Life's Curveballs

Everyone likes to think that they have a pretty good handle on their life. That everything is going to be fine. When asked how things are going, the familiar words "I am fine" is often heard.

A lot of people would prefer going into things thinking the best is going to happen, like nothing would ever bring them down. It's a euphoric feeling, having nothing to worry about, to the point of it being delusional. When

And when shit hits the fan, they usually find themselves scared shitless, hoping for anyone- -someone- -to come and pull them out of the mire, whether it be someone they had beef with or someone they look down on. Just anyone.

The following morning, Kassidy took Elliot's advice and tried to ignore or at least pretend that all was well and good. She clung to what she knew, whether it was studying or going to school. But somehow the thought would creep up on her like a pouncing lion and a strange wave of melancholy coiled around her chest like a boa constrictor, making the world darker and grim. Her stepfather was a good man, larger than life. A man whose happiness was derived from the wellbeing of those he cherished. She was in near tears half the time she was at home, trying to put on the act that she doesn't. She felt the necessity to spend time with him as much as possible.

"Kass, sweetie, no matter how hard you give me those puppy dog eyes, I'm not giving you extra allowance."

"Huh? What?" she shook herself awake, lost in her dismal thoughts.

"Don't play dumb young lady," Byron wagged a knowing finger at his eldest, while Katherine cooked an extra batch of pancakes with the aid of Elliot. Kinley guzzled one plate after the other as she prepared for soccer practice that afternoon.

It was an idyllic scenario.

Picturesque.

Perfect.

But Kassidy knew the truth beneath it all.

"Your too smart for that," Byron continued, unheeding and unknowing of his stepdaughter's inner dilemma, "Kinley had been begging me for extra allowance so she can customize your car."

"Oh...yeah, that," her fork played around with the food on her plate, not having the energy to down it.

A hand suddenly fell on her shoulder. Kassidy looked up to see Elliot, with an indifferent expression on his face that could easily be mistaken as his usual nonchalance. His eyes, however, had a different light to them than usual. Emphatic was the best emotion Kassidy could feel from them.

"Got any plans in the afternoon?" he asked of her, garnering the surprised attention from everyone. Byron looked up from his newspaper. Kinley stopped her gobbling. And Katherine nearly dropped her spatula.

"What? Uhm....... Study as per my schedule. To study and...well....," Kassidy replied, distractedly.

"Do you even feel like studying?" Elliot pressed her as the rest of the family watched the strange scenario unfolding before them. It was like seeing a gazelle trying to make friends with a lion. Outright bizarre.

"I don't study whenever I feel like it. I just

do

," the older Morgan sister answered.

"Well, do you want to do anything

else

besides study?" Elliot pressed.

Kassidy was no stranger to the temptation of procrastination, but now more than ever, she didn't have the heart nor will to study.

'What was the point anyway?

' Said a voice inside of her that was growing louder with each passing day. She hated listening to the voice, because the more she listened, the more she believed its words. She needed to do something. Just anything outside of her comfort zone, "What do you have in mind?"

For a long time now, Kassidy had this quiet suspicion that her stepbrother had this underlying capacity to be an intellectual. Afterall, he was always alone with his thoughts and no one else, watching others and not doing much to stand out. She saw him with no friends or brought anyone from school to hang with. He always sets off to whatever place it was he spends time in. He had no company save for his thoughts. They were all dashed to smithereens when she invited her to his room to watch some obscure B-movie featuring excessive gore, a contrived plot and busty blondes who hadn't had the vaguest plans on wearing bras. All of them featuring some sort of cryptid or monster that was out of some conspiracy folklore from the backwoods of the Internet.

Stuck in between mind-crippling boredom and heartbreaking melancholy, Kassidy had no other alternative but sit down and expect herself to shut her brain down to get through this lazy Saturday afternoon.

Forty-five minutes into the film, she found herself tossing popcorns into her mouth as she yelled towards the ditzy blonde and the strapping jock rushing right into the monster's lair, "No, no, no! why!? Why did you go there!?"

Elliot tore another bag of chips open and dusted the crumbs off his shirt's collar, "More chips?" he offered.

"Thanks. I feel like losing a few brain cells," Kasidy offered him the bowl of popcorn in exchange for his chips.

