Page 2 of Curves for the Crass (Rejected 8)

I laugh so she knows she doesn’t get under my skin, even though her minor remarks about my weight kill me. She only plants a small kiss on my cheek before shooing us out the door. At least she whispered it so my brother wouldn’t hear. He takes anyone bullying me, even our mother, really hard.

Mateo runs to the car, jumps in the passenger seat, then bounces, waiting on me. I have to smile at his enthusiasm. That’s not at all what I felt on the first day of freshman year.

I was ready to go home before we even walked into the school. During the summer of eighth grade, right before going into high school, my boobs grew… and when I say grew, I mean they were mosquito bites one day and then mountains the next. The guys noticed in an embarrassing and uncomfortable way, and the girls noticed in a snide and jealous way. With my dad being in the military all my life, my family moved around a lot. So I was grateful we left that school behind halfway through my sophomore year.

Luckily, this will be the last first day of school for me. Once I graduate, I can stop having to travel and stop having to move. I just have to find where I belong, somewhere I can set down roots.

Most people have these big dreams of travel, going to college, living in big cities. Those big dreams aren’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, I want the once-a-year trips and vacations, but what I want more than anything is a family who accepts me. I want to put down roots for good. Buy land, have my own garden, watch my kids play in the front yard, cook dinner every night, the whole shebang. I know people may think I’m too young for all that, but they don’t realize I’ve already seen the world. I’ve seen the beauty, and I’ve seen the destruction. I, for one, just want… Peace.

“So, I take it you’re ready for this new school, new town, new friends?” I ask as I crank the car and slowly back out of the driveway.

“Yes, of course! I heard the soccer team at the school is one of the best in the state. I hope I make Junior Varsity,” Mateo says, tossing the soccer ball up and down. He has taken that thing everywhere since our papa put it in his hands when he was two years old.

“Bruh, I think it’s safe to say you will probably make varsity with your talent.” I wasn’t just saying that to make him feel better. He’s an amazing soccer player, one of the best I’ve ever seen. He will definitely go far.

It isn’t long before we pull into the school parking lot. I let out a deep sigh before unbuckling.

“Mercedes?” Mateo asks before I open the driver’s door and hop out.

“I know you haven’t had the best experience in school with the places we lived, but I just wanted you to know I’m here now. We are finally in the same school together. I’m going to protect you now. Make sure no one messes with you,” he tells me with a serious look. It makes me tear up how big he’s gotten and what a good heart he has. I don’t want my face to be all red and splotchy, so I try my best to suck the tears back up before looking at my big-hearted baby brother.

“Mateo, you know I’m the big sister, right? I’m the one who is supposed to protect you,” I tell him.

“Yeah, well, it seems like you’re the target more often than not while I get the glory. I hate it. I’m so sorry, Mercedes. I know you must hate me for it. I…”

I don’t let him finish.

“The last thing I could ever feel for you is hate, Mateo. You’re an amazing person. You have this natural charisma about you that just brings people in and makes them love you. I should know, that charisma made me fall in love with you the day you were brought home from the hospital. Your wrinkly face and chubby thighs. I don’t care what people think or say about me. As long as you are taken care of, that’s all that matters. I could never hate you. I love you more than anything. You’re my baby brother,” I say, trying to make him understand how far off he is from the truth.

I wasn’t lying about the day he came home from the hospital. I fell in love with him. He was like my own little baby doll come to life. I wanted to do everything for him, feed him, change his diapers. We’ve always had a close relationship, and I know it probably has a lot to do with the fact that I mostly raised him. Don’t get me wrong, my parents were there, but my dad was constantly deployed, and my mother never handled deployments well. She would withdraw if he wasn’t there, forget things, sleep late, and take one too many antidepressants. When my father was home, they were both loving and doting parents, but I was the only constant in Mateo’s life.

“I hate how you are treated sometimes, but now it’s you and me. One last year for you and a whole lot more time for me.” We chuckle at that. “Let’s run this school.”

I roll my eyes at his ever-happy attitude but get out of the car and follow him, anyway. As we walk through the halls toward our assigned lockers, I hold my head high. Mateo is in the freshman hall, but it’s only one hall over, so not too far. Before we can make it through, we are stopped.

“Woah, what do we have here? Fresh meat… and you sure have a lot of meat on you, don’t you, baby?”

…and here we go again.

Chapter Two

Canaan

That’s it. That’s all my brothers. They all found the girl perfect for them, and I’m left here being the third wheel. Well, actually, it’s more like a seventeenth wheel or something, I guess. They all got their happily ever after. Meanwhile, I am stuck here with a mom who is barely alive, just living out of one alcohol bottle after another, a home that’s falling apart, and a dad who up and left when he scored big at one of his cons.

Yeah, that last job he had lined up actually panned out. He got the house, the white picket fence, the dog. What he didn’t tell us about that plan was that we were not involved. He scored big and dropped mom and me like we were the dirt on the bottom of his nicely shined loafers. The fucker. Since then, mom has found comfort in Jack (the whiskey) and a whole list of Jacks from around the trailer park… and add Joe, Larry, and many, many more.

I sigh, trying to get my head on straight as I endure the torture of being at this damn school and make my way down the hall of obnoxious teenagers. The girls wearing the skimpiest outfits just try to get the star quarterback to notice them. The guys puffing out their chests and preening like peacocks, or just cocks in general, as the girls walk by.

I roll my eyes, already wishing I would have skipped today. I shove past a group of guys tossing a basketball back and forth in the middle of the hallway as I make my way toward the rejected lockers. I smile as I think of our spot. Everyone knows not to go near our lockers. They are full of graffiti that warns everyone off. We painted that sophomore year, and it might be a bit faded, but it still does the trick.

“Woah, what do we have here? Fresh meat… and you sure have a lot of meat on you, don’t you, baby?” I hear Trey, one of the swim team fuckers, taunt. I roll my eyes.

“Stay behind me, Mercedes.” I hear a young boy say. What the hell is going on with the fuckers in this school?

“Mercedes?” the group of assholes snickers. “Like the car? I’d love to go for a ride.”

“Just leave us alone.” I hear the young boy cut in again. I make my way over to the hallway they are crowding into. I notice they have a young guy and a girl backed into the corner and are surrounding them.

---