Dragonflies

Subject: Dragonflies Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:46 pm

Last summer was my last summer in Oglethorpe. I lived there since I was eight and this was going to be my first year of high school so I figured, I would make my one month left count. My best friend, Destiny, she was twelve at the time, I was thirteen; we hung out everyday and did everything together. I am sadly not in contact with her anymore. I was jealous of her. She was everything I wasn't. She was tall, blonde, tan and had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. Not to mention the piercings. This is a story of love, hate, heart break and loss. This is a draft, I hope you enjoy it. I introduce, Dragonflies.

Dragonflies

" I'll get it! " I screamed at my mom who was in the shower and her phone was ringing. We had cell phones, not house phones. So of course I didn't have one of my own, parents. If you want one, buy it yourself. With what money, seriously?
" Hello? " I panted into the reciever. I sounded like I had just had rough sex, or that is what I imagined, not that I had sex. I had ran through the woods, my daily routine before the construction crews came in months before and started tearing my world down. I was a treehugger.
" Hey Marissa! "
" Dessy! What's going on, chica? " Destiny shared my pain of living in an all black neighborhood. We were the ony white girls that didn't do anything for money, and everyone knew us. We got along now.
" Can I come over? " She called everyday that she wasn't here to ask. Just then my mom came out. " Mom is it okay if Dest--" She cut me off. " I don't care. "
" Sure. See you in two minutes."

When Brandi's blue van pulled in I ran out the door and flew into Destiny's arms. Then I hugged her fourteen year old sister, Paige. Paige drove back and forth from my house to their house on a daily basis. I had been in the car with her many times and I loved it. Especially when we went joyriding.
" Sup, Marissa? " Paige was indian so she was considered half black. No racist remarks against her.
" Nothin' Angel just had kittens. " This was true. One of them was breach and my dad had to turn it. That was the nastiest thing I had seen since school ended.
" Aww lemme see! " Paige ran in the house, cigarette in hand. I used to smoke with them all the time, but I kicked the habit after I got in trouble with Defax. Defax found out about my abuse as a child and thought it was still going on, so naturally they searched my house and tried to take me away from my parents. That was fun.

When we got inside Paige was hovering over the box of three kittens. " They some precious babies, aren't they? " She petted Angel. Angel knew Paige and Destiny quite well now. Even during the school year we were constantly back and forth. Sleepovers everynight. Even school nights. I especially stayed with them when their brother, Brandon " Ty ", was staying. He was a messed up kid. He got expelled from Oglethorpe and moved back to Mississippi with his dad after that. I had met the sisters when they moved here after Katrina hit New Orleans. I had bonded with Destiny instantly, I knew what it was like being the new kid. Brandon was okay, then.
" Hey, Dee. " My mom called from the kitchen. She and my dad thought of Destiny and Paige as their own daughters. It was nice being close to someone for once. I wasn't closer to anyone than Destiny, every time I tried, it slipped away and I was left heartbroken.
" Hi, Miss Melody. " She went over and gave my mom a hug. I never hugged my mother. That was the difference between my relationship with my mom, and her relationship with Destiny. She loved her more.
I on the other hand always hugged Brandi. It was weird, but I trusted her mom more than my own.

" I'm going to put my stuff in your room, okay? " She was already walking. I sat on the arm of the couch, next to Paige as she finished her cigarette and put it out. " Are you still moving? " She asked me. I hated the subject, but it had been a possibility since Febuary. We all knew it was coming and we all dreaded it. I didn't want to leave. I mean sure, most of the people in this neighborhood wanted me dead, but the other half loved me, for not being racist, no matter how much they tried to stir me up in the beginning. I hadn't fought back, for once in my life. I had never been racist and never would be. My stepdad; my dad, was in fact Cuban. That didn't change the matter.
" I don't know, " I whispered.
" I hope you don't. I'm going to miss you. You're a good child. Destiny needs a good friend. "
" Thanks Paige. " Paige was like my older sister. She watched out for me. Even my older brothers had never done that.
Destiny came back and was on her phone. " Marissa, its Connor. " She rolled her eyes. He was a guy my friend, WHitney had introduced me to. He was nice enough, but kind of a pervert for a homeschooled boy.
" Okay. " We talked to Connor every night, along with Henry. I had known Henry since I was ten years old. I would never forget him if I tried, the first time I met him, he told me he was going to kill me and then he chased me up the hallway. Lets just say, Henry had issues.

