Life Is Not Fair
Chapter 9: A New Song!

Copyright© 2010 by brightstar

"How was school today?" Beth asked me. We were having dinner that night at our house with the Fergusons.

"Great," I replied noncommittally, more interested in my meal than the small talk that was going on over dinner.

"That's it, that's all you're going to say?" Beth asked incredulously. I just shrugged. What was I supposed to say?

"He made a friend at school today," mom supplied when it was obvious that I wasn't going to say anything anymore.

"Really, which friend?" It was Bethany that asked that particular question.

"Really, EJ made a friend at school this quickly?" Beth asked in a surprised tone. Why was she surprised?

"You sound surprised," mom said, asking Beth the same question that was on my mind.

Beth nodded, "I am. I figured that with EJ and his personality that it would take him months to trust someone enough to consider that person friend."

"Well, he has a friend at school now. And I must say that he's pretty excited about it," mom continued. The way the conversation was going as if I wasn't even in the room was disconcerting, so I just concentrated on my meal.

"So did he tell you who this friend of his is?" Bethany asked my mother.

"Yeah, a Jacob Kennedy Parker or something."

"What? That wimp is his friend?" Bethany exclaimed.

The whole room became so quiet at that instant that you could hear a pin drop. I was provoked, mad. Who was she to call my friend a wimp? What audacity does she have to call my friend a wimp? Didn't she know that Jake was more friend than she would ever be to me? I was mad at her for calling my friend a wimp. I was mad at Beth for always trying to ask how my day went. Who was she to ask that anyway? I was mad at my mother for using information I gave her in confidence to make dinner time gossip. I felt betrayed.

Suddenly, a meal that was so delicious became so disgusting that I didn't even want to look at it. Suddenly, I had lost my appetite. How can I eat with people that were so insensitive to what I felt, how I felt? How could I break bread with people that were so shallow as to make me a topic of gossip? Everything became so disgusting that I almost threw up, almost.

I had never been this angry before at anyone for anybody. Jake was my friend and if I decide to go out with him, it strictly was my own decision. Nobody had the rights to castigate my friend, not even my own mother.

I slowly got up from my seat, thanked the moms for a great meal and left for my room. I just didn't want to think about it anymore. I wanted to be left alone to my thoughts.

Granted, Jake and I have only known each other for a maximum of two days but I felt a particular kinship with him. In more ways than one, Jake and I were the same with the same personalities and flaws. I have never seen anyone that I was soo in tune with. It was awesome having Jake as friend. So even though we haven't known ourselves for long, I felt a particular resolve to defend my friend's honor.

What was it that he said again? "friends may come and go, people may come into our lives, but as long as there is breathe in me, as long as I live, you will always be my friend, my brother." That was what he had said. All my life, I have never met anyone that made such a solemn promise to me with just one day of friendship. No marriage vow will ever be more powerful, more binding than that statement.

I was still in my room, it must have been a long time but how long it was I don't know when there came a knock on my door. I looked up from the book that I had started reading as a way of calming myself. I found out that reading always calmed me down.

"Come in," I called to whoever it was that was knocking on my door.

Bethany stepped in after some moments' hesitation. When I found out that it was Bethany that knocked, I went back to the book that I was reading at that time.

"Eeej?" She called to me in an uncertain unsure voice. It wasn't like Bethany to be uncertain about anything. With the knowledge that I had thrown her into a loop, I found out that the anger that I didn't know I had at that time had suddenly dissipated.

I looked up from my book in an expression that said, 'Why are you calling me, why are you here?'

She seemed to have gotten my question for she broke down in tears and started crying. I am not talking about tears seeping from her eyes kind of cry; I am talking about the wailing, tear-wracking sob of someone that was desperate for something, anything.

I don't know if I told her before, but seeing a lady in tears always got to me in a way that I can never seem to decipher. Maybe it was growing up with a mom that was always prone to tears, maybe it was just the way I was wired, but the sight of a lady in tears has always been my weakness.

