Red-2006

∞Family Struggles∞
By: Amy Fry

▓ ONE ▓

“Miss Boldevear? Miss Boldevear…..? Are you still with us Miss Boldevear?” Snickers were scattered across the room.
“What?!” Elsie growled, raising her head. Elsie Boldevear, fifteen years old, five foot five, nice figure, brownish-black hair, aqua eyes. She loves to read anything and everything; rebellious at times but mostly sweet and gentle. Now was not one of those times. She had stayed up all night with her baby sister Sarah. Now Sarah doesn’t cry much--but she did last night due to teeth coming in. Even the quietist baby would cry then.
Also on the bus this morning, she had to endure the most horrible thing ever…..Mark Evans. The most annoying male she has ever seen! Elsie knew she would have to face him some time that day--considering she had every class with him.
She hoped that she wouldn’t have to face him on the bus but….it just wasn’t in the cards. Right when the bus pulled up, she walked over to it, got on and walked down the aisle.
She was halfway down it when a voice called out from the back of the bus,
“Hey darlin’, why don’t you come sit on your daddy’s lap, huh?” Snickers and giggles ran down the bus. Elsie, knowing who the voice belonged to, kept her head down and set her mind on finding a seat. No such luck. It seemed like everyone planned on getting the two of them together, because every seat was filled with two in a seat.
“Crap.” she said under her breath. Heaving a sigh, she walked down the aisle towards Mark.
“Can I sit here, Mark?” she asked politely.
“Sure thing darlin’. Took you long enough though.” he said grinning and moving over.
“Mark, I can’t believe you planned something so despicable.” she said under her breath.
“Whatever do you mean, princess?” he asked with mock confusion.
“You know very well what! This!” she said, looking away from him.
“Ohhhh, this…..” he said, acting like he just started to understand her.
“Well, this isn’t so despicable, is it? I haven’t touched you yet, have I? I’ve respected your space…..at least for now.” he said whispering in her ear.
She grimaced at having his breath on her and having him so near. It’s not that he’s disgusting in anyway. Actually, he’s quite attractive. It’s just that he’s always treated her horribly. She used to like him, but that was before he started being mean and nasty to her. He used to be her friend. She used to have a lot of friends. But then she started reading a lot and she turned a bit rebellious.
Actually, in her mind she hasn’t changed at all. She’s still the quiet, sensitive, gentle, sappy and romantic (even sweet) Elsie. The only difference was that she had grown defensive. If someone teased her, she would get defensive and hide inside herself.
A lot of people thought she was anti-social, but she’s not. About the time that she got defensive was about the time Mark started being mean. And then all her friends changed. They started flirting with the guys and saying sexual things to them and vise versa. Then all the girls in the school started changing. They started wearing mini-skirts (way too mini for Elsie’s taste), short-shorts that barely covered their bottoms, and too tight shirts that showed way too much. They also wore, very low cut shirts, too tight pants that showed their underwear line and thongs.
Elsie thought this was kind of pushing it. Ever since she had been a child they never had dress code, but now that they were freshman she kind of thought they needed one. Not a strict one, but a fair and firm code. Elsie, herself didn’t have to worry about that kind of stuff though because she was really conservative. She wore pants most of the time, long sleeve shirts (except for P.E. days); hardly does she ever wear shorts or skirts. She doesn’t like to show off her figure. She has a nice figure-considering she takes after her mom-- but she doesn’t like to show it. Period.
She turned towards Mark and studied him for a moment. He had dark, mahogany brown hair; blue-silverish eyes. He was about four inches taller than her, had really muscular arms, tight abs (of course she didn’t see it right now, but she did watch him during P.E.), long muscular legs, semi-big hands and a firmly set face. His face was sort of long and his jaw was kind of V-shaped. Even though she would have loved to dream about him all the way to school, a voice drew her from her thoughts.
“You were checkin’ me out, El?” Mark asked, looking at her expectantly with a smirk at the corner of his lips. She hated to admit it (even to herself) but she was and she would have loved to do it for a little longer. But no way was she going to admit it to him.
“No, I was not! I was trying to think of all things I hate about you.” she sputtered.
Mark gave her a knowing glance and then said,
“Uh-huh. So….what do you hate about me, huh?” he said, obviously knowing exactly what she was thinking. Crap! He knows I like him now! Man! He’s not gonna let me live it down now.
“Uh…,” she thought trying to think of something. Mark just looked at her with an amused twinkle in his eyes.
“your smirks. Yeah, your smirks. That’s what I hate about you. And….and…..this arrogant, stuck up, attitude of yours. You’re so mean to me. Why?” she asked looking back at him. He seemed trying not to laugh but he answered anyway.
“Hmm, now those are good accusations.” He said mockingly.
“Well, let’s see…my smirks. Well, they’re not smirks believe it or not. They’re smiles….ever heard of them darlin’? People use them when they’re happy or if someone says something that they think is funny. Remember those?” he asked with a half-serious look and tone on his face and voice.