In my room I stared around at all the familiar things I had collected to make it my sanctuary. My bookshelf covered in famous work, as well as classic. From Poe to Faulkener, to Meyer to Dessen. My Twilight posters. One on the ceiling above my pillow and the rest in various spots around the room. My day bed aganist the window facing the driveway, which led up the dirt road I lived on. My fluffy purple, blue and pink curtains. The pink ones haning over the closet opening. No door. Blue and purple mixed on both windows. I had a blue mobile hanging over my bed. It was a filmy net material and The ring that held everything together, had my prized possessions on it. My dragonfly necklaces. A diamond one my parents gave me for Christmas, a black one my mom gave me as a present and the dragonfly pin an ex-boyfriend had given me. Sure it was a weird thing to keep, but it was a dragonfly.
Paige came in and announced she was leaving. Everythime she came in my room she eyed the mobile, she had always wanted one.
" Mama gave me these for you. " She reached down her shirt and pulled out three cigarettes and handed them to Destiny. I had tried to get her to quit, we had started together, but it wasn't a good thing when she didn't have her daily nicotine rush.
" Thanks Paige-yy. "
" I'll call tomorrow, maybe we can go to Watson's Mill. " Watson's Mill was a park with a covered bridge on the river. The waterfall area was a place we went for swimming. It had trails, playgrounds, everything. Including snakes. I shuddered.
" If we go, Marissa you wanna come with us? "
" Sure. "

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:47 pm

We put the phone on speaker and Connor went on and on about getting high. We doubted he did drugs, but when along with it. And then Henry got on the line. After a few insults Henry made a remark that changed everything. " Destiny, that's not what happened the last time I saw your mama. I banged her real good, and she willingly gave in. " It was a joke, but Destiny was really protective about her mom.
" Shut the f*** up Henry! "
" It was just a joke. "
" I don't care. Talk about my mama again, and I will personally see to it that your neck is broken. "
She had the kind of phone that flipped half way up the phone so it could be closed and if you didn't end the call, it still went on. The cool part is the person you're talking to, can't hear you.

So we sat there laughing as they tried to figure out how we were still on the line yet we had ' hung up. '
Boys are stupid, we thought. Mom called us to get pizza then. Destiny loved being at my house. I had a flat screen in my room and a lot of modern technology because my parents liked to bribe me. Every time I did something wrong, they would buy me a present. I hated that, couldn't they just love me?

Pepperoni was my favorite, but all kinds were good to me. I loved pizza. We had left the phone in my room so we could eat in peace and not have to explain to my parents about the two idiotic boys on the other line. We sat at the dining room table, no one else ate there and when Destiny wasn't over, I ate alone. We looked out the window. It was dusk and the fireflies were just coming out. We had always talked about catching them in jars. Neither of us had ever tried it and we wondered what people saw when they closed the lid, blocking the freedom of something beautiful. Destiny was the first to speak. " What are you thinking about? "
" Life. " I snorted. What was life?

To me life was meaningless. I often referred to a quote from Bleach. I was an anime freak and proud of it.
There is no meaning to our world.
There is no meaning to those of us living there.
We meaningless beings ponder the world,
Though the realization of meaninglessness
itself means nothing.

" What part of life? "
" There is no part to life. " I muttered. My dad looked over and I looked down, suddenly interested in the cheese on my pizza and how it stretched.
" Destiny, are you only staying, tonight? " My parents loved it when I had friends over, they liked Destiny better than Whitney. Though, this made sense; Whitney was a klepto.
" I'm not sure. Paige said she'd call tomorrow and see if we could go to Watson's Mill, is it okay if Marissa comes with us? "
" Of course, she can go. "
I had so much freedom. I was allowed to do what I wanted as long as I was with them.

