The Halfblood Sister

Chapter 9: Elephant Shoes

After my shower, I find a nice summer dress in the closet to wear today. I know I'll be seeing Jensen afterwhile and I feel so cheerful and alive in the sun today. It's a nice 70 degrees and the farm life is thriving. All the plants are in full bloom and the smell of honeysuckle is in the air. I can hear the bees buzzing around and the lawnmower in the distance where the boys' house has been landscaping today around the living quarters.

Today was cleaning day in the houses and the girls' house was doing laundry. I am hanging the sheets out on the line to dry and feel a little rewarded with the task. This weather is gorgeous! We were setting up the dining hall later this afternoon for the supper we have as a group on Saturday nights. Once a month we have movie night and that was going to be tonight. We were watching one we had seen before but is always good, The Jungle Book. I'm sure I have seen this movie, or some form of it, at least 20 times. I still liked it and would watch it again probably if it was on.

I am a person of habits. That is a notable feature of mine. I'm predictable because of this trait and if anyone ever wanted to find me it wasn't hard to do. As if reading my mind here comes Leslie with another load out of the wash to be hung and she says " I knew I could find you here."

I turn toward her and she's glowing. Her hair has been lighter than mine since she was a toddler but it had gotten even lighter in the past couple of years. She has been wanting to dye it blonde but I have talked her out of it so far. The upkeep is brutal I've heard..Secretly, I too want to dye my hair blonde and I'm talking my own reasoning to her. I laugh inside at this thought because I know I will give in and we will end up doing it together. I think she's a little young for it still so maybe a couple years for my 18th birthday it can be a thing.

Leslie asks me if I mind sitting with my own friends this evening at the movie because she wants to sit with hers. She wants to sit beside Nate because she thinks he might like her but she has to sit with Alisha too because then it won't look so obvious. She is explaining this all to me with such detail and strategy and it is simply hilarious to me.

I am so amused at her social life and the way she is so confident amongst her peers. She loves the band and plays basketball and volleyball. She has been hunting and fishing and cleans her own fish too. The next hunt she does this fall she will learn to field dress for the first time and I could never do that stuff. I admire her so much and it's supposed to be the other way around. The older sister is supposed to be the one to look up to yet here I am looking up to her.

I tell her yes I guess I can sit with someone else if I must. I wouldn't want to embarrass her in front of Nate. "After all, this could be my future brother-in-law" I joke to her. She informs me that I am not funny and she can't wait until I get a boyfriend so she can tease me. Then she asked me a question I didn't quite know how to answer. "Why haven't you ever had a boyfriend sis?" I had never discussed this stuff with her before and didn't think she had ever noticed such details. Is she old enough for this already? Grrrr I am not looking forward to that. "I've just never met anyone I enjoy sharing my time with is all Les. Maybe that will change soon. Would you mind that?" She informs me she would absolutely not mind that because she feels way too responsible for keeping me up with the times and all that is happening on campus and she needs a break. I laugh at this and thank her for reminding me I'm a hermit.

Everything around the house has been tidied up and the laundry put away, the dining hall is set and it's time for the tables to be served. The house parents all cook and serve the children who are seated at cafeteria-style tables in the dining hall. Leslie is with Nate and Alisha and what looks like a couple of their friends and Tabby and I are sitting here with the other girls that reside in our particular house. We all actually get along quite well and are friendly regardless of our living situation. I see Jensen two tables over and he is sitting facing me so that we can see each other quite clearly across the distance and my heart races.