I should be angry with her for calling someone I care about so much a wimp. I should be angry with her for betraying a relationship that gave me succor when I first landed on the shores of America. I should be angry with her, at her for causing me pain, but whatever anger I felt had surprisingly left me. I tried to call forth that anger but it was no where to be found. I sighed.

I made my way to where she was sprawled on the floor crying her hearts out. In a move that I have done over time, a move that seems to be the role that has been assigned to me for life, I draped my arms around her shoulders and drew her close to me. She sagged against me and let the floodgates open. I didn't know what to do or say, but I knew from experiences with my mother that I didn't have to do anything. Action time would come later.

After she had cried to her hearts content, I reached out and took a t-shirt and gave it to her. She looked at me and smiled in a way that conveyed her gratitude. It was nothing.

"Thanks," she said after she had gotten herself under control.

There was no need to reply her. She knew that holding her in my arms was the least of the worst jobs that I ever will undertake. But I squeezed her for good measure.

We were quiet for sometime before she said to me without removing her head from lying on top of my shoulder. "Are you still angry with me?"

I asked myself that same question. Was I still angry with her? Sure I had been angry with her before. Who wouldn't? I was angry at her for betraying our friendship, I was angry at her for calling Jake a wimp, I was angry at her for confusing me with her mood swings. One minute she's like 'we can't be friends because it would damage my status' the next minute she's like 'I am sorry I ever said that, can we still be friends?' She was confusing the hell out of me.

But that was before. Now the question had changed. Was I still angry with her? I looked inward at myself and the way I felt with her in my arms and I realized that no, I wasn't angry with her. Whatever anger I felt for her was gone the minute I realized that she was also hurt by the fact that we weren't friends. I believe that people deserve second chances at whatever mistake the might have made. I believe in looking for the best in people. Sure she might have wronged me, but she has seen the error of her ways, now she wants to make amends. I don't know if I'll ever be able to trust her again, I don't know if she will hurt me or not, but I do know that I wasn't angry at her, not anymore.

"No, Bethany, I am no longer angry with you," I replied her finally when I had searched myself.

She looked up at me with imploring eyes that were begging me to not be playing tricks on her. "Really?" She asked in a small voice.

I looked down at her face. God she was so beautiful at that moment that I wanted to kiss her. I have never felt like this. I cradled her face in my hand and replied in a sincere voice, "I really am no longer angry with you."

As soon as the words were out of my mouths, she flung her arms around my neck and hugged me to her, all the while muttering her thanks.

"But..." I began and the change in her was so dramatic that I wanted to laugh out. She was about saying something in protest when I silenced her by placing a finger on her lips, shushing her. " ... Let me finish. I forgive you Bethany. I really do and I am no longer angry at you for whatever you've done. But I don't know if I will trust you again, at least not anytime soon." Her face fell when I said that last bit. " ... Maybe I will trust you again, maybe I won't but I do know that you have my forgiveness though I am still wondering why you now want to be my friend again all of a sudden."

"I deserved that. I really do. When I told you that we shouldn't been seen together in school, I will never forget the look on your face. It was like I had run you through with a hot knife. And then you told me what friends are for, I realized that I have been fooling myself. I have never been anyone's friend. And for some reason I want to be your friend." She replied in a raspy coerce voice that belied her emotions.

"Wow." And it was all I could say. I was dumbfounded by what she said and the emotions that accompanied them.

"And so that you will know. I shall never rest until you tell me with your mouth, heart and soul that you trust me." She promised solemnly.

The tone of voice she used told me that I was dealing with a determined lady and there was little doubt that she will have what she wants. "We shall see." I replied then chuckled, " ... And knowing you, I will be declaring my trust for you very soon." I finished with a chuckle.

She chuckled as well. "Well, you had better or you will be dealing with a very determined, persuasive young lady. And I can be quite persuasive."

"I shall try." I promised back.

