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  bounces, big grin on her face... She reached into her gigantic purse and pulled out the secret arsenal she brought me.

  “Here!” she said and tossed it over to me.

  I stood there, and lifted it in front of me...

  “Umm...it's pink.” I muttered, as I lowered it and looked at her.

  She lowered her gigantic girlie mag, that she also had hiding in her black hole of a bag.

  “Yes...that is true…It is pink,” she said as she jumped up towards me. I backed up.

  “Put it on already... Stop being a whiny puss,” she said.

  “Okay. Okay,” I said with a sigh. I am not going to win this one I just know it.

  I slipped it over my head and grunted.

  “It's fitting a little tight,” I grumbled. Sara grinned at me.

  “No Rue, it's fitting, unlike everything you buy,” she said as she lowered her eyes.

  I kept tugging at it, wondering what the hell and said, “Noooo Sara, I dress comfortable.”

  “OHhhhhh yea... OMG...! You look so pretty!”

  She spun me around to look in the mirror. Wow…I do have boobs, I thought.

  On cue, Sara squealed, “BOOBIES!”

  I looked down, half blushing...

  She grabbed my hand and said, “Lets goooo hot mama!”

  I swear to god, I'm starting to feel like this is a set up.

  ******

  13

  We ran downstairs and all jumped in the car. The music was so loud; I couldn't hear the conversation going on. I looked down at my shirt and tugged on it. My boobs peeked up at me and I sighed. God, why am I going? We stopped on the street and I looked over to the right. I could almost hear music coming down the long lane leading up to the lights at the end.

  “Kai?” I said as soon as the music went dead in the car.

  “Yep,” he said, without turning around to look at me. I squinted my eyes and looked up the lane, lined with trees.

  “You didn't tell me we were coming to the Adda house?” I whispered to him.

  “You didn't ask,” Kai said.

  I looked at the back of his head. “I didn't ask...?”

  “Nope didn't ask, did you?” he said as he opened his door.

  Kai hopped out of the car, and started walking around to the other side.

  “I thought this was where Sophie Graph lives?” Sara asked, as we were both getting out of the car.

  “Well...” I started to say. Kai interrupted me and said, “Yep, this is her house.”

  “No... It isn't Kai,” I said, attempting to slap him and he dodged my hand.

  Sara just stood there looking from Kai to me.

  “Who is Adda?” Sara asked me.

  “Adda fadda fo fadda, “ Kai said, as he started to laugh.

  Sara interlocked our arms. “Okay Rue, whatcha got?” she asked me.

  “Oh Geeezus, here we go,” Kai said, as he started walking up the lane.

  “Well Sara...this is the Adda house... From what I heard Henry Adda built this house in 1810.” I looked at Sara, and her eyes were wide, like I was about to give her something wonderful. I continued on, “And well…at that time people had arranged marriages… Not like now, where we just make bad decisions on our own.”

  Sara smiled and said, “Oh Rue total romantic ain't ya!”

  I smiled back, and continued on, “So Henry Adda got matched up with Sophia Graph. She was 15 years younger then him.”

  Sara crinkled her nose and said, “EWWWE Grossness.”

  I nudged her and carried on, knowing I had her.

  “And anyway…they had nothing in common…him being 33 and her only 18.”

  Kai put his hand up to his mouth and coughed out, “Bullshit.”

  I shot him a quick look. “Whatever… Anyway…all Henry and both families wanted were babies…to seal the deal, ya know…binding one filthy rich family to the other, forever. Soooo...within a year, Sophia was pregnant.”

  Kai started humping air…and once again I missed, when I tried to hit him.

  “Soooo... anyway Sophia had twins... Etta and Sophie Belle Adda.”

  Sara looked at me, “Ahhh! Etta… that's cute,” She said as she squeezed my arm.

  I grinned.

  “Short for Henrietta... Anyway, Henry was stoked that they had two baby girls, but he really wanted a son.”

  Sara waved her hands in the air, “Oh screw that! Girls rock.”

  I rolled my eyes...continuing my urban legend.

