Bloods Gem by Gloria Conway Page A

district. I’d never seen a downtown so small. There
was a little bookstore on the corner, mom shrieked.
    We loved bookstores and little ones were
special. You could usually find first editions, often signed. We
parked along the main street, and walked along the brick walk,
making our way from one end to the other.
    The third store we visited was actually a
furniture store. They had new and used furniture, cheap. Mom picked
out a sofa set that came with this huge reading chair. I drooled.
We picked out a few beds that the store would deliver to us later
that day.
     
    Back home, we unloaded furniture.
Exhausted by the time we finished, I flopped into the reading chair
and closed my eyes, drifting to sleep. I woke in a dark room, with
glowing eyes around me. I wasn’t scared. Smiling, as if I knew
them. Growls like echoes sounded in the distance, moved closer and
surrounded me. Something tugged at my clothes, but I could not see
anything. Then I felt something biting my thigh, tearing through
it. I laughed, mocking them. Was thrown into the air like a rag doll, and all I could hear was my
laugh echoing in the room around me.
     
    I woke up to the smell of mom's cooking. She
was making dinner in the kitchen. It smelled so good; my stomach
growled at me. I pulled myself up from the chair and headed in that
direction.
    “ Fried chicken. Yummy,” I
said.
    “ Hey baby you're awake.”
    “ Yeah. I must have been
tired.”
    “ I guess so,” she said staring at
me.
    “ What?” I asked.
    “ You were laughing in your sleep,” she
said, putting a piece of chicken in the pan. I slouched over the
counter.
    “ Yeah. Weird dreams”
    After a large dinner I
decided to turn in early.
     
    Waking up early, I
stumbled into the kitchen and prepared a small breakfast. After
eating, I got ready to go enroll at my new school.
    I followed map directions
printed online. Seemed as if I drove forever. Finally found my exit
and slowly merged. I passed sever al restaurants and
fast food joints, noting that Rogers was much larger then Siloam
Springs, though too populated for my liking.
    The small community college parking lot was
crammed with cars. After finding a spot, my hands began to sweat,
followed by butterflies in my stomach. Taking a deep breath, I got
out of the truck and walked towards the main building. A few people
stood outside, smoking and chatting. I kept my head down and opened
the door.
    Inside, the smell of oranges assaulted me. I
found the door with big letters “OFFICE” I placed my hand on the
door handle taking my time. I slowly exhaled and pushed open the
door to my future.
     
    Mom was looking out the window when I pulled
up. “How’d it go Honey?” She asked as I walked in.
    “ All signed up,” I said.
    “ So what are the kids like there?” She
asked.
    “ They seem fine, but I didn’t really
like go up and start talking to them or anything.”
    She smiled. “I think you’ll be fine,” she
said hugging me. “When do you start?”
    “ Monday. Gives me time to settle in a
little.” I walked to the kitchen to find something to eat and she
followed.
    “ How did you feel when
yo u enrolled, exc ited,
scared, petrified?” She asked laughing.
    “ I felt fine mom,” I grumbled, annoyed
by the questions.
    “ Okay, I’ll leave you alone.” She
kissed my head and took the keys from the counter.
    “ I’m going out. Be back later,” She
announced.
    I grabbed a candy bar from the cupboard and
went to my room, took out my journal from my night stand next to my
bed and started writing, about my day and what I’d hoped for.
    “ Well today I survived
being around people. They seemed almost too nice though. It was
strange how they smiled and waved like they knew me for years. I
smiled back but felt embarrassed. I got enrolled. I hope I can make
some friends here, who I can feel comfortable with. Who knows…
Maybe I’ll meet a cute guy and make him my boyfriend, I would like
that. I dunno maybe not, it might