“Yes I remember them. I still use them…..believe it or not.” she said indulgently.
“Uh, yeah, right. Okay, anyway….arrogant and stuck up. Hmmm. Why do you think that? I don’t mean to be stuck up and arrogant. Well, I’m only arrogant around my friends. If I’m arrogant around you, then I’m sorry, it’s a habit.” he replied and for a moment he seemed almost sincere, but then a flash a playfulness flickered in his eyes.
“It looks like we’ll be arriving at school in a couple of minutes. And I have the perfect thing that I’ve been meaning to have you do.” she hadn’t even noticed how close they were, but now that she did, she wanted to get as far away from Mark as she could.
“What…” she asked suspiciously. Mark reached forward, took her hand and placed it on his crotch. As much as she pulled on her hand, it wouldn’t budge with his overly huge sized hands over it.
“Give me back my hand, you pervert.” she demanded of Mark.
“Hey guys, look at this! She finally found her bold side.” Mark yelled for the whole bus to hear. Kids scrambled over kids to see. Elsie still tried pulling on her hand but it still wouldn’t budge.
Kids hooted and hollered, whistled and cat called and finally when Mark let her hand go, she fell backwards and into the aisle. She grabbed her bag and ran off the bus, right as it was parking. She ran and ran until her legs hurt and then she collapsed onto the ground right outside the basketball courts where her older brother Liam was doing his morning practices with the rest of the team.
Elsie didn’t have any friends but the guys on the basketball team, all juniors, were like older bros for her and they backed her up and treated her like their little sister too. They always teased her but Liam quickly intervened if it got too mean. He knew how his sis got over defensive when someone teased her. Even if the guys teased her, they still listened to her problems and if someone messed with her, they would give that person a talking. Elsie looked over at her brother and the thought that he wouldn’t want to help her popped in her head and she burst out crying. She wrapped her arms around her legs and put her head down.
“Hey, what’s wrong, Sweetheart?” a soft voice asked her. She looked up into the faces of her brother and the team. All the guys sat down and waited for her to tell them what happened. They had done this so many times it was like a routine. After she stopped crying she told them what happened in a very broken and teary voice. When she got to the part where she ran here and her thought that Liam wouldn’t help her, the guys all had red faces and looked as if they were ready to kill.
As much as she found this flattering, it also scared her. She knew her brother would commit murder for her; he almost had a million times over. He had almost killed Mark about ten times. Liam was the only person Mark would not mess with. He feared him.
“So…..what do you want us to do?” Liam asked. He always asked her this before he acted.
“I don’t know. I guess I wanted someone to talk to.” she said miserably.
“So….are you going to be okay?” he asked her.
“Yeah, I think I am now.” she said honestly.
“I think I’ll be okay.”
“If you need to talk to us, you just come okay?” Michael, a guy on the team asked.
“Sure thing, Mikie.” She said confidently.
And as if on cue, the bell rang for classes to start.
“I got to go you guys.” She said, even though they already knew that.
“Hey sis, I’m gonna be riding the bus home today.”
“Okay.” She loved it when her brother rode the bus because she always sat with him, to Mark’s dismay. She walked into the building and started her day.
Now in World History II, she was rudely awoken by her tyrant of a teacher, Mrs. Witherspoon. A lot of people thought she was related to Reese Witherspoon but she’s not, she constantly told her class. Mrs. Witherspoon was a seventyish year old woman with all white hair that she always keeps in a bun. She is usually nice but has a mean streak in there when she needs it. Mrs. Witherspoon, like everyone else, hated Elsie for an unknown reason. Her teacher probably hates her because she keeps falling asleep in her class. Everyone else was a mystery.
“Are you still with us, Miss Boldevear?” Mrs. Witherspoon asked again.
“Sure. If you want me to be, I am.” Elsie answered in a groggy tone.
“Mrs. Boldevear! Stand up this instant!” Mrs. Witherspoon said in a half exasperated-half angry tone.
“Sure.” Elsie said again. With intense effort (and her sighing inwardly) she stood up and leaned against her desk.
“Do not lean against your desk, young lady. It’s bad posture!” She said disapprovingly. So, Elsie stood up straight.
“Now, stay there until you can stay awake in my class. Now, what is your excuse for falling asleep in my class?” She asked with a hand on her hip.
“Well, ma’am, I was up all night with my baby sister.” Elsie said simply.
“Oh, really, and….how old is your sister right now?” she asked suspiciously.
“She’s seven months, Mrs. Witherspoon.”
“And…..why wasn’t your parents taking care of her?” she asked, again disappointed.
“Because my dad was still at work and my mom had just gotten home from work so she was tired. I had finished my homework and I offered to take care of her. Well, my dad got home at about four in the morning and he was tired so I offered to take care of her still, he agreed. So I took care of her. My mom offered to take her but she has a big sale going on today at the store, I figured she needed her rest. Thus, me not getting any sleep.” She finished off lamely.