We stood at the sink and did our dishes. My parents were the kind of parents, ' if you dirtited it, or if its in the sink when you get there, wash it. '
" What do you think of Connor? " She asked. I was lost in thought and almost dropped my dish.
" What? "
" Connor? What do you thik of him? "
" As what? "
" As Connor? "
There was no way to ask, no word to describe the kid.
" He's kind of stupid, but I guess he's alright. Why? "
" Because I think I like him. "
" That's nice. " I was happy for her, but boys really weren't my thing. I wasn't a lesbian, but boys got on my nerves, and that explains why most of my friends were guys.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:48 pm

They were still talking when we got back in the room. Idiots. Finally, we just hung up, tired of their crap. Destiny and I loved a lot of the same things. We liked the same music, tv shows, with a few exceptions. I had a DVD set of The Lucy Show. We watched it, all the time. Everytime she came over. Her favorite episode was Lucy Gets Caught in the Draft. Mine was The Shower. We almost wet ourselves everytime, from laughing. Always the same, mimicking the scens and doubleing over on the floor laughing. I missed those times. Destiny always comforted me when I needed it and my life was soiled, so I needed it.

A few days before Valentines Day my boyfriend had broken up with me. I cut my wrists and my arms all up. I continued at school. Destiny came over on Valentines Day and brought me a box of candy hearts. I cried and she stayed the night with me. I started smoking again, that night. We shared a big box of candy my grandmother had sent and dies laughing while watching Cheaper By the Dozen. I would never forget that night, four months ago.

Sleep that night came at about midnight. I gave her my bed because we had tried sleeping in it together too many times and barely succeeded in not killing each other. I took the floor in my bra and jeans. I didn't mind, I slept on the floor when my back was giving me problems. I woke up the next morning and found an annoying bird outside my window. I threw an apple core at him and stood up, stretching. My back popped and I turned finding Destiny still asleep. I ran the brush through my hair and got dressed. Torn black crossbone stalkings, a denim mini skirt and a tight black top. My normal wardrobe. I walked out into the kitchen and got a bowl of ceral.
" Dee up? " My mom asked. It was seven thirty.
" No, and I don't want to wake her. "
" Are you going swimming? "
" I don't know mom. " I was getting annoyed.
" Don't be crabiss. "
I rolled my eyes.

Destiny came out rubbing her eyes. " Marissa? "
" Yeah, I'm right here, darling. "
" Can you make me some peanut butter toast? "
I had made that for her once, she was expecting it to be gross, but found that she loved it.
" Sure. "

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:48 pm

The toaster popped up as I pulled the jar of Jif out of the cabinet. Destiny sat at the table, rubbing her eyes and looking out the window. I cut the pieces in two and brought her the dish.
" Aren't you going to eat any? " She took a bite and closed her eyes.
" No. " I sipped absentmindedly at my juice. I liked juice, I hated food. That's when my eating disorer took over. I had been skipping meals for years now. I found myself purging most of the time. Destiny cried everytime she came over when I would make a trip to ' go take a shower. ' All I really did was run the water, while I used the theory of the Romans.
When stuffed to the gills, push reject. The Romans had it right. Then I would step into the shower and wrap myself in a towel. Simple.

" Marissa, are you still? " She pointed to her throat. I nodded, staring at the flatscreen.
" You don't need to do that, darling. "
" Yes, I do. " I gave her a look that made her shrin back in her chair.

I washed her dish along with mine to keep myself busy. I liked the feeling of hot water, it made me feel clean, perfect.
We went back to my room and put in a movie. The Happening, we just wanted to laugh at the cheesiness. That was another movie we had watched on Valentines Day.
I loved the idea of the movie, but it sucked.

I changed into jeans and a tee and we went out into the woods. Destiny smoked in my room, many times, but I hated having to douse the room in my favorite perfume. Not to mention it made my parents suspicious.
We sat in the middle of the dirt road the construction crew had made when they tore down the trees. She lit up, I stared, I had smoked for two months and quit. " You want a drag? "
" No. " It wasn't hard for me to quit, I wasn't addicted. I snuck one the day after school let out, trying to get the feeling back of when I first started. I had felt cool and grown up. I know that was a stupid reason now that I think about it, but it was nice to let the pain go up in flames.
" How did you quit? "
" I just threw them away. "
" Just like that? " She snapped her fingers, making me laugh.
" Yup. "