"So what were you working on before I entered?" She asked after some minutes. And just like that, we had become buddies again. That was life for you.

We talked for some minutes. She was giving me pointers with the book I was reading, telling me about the different teachers that handled her when she was in my grade and what they especially demanded of their students. She told me about classes that I should concentrate more on; ones that were fun and those that were plain boring. I took it all in. You never know when you might need such information.

The moms came up after they must have waited for the whole house to go ablaze. When nothing like that happened, they decided to come investigate on their own if we were still alive or had killed each other in an open fire.

Beth came with a tray as a shield, crouching down almost on her knees and asking, "Clear, is it safe to come in?"

The whole thing looked comical that we couldn't help but start laughing. God, our parents aren't going to kill us!

"Mom, what are you doing?" Bethany asked her mother.

"What do you mean by 'what are you doing?' We came to see if both of you have succeeded in killing each other and maybe set the house on fire." We couldn't hold it in any longer. Bethany and I started laughing so hard that my sides began hurting me.

"We haven't killed each other yet. If you could just spare us some minutes, I'm sure that your wish will be realized." Bethany said to our moms' antics.

"You'd have to buy your own house before you do that, young lady," said mom in a come back.

"Yeah, Go and buy your own house before you think of setting anything on fire." Beth supported mom.

Bethany looked at me and said, "What do you say we leave this old hags and room together in our own house," in a serious tone.

"What is a hag?" I asked. I know, I know, I just can't seem to learn. It was like lighting dynamite. The whole room exploded in a laugh that could have won an Academy Award as the Best Laugh. Where has this happened to me before?

"And one strike for Team Mom." Beth exclaimed.

"God, you know how to spoil someone's bluff, don't you?" Bethany said to me.

"Isn't that why you like me?" I asked in a shy little voice.

She looked at me seriously for a while and replied, "Yes, it's one of the reasons I like you. It will be so much fun corrupting you." She couldn't resist teasing me.

"Unh-unh, don't just go there young lady. I have called dibs on him. Eeej is mine for corrupting." Beth retorted almost heatedly.

"God!" I exclaimed, extricating myself from Bethany. "I am here for crying out loud. I am here." I cried in exasperation.

"Oh honey, are we killing you with all the teasing?" Mom asked in a voice that was a little bit too sweet.

"Will you stop it already? Nobody is going to corrupt me," I said. Seeing that they were all watching me seriously to gauge my feelings, I couldn't help but add, " ... But I am not averse to corrupting any of you."

The laughter that followed was the stuff that legends were made of. I was equally laughing. It felt good to be able to let my guards down and have fun with my friends. With a sudden realization, I realized that everyone here was my friend, people who will always be there for me no matter what. I was moved with emotions.

I went to my mom and hugged so tightly that were she a broom stick, she would have broken. I did the same for both Beth and Bethany. After hugging them, I stood before them and said,

"I love you all. I know that I may not be the easiest person to be around most of the time. I may not be the most friendly or emotionally expressive person that you may know. But I want you to know that no matter what I am feeling at any moment, I love you all and I will always cherish your friendship."

I think I have made it clear that I am not someone that displays my emotion that much. But whenever I feel something, I always feel strongly about that, like the realization that I loved all these three people that have become an integral part of my world.

I think I made them swoon, but I wasn't sure. They all came forward and hugged me one after the other. Bethany's was the fiercest. I think telling them that I love them was what caused it. All the three ladies had tears in their eyes.

"God, you had us there with your joke." Beth said.

"I did, didn't I?" They nodded their heads while lightly chuckling. " ... Good. That should teach you never tease me like that again."

"I don't know about others but I plan on teasing you till you cry uncle." Beth promised. The others echoed her promised.

"We shall see then." I countered.

Everything turned to mundane after that. I still don't do mundane. I was content to watch them all talk among themselves. It showed the kind of camaraderie that I have always wanted to be a part of. It felt amazing.

