Split, A.M. Bryker [beautiful books to read TXT] 📗

despite my efforts to be friendly. But that last orphanage possessed the very thing that I needed, which was to climb to the tops of the trees and have time away from everyone else. I wanted to be alone, and not only because of my weirdness. I didn't want any friends because I'd leave them eventually.

     I was my own companion. I stayed at that orphanage for only a couple of weeks before I was adopted by a middle-aged couple named Ray and Jane Stone, mostly because they wanted more kids but couldn't have any. I have no idea why they adopted me, however. I hardly thought I could make their lives any better; they already had three kids. Nevertheless, I was kind of glad they took me in, even when I met Cassandra. From the moment I saw her I knew that we weren't going to get along very well, but I was certain that, however she decided to treat me, she wouldn't be nearly as bad as the kids in those orphanages.

     Anyway, the sweet couple had just dropped off their three kids at school when they came to pick me up and take me to my new home. That was the best day of my life right then. Well, the best day of my life that I can remember, anyway.

     Once the Stones brought me to their home—a white two-story building surrounded by trees and had a small patio running the length of the entire house—they immediately showed me where I was to stay. I had almost squealed with joy at the sight of nice green walls and white carpet. The white bed was devoid of any blankets or pillows, the walk-in closet was bare, and the white bookshelf and desk were empty also, but I was sure that I would fill them all up with my own stuff. To top it all off, I had a bay window.

     I'm sad to say that the Stones looked more excited than I felt once I started thinking about it. I was afraid that I would get too attached to this place. If I did, I would have a difficult time leaving if I started getting restless, which is my way of saying 'out of control'. It happened a few times at a few orphanages before I'd learned how to suppress it a little, but that was only when I was defending myself.

     Thankfully, I haven't had to protect myself for almost seven years so I haven't had to leave. And how could I not make any friends in that amount of time? Give me a break. Plus, I didn't have a choice—Alexis was determined to be my friend whether I liked it or not, and only because my accent drew her in—at first, anyway.

     As I was thinking about all of these things, I had grabbed a plate and piled them with bacon and scrambled eggs, along with a couple slices of toast and a glass of orange juice. I don't bother to respond to Cassandra's snide remark.

     I listen to the conversation buzzing around me at the table, but don't care to comment or share anything. Especially the fact that the most popular guy in school dropped by this morning. The girls would totally freak if they found out.

     Across the table I hear Cassandra brag that she is going to a party at Justin King's house this weekend. My ears perk up at Justin's name (I guess I still have something there for him, but not much), but I don't let her see my interest. I hardly look away from my plate while I listen as Paige, Cassandra's twin, expresses to the Mom how important it is for her to go to Haiti and help out with the rest of her class in June. I find it interesting when Jeffery (also adopted) shares that the house next door was sold recently, and the movers are going to be living there soon, if they aren’t already. But my appetite is ruined when I hear Cody say that he is going to join the basketball team.

     Cody is my favorite adoptive sibling. I know I shouldn't have chosen a favorite, but Cassandra hates me and Paige is too involved with the environment and girl stuff for me to hang out with her all the time.

     Cody is perfect. He isn't overly serious but he isn't a humongous goofball like my younger brother, Jeffery. I can share almost anything with him and he will listen and try to understand (the only information I haven't shared with him is my weirdness and my past, not that there’s much to talk about). I almost always hang out with him, along with Alexis (who, by the way, has an enormous crush on him), and we have the best of times together, the three of us.

     If he wasn't my brother, granted he is my adoptive brother, I would totally have a crush on him like Alexis does. The seventeen-year-old is way cuter than any guy I've seen in my life so far. He even surpasses Justin, and that's really saying something. His eyes are dark brown—perfect for puppy eyes—and his shaggy hair is the color of the sand on the beach. Because he works out, he has a pretty strong build. I know this because sometimes Alexis bribes me to snap some photos for her. At first I found it ridiculously immature, but later sneaking around the house outside got kind of fun. I haven't gotten caught yet.

     Anyway! I got a little carried away there. No need for that confession.

     The point with Cody joining the basketball team is: I don't want him to. Surprise, surprise. Him joining would mean that he'll be away from home more often. We won't be able to hang out as frequently as we used to. There has to be a way to keep him from—

     Wait a minute. If he joins the team… Perfect! I know it's selfish, but if Cody joins the basketball team that would make it possible for me to sit out on the bleachers during practices without it being awkward and therefore be able to see the team captain, Justin King. Boom—we're both happy. (Oh my heck, did I just say that? Despite my attempted reassurances that I do not, in fact, like him, I continually make it seem like I do. What can I say? Old habits die hard.)