" You're a good girl, Marissa. "
" No, I'm not. "
" You stopped smoking and you're pretty. "
" Its a normal thing and no I'm not. "
" Whatever, I'm not going to argue with you. "

She stood up and dropped the butt and I stepped on it. I always loved doing that for some reason. I always asked my mom when we went to the store if I could step on it to put it out. Sometimes she let me.
" Why? " She would ask me everytime.
I never had an answer for her. I guess it was because I liked how the life drained out and left a puff of smoke, like magic floating away from this hellhole.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:49 pm

I heard a buzzing noise and looked down. Destiny's phone was vibrating. " Its my mama. " She looked confused. Usually Paige called. " Hey mama. "
We started walking along the road back towards my house. The road led in a huge circle, that was how I got to the main road when I snuck out of the house at night.
" Really? That's great! " She squealed. I looked up and saw a dragonfly. I mouthed, I'll be right back. She nodded. I kicked off my surfer shoes and ran after the dragonfly. This is sort of a mental picture I had in my head. Me: Running through the woods with my hair streaming behind me, a bow set on my shoulder. Barefoot in a deerskin dress, a gem on my forehead. Gracefully, without sound. The Huntress. In reality, Me: Running through the woods with my hair streaming behind me, wearing a black graphic tee and blue jeans. Barefoot and makeup on my face. Tripping over tree roots as I went, leaves crackling under my toes.

As I rounded a corner on the path I was following. It wasn't a path in the sense, but a natural one made by animals. Narrow and twisting, navigating me into a deep part of the woods I didn't know so well. A fawn and a doe running in front of me. The sound scared me and I let out a blood boiling scream that echoed off the trees, bouncing back and deafening me.

Just then Destiny tapped my shoulder. I whirled around fists ready. Then I lowered them, embarrassed. " What are you doing? "
" Don't sneak up on people. " I accused.
" Don't you want to know what's going on? "
" Sure. "
" The charges are dropped. " She jumped up in down, hyper jerky motions.
" That's great! " I hugged her.
" We're going swimming. " We did a little victory dance in the middle of the trees. Thank God, none of our neighbors came into the woods except to hunt. I jumped onto a log and grabbed a branch, swordsman X. Destiny fell on the ground laughing. " We fight. " I mimicked Mercutio, from Romeo and Juliet. My favorite movie.
" Isn't that a line from somewhere? "
" Mercutio. "
" I don't like Mercutio, he's so arrogant. "
" That's what makes him great. " I tossed the stick, sending it flying into a tree and shattering to splinters.

The run home took less time because we had to get our swim suits on. We had time, but they lived a two minute drive or less away from me. Paige was packing sandwiches when Destiny hung up from her phone call with Brandi. I grabbed my one piece and put it on. Destiny laughed. " What? " I asked. I turned around, no stains or anything.
" Your boobs are too big. " She giggled. I looked down and sure enough my nipples wer about to come out the top. " So? " I pulled it up a little and slipped on my boxer shorts. I brushed my hair back into a ponytail while Destiny changed behind me. She had a bikini, black and white. I had a bikini, but I was too self concious. Everytime we went to the park, I ran into some guy I knew.

Dust and rocks flew as Paige gunned it and hit the brakes in front of my house. I heard the rythmic knock on the door; Brandi. She had a way of knocking. One two three, one two three.
" Hey girl! " She squealed when my mom opened the door. We scrambled around the room, throwing Destiny's stuff in her bag and getting towels.
" Mama? " Destiny called through the wall. My room was next to the living room and the walls were extremely thin. I heard footsteps on the carpet outside my room. Brandi peeked her head in and once she saw we were dressed opened the door. " How's my other daughter? " She hugged me.
" Fine. " I smiled. Brandi was a couple inches taller than me with bleach blonde hair and blue eyes.
" Marissa you look so pretty! "
I looked down at the floor and blushed. They found it funny how I got embarrassed at comments. Especially since Destiny's cousins were mostly guys and all black. Her step dad, Horice, was black.
" You ready to go? " Paige called. She was naturally loud, but she screamed anyway.