  14

  “Okay, well anyway...like I said, he really wanted a son, so low and behold in just a few months after the girls were born, Sophia was pregnant again.”

  Kai started smacking at air and began singing, “Bunca shunca wow wow.”

  I shot him a look and continued to tell the story...

  “Anyway… Sophia was having a lot of trouble carrying this baby, and she became bedridden early on. Henry called on the most expensive doctors to come and care for her, but nothing was helping. The doctors told him that the baby and Sophia probably would not make it through the birth. Henry became so distraught; he built a chapel in the house and spent most of his time there. Over time, he started dragging Sophia along with him, to the chapel to pray...

  convinced that her lack of faith, was causing her sickness.”

  Sara looked at me and said, “What a dick!”

  “Yea I thought so too, right? Anyway, Sophia had the baby and it was a son, but it died at birth.”

  “BUZZKILL!” Kai called out.

  Sara shushed him and urged me on.

  “So after that, Sophia was never the same… She started locking herself in her room. Henry felt so much grief for the loss of their son, he ended up deciding to bury the baby, who he named Caine, in the chapel.”

  “WTF,” Sara said. I went on.

  “Yea right? Anyway...Henry called upon Sophia"s brother, Joseph, to come stay with her, not willing to help her himself. A year went by, and Sophia became pregnant again, this time she was completely healthy and had even started talking to Henry again. On the night she went into labor, Henry was away and she was having terrible pain… She drug herself down to the chapel and gave birth alone...she bled to death before her brother, Joseph, found her.”

  “O... M…G,” Sara whispered.

  “When Henry returned home, he found that his wife had died, but he had a son…

  he named him Abel.”

  “No shit Rue... OMG!” Sara said.

  Kai spun around to both of us and said, “Well Rue...get to the punch line!”

  Sara looked at me with wide eyes and said, “What... There's more?”

  I looked at Kai then to her and said, “Well... They say it wasn't Henry"s son...

  It was Joseph"s.”

  Sara made a huge sucking sound and Kai said, “Dum dum dum,” and knocked on the door.

  ******

  So again it's me -vs.-… and the door opened. There, in front of me, stood the great, great, great…well, you get it…granddaughter of Henry Adda...Sophie Elizabeth Graph. Sophie Graph was, is, and will always be, the most, well...just pretty girl, in the northern hemisphere. To top it off, my brother had noticed that, oh I don't know…probably at birth. Sophie had blonde hair with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen... And had a way about her that just wouldn't let you hate 15

  her. Sophie and I were not friends…not that she ever said that, but you know when your in school...people are herded into groups.

  She was at the center of the “we have way too much money” group. Then you had the “we got enough money…but not for vacation in the Alps” group. The rest of the school broke off into, who did what club crap, had a boyfriend, too smart, and not even close to smart and the “I think I can be in the Olympics” kids.

  I guess I fell into the smart part of the equation. Our family had money, but not a lot, so Kai and I had never fallen prey to the meanies lurking the hallways. Sara -

  my one-man cheer leading team- had foun
d me in the third grade. She just started talking one day and never stopped. I had other friends but she was the closest one I had, and that was okay. Sara is kinda what you would call a drifter in school circles...she could and would talk to anyone in any group, at any time...

  Everyone loved her, and I was always amazed that she was so easily accepted anywhere she went. But anyway...back to Sophie Graph.

  “Oh HELLO Rue!” Sophie looked at me, with a surprised look on her face.

  I opened my mouth. “Ummm... Hi Sophie.”

  I looked to Sara, who at that moment, looked like she was about to hurl.

  “You okay Sara?” Sophie asked her.

  Kai decided to make a save and said, “Oh yea she's good...ate some tacos...got the...” he reached to his stomach and made the circle motion.

  “Oh... OHHH I see.” Sophie kinda gave a little smile, and Sara snapped back into mode.

  “NOOOOOO... NO... No... I'm good...! Just fine,” Sara said and just like that, Sara swooped in and started scanning the crowd.

  Kai and I gave each other a quick look and decided to enter the party too.

