Kylie’s Point Of View
As I walk home from school on August 31st I think of my grandfather. How he used to come spend holidays with my parents and me, how he took care of me when my parent vanished, how much I loved him.
There are two ways to look at today, the day before my birthday, or the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. I personally choose to look at it as the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. It’s been twelve years.
There is also something wrong with me on this day. I get upset over the slightest things and I yell at people when they haven’t really done anything wrong.
You see I’m on the volleyball team and for some reason I never can handle doing much of anything in practice. I always wish I could just stay home and not have to worry about anything, but I can’t. So, when I go to practice I don’t push myself and everyone can tell, the problem is, I can’t tell them why I’m not trying, I don’t trust them.
Even if I could tell them they would think its stupid and say I just need to grow up and get over it, but how can you get over death?
Today is no different from the rest of the August 31st’s since his death; I went to school, followed the motions and went to practice. I didn’t try and I didn’t listen.
I left as soon as practice was over not wanting to hear the complaints from my teammates. Not bothering to shower, just grabbing my bag from the locker room and running out of the school.
For reasons I can never figure out, I chose to walk to school today, which is why as I walked home I had the time to think about my grandfather.
As I neared my house I saw the moving truck across the street, in the truck I saw a teenage boy and James, my foster father, unloading a couch as Janet, my foster mother, and teenage girl unloaded some boxes.
Janet looked up from where she was and saw me walking towards the house and waved me over to her.
“Kylie, sweetie, come meet the new neighbors!” Janet shouted from the truck, putting the box down and jumping down from the back of the truck.
I walked over and met up with her in the front yard when a little girl came running from the front door and a woman chasing after her.
“Julie! Come back here right now!” The woman said sternly has she ran after her.
The little girl ignored her and continued running towards the teen age boy carrying the couch. As she ran passed Janet and me we reached out to grab her missing and letting her continue on her way.
“Marc! Watch out!” The teenage girl shouted dropping the box and jumping out of the truck.
The teenage boy, who I assumed was Marc, put his side of the couch down just as James started to do the same and turned around and caught the little girl as she jumped into his arms.
“Whoa, what’s up Julie?” The boy asked her when she settled down in his arms.
“Mommy said I can’t help and that I have to stay inside, so she can help, but I don’t wanna. I wanna be a big girl and help.” The little girl explained in one large breath.
“But, Julie, don’t you want to go explore the new house? I bet there’s a secret passage way in there that’s just waiting to be found.” The boy said putting the little girl down.
“Really?” She asked.
“Yep.” The boy said.
“Ok.” The little girl said running back into the house.
“Thank you, Marc. I just didn’t know what to say to get her to stay in the house.” The woman said walking towards everyone.
“It’s fine.” He said turning back to the couch, ready to get back to work.
“Wait, Marc I want you to meet someone.” Janet said putting her arm around my shoulders and pulling me forward towards everyone with her. “This is Kylie. Kylie this is Marc, and his twin sister Emily, and their mother Kathryn Carter. Oh and that little girl was Julie.”
“Hi.” I said to everyone.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Mrs. Carter said coming forward and shaking my hand. I just nodded and stood there.
“Why don’t you come unload boxes and help around here?” Janet said turning to look at me.
“I’m going to go shower and get some food first, then I’ll come help.” I replied.
“Why, you’re just going to get all sweaty and then have to shower before dinner again?” Janet asked looking at me confused.
“Please, just let… can I go get a shower? I… I need a break.” I said closing my eyes for a second trying to hold the tears I felt back.
“Why?” James asked from behind us.
“Please.” I said my voice quivering.
“Its fine, we should probably stop now anyway, it’s almost 6:30 and we should go get dinner.” Mrs. Carter said from behind Janet, seeing my watery eye, and hearing my quivering voice.
“Ok, why don’t you go get ready for dinner than, we’ll leave for Ruby Tuesdays as soon as you’re ready.” Janet said looking at me carefully.
“Thank you.” I said turning around and walking back to our house.
I walked into the house and went straight to my room dropping my book bag by my bedroom door and walking to my bed to drop my duffle bag for volleyball on it. I flopped onto my bed and lied there, trying to calm down.
All I wanted to do was lie here for the rest of the day and cry, but I couldn’t. I needed to get myself together and lie to everyone about how I was really feeling, James and Janet wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t.