Before long, Bethany and Beth were saying their goodbyes at the porch. I would have loved to have walked them home to their house, but it was already past bedtime.

"Thank you for this gift, Eeej." Bethany said while hugging me.

"You are welcomed." I replied not sure which act she was referring to as gift.

"I will see you in school tomorrow," She half asked, half stated.

"You betcha." I said imitating a character from one of the movies I saw with her.

"Good night then. I love you." She whispered in my ear while hugging me.

It felt great for her to say that. It felt wonderful, awesome and amazing hearing her say that. I couldn't help the smile that played on my face.

"I love you too." I replied. She squeezed me more when I said that. And with a final kiss on the cheek, she left with her mother.

I turned and went up to my room. I changed into my night clothes and lay on the bed. It felt great having someone care for me other than my mom. It felt great being friends again with Bethany.

And when sleep is come to take me into a land where impossibilities abound, a land of imagination, there was only one vision that I saw. I was looking into the face of the one with a blonde hair and the bluest pair of eyes I have ever seen. I was looking into the face of Melissa Anne Parker.


THURSDAY

"Good morning, mom." I greeted my mother when I came down the stairs the following day. It was an exceptionally great morning.

I had awoken with a light feeling in my chest, a feeling of inner peace in my mind. I don't know what caused it; maybe I woke up on the right side of bed that day, but I do know that I have never felt this great in a while now. I wanted to attribute it to the fact that I now had someone, actually persons that cared about me enough. I now had persons that I could talk to whenever I felt like it. I also attributed it to making peace with Bethany.

Like it or not, Bethany had become an essential part of my life that I hadn't even recognized till we made up the previous day. She was my first contact with someone closer to my age that I had when I came to America. She had made the transition easier than it would have been had I faced it alone. The way she practically nursed me the first few days I came to the country had given me succor. Maybe that was why I have been feeling like shit since we kind of 'broke up'. I was glad that I didn't have any of the anger and resentment I felt towards her to battle with. It would have been awkward having to deal with her at dinnertime.

Then there was the dream I had about Melissa. Prior to my meeting Melissa the previous day, I had always been hunted by nightmares of my father's death. I didn't know why I had them but they had been consistent. Ever since I met Melissa, my nightmares turned into something much more beautiful and peaceful. There was no pattern to the dreams that I could discern so far. Heck, I don't even remember the dreams when I wake up. But I know that I always awoke with a smile and with the knowledge that somehow, Melissa had been an integral part of the dream.

"You look ... different," mom observed when I was preparing my breakfast; cereals.

"What do you mean by different?" I asked mom looking up from pouring cereals into the bowl.

"I don't know," She shrugged. " ... You just looked different, lighter."

"Wow," I replied her, uncertain of what to say to that. " ... Is it good different or bad different." I was determined to get her opinion.

"It's certainly super good different, like you're not carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore."

I shrugged. "I feel different myself," I supplied.

"What happened?" she asked definitely curious now.

"Well, I can't really pinpoint the exact reason but I do know that it is finally realizing that I have people who care about me enough to share in whatever problem I might face. It actually feels like I don't have the weight of the world on my shoulders anymore." I replied feeling that it had to be the explanation of the way I felt.

Mom came over to where I was and kissed me on the forehead. It was a simple gesture of love and affection but it carried more weight than any word would ever have at that moment. "It's good to know that you are realizing that you are not alone. Don't hesitate to come to me or even to Beth for that matter with any problem at all."

"Thanks mom. I know that I may not have said it before but you are the best." I said by way of gratitude.

"Are you just realizing that now?" she just couldn't resist teasing me.

"I would be stupid if I was just realizing that fact." I countered.

She went back to doing whatever it was that she was doing.

"So how are you coping with life in America, new school, new life? She asked after some minutes.

"Well, I wouldn't say it has all been easy seeing as how half of the time I am trying to understand what is being said, but I am adjusting just fine. It actually helps that I have had the most wonderful people on earth watching out for me."