  Sophie turned to my brother and held out her hand and he took it. They both turned and started to abandon me, right there. Kai took about 3 steps, and then he let go of Sophie"s hand and came back to me.

  I looked up, with what I was sure was a “DON"T LEAVE ME” look on my face. He leaned in and took my hand turning it over. He reached into his pocket and placed a tiny red box in my hand. I looked at it and then to him. He leaned up to my ear and whispered, “Happy Birthday Rue.”

  I just looked at him and he smiled and returned to her.

  I snapped out of my stupor, with Sara's famous jump hug on me.

  “Ohhhh...mmmm...lookie Rue. Boyzzzz!” She said as she looked around. I sucked in my breath.

  “Oh noooo...no. No. No,” I whispered.

  “Oh come on prude,” Sara said, as she squeezed my hand.

  She tugged on my arm, dragging me towards the lion"s den. I looked to her saying, “No really... I just need a drink…water or something.” Sara looked around the room and found her target.

  “Well let"s see... Ohhhh... Hey… HEY!” She called out.

  I looked around, to figure out who she was flagging down and was almost ready to just die, when she got his attention, and he started walking towards us.

  “Oh noooo…no. No. No. Sara stop it,” I said as I looked around in a panic.

  Sara just winked at me, and we both looked at this angel.

  16

  “Hey... Rue here is just parched… Do you think you could get her somethin…?”

  Sara said, still locked arm with me, she looked at him and smiled...

  He gave her a crooked grin and said, “Sure, I"ll save her.”

  Sara looked at me, my eyes got wide and I whispered, “YOU STAY RIGHT

  WHERE YOU ARE.”

  Sara let my arm go free.

  “Okay Dokey then... I'll be over heerrrre...” she pointed off to nowhere and slithered away.

  I looked up and he was just staring at me.

  “Hi Johnathan,” I said with a sigh.

  “Hello Rue Volley.”

  I just got caught in a stare with him, kinda held there just looking at his face. The last time I saw him he was pretty, but now…geezus...he was ridiculously pretty now. He smiled. Oh god.

  “Parched huh?” He said.

  I felt so stupid…he had to know I was just googling over him. I looked down at my hands.

  “Yea… I…umm… Do you think I could get some water or something?” I asked without looking back up at him. He shifted his weight to his other foot, running his hand through the top of his hair.

  “Yea sure…just…ummm… Here follow me,” he said.

  He reached out his hand towards mine and I pulled back a little. He just looked at me for a quick moment. He tilted his head and I saw his teeth as he smiled. His canine teeth looked a little crooked.

  “Well…yea...okay...this way,” he said as he pulled his hand back from me. I half grinned, it was fake.

  He started to walk away, and I followed.

  Johnathan Morris Graph... Okay, well...I saw Johnathan for the first time 4

  years and a...3 days ago. I wasn't your typical tweenie. While other girls were begging their parents to go to the mall. I wanted to live at the library. My mom and dad loved my infatuation with books, but Kai always thought it was weird. I was spending one of my days there, in my favorite corner chair, when I looked up and saw Sophie and her mother Elie Graph, being escorted through the library by the keeper...the strange but organized Mr. Nobel. (I like to call him the “ keeper”) He had always been the only key holder to the library…even to this day...

  Anyway where was I...? Oh yeah...

  I looked back down to my book, and kinda peeked up as they passed me by. (Didn"t want to give the creeper vibe) I spent another 10 minutes reading, and then decided to go for the free muffin and o.j. the library provided on the 2nd floor.

  As I came around the corner, I stopped dead. There in front of me was a small boy, looking up at this huge painting on the wall. I still don't know why, but I walked up beside him and started looking at the painting too. He turned to me and said, “I'm Johnathan Morris Graph.”

  I looked at him…really looked...his hair was gold, skin pale…lips slightly pink…

  and muttered, “Ummm… I'm…well… I'm Rue Volley.”

  He scanned my face and asked, “Just Rue Volley?”

  17

  “Yea…just a… Well my parents don't believe in middle names, I guess,” I said to him. He grinned.

  “Well Rue Volley… I like your name just the way it is…easier to say.”

