat- I’m vegetarian.

“Bet.” I say through my mouthful. “Okay.” Nailani says. “If she has wings, you owe me your silver nail polish, your disco earrings, and 20 dollars. If she’s normal, I give you 15 dollars.”

“No!” I say. “25 dollars and your hawaii stationery.”

“Deal” she says. We shake hands as the bell rings.

*★*

I swing my backpack over my shoulder. Bellah, Nailani, Emma, and Adrian catch up to me as I walk out the door. “So, her first day is tomorrow.” Adrian says. “What do you want to do, note on locker, pants her-”

“Ooh! Pants her!” Emma says. Bellah smirks and nods. I stare at them in disgust. “What is wrong with you guys?” I say. Emma gives me a light shove. “Please, Brooke. It’s just a joke.”

“Well I don’t think it’s funny, so you can count me out.” I shove past them grab my bike.

*★*

“Hi sweetheart, how was school?” My mom asks, getting up from her desk and wrapping me in a hug. “Fine.” I shrug away from her and head up the stairs to my room.

I flop down on my bed and stare at my sky-blue ceiling. Everything in my room is blue. The walls, carpet, desk, bedframe, sheets, pillows, etc.

I have one stuffed animal, a blue bear I've had since I was a newborn.

Ruby, my dog, comes into the room. She’s a red heeler mix with a dwarf gene. I found her in a box on the side of the road when i was going for a bike ride. I called mom immediately. She had one sibling, a boy, who was really sick. He didn’t make it to the vet office.

The vet told us we could keep her. I named her Ruby because the first thing she did when we let her in the backyard is jump in our pool, and when she got out I thought the sun on her fur looked like rubies.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I lift her onto my bed and stroke her ears. After a bit I fall asleep.

*★*

I jolt awake and check the time. 6:14. Almost dinnertime. Damnit! Mom’s boss is coming for dinner.

I brush my hair and put it in a bun. I would ask mom to put it in a waterfall braid but there's no time. I slip into a black strapless dress and put on a pair of golden gladiator sandals.

I put on my obsidian necklace and my golden stud earrings.

“Brooke?” I hear mom call from downstairs. “Dinner’s ready!”

I put on lip gloss and a spritz of lavender perfume and yell “coming!” I open the door and run downstairs.

“Hi, honey.” My mom says. “Daniel and Melanie are in the dining room. I made salmon for us and mac and cheese for you, since your a vegetable.”

I snort. I decided to become a vegetarian when I was five, when my dad took me to his friend’s matanza. I cried all day.

I told my mom “I want to be a vegetable.” I meant vegetarian, but my mom still teases me about it.

“Brooke, are you ok? You took, like, a four hour nap. I came in to check on you and you were conked out.”

“Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just a long day. And I got up early and went to the stables to hang out with Lizzy.”

Lizzy’s my horse. She’s a missouri fox trotter buckskin.

“Jane? Brooke?” my dad calls. “Dinner’s ready.”

I walk into the dining room and sit down. Our table is made from oak wood. My grandpa made it before he passed. It has his initials carved in the corner.

We have a glass chandelier that would hold candles, but our family is too lazy and modern to light real ones, so they’re plastic. The floor and counters are granite, and the chairs and cabinets are oak.

The handles for the cabinets are glass, so are other various details. The chair legs, dishwasher, fridge, etc. are all copper.

My parents can’t STAND things that don’t match.

“Hi Daniel, Hi Melanie.” I say. Daniel is my mom’s boss, and Melanie is his wife.

“Moooom, how come brooke gets mac and cheese? I HATE salmon.” my little sister, Molly, whines.

“Would you rather give up Chicken Quesadillas?” my mom asks. ”Cant have chicken if you’re a vegetarian.” Molly scowls and glares at the frying pan. Chicken Quesadillas are my sister’s FAVORITE food. She loves them like crazy.

My dad wears a black and blue striped shirt and black and blue plaid jeans. “Dad, your not supposed to wear plaid and stripes. It clashes.” I say.

Dad smiles, shrugs and puts salmon on plates. Mom, who sits at the head of the table, grabs plates and passes them clockwise around the table, as is our tradition, until everyone has a plate.

Dad brings me my mac and cheese and sits down in between me and Molly. Ruby lays down on my feet and looks up at me hopefully, wanting a bite of my food.

“Ruby, go lay down.” I say. “You already had dinner.” she whimpers and goes to her crate, wrestling her stuffed animal.

“So” my mom turns to Daniel. “How are your kids?”

“Ah, they’re fine. Cory’s going to NYU next year.”

“Really? I thought he got into UNM.”

“Yeah, he decided against it.”

“Hmm.” Mom says.

“Daniel, how’s Ellie?” I ask. Ellie babysat me when I was seven.

“Oh, she’s good. Next month she’s moving to Alaska to become a Marine Biologist.”

“Thats cool!” I say, taking a bite of my mac and cheese. “Hey mom, I have a truckload of homework, and I want to call grandma. May I be excused?”

“Sure, honey. Just put your bowl in the dishwasher.” she says. I nod and do so.

I run upstairs and get started on my homework.