"That's good to know, you almost had me worried for sometime."

"Worry not anymore, I am perfectly fine." I reassured her.

She was about saying something when we heard the honk of my ride. "Looks like your ride is here."

"Yeah." I said rinsing my mouth with water. "I will see you when I get back." I went and kissed her on the cheek.

"Have a nice day and don't forget to invite your friend inside." She reminded me.

"I won't." I promised before dashing out from the house. I didn't want to keep my ride late.

"Good morning Beth, Bethany." I greeted when I got into the car. They replied with their own greetings.

"You look different." It was Bethany that made the observation.

I sighed. Where had I been told the same thing? "You can say that." I said to her, not wanting to go into details of why I looked different.

"Yeah, he sure looks different. The smile line on his face is something I have never seen before. Why didn't I notice this?" Beth continued.

"He looks like someone that has the weight of the world taken off his shoulders." Bethany continued with her observation. For a moment I wondered if my mother had called them to tell them these particular words. Nah, it couldn't have been possible. It's probably female intuition I told myself.

"So, any reason why you look this different?" Bethany asked then quickly added when I wanted to say something. "Not that it's bad but we would like to know why you look so ... relaxed. This you is way better than the grumpy you."

"I am grumpy?" I asked in a surprised tone, not that I knew what grumpy was at the time. How could I keep up with American Vocabulary? Although, I also realized that she was teasing me.

"Well yeah, you are. And don't even do your face like you don't know what I am talking about," she said to me.

"I don't," I protested weakly.

"Do too." She said back in another teasing tone. God, when she said 'do too' I almost wanted to bite her lips off. I didn't though. We started a charade of me sing-saying 'I don't' with her replying 'do too'. Each time, the urge to bite her lips off was getting harder to control. She must have known what she was doing to me for she had this mischievous look in her eyes that never foretold anything good.

"Hey, hey, if you both are going to start getting on each other's case at least wait till you get out my CAR." Beth came to my rescue when I was about losing control.

"Spoilsport," Bethany said grumpily.

I laughed out aloud. "Who is the grumpy one now?" I asked with a chuckle. I didn't expect what she did though. She elbowed me. "Ouch, Why did you do that?" I asked her. Even I grumbled now.

"Nothing, I just felt like it." She replied in a more cheesy tone that somehow lessened the pains of what I felt.

"I will get you back." I promised.

"And I will be waiting." She sing sang.

'Alright you too, you better get off my car now or I will take you both to work." It was Beth saying the last part.

I looked around, and sure enough we were on the school parking lot. I didn't know when we reached here. We both got off from the car, me thanking Beth for another ride before alighting from the car. I made to go into the school but Bethany caught up with me and held my hands. I might be a novice at this things but the significance of that gesture wasn't lost on me. I looked up to her and smiled. She smiled back.

We made our way into the school. As surely as it is that the sun will rise in the East and set in the West, my friend Jake was standing there waiting for me with a smile that could have lit up New York. Little by little, his smile vanished as Bethany and I made our way to him still holding hands.

"What's up dude?" Jake greeted in an uncertain tone.

I didn't answer though. I simply enveloped him in a hug that was meant to reassure him that we were still friends. "I am fine, you?" I asked when I released him.

He was now beaming with smile. It felt great to bring the smile back to my friends face. "It was awesome," he replied in a typical Jake fashion.

"Good to know," I said then gesturing towards Bethany who had patiently been waiting for us, I said, " ... Let me introduce you to my friend, Bethany Ferguson. Bethany, this is the Jacob Kennedy Parker that you've heard of." I finished the introduction.

Jake, ever the gentleman offered his hand to Bethany. She shook it. "It's great to finally put a name on the Bethany that I have heard so much about. It's a pleasure meeting you."

"As it is mine as well," Bethany replied. "Say, you are not related to Melissa on the cheerleading squad, are you?" Bethany asked Jake.

"The same Melissa is my sister, flesh and blood." Jake replied with what I later learnt was a goofy grin happy to be recognized by his sister's teammate.