I grabbed my shoulder bad and went into the living room. " Bye mom. "
" Do I get a kiss? "
I walked over and kissed her cheek.
" Mama? Can Marissa stay the night? "
" If its okay with Melody. "
" That's fine. Better go get more clothes 'Riss. "
I jumped over the couch and went back to my room, grabbing shorts, a couple shirts, my make up bag and my pills. I grabbed my CD case too, we loved music and blasted it all the time at their house.

" I love you, Marissa. "
" Love you , too. " I muttered on my way out the door.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:49 pm

On the way to Watson't Mill I zoned out as the music blasted. We blasted Voices. As we went down the highway at seventy-five I stuck my head out the window and screamed as loud as my lungs allowed me.
" Marissa! Get you *edit your post and this will go away* back in here! " Paige screamed. Brandi and Destiny laughed. I stayed there for a minute before I submitted to the rest of the ride.

" What made you do that Destiny asked as we went through the covered bridge. I liked the bridge, but driving in it I was terrified. It was over two hundred years old and it creaked everytime you made it to the middle.
" I don't know. "
I hear voices in my head, they come to me, they understand. They talk to me.

I helped unload the van as Paige tricked the machine into thinking we paid when we really didn't. It was simple. You got the envelope, insert a piece of paper and it gives you your pass. I hadn't done this until I started coming here with Destiny and Paige. I had total freedom with them. And a set of parents that loved me even if the feeling only lasted a night or two.

We walked down the path and down the steep path. Our spot was in the middle of the water. We had to be careful when manuevering because the rocks we slippery. We had cell phones, Mp3's, cigarettes, food and other electronics. So we sloly made our way through the water to our rock where we layed out our towels and everything else. Destiny and I got in the water, doing flips and stuff. I always brought condoms so we had water balloons. More than enough times fathers with young children would stare at us and catch us making inuendos to Brandi.
I sometimes sat on the edge of a rock watching Destiny, as the lube from the condoms washed off making a rainbow in the water.

" Damn Marissa, you are white. "
I looked down at my skin, pure white ivory against turquoise. I didn't tan it was impossible.

We went down to the slippery rocks where everyone slid down. I saw Caleb a boy from school. Great he saw me and waved. I sat on the rock and watched Paige slide down. Destiny and I put our feet in the deep hole. It was a hole under a miniature waterfall and it was over six feet deep. Caleb and some of his friends jumped in. They had followed us down. Paige and Destiny got in the water. " Come on Marissa! "
I was a little afraid, I had never been in this water and I didn't know what was there.
Caleb came up behind me. " The hardest part is letting go. "
He had no idea.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:43 pm

I held my breath and I jumped, from six feet up down into the water.

When I came up Paige dunked my head down, sending water into my lungs. I felt the burn and I heard the sound of violins. Call me crazy, but I know what I heard. I wasn't dead, but I heard peace and harmony. I remembered a lot in those thirty seconds I was under. I remembered when I used to be religious. I would breath the Bible. I was the girl that everyone called and Angel. I remembered trying to get my mom to come to church with me for years and she refused. I finally gave up. When I got sick and I tried to kill myself in the spring and God didn't help me, I lost some faith. How do we know the stuff n the Bible is true? It could have been a burn out looking to score some cash. God didn't write the Bible, how do we know its real?

I came up and gasped. I grabbed onto the rock, sliding down again. " Dammit. " I muttered under my breath. Caleb's brother, Cody, put his arms around my waist and pulled me out.
" Thanks. "
He nodded and walked to the ledge I had jumped from. The hardest part was letting go, but what was to let go from?

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:20 pm

I contemplated it when I heard a scream behind me. " Snake! "

Paige and Destiny screamed, scambling up the slippery rocks. I grabbed their wrist almost falling in, when Caleb grabbed my hips, pulling me back. The person that screamed was a little boy of about eight or nine. He stood frozen in the water. No one around besides us, he looked at us with pleading eyes. Caleb's cousin, Drew, was climbing up the rocks trying to get away, Paige and Destiny following, leaving me with Caleb and Cody. I looked at the little boy. I was terrified of snakes, but I couldn't just stand there. I dived under the water, when I surfaced I heard Caleb. " Are you friggin' crazy? "
I grabbed the little boy and I looked, thankfully I didn't see it so I swam back. Destiny and Paige standing on the moss above the tiny waterfall looking at me with mouths open in shock. I put him on the rock before me.