  I looked back to him and he smiled. Oh shit... That's all it took for me.

  He turned back to the painting “This is my great, great, great…well you get it…

  grandfather, Caine Morris Graph. My parents gave me some of his name…not all.”

  We just stood there both looking at the painting, when we heard, “Johnathan Morris Graph!”

  We spun around and there, towering over us, was his mother... Elie.

  “Johnathan… You can't just wander off.” He looked at her then down to his hands. Elie then turned her gaze to me.

  “Ahhh Rue Volley.”

  I looked up at her, kinda shocked that she even knew who I was.

  “You, my dear, look a lot like Grace.”

  I just stood there. She then reached out her hand and said, “Okay Johnathan time to go.”

  Johnathan took her hand and as they were walking away from me, he looked back and gave me a crooked smile.

  I grinned. I had too.

  That was the day I started reading about his family history…kinda obsessively. Johnathan was at least 5 feet in front of me. I tried to keep up, but his stride was much bigger than mine. (He being 6'0 and me being a measly 5'4.) I followed him down a wide hallway, flanked on either side by painting after painting, broken up by floor to ceiling windows with red drapes drawn. I peeked to either side trying to get a good look at each face we passed...blurred. I just had to hurry up or he'd loose me. At the end he veered to the right and I half jogged to catch up to him.

  I stopped dead and looked around the room.

  Johnathan had flipped the lights on, and I found myself standing in the biggest kitchen I had ever seen. I scanned the room realizing it was probably bigger than my house and Johnathan looked at me. “Kinda ridiculous huh?” he said.

  I looked back at him, a little embarrassed that I must have had the “OMG” look on my face.

  “No... I... No, sorry I've just never seen a kitchen so big.”

  “Oh you don't have to be sorry...this,” and he waved his arms around. “Is just stupid.”

  “Well...don't let Kai see it or he'll never leave,” I said as I looked at the ceiling.

  He turned back to me.

  “Okay...I'll keep that in mind.”

&nbs
p; I quickly decided to find refuge, in the middle, at the huge island surrounded by tall chairs. I kinda fumbled when I tried to gracefully pop up on the chair. Once again, I showed my lack of coordination, dropping my bag in the process. I don't carry hardly anything in it, but I immediately jumped up, in hopes that my emergency tampon had not flopped out on the floor. Before I could lean 18

  down to start collecting my nothings, Johnathan had come to my aide…grabbing at the few things I had...shoveling it back into my bag.

  Without any warning I started to feel a vibration…and I thought why? I'm not concentrating on it so...there is no static in my hair to “throw” away...

  Johnathan looked up at me and said, “Ya know I never understood this.”

  I froze like a deer in headlights...oh shit…oh shit...oh shit…

  “What... Understand what?” I said.

  “This,” he said, as he handed my bag back to me, and started laughing.

  “Well, from the looks of this, you, not unlike every other girl in the world, thinks she needs a huge bag.”

  “Oh,” I said, with the greatest sense of relief. Geezus if he had seen that…well you know… I would of just died…died again…and then would of asked someone to kill me.

  “Ummm… Well…could I have something to drink? Sorry, I'm just so thirsty…my throat is like a desert.”

  He had a puzzled look on his face.

  “Yeah sure...” he said.

  Johnathan walked over to the fridge and began to rummage through it.

  “So… What"s your poison Rue?” he said.

  You, I thought…how corny.

  “Ummm… What do you have?” I asked.

  “Water, lemon mineral water, Italian soda, wine?”

  He spun around.

  “I...well… Wow about lemon whatchamacallit?” I said. He grinned.

  “Wine?” he asked.

  “Nooo…listen, water"s fine,” I said.

  “I swear I thought I heard wine,” he said, as he held the bottle in his hand.

  I looked down at my hands.

  “No, you did not,” I said. Johnathan pulled a glass out and poured some for himself, he grabbed water for me.

  “Okay...your loss birthday girl,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders.

  “Oh geezus who told you that?” I said.

  “ Well Sophie told me... Why do you think everyone's here?” he added with a laugh.