Sneak Peak

empty-bella.blogspot.com

Empty By Rachel Plotkin

(an excerpt from the book in progress)

“Er..Happy Birthday”
I knew that she was checking if I was asleep, but she couldn't hide the excitement in her voice. It was the first year she had me for my birthday. It was the third year since I met her, since she became my best friend. Though I was exhaustively tired, I felt bad squashing her enthusiasm, so I acted along groggily.
“I’m Up! Thanks” I tried to smile, but ended up yawning instead.
She laughed “I’ll let you sleep a little more”
“No, no I’m fine” I lied, “I have to get ready for school”
“Oh” I could see the disappointment in her face, as if she had forgotten about that. Of course I would have rather stayed home, play hookie, and have fun, but Eliza (my closest friend at school) would never let me live it down.
“It’s only six hours”
“Ok, Come downstairs when your ready” Still not satisfied
My mother was the most exquisite and unique person I knew. She went over the top for everything. I knew she had something planned, and I was already dreading it. Slowly I got dressed, brushed my hair, and stood there for a while looking in the mirror. I looked older, older than my new age of 16. The fullness of my face now was gone to a narrowed ovular one. My cheekbones stared at me prominently. I had lost what little of my baby fat I had, and there stood a tall, lean someone...but I didn't recognize this person. She was somehow overpowering to what I actually felt like inside. I sighed putting on my only makeup supply of lip-gloss.
As I headed downstairs, I saw mom stashing decorations into the cupboards as if to hide them from me. I laughed, her drum, so far from my fathers always played a beat only I seemed to understand. Doctors said she had a small case of down-syndrome, that she was exposed to it at birth, but they only realized it after I was born. It scared my father, from fear for me and for himself, he left her..for good in his mind. She was never mentioned and I never asked anything in order to spare his feelings.
Three years ago all that changed. She had been living in Houston, but somehow managed to find her way to New Jersey in one night alone. My father said she was having one of her spells that he had always feared putting me through. She was crying, knocking on our door. ‘I need to see her’ she kept screaming through her hysteria. I was mortified but I pushed my way through my father and stood stone still in front of her. She looked at me, and half smiled, then without a word she started to leave. “NO” I had screamed without thinking. She looked back at me with tears, but they were different somehow, happy. She winked and left.
Thinking about that made me smile as I walked down the stairs.
“What are you doing?” I asked cautiously already knowing the answer
She smiled but continued to “hide” things as If my presence didn't make a difference.
“Can I help?”
“No hun, Go to school, I’ll see you later?” She asked somehow worried.
“Of course Mom”
I went to give her a kiss and hug, holding onto her longer as if to say, it’s okay. She abruptly pushed me off and went back to work. Confused, I took my stuff and headed to school.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” Eliza screamed when she saw me by the bus
“What’s wrong?” Of course she would notice.
“My mom is acting..”
She cut me off, she was one of few who knew my moms “life style”, so I guess she thought it was another episode.
“Guess what I got you?” She said shoving a box in my hand before even finishing asking.
“Umm..” I wasn’t really in the mood, but I hoped she wouldn’t sense that.
“OPEN IT”
As I opened it I found a small Coach purse, outlined in green, my current favorite color, with the famous ‘C’ logo plastered all over it.
“Is this real?” I asked dumbly, Eliza (Ellie I called her) was rich, well not rich..filthy rich. Her dad was some CEO, and her mom a plastic surgeon in LA, still married..I wondered how that worked.
“You don’t like it?” She watched my reactions more carefully.
“You really should not have spent all this money”
“I’ll take it back..”
Stupid reverse physicology, I found myself grasping the bag tighter as if that was what she had planned the whole time.
“I love it” I said trying to put as much emphasis on the love as possible
“I know” she grinned as she hopped onto the bus, me behind her foot steps. She amazed me sometimes and for a few seconds my mind was free, then I went back to worry.
At school it was relatively calm even thought Ellie had told practically everyone she knew. People who I didn’t know wished me a happy birthday, and my face turned red just in time for me to thank them and glare over my shoulder at her. She smiled and proudly walked by my side as we went to class. Finally, the day was over and I could go home and see my mom, inside I really knew I just wanted to make sure she was okay.
“Bye” I shouted as I ran off the bus to go home without looking back.
In front of her house stood a beautiful, yet ancient car.
“Well?” A voice called from the house

Reviews

[anneliese]

this is a tease! im looking forward to the rest

[ape domenigoni]

good job...keep it going..I want to read more! lol