He ran away and I jumped making it before something hit me knocking me back under the water. I felt a sharp pain to the back of my head. I felt a little dizzy and saw the surface getting farther away, the light beginning to disappear.

I felt something grabbing my wrist, pulling me and then something hard and warm under my back. " Marissa? " I opened my eyes slightly.
" Ow. " I rubbed my head. Destiny stared back at me.
" Why did you do that? "
" Do what? "
" Save that kid. "
I thought about it. " I don't know, something told me I needed to. "
I thought about it and realized Paige wasn't with us.

" Paige? "
I sat up. She was standing on the rock the little boy had been on when he saw the snake.
" Paige, what the hell are you doing? "
" I'm gonna kill this mother! "
" With what? "
" I don't know! "

I looked up and saw her mom looking at us from about one hundred yards away. Destiny and I screamed, ' Snake ' to her, but the waterfall was too loud. We made serpentine motions with our arms, still nothing.
" I'll go. " I told Destiny. Her eyes were focused on Paige as she nodded.
I made my way up the rocks, slippery as hell, and almost falling on my butt a handful of times. I was almost there when I lost my footing. My foot went in a ballet postion before sliding on the rock scraping and me faceplanting into it. You want to know something? Rocks in the face... don't feel that good.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:21 pm

Just in case anyone was wondering this is what the bridge looked like here is a picture. This is the actual park, not a fake.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:21 pm

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:22 pm

" Marissa! " I wondered if this is what it was like to be drunk. I tried to sit up and slid back down in the water. Brandi was running towards me.
" You seem to be getting hurt a lot lately. "
" I have been told that I am uncoordinated a few times. " She laughed. I grabbed her arm as she took my arm and my hip.
" What were y'all screaming about? "
" Paige is trying to kill a snake. "
" What kind is it? "
" I don't know. "
" Is she trying to be a stupid hero again? "
" Yup. "

By the time we got back to the rock, all of us, Paige had given up on the snake, my foot was gushing blood. I had issues with blood, and they all knew it. The pain hurt more that I realized how many layers of skin had come off.
" Here. " Paige said to me. I turned and she offered me a cigarette, already lit. Without thinking about it I took it and sucked it down. People stared, but I didn't care. We were teenagers and smoking in a public place.

" Hey! " I saw my friend, Jaede, from school. We weren't close, but we got along. She smiled and walked down to the rocks where we were. Her brother stopped in front of us. I heard Destiny mutter under her breath. " Great. "
" What? "
" We met him the other day and he won't leave me alone. "

" Nice to see you, again. " He called coming over and sitting next to me. " Who are you? " He asked.
" Marissa. " I blew a smoke ring in his face.
He held out his hand and I shook it. " Are you going to finish that? " He asked.
I looked at him. " No. "
" Can I have it? "
I looked at Destiny and winked. I flipped it into the water. " Whoops. "

" Do you even smoke? " I asked him.
" Yeah. "
He had to be in seventh grade at least. But I had no room to talk, I had started in seventh grade. I had stopped, too. No addiction.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:11 am

So for the next thirty minutes we were trying to get that kid away from us. It wasn't working for us either.

I saw Destiny looking at me funny, messing with her bikini top. I looked at her confused. She mouthed something.
" What? " The boy was standing in front of me. Staring.
Finally, Paige, " Marissa, pull your top up, your titties are hanging out. " Leave it to Paige to say that around me, loud enough so concerned parents turned around to look at us. One dad with his five year old son looked right at me.
I continued to stare back. " Hey, Destiny? Is it still rude to stare? "
He walked away rather quickly.

" Lets go girls. " Brandi said, standing up. We put the drinks and electronics in the bag. I wrapped a towel around my waist, it hund down to the back of my knees. We walked through the knee deep water, with five bags total. I almost fell on the rocks. Even more clumsy due to my foot. We made it and then we had to go back up the steep hill.

I almost got hit by a car as it drove by, not bothering to stop when I was trying to cross the road to the parking lot. " Jerk off! " I screamed after them, getting the finger from the passenger window. I pretended to catch it and put it in my pockets. Everyone bursting out laughing.