     Crap, I zoned out again. I barely catch Cassandra say, "Awesome," under her breath. She must have been thinking what I was musing about just now. She has a massive crush on Justin King. And Carson Davis. And Brandon Reed. And Mitchell Young. And, and, and…

~*~

After breakfast, I slip on my favorite green flip flops, shoulder my white backpack, and hurry over to Alexis's cream-colored two-story house across the street, knowing that she isn't home yet but wanting to be there nonetheless. Cody follows me.

     We only have to sniff at the rose bushes for a few minutes before a white Mazda RX8 parks in the driveway. Alexis and her family had spent a week in Paris for her great-grandfather's funeral. I had begged my parents to go with them, but of course they refused. They didn't want me to go to a funeral in Paris just to skip out on school (not that there was any school last week anyway).

     Even before the car stops, Alexis has opened the door and is now running toward me to envelop me in an embrace, laughing. We pull away after a few seconds.

     "It's so good to see you!" We exclaim simultaneously, and then we laugh again.

     Cody steps forward and gives Alexis an embrace of his own. It soon ends and Alexis's cheeks bloom bright red. So, I notice, do Cody's.

     I wonder…

     During the reunion, Alexis's siblings hop out of the car. Brandon, her seventeen-year-old brother, is standing by with his hands in his pockets, while their younger sister Kayla chatters her teenage mouth off.

     "Hey!" She exclaims. "Like, how are you guys? The trip to Paris was uber awesome!" Then she started mumbling, "Except for the part where we went to the funeral—that was boring." Then, "Gosh, I wish you guys could have come. That would have been, like, so much fun! Anyway, so while we were there I got you a whole bunch of souvenirs. No need to thank me—it was sooo much fun shopping for gifts…"

     While Kayla babbles, Cody and Brandon give the traditional "guy friend greeting". Kind of like the handshake, then a hug-type-thing and a pat on the back. I don't know why they do it, and it's kind of weird, but whatever.

     We trudge into the house and head into the kitchen, thankfully losing Kayla to their collie, Lily. I quickly glance at the clock that hangs on the wall above the counter and see that it is seven-thirty. We have thirty minutes before we have to walk over to school.

     Brandon, Cody, and I take our seats around the table while Alexis pulls out little ice cream sundaes from the freezer and says apologetically, "Don't know how long they've been in there, but here they are if you want them." She sets them on the table in front of us. Though they don't look very appetizing, I take one anyway, but only because they need to be eaten.

     Sliding into the seat between me and Cody, Alexis tucks a strand of blond hair behind her ear and says, "So. What have we missed in school this past week?"

     I share an amused glance at Cody, wink, and say nonchalantly, "Oh, not much."

     Cody joins in the fun, saying "Yeah, not much."

     Alexis looks at each of us suspiciously. "What aren’t you telling me?"

     "Whatever do you mean?" I ask innocently. "You don't believe us?"

     "No, I don't. What aren’t you telling me?" She repeats.

     Sighing, Cody says in defeat, "Fine, you got us. There is something we're not telling you. Something important."

     "We had a school dance," I blurt out just as Alexis spoons some ice cream in her mouth. I quickly clamp a hand over my mouth to give her the impression that I wasn't supposed to say anything about it. The ice cream she had just begun to swallow seems to catch in her throat.

     After a while of Alexis coughing, I ask, "Are you okay?"

     "Yeah," she replies. Then she adds sarcastically, "I just couldn't swallow all of a sudden." The rest of us laugh.

     "Are you freaking serious?" She exclaims after a few moments.

     Brandon nods. "You heard them. They had a school… Wait, what?"

     Obviously, he wasn't completely listening earlier because his expression did a dramatic change from indifferent to horror. Alexis sits there, frowning with confusion.

     "Why weren't we informed?" She asks. Then suspicion sparks in her blue eyes again. "Something's not right."

     She glances at our innocent-looking faces. I try so hard not to laugh. So hard.

     Cody is the one who cracks. He bursts out laughing, and I join in.

     "Honestly, you guys?" Alexis shouts. "Not cool, okay? Not. Cool."

     After a minute or so of laughing I am able to control myself. Cody, however—the boy that he is—keeps laughing until tears stream down his cheeks.

     "Hey!" I exclaim. "I'm the one who cries around here!"

     He laughs harder. Doof. (I'm usually the one who cries when I laugh a lot.)

     Finally, after several minutes of the guy laughing, seeming to be okay, then laughing a little harder three seconds later, we are safe from laughing. Thank goodness.

     Alexis looks at us and asks, "Okay, seriously. What did we really miss?"

     "Nothing," I reply.

     She frowns. "I'm serious. What's been going on? I'm talking about gossip, who's dating who, and all that fun stuff. You know how much I like that kind of info."

     Cody chimes in. "She's right, Lex. You didn't miss a thing.