She's holding a plate with tinfoil covered on top and she sets it our table.401Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDNZVOVjwL
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"How have you been Anita?" Mom asks her.
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"Oh you know, same old. What about you Sia? You seem a little distant nowadays. Haven't been attending my saturday gatherings too... Is everything alright?" Anita chuckles.
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She's a big woman who loves wearing dark lipstick and blush. Lots of blush. Her cheeks always look like they have been heavily stained with the shade of hot pink.
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She eyes me as soon as I step into the room.
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"Well if it isn't Madison Sinclair, aren't you going to say hi to me?" Anita says in a taunting voice.
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"Hello. How have you been Anita?" I respond while pressing the palm of my hand on the table and force out a smile.
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Now you see, Anita has always been that one neighbor who loves to pick out flaws. She loves going on about how her children live in Canada and how hard it is for them to live without her. Meanwhile, I have a feeling they're grateful for finally been given space because she's always so nosy.
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To make a long story short, we don't get along well at all.
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"Oh dear! Look at how much you've shrunk! Those dark circles aren't going to fix themselves, you should really try using this homemade method to make them go away or else those boys are going to think you're a zombie." Anita laughs so loud that it even makes my mom uncomfortable. Mom tried to change the conversation when she adds, "You should fix your sleeping schedule and put some meat on your bones."
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I don't react to a thing she says and fill up a glass of water and drink it all in one go and slam it on the counter. It's a glass made of steel which doesn't break but it makes a huge ting sound.
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"I do eat all kinds of foods with given nutrients actually but the main thing is, I believe there are just some people that make me lose my appetite." I finally say.
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Anita gives me a deadly glare.
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"You've got a big mouth, young lady."
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"With all due respect, I'm pretty sure it's not as big as yours."
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I walk out of there and go into my room and close the door behind me. I can hear my mom calling out my name but I don't go. I'm not going to apologize for something I'm not sorry for. Anita has always been a harsh critique and it does not help mom with her mental health. She has alot on her plate already and doesn't need these unnecessary comments on how she and her children live their life.
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"You've got a thirteen year old diva sitting around in the house." I can hear Anita say about me.
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"I'm fourteen!" I say loud enough to let her know.
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"But thanks for the compliment."
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"What's with all the commotion in this house?" Max barges into my room bleary-eyed and I tell him to close the door which he does.
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"It's her again."
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"Big Anita?"
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"You know it." I tell him and fix his hair from the front.
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Max has fair skin and brownish green eyes. It's a unique color that no one in our family has. He looks alot like dad but his features are more softer.
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"Why does she have to come out here and complain?" He asks me and props his back on my moving chair. He also knows what kind of woman she is and he's tired of it the same way I am.
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"Just to brag how her children are in Canada and they miss her."
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"I highly doubt they miss her."
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"That's what I thought as well." I stiffle a giggle.
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"I hope she moves out of this neighborhood soon. My mom always hides the way she really feels about her coming here but I know deep inside she makes her anxious." I tell him picking on my cuticles.
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"That's not good for mom! I'm going to tell her to go away right now!" Max abruptly stands up and reaches for the door.
"Hey! Wait-" I stop him before he gets beaten up by mom and make a fool out of himself.
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"It makes me upset too and I hope she goes away to anywhere else but here, but you have to be aware of your actions. You know how mom is, she's not going to like your sudden outburst dummy."
He sighs deeply and pouts.
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Max slumps back down on the chair and swivels. I sit on the edge of my bed and pray for our house to be free of the uninvited guest.
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"Madison." I hear my mom call me after our neighbor finally leaves us alone.
I get up on my feet and take a deep breath.
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I'm definitely getting scolded right now aren't I?
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I slowly walk out of my room and mom stands by the table, arms crossed around her chest.
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"Why did you speak to her like that? She even brought us some fruit cake that she baked herself."
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"Mom I'm tried of her speaking ill of us everytime she comes here, if we don't stick our nose in her business than why does she get the right? And also I don't like fruit cake. Who puts raisins in a cake? I want to sue the person who invented this recipe." I reply.
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Mom closes her eyes and shakes her head.
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"Is Max awake yet?"
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"Yes, he's in my room."
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"Alright than you can give him this." Mom slices the fruit cake in half and puts it on a small plate.
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I nod and take it to Max. He doesn't mind the fruits which is strange because being the youngest he's supposed to act like the moody one and not me.
Well it is what it is.
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"What do you think will be the better selling stall idea? Food or games?" Meghan asks.
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We're both walking to school together and having a conversation about whether she should put up a stall on the carnival happening this Saturday. Which is only a few days away from today.
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"I mean you're good at baking, I still remember those nutella brownies you made when I came over to your house for a sleepover, they were so delicious. I would encourage the idea of going for the food option personally."
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Meghan shifts her mouth to one side and thinks about it for a moment before answering me.
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"Yeah, you're right. I would love to make brownies if that's the kind of feedback I would hear! They're really simple to make as well, there are only like twelve ingredients I used so-"
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"What?"
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"Twelve ingredients means simple to you? For brownies?" I stand still on the sidewalk and look at Meghan.
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She starts to laugh and I get confused. I ask if she's really serious and she says yes. She doesn't mind putting extra effort if its guarantee a good outcome.
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We reach our school grounds and we meet Cara.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Oh you know, same like always. By the way, did you see Nathan today? Gosh he looked soo good." Cara spins dreamily and I stop her before anyone can see her.
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I gesture Meghan to go inside class before me and she does.
"No actually... My brother woke up late today and he's the reason why I wasn't here by 7."
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"Oh Right! Well he's just getting more handsome by each day it's kind of unfair to other boys in our class." She says.
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Now most people would say that we're rivals since we both like the same guy but let me assure you that it's nothing like that at all. Our situation can resemble to fangirls who crush on celebrities. Although Nathan Brooks is just a normal guy like everyone else, he has a way of standing out in the crowd from the rest.
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Cara and I have been friends for about a year. She was a new transfer student in class. The first thing I noticed about her were beautiful, hazel green eyes. She has adorable bunny teeth and her cheeks always puff up whenever she laughs.
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"I envy how pretty your long, dark hair are. Mine just keep falling out, it's ridiculous." She says as she smoothes out my hair.
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Her hair is golden brown in color, which I think is way prettier.
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I mouth thank you and we head inside our class. I sit with my friends and we quickly go over our preparations for the presentation and quiz. Jasmine and Alyssa have already noted down more than half of the important questions while me and Meghan are struggling to keep up with them.
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I completely forgot about the history paper and now I'm writing it down from Alyssa's help.
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Ah, where would I be without them?
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