On the ride home I was starving. I cracked open a coke and split it with Destiny and Paige. I loved the feeling of the burn of caffeine against the back of your parched throat. And it was even better on summer days. Coke had never tasted so good.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:11 am

As we pulled into Destiny's driveway her dog ran up to me, jumping almost knocking me over.
" Down Pepper. "
He knew me, I was over all the time.
We went into Destiny's room, dropping my stuff off and then going into the kitchen to get some Kool-Aid. My mom never let me drink the stuff.

We watched Wheel of Fortune, Cash Cab, Deal or No Deal. For two hours. I loved Destiny's house. They got the channels we didn't though we had all the rest of the channels. At Destiny's we watched Maury, Jerry Springer and a bunch of other great stuff. This is how I spent my summer. Well, a little less than half of it.

I had a lot of memories in this house. On school nights when I stayed over. I did my homework and we ate dinner at the table. When Destiny had our talks in the kitchen when she had to do the dishes. She had broken down and cried one night and we sat on the kitchen floor for and hour talking. I missed that. Sure, we lived on the wrong side of town, but we were a big part of it. We fit together like a patch work quilt.

Horice, called me his daughter, too. He found me interesting. When I had stayed over on school nights and we were eating breakfast the next morning, I had started to drink the milk out of the bowl. He stared at me. I put the bowl down. " Did I do something wrong? "
" I have never seen anyone do that. Not in this house and that is how its supposed to be done. "
" That's because its weird. " Destiny and Paige said.
I shrugged and drained the rest of the milk.

I also had a lot of secrets in this house. They stayed behind these doors and never opened at my house. Destiny's mom had taken me to get birth control. My parents had no idea. It was Brandi who had taught me how to use a tampon when I was twelve. I had come over after school and I needed one. I was completely clueless and she had Destiny come in the bathroom with me while she showed me how to use it. My mom found that out, but she thought it was funny.

At night we would go out on the trampoline and talk. Sometimes Paige would come out with us. Sometimes Destiny's cousins would come over. SOmetimes we had the phone with Connor and Henry. Or we were by ourselves. I was fine with that, but I would never get those summer nights back.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:36 am

That night we stayed up, watching RAW. I almost fell asleep in my chair at the table. Finally, Destiny's dad made me go to bed. I had to go to the bathroom so I went down the hall and locked the door. I heard a noise and I saw a rat run across the floor. I screamed.

" What? " Everyone ran and in about two seconds I had finished peeing, pulled up my pants and hooked my belt and was out that door.

" Destiny, can rats climb beds? " I was a little more than freaked out.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Mon Jun 07, 2010 4:20 pm

That next morning I woke up and found Destiny sleeping beside me, nothing out of the ordinary except it was still dark out and when I looked at Destiny's phone it said 3:00AM. I groaned and flopped back on the pillow. I suddenly had this sharp pain in my lower stomach. It never hurt this bad before. I started to cry waking Destiny up.

" What's wrong Marissa? "
" It hurts really bad. " I said through the tears.
" What does? "
I pointed to my pelvis area. I stuck my hand down the front of my jeans and when I brought my hand back out it was covered in blood.

We both gasped. I sat up and I felt more blood gush out.
" Destiny? Do you have a tampon or something? " I begged. I felt like I had peed myself it was that bad.
" In mama's bathroom. "
" Please. " I begged.
She nodded and went and got me some pills to make the cramps stop as well as, make me go to sleep.

When I woke up my jeans had turned red. Nice, the only pair I had with me.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Mon Jun 07, 2010 4:21 pm

I sat up in bed, it was 7:00AM. Better in ways, but it didn't help the fact that I was soaked in blood. Brandi came in and smiled. " You want to see something funny? " She asked.
I nodded. She climbed over me, with her lit cigarette and waved it in front of Destiny's nose. Destiny started grabbing for it in her sleep and we started laughing.
When she cracked her eyes open, " What's so funny? " It sent us into another fit of laughter.

Destiny loaned me a pair of shorts and Paige and Brandi stuffed some tampons in my bag. Then Brandi put more in and there was like twenty of them.
" I don't need that many. " I insisted.
" Just to be safe. "

We packed our bags again. We were going swimming. Again.