"Dude, you didn't tell me your sister was in the Cheerleading Squad." I said, surprised that Melissa I was a popular person.

"You didn't ask." He shrugged. I got the feeling that his sister being in the spotlight had always been a sour topic for him. So I decided to forego that discussion, for now at least.

We could have said more, but the bell went off and people started scrambling to go to their classes. We weren't left out.

"I will see you at lunch?" Bethany asked already making her way to her locker.

"Definitely." I called back at her. She said goodbye to Jake and I then left. We left for our class.

Classes were fun that day. Yes I still had difficulty following most of the teachers and the class discussion, but it wasn't as bad as it was before. I think the accent was growing on me. Despite that fact though, I was still able to follow the main gist of the discussion, contribute in whatever way I could. The fact that Jake was there in most of my classes, helping tag-team the classes made it so much better.

We had just gotten our lunch from the school cafeteria, found a seat and was about digging in when someone plumped down on the seat next to us.

"I hope you aren't trying to start lunch without me?" I looked up from my lunch and there seated on my right was the beautiful Bethany. I remembered that she promised she was going to eat lunch with us. I had already forgotten about that. I smiled at her in affection and gratitude.

"Wouldn't dream of starting anything without you." I said back to her in my most affectionate voice.

"Didn't think you'd do that," she assured me cheekily.

"So, how where your classes today?" I asked Bethany digging into my lunch.

"Good. Some of them were boring while some were good."

I nodded while still digging into my lunch. I looked at my friend Jake where he was busy looking into his lunch. Something wasn't right.

"Dude," I called to him. He looked up from his lunch. " ... You are not saying anything. What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing." He replied noncommittally.

"Come on dude, tell me what's wrong." I persisted. I knew that something was bothering him; I just didn't know what it was.

"I am fine really, I am." He said vehemently.

I wanted to protest, to get him tell me what the matter was, but Bethany touched me at moment. I looked at here in an inquiring manner but she only shook her head letting me know that I shouldn't pursue it any further.

She turned her attention to Jake, stretched out and took his arm. Jake flinched at the contact and wanted to withdraw his hand, but Bethany was having none of that.

"Jake I know that we've only just known each other today but I bet you are uncomfortable with my being here, right?" Jake could only nod his head. "Look, I am not here to make you uncomfortable neither I am not here either to take away your friend from you. I may have been cruel to you before and knowing myself, I was probably cruel to you." She chuckled lightly. Jake just nodded his head still a little uncomfortable with us paying that much attention to him. Bethany continued though, "And I am sorry for whatever I might have done to you in the past, I really am. You are a friend of Eeej's and I am equally his friend. I think we both will be seeing more of each other. I now consider you as friend as any friend of Eeej's is also a friend of mine. Are you comfortable with what I am saying?" she asked him. He could only nod. "Good." Bethany finished.

During Bethany's diatribe, the light had gone off in my head that Jake might be uncomfortable with Bethany's presence. I do not blame him though. The guy had spent his whole life being seen as a wimp, an object of ridicule for his mates. Now, one of the peculiar members of that same group was sitting across him, holding his hand and talking to him. Give the guy a break, will you?

I could see that whatever Bethany was saying wasn't getting to Jake so I had to reassure him. "A good friend once said to me that friends may come and go, that people may come into our lives but as long as he lives that we will always be friends, brothers. I don't know about you Jacob Kennedy Parker but I plan on keeping that promise, I plan on being your friend and brother for as long as I live." I took his hand to make sure that he was paying attention. "I know that you are uncomfortable around beautiful women," I chanced a look at Bethany who was beaming at my compliment. I smiled back then turned back to Jake. " ... I also know that you hate cheerleaders." Jake's head shot up as if asking me how I could possibly know that. "Don't give me that look. I know a lot about you than you realize. Anyway, how can you hate cheerleaders when your sister is one?" I asked him.

 
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