I got up from my bed and grabbed all the dirty clothes from my duffle and put them in the dirty clothes hamper in my bathroom. Before I walked out of the bathroom I turned on the water do it could warm up while I went back to my room and got my towel so I could shower.
It to me a total of thirty minutes to take a shower, towel dry my hair, and get dressed in a long sleeve form-fitting blue shirt, and a pair of dark skinny jeans before I was ready to go. All I needed was to but on my black converses, grab my phone and iPod and I would be completely ready to go.
I made my way down the stairs putting my wallet, phone, and iPod in my pockets and grabbing my keys from the table next to the front door as I made my way out the front door to see everyone standing around in the front yard talking.
“Oh, Kylie! You ready to go?” Janet asked, seeing me walk out of the house.
“Yeah.” I said taking a deep breath and walking towards them.
“Ok then, let’s get this show on the road.” James said walking over to the van we owned as I walked towards the 1967 impala my mom had owned before she went missing.
“Kylie, where are you going? We all fit in the van.” Janet asked once she saw me walking away from the van.
“I… um… I was planning on driving myself.” I said walking forward. “I wanted to make a stop.”
“Where and why?” James inquired, seeing us talk.
“Because I wanted to go by the graveyard.” I responded.
“What?” Janet asked.
“I want to go by the graveyard.” I repeated looking down at the ground.
“No, I heard you, but why?” Janet asked looking concerned.
I took a deep breath. “Because… it’s been twelve years today since the death of my grandfather and I want to go to the graveyard.” I said before a tear slipped down my cheek.
“Oh, God. I completely forgot that was today.” Janet said.
“Well I don’t see why that can’t wait till tomorrow.” James said looking at us sternly.
“James.” Janet said appalled.
“What? Tomorrow is Saturday, you’ll have all day to go to the cemetery and see your grandfather. We are going to go to dinner as a family with our new neighbors.” James said forcefully. “Now if you would like to drive that is fine, but I expect to see that car behind or in front of the van at all times.” He said pointing to my car. “Do you understand?” James asked.
“Yes.” I said turning and walking to my car.
As I walk home from school on August 31st I think of my grandfather. How he used to come spend holidays with my parents and me, how he took care of me when my parent vanished, how much I loved him.
There are two ways to look at today, the day before my birthday, or the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. I personally choose to look at it as the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. It’s been twelve years.
There is also something wrong with me on this day. I get upset over the slightest things and I yell at people when they haven’t really done anything wrong.
You see I’m on the volleyball team and for some reason I never can handle doing much of anything in practice. I always wish I could just stay home and not have to worry about anything, but I can’t. So, when I go to practice I don’t push myself and everyone can tell, the problem is, I can’t tell them why I’m not trying, I don’t trust them.
Even if I could tell them they would think its stupid and say I just need to grow up and get over it, but how can you get over death?
Today is no different from the rest of the August 31st’s since his death; I went to school, followed the motions and went to practice. I didn’t try and I didn’t listen.
I left as soon as practice was over not wanting to hear the complaints from my teammates. Not bothering to shower, just grabbing my bag from the locker room and running out of the school.
For reasons I can never figure out, I chose to walk to school today, which is why as I walked home I had the time to think about my grandfather.
As I neared my house I saw the moving truck across the street, in the truck I saw a teenage boy and James, my foster father, unloading a couch as Janet, my foster mother, and teenage girl unloaded some boxes.
Janet looked up from where she was and saw me walking towards the house and waved me over to her.
“Kylie, sweetie, come meet the new neighbors!” Janet shouted from the truck, putting the box down and jumping down from the back of the truck.
I walked over and met up with her in the front yard when a little girl came running from the front door and a woman chasing after her.
“Julie! Come back here right now!” The woman said sternly has she ran after her.
The little girl ignored her and continued running towards the teen age boy carrying the couch. As she ran passed Janet and me we reached out to grab her missing and letting her continue on her way.
“Marc! Watch out!” The teenage girl shouted dropping the box and jumping out of the truck.
The teenage boy, who I assumed was Marc, put his side of the couch down just as James started to do the same and turned around and caught the little girl as she jumped into his arms.
“Whoa, what’s up Julie?” The boy asked her when she settled down in his arms.