Before we left, Rodrick, came over. " Sup white girl? " He gave me a high five.
" Sup black boy? " Everyone burst out laughing, Rodrick included. I was always quiet so he wasn't expecting it.
" Where yall goin'? " He asked, looking over the food and drinks before stealing my coke which I jumped on his back to get.
" Watson's Mill. "
" I'm going. "

Rodrick was a cool guy, I didn't know him that well, but he was over a lot that summer. Destiny told me he had a seizure in their kitchen a few days earlier so Brandi was protective over him, watching his every move.
" Cpme on Pepper! " Destiny screamed.
" We're bringing that dog? " Rodrick was afraid of Pepper.
When Pepper came running, Rodrick grabbed a tennis racket and ran up the road. We burst out laughing when his pants fell down and he tripped. Baggy pants aren't for everyone.

Rodrick sat in the row in front of us. I threw peanuts at him every now and then and he started yelling, thinking there was a bug on him.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Tue Jun 08, 2010 8:42 am

When we got to Watson's Mill a lot of people stared. Probably for three reasons.
1. We let Pepper run loose.
2. Four white girls and a black boy.
3. We carried everything, Rodrick carried nothing.

We made our way down the path to the hill so we could get down to the water.
" Think about how this must look. " Brandi commented. " Rodrick our pimp! " People stared, but we burst out laughing. Especially when Rodrick screamed, " Hey, Hoes! "

When we got to the water we were careful not to drop any of the bags. Rodrick went first. " Nothing to it! " But then he hit the slippery rocks. Picture a person on ice, their arms windmilling, trying to control their balance. That's what we say before Rockrick feel in the water. He came up and looked kind of peeved.
" Damn, rocks! " We tried not to laugh.

We finally got to our rock after picking up Rodrick three more times. He took his shirt off and laid it out on the rock to dry. Destiny and I took our shorts off and jumped in.
" Does the water feel good? " Rodrick asked.
" I don't know, you were in it more than us. " I said.
Brandi laughed. " BURN! "
It was cold at first, but you got used to it.

Paige stuck her foot in and drew it back. " Yall are crazy! " She crawled back up the rock and put int her earbuds.
That was how our morning started.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:08 pm

We were there for four hours. No sun tan lotion so of course I was burned. I was an albino, so it was easy. Okay, I'm not an albino, but I'm as pale as one. I don't tan what so ever. It was pointless.
" Let's go. "
Of course we didn't leave.

Rodrick tried to get in the water a few times, but her couldn't stand up straight. When he tried to get out to go to the bathroom up at the restorooms I tackled him and we went sliding down the rapids.
" Are you okay? " Brandi called.
" I'm fine! " He yelled.
" I was talking to Marissa. "

" You still have to go to the bathroom? " Paige called when he was able to pull himself up.
" Its all taken care of. " He said with a thumbs up. That took us a minute.
" Ewww! " Brandi screamed. " That boy done pissed in the water! "
A lot of people turned around.
What can I say, we like being unique.

We ran into a group of girls who were haning around our spot. We asked them why they were staring.
" How old are you? " They asked. They were looking at us in a judging way.
" Twelve. " Destiny said.
" Thirteen. "
" You don't look like it. "
They saw the cigarette in Destiny's hand and left whispering. I threw a condom after them.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Wed Jun 09, 2010 7:09 pm

We laughed as the rubber caught in her hair and swung from her curls. Rodrick screamed after her.
" Curly pube! "
I ducked underwater to keep from laughing when they turned around.

" Lets go before we burn more. " Brandi finally announced. I got up and helped pack the bags. I again, wrapped my towel around my hips and stepped into the water. Rodrick grabbed onto me and used me for balance.
" Rodrick, how old are you? "
" Twenty-two. "
" And you can't walk? "
" Nope. " He smiled.

" Pepper! " Destiny called when he ran out of the water. I left Rodrick when we made it to stable ground. Pepper stopped in front of Rodrick and shook the water off. I started laughing.
" Damn dog! You got ~beeping~ water all over me~ "

Guest

Are you going to post more? I like the Rodrick guy.

Subject: Re: Dragonflies Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:41 pm

I'm not sure, yet. Honestly I got a little bored.