Perfect

The back door was open, just as I’d expected it to be. I gingerly touched the door handle, trying to avoid the cobwebs and spiders. As fast as I could, i pushed the light screen door out of my radar and jumped onto the hard kitchen floorboards. The door shut with a loud BANG! I winced as I held onto a wooden stool and, putting my weight on my elbow, lifted myself up from the ground.

" Advika, is that you” my sister, Elena asked from the living room.

" No, it’s Cleopatra” I said acerbically.

" Oh my god Advika loosen up” Elena called from the other room.

" Yeah, sure” I grumbled. I re-slung my backpack onto my shoulder and walked to the living room. The room used to smell like fresh roses. It used to be cleaner too. Now, scanning the room, it looked like trash. Two couches were backed up against the wall with dust all over them. The carpet on the floor had multiple juice and curry stains. At least the table and the T.V were neat. Adjoining to the living room was my room. I walked towards the door only to be stopped by my older sister.

" How was school” Elena asked. I glanced up at my sister. She wasn’t the pretty, blonde haired blue-eyed giggly girl anymore. Her beauty features were hidden behind a plain and depressed mask. From work and stress, her blonde hair had almost become white. When you looked into Elena’s eyes, there wasn’t a cheerful, soft look anymore. Now they were simply steely and icy. She used to look like Mom in so many ways. Her soft laugh was very rare to me now a-days. She either yelled at me or slapped me.

I looked exactly like Dad. I had the same long, silky dark hair that he did. The same raspy laugh and sparkling grey eyes. Once, I was told that I was even beautiful. Though, I don’t think it counts when it’s from your own dad.

" It was okay” I said, using the same tone I would use for strangers. Elena didn’t say anything but looked at her ring finger. There, newly placed on her finger, was a diamond ring.

I reconciled in anger. ” What happened while I was gone” I asked in a steely, cold voice. ” Nothing” Elena said. I arched and eyebrow. Elena may have been a good liar to Dad, but she never fooled me. When she least expected it, I threw the ring from her hand. ” Advika” Elena shrieked and dived for the ring. ” You stupid girl! Do you have any idea that cost Julian? Do you?” Elena’s cold eyes fixed onto me.

I felt my face beginning to turn red. ” Well, do you know what I’ve been through, you idiot sister. I’ve been through much worse, least I care how much it cost Blow-fish to buy you a cheap ring”

" Like what” Elena yelled back. For the first time, I walked up to my sister, and without thinking, slapped her on her cheek. She fell back. ” Advi-” she began but I stopped her.

" You think Julian will be able to solve all your problems just because he is rich” I yelled, hot tears running down my cheeks. ” He don’t care a thing about me. That Scoliosis surgery I had in May, he called me a weakling for a week” . Without letting Elena fight back, I stormed out of the house. The hot tears ran aggressively down my cheeks as I stomped down Windrex Ave and onto Lake Street. I banged onto my Muscular Dystrophy friend Emma’s door. I was also an MD girl but we had different kinds.

" Hi Advika” Emma said cheerfully when she opened the door. Emma was a beautiful blonde girl with short hair and sparkling green eyes. She had a pale complexion and never took her smile off her face.

" Hi” I said, wiping my tears and forcing a smile. ” Are you busy or can we talk”.

" No, i’m not busy. C’mon inside. Charles brought one of his friends”

" Okay” I smiled. That’s why Emma was especially happy. She was always very cheerful when Charles, her boyfriend visited. When we went inside, he was talking to a handsome boy about 19, a year older than me.

Charles also had a pale complexion and sparkling blue eyes. He was handsome, in a way. He also shared the same humor as Emma and never took his smile off his face.

The boy next to Charles looked a little different. He had a darker complexion and short black hair that stopped at his shoulders. When he turned to face me, he had sparkling grey eyes and a beautiful face.

" Hi” I said shortly. I wasn’t as interested in boys as much as Emma was. Charles waved a hand at me but the other boy just kept looking at me.

" Uh.. Gabe, this is Advika, Elena’s kid sister” Charles said, breaking the awkward silence.

" Hi” Gabe said.

" Aren’t you the Roswell High School basketball star I always hear about” I asked.

“Yeah, and you must be the girl in the who always gets straight A’s” Gabe replied.

I laughed my raspy laugh, which for some reason made him smile. ” I guess we’re even”.

I spent the rest of the afternoon at Emma’s house. Mostly, Gabe would talk to me rather than Emma.

" I’d better hit the road before Elena gets a heart attack” I said, getting up from Emma’s couch.

" Me too” Gabe said. I waved from the door and walked down the street.

" Hey.. Advika.. Wait...up”. I turned around as Gabe ran up.

" What’s up” I asked. He shrugged.

" Nothing, just wanted to walk home with you”.

" But don’t we live opposite places” I asked.

" No, I.. uh.. Live right across on Poor street”.

" How did you know Elena” I asked as we walked along Westchester Ave.

" My brother’s her fiance” he replied.

" Oh” I said and pulled a strand of hair behind my ear.

" You have beautiful eyes” Gabe said quietly. I once again laughed my raspy laugh and he smiled again.

" I like your laugh” Gabe said.

" Really? Most people say my laugh is very raspy” I said as I stopped at our gate.

" Well, I like it. Here” Gabe scribbled something onto my hand and slipped down the road. I looked on my left hand and read out loud

I don’t know how to put it in words, but I think your sort of cool. Text me later .

234, 867, 453

Gabe had given me his number. Why? I had no clue. Reaching for my phone, I added him on Whats-app and walked inside my house through the front door.