“Mommy said I can’t help and that I have to stay inside, so she can help, but I don’t wanna. I wanna be a big girl and help.” The little girl explained in one large breath.
“But, Julie, don’t you want to go explore the new house? I bet there’s a secret passage way in there that’s just waiting to be found.” The boy said putting the little girl down.
“Really?” She asked.
“Yep.” The boy said.
“Ok.” The little girl said running back into the house.
“Thank you, Marc. I just didn’t know what to say to get her to stay in the house.” The woman said walking towards everyone.
“It’s fine.” He said turning back to the couch, ready to get back to work.
“Wait, Marc I want you to meet someone.” Janet said putting her arm around my shoulders and pulling me forward towards everyone with her. “This is Kylie. Kylie this is Marc, and his twin sister Emily, and their mother Kathryn Carter. Oh and that little girl was Julie.”
“Hi.” I said to everyone.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” Mrs. Carter said coming forward and shaking my hand. I just nodded and stood there.
“Why don’t you come unload boxes and help around here?” Janet said turning to look at me.
“I’m going to go shower and get some food first, then I’ll come help.” I replied.
“Why, you’re just going to get all sweaty and then have to shower before dinner again?” Janet asked looking at me confused.
“Please, just let… can I go get a shower? I… I need a break.” I said closing my eyes for a second trying to hold the tears I felt back.
“Why?” James asked from behind us.
“Please.” I said my voice quivering.
“Its fine, we should probably stop now anyway, it’s almost 6:30 and we should go get dinner.” Mrs. Carter said from behind Janet, seeing my watery eye, and hearing my quivering voice.
“Ok, why don’t you go get ready for dinner than, we’ll leave for Ruby Tuesdays as soon as you’re ready.” Janet said looking at me carefully.
“Thank you.” I said turning around and walking back to our house.
I walked into the house and went straight to my room dropping my book bag by my bedroom door and walking to my bed to drop my duffle bag for volleyball on it. I flopped onto my bed and lied there, trying to calm down.
All I wanted to do was lie here for the rest of the day and cry, but I couldn’t. I needed to get myself together and lie to everyone about how I was really feeling, James and Janet wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t.
I got up from my bed and grabbed all the dirty clothes from my duffle and put them in the dirty clothes hamper in my bathroom. Before I walked out of the bathroom I turned on the water do it could warm up while I went back to my room and got my towel so I could shower.
It to me a total of thirty minutes to take a shower, towel dry my hair, and get dressed in a long sleeve form-fitting blue shirt, and a pair of dark skinny jeans before I was ready to go. All I needed was to but on my black converses, grab my phone and iPod and I would be completely ready to go.
I made my way down the stairs putting my wallet, phone, and iPod in my pockets and grabbing my keys from the table next to the front door as I made my way out the front door to see everyone standing around in the front yard talking.
“Oh, Kylie! You ready to go?” Janet asked, seeing me walk out of the house.
“Yeah.” I said taking a deep breath and walking towards them.
“Ok then, let’s get this show on the road.” James said walking over to the van we owned as I walked towards the 1967 impala my mom had owned before she went missing.
“Kylie, where are you going? We all fit in the van.” Janet asked once she saw me walking away from the van.
“I… um… I was planning on driving myself.” I said walking forward. “I wanted to make a stop.”
“Where and why?” James inquired, seeing us talk.
“Because I wanted to go by the graveyard.” I responded.
“What?” Janet asked.
“I want to go by the graveyard.” I repeated looking down at the ground.
“No, I heard you, but why?” Janet asked looking concerned.
I took a deep breath. “Because… it’s been twelve years today since the death of my grandfather and I want to go to the graveyard.” I said before a tear slipped down my cheek.
“Oh, God. I completely forgot that was today.” Janet said.
“Well I don’t see why that can’t wait till tomorrow.” James said looking at us sternly.
“James.” Janet said appalled.
“What? Tomorrow is Saturday, you’ll have all day to go to the cemetery and see your grandfather. We are going to go to dinner as a family with our new neighbors.” James said forcefully. “Now if you would like to drive that is fine, but I expect to see that car behind or in front of the van at all times.” He said pointing to my car. “Do you understand?” James asked.
“Yes.” I said turning and walking to my car.