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Man, she does look tired. I can’t believe I did that to her today. She didn’t do anything to deserve it. She didn’t ask for it or anything. Gawd! Why am I such an ass?! Then the answer popped into his head. Because I like her. But that doesn’t give you the right to be mean to her and taunt her! His head argued with him. I know! It doesn’t. And man, her brother is probably gonna hurt me. I don’t want that but I can’t say I don’t deserve it. Gawd! We both like each other but we’re too scared to tell each other.
I know she likes me. She used to a couple of years ago when we were eleven. I was so immature back then. YOU STILL ARE! His head said. I know but I saw it in her eyes today. She was checking me out and I saw pain in her eyes. Oh, why did I embarrass her four years ago? She was my best friend. What happened to her was natural. It happens to all girls at one time or another. And I ridiculed her because of it. Gawd! I am such an idiot!

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“Well, I’m going to call your mother and see if that’s the absolute truth. If it is, then you can sit back down and I’ll leave you alone for now….BUT NO MORE SLEEPING IN MY CLASS.” She said firmly.
“Okay, you do that. But I warn you, you might not get through because she’s having a sale right now at her store.”
“Fine! Then I’ll call your dad or get your brother to confirm that.” Mrs. Witherspoon said in a huffy tone and then turning on her heals. She stalked over to the phone and almost pulled it of the wall.
“What’s your phone number dear?” Mrs. Witherspoon asked sweetly.
“Uh….205-393-4923.” Elsie recited after a moment. A minute later, Mrs. Witherspoon was talking to Katherine Boldevear’s assistant.
“Uh, can you get me Mrs. Boldevear please?” the teacher asked.
“Uh, Mrs. Boldevear is busy ma’am. She’s having a major sale today and she can hardly get away. Do you want to order something because I can take your order, if you want?” Alice, the assistant replied over the speaker phone.
“Uh, no. I’m one of her daughter’s teachers and I would like to talk to her mother to confirm something.” Mrs. Witherspoon said, growing impatient.
“Oh,” Alice said in a slightly nervous tone.
“Well, she won’t really want to hear that but I’ll tell her if you insist.”
“I do.” Mrs. Witherspoon said in a baleful tone.
“Oh, well, okay. Hold on.” Alice said. A moment later, a song by Enya started playing.
“What is this?” Mrs. Witherspoon asked.
“My mom’s store. I said she had a sale. You didn’t think we sold flowers out of our home, did you?” Elsie said frankly.
“I asked for your phone number.” Witherspoon said.
“And I gave it. Did you really think anyone was going to be home?” she replied matter-of-factly.
“Oh, and I warn you, my mom doesn’t like you very much so she may be really rude to you.” Elsie added as an after thought.
The song finally shut off and a tart voice came on the line.
“What can I do for you?”
“Mrs. Boldevear, I’m Mrs. Wi—
“I know who you are, Witherspoon. What do you want?!” Mrs. Witherspoon seemed shocked for a moment but then she recovered.
“Mrs. Bold-
“Call me Kathy.”
“Well….Kathy, I wanted you to confirm something for me.” She said slowly.
“Fine, fine. Just hurry up will you? I’ve got a lot of customers that need me, ok?” The whole class turned to look at Elsie, even Mrs. Witherspoon, who was smirking most gracefully.
“Okay.” Mrs. Witherspoon said gulping.
“Well, your daughter fell asleep in my class….again. She says she was up all night with her baby sister. Can you confirm that or do I need to call your husband?” she said in a rush.
“Excuse me lady, but are you calling my daughter a liar? Because she’s not! She did stay up all night with her sister. She was very considerate of her father and me because we had things to do today. She thought of us instead of herself when it came to sleeping. Thanks to her, I’ve been able to work about ten times faster. Okay, lady?! And if you have a problem with that, then you know what?! I’ll come pick up my daughter and she can help me.
