Domino's

My eyes were swollen, I struggled to open them. The air stung them as if it was smoke. They began to water, though they could also be tears; for a woman asleep in a chair. She was pale, her eyes dark. I tried to speak though my voice was not there. Only a faint whistling sound in the back of my throat. The woman awoke, “ Katherine.” “Mom.” I said faintly. “ I'm so glad your okay, I'm so sorry honey.” I began to remember.

I started unpacking, surrounded by four white walls, with almost a yellow tint to it, I study it. Trying to forget the memory before the hospital. But there's a bond that sisters share that seems to never go away. As I pick up a box, a photo album falls open as it hits the floor. The picture is of two blondes, both with suttle waves of hair shinning gold in the sun, behind them high above the beach of clear blue water and white sand. Their smiles reflected a feeling I hadn't felt in months. The girls in the photo were almost identical, but one had big bright eyes, with so many colours when you looked into them you felt a sudden calm fall over you. You trusted those eyes. The other had the kind of face a model would, with high, defined cheekbones. I stared at it only for a moment before I kicked it under my bed.

“ Dinner's ready” a faint voice calls. No one dreaded dinner more than me, the silence let me think; I did not want to think. I wanted to pretend nothing had ever happened. As I turned to the mirror across from my door I caught a glimpse of myself, I looked at my cheekbones. Everyone complimented me on my face, But all I ever wanted was my sisters eyes.

The dinner table was silent as usual, my mother across from me, staring with a worried look in her eyes; like she always had since that night at the hospital. I just sat there, jabbing my fork into my plate of over-cooked chicken. I did not dare look up at her, I just kept my head down. Seeing her worried stare didn't help my “pissed off at the world” attitude.

“I really do think we should go shopping tomorrow. You know...for school supplies.” I said nothing, still jabbing at my chicken. “ I mean, it's a new school, a fresh start, we should really go shopping.” I finally got the nerve to look up at her, making sure my face expressed my anger towards her. With out saying a word I arose from my chair and went straight to my room closing the door quietly, not giving her the satisfaction of a hissy fit.

I couldn't believe we had moved, “what was it that gave her the right to take me away from my life? How dare she do such a thing, moving to a place where nothing felt like home”. No comfort what so ever. That was not fair not to me or my sister. I tried not to let my eyes meet the floor when the album lay as I assumed the fetel position on the end of my bed. It was not that I didn't want to see the pictures. It was the pain I felt that kept my eyes from the album.. I got up pacing my new bare room. “Why me? I didn't want this. It felt like someone had ripped out my heart, it made me feel sick to my stomach when I thought of it. I started to get dizzy and laid back down on my bed. It felt unusual. But lately this was usual for me. I would sit here for hours, not even getting around to unpacking. Unfortunately school started Monday, I was never that great at socializing, my sister Emily on the other hand was great at it. Nothing ever bothered her. She could go up to anyone, such confidence. I could never do that. Monday was not a day I was looking forward to. I looked at my calendar, It was Saturday night. I was not ready for my first day.

Sunday morning was blur of movies that I didn't know the names of. The kind of movies that play over and over on the television every couple weeks. My mother should never let me watching t.v., or read books, or better yet go to school where I would be surrounded be teenager on the prowl to damage someone else's property. I have always been a very impressionable person. So i wasn't surprising myself when I decided to dye my hair the same colour as one of the girls from the movies. I felt I could relate to her best, I understood her. Or her character at least.

Emily new this about me, as the older sister she felt responsible to make sure I didn't do anything stupid. I knew she wouldn't agree with this. But she wasn't here to stop me. Why shouldn't I do it? I had decided to. I looked around the room, I was sitting on the couch in the living room, to my right was the kitchen. I knew my mom was in there. I hadn't gone outside yet, unless I was taking out the trash. I knew she would be shocked, I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of me adjusting. I decided I would just walk out. Not say a word. I finally got up the nerve, I jumped of the couch and dashed threw the kitchen right past her, I kept going until I heard myself slam the door shut. I felt a weird rush, not from running out of the house, but from the fresh cold air outside. Everything looked strange, and I wasn't used to this kind of cold, It was a wet-cold. But it was BC, I would have to get used to it.

I only new how to get to the mall because we drove by it when we first moved to town. Though I was weary I was going in the right direction. The town seemed allot bigger now that I was walking through it. I guess it wasn't that small after all.

By the time I got home I was drenched, my mother was nowhere to be seen when I walked through the front door. I was glad. I went straight to my room to open my box of hair dye. My heart was beating wildly with excitement, Emily never let me get this far. I couldn't wait for the beating thrill my heart would under go when my mom saw my hair for the first time. I opened the box and walked into my bathroom, locking the door behind me.

It was dark. My hair at least. I mean, I was a dark blonde before but this was a dramatic change. It was dark brown, in the light it had almost a red tint to it..... I liked it. Mind you it would take some time to get used to. I couldn't help but stare at myself. I felt like a new person in some way. I liked that also.