“Alright? Now do you have a problem with that, because I don’t think my daughter would. What with all that’s happening to her and that bastard of a boy Mark. I swear Mark you better shape up. Mrs. Witherspoon, I have to go but I will be there in twenty minutes to pick up my daughter. No questions asked, understand?!” Right before she hung up she murmured under her breath,
“Bitch!”
Lots of Ohhhhs went around the room that was done because of Mark and Mrs. Witherspoon.
“Elsie, your mother is a horrid woman!” her teacher said, trying to hold back tears.
“I warned you!” she said in a sing song voice. The class laughed and then looked at Mark. He looked like he was going to be sick. He wouldn’t look at her either, which was weird to her sense he could never keep his eyes off her. And as promised, Mrs. Boldevear came and picked her up. The scene that happened during it was quite funny.
Once she walked into the room in her blue, purple, and white floral dress, guys’ eyes started popping out of their heads one by one. But the only guy she had eyes for was Mark.
“Mark?” she tartly.
“Yes ma’am?” he asked wearily.
“You keep your hands off my daughter, do you understand?”
“Yes.” He said looking down.
“Yes ma’am.” She corrected.
“Yes ma’am.” He said quietly.
“Thank you. And I swear, you better keep your promise or you’ll have me to answer to.”
“And that’s not exactly a good thing sometimes.” Elsie added playfully, picking up her packed bag. Her mom looked at her and broke out in giggles.
“Don’t you know it. Come on, sweetie. We’re meeting your father for lunch at one.” She said taking her daughter’s arm lightly.
“But that’s in thirty minutes.” Elsie protested.
“Yeah? So? What’re you gonna try to do? Impress your father?”
“Mom! That’s sooooo wrong and you know it.” Elsie said disapprovingly.
“I know.” Her mother said, giggling.

*** *** *** ***

When they pulled up at Mrs. Boldevear’s shop, a bustle of people awaited her.
“Wanna’ help me work today?” she asked cheerfully.
“What do I get out of it?” she asked.
“Oh, let’s say…..a harlequin super romance or a silhouette novel.” Her mom said conspiratorially.
“Hmm….okay. But it has to have a lot of fluff.” Elsie said to her mom.
“You got it. And if we have more people to tend to then I thought then I’ll give you two romance books of your choice. Ok?” her mom said knowingly.
“Deal. Hey mom, why is it that you make me read all those Christian romances? We don’t even believe in that stuff.” Elsie said indulgently.
“Actually my dear, we do believe in some of that ‘stuff’.” Kathy said pulling over to the curb and undoing her seat belt.
“You believe that someone created all the worlds and planets and the first people right?”
“Actually mom, I believe that someone created earth but to create humans?! Nuh-uh. You and dad created Tancred, Sarah, Liam and me. Not God. Secondly, God created the Earth not ALL of the planets. It never said that.”
“Well, my dear it didn’t have to. Are you saying that magic created what’s around us?”
“No, humans created what’s around us.”
“True, but what about Adam and Eve? The first people?”
“Well that would explain how we came to be.”
“And what about the planets? Did they just magically appear?”
“I wish.”
“Yes, some people would but if you want to know, that’s as far as our faith goes.”
“Good. I don’t want to hear another thing about it.” Elsie said undoing her seat belt and getting out.
Kathy followed suit. Right when they opened the door, a crowd of people came rushing forward calling her name and carrying things in their hands to buy.
“Please everyone, form a straight line and please be patient. I have my daughter with me and she will help you find things if need be. So please form a line and we can get you and your purchases out as fast as we can.” Kathy looked around the room for a second and then said,
“We don’t want you to go though. We love having you guys here.” Cheers went up around the room and Kathy walked behind the counter and started selling the things the people held in their hands to them.
“Hey mom?” Elsie asked turning to face her mom that was about ten to fifteen feet away.
“Yeah, Honey?” her mom called from the counter, not looking up.
“Can I call Liam to tell him I won’t be on the bus this afternoon?”
“Sure, Honey. Don’t let him worry.”

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“And that’s how the French won the French War against the British.” Liam’s teacher, Mr. Cullen, concluded after about an hour or so (give or take a couple of minutes) of droning on about wars. Gawd! I hate this class. Liam thought as he stretched his legs out in front of him. Liam Boldevear. Seventeen years old, five foot ten. Very muscular and he likes to read almost anything. He doesn’t take crap from any one and he protects his three baby sibs no matter what. That’s who he is. Everyone’s worst nightmare. World Geography…..the class that is sort of like World History--but only worse. I can’t believe Mark did that to Elsie! He knows what she’s like when he gets sexual with her. She gets upset and runs to us….literally.
He was just about to curse Mark’s name some more but his phone went off. ‘Have you ever ran away, do you lock yourself in your room, with the radio turned up real loud so no one can hear you screamin’.
“Uh, Mr. Boldevear, you’re not supposed to have your cell phone on.”
“Sorry. Hang on a moment. It’s my baby sis.”
“Hello?”
“Hi Liam. I just wanted to say that I’m not riding the bus home today.”
“Why….?” He asked slowly.
“Because.” And she told him everything.
“So, I’m working for mom right now.”
“Ok.” He said. Mr. Cullen started to glower at him so he said,
“Sis, I got to go okay? Mr. C’s glaring at me right now.” Giggles spread around the room.
“Ok, I love you. Bye.” He put his cell away and looked at Mr. Cullen.
“Oh, that’s so sweet. Now keep it put away. Understand?”
“Yes sir.” Liam said.

*** *** *** ***

The day was over! And Elsie’s muscles were screaming. She had worked endlessly from 12:30 to 6:30. Six hours! That might not seem like much but if you were climbing up and down that ladder and reaching high above you, farther than you can reach, then yes you would hurt too. She also carried around boxes full of things that weighed about a hundred pounds each.
All in all, it had been a very productive day. And as promised, Kathy was going to get her daughter her two books. She earned them, Kathy thought as she went around turning off the lights of the store.
“C’mon Honey, time to go home.”
“Yes!” came a cry from the backroom. Kathy grinned knowingly, as she held the door for her slow, exhausted daughter.
When they got to the car and got in, Elsie rested her head against her headrest, hoping to get a little shut-eye before they got home. She tried to empty her mind of everything but a face she wasn’t really pleased to see popped into her mind.
Mark. Of all people it had to be Mark. But she understood why. In class today his face was sad and guilty. Well, he deserves to feel guilty. Remember what he did to you. Her head argued with her. I know but I still can’t help feeling bad. Knowing that I did that to him. What?! I didn’t do anything! Gawd! What was I thinking?! He’s the one that made me touch him. Hoping to clear all thoughts away, she laid her head back down and looked out the window.
Then a thought came to her. What if he likes me? Is it a possibility? All of a sudden she felt almost giddy. Mark might have a crush on me! Whoa now girl! Don’t get ahead of yourself. Maybe….no it couldn’t work. It might. Okay, maybe……I could tell him how I feel about him without him knowing it’s me! Hey, that might work! Yep! Elsie, you are one smart cookie. And with that, she closed her eyes and went to sleep. Now that her thoughts were in order.

Piczo