"Why are you so into this anyway?"

"Well, you see, the monster is a completely made-up creature but the creators took inspiration in North American Native folklore along with some European influence in designing the creature. Influences like from Welsh and Gaelic lore. And most of all was how they utilize very little of it onscreen. You see it every now and then. After all it is the fear of the unknown that is the oldest of fears as stated - -,"

"Alrigth, alright! Jeez, you could go for week with barely ten syllables but when it comes to B-movies you're a broken record."

He seemed to think for a moment, "I like these kinds of movies. I know they won't win an award or anything...But I like them. The monster lore and Practical effects are my favorite aspect."

"The lore and practical effects only? Nothing else?", about Valerie Mars wondrous pair of assets bouncing about without a care in the world? Or how about semi naked beach goer who occupied the better part of the screen for a whopping fifteen-minute sequence with a gratuitous shot of her perfect glutes?"

He didn't have a tell. he looked dumb but there was something working. He just never nor a hard egg to crack.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine.....I guess."

People, as Elliot had learned, must have their own time to deal with it. he wanted to ask, but felt the moment wasn't just yet. He didn't know what to tell only to do this

"that's um.... Uh.. he sighed" He seem to want to say something but stopped. They just sat there in silence. The lazy Saturday sun hung about. They are very rarely spending time together unless their parents strong arm them or just to eat dinner. Anything else after that was on their own accord. Still, it was nice not being alone. He so clearly wanted to talk but didn't' people still functioned. They shared that one look. But the knowledge at the very least offered a small degree of comfort to know that she wasn't dealing with this alone.

"For what's it worth, thanks."

It didn't end there however.

Elliot made it a habit of himself to ask Kassidy if he wanted to hang out. He never strongarmed or annoyed her. He'd simply ask his question and leave without waiting for an answer. And Kassidy would knock on his room and they'd spend the night marathoning Elliot's monster movie collection.

After that they won't stay asleep and instead take the bike to the 24/7 convenience store and just talk. Kassidy discovered that Elliot didn't bother with people. He wasn't shy. He just preferred to be on his own.

From little jaunts to the seaside or hiking in the nearby forests, Elliot brought Kassidy along into his hobbies. Kassidy understood what it was and the meaning behind it and for that, he was grateful to Elliot's kindness. She wondered if this was what he would have wanted when his own mother had been dying?

He had no one, he was a natural recluse. An introvert int eh truest sense of the word. He may appear cold and detached but he was figured how to handle his feelings.

Before anyone realized it, whether it was their parents, Kinley or even the two of them, they had settled on a simple routine. In that few weeks alone, they were more brother and sister more than they ever were in the past couple years.

"Are you done?" Kassidy asked Elliot one time. He had just come home and was on his assigned chore for the day by vacuuming the floor.

"Yeah, I just buffed the floor with some - -"

"Not that! Your homework!"

"Oh!" he scratched his head not meeting her gaze, his face unfazed. Kassidy had long since known he was quite the expert at keeping his face neutral, "Later, later. Let me rest up for just a bit."

Kassidy later found him browsing aimlessly through YouTube. She opened up the notes he left on the table to find that he hasn't even so much as dipped the ink on the first question.

"Oh Kinley! Come here a sec........"

Ten chaotic minutes and one ankle lock later, a miffed Elliot was busily trying to solve the fourth problem to his Algebra homework before handing out the answers to a rather strict Kassidy.

"What the hell is with this penmanship? It's utter shit." Kassidy flicked through the pages, eyes scanning and doing minute computations at the solutions and problems, "Is this a 7 or a 2? I can't tell with your handwriting."

Elliot pulled right beside Kassidy and caught a whiff of strawberry shampoo in her hair, "It's 2 squared."

"Huh. Hmmm....," she was in deep thought and the suspense was aggravating on Elliot's nerves. he just wanted to go back to surfing on the web, "What? Just say it properly, you sound like an NPC."

"Not bad......honestly, I expected worse. You know you're actually a bit smart you know that?"

"Gee.... thanks for the compliment. What do you mean 'just a bit'?"

The last few weeks had been the most the two had ever agreed with one another. Odd, Kassidy thought, seeing Elliot in a new light and having this connection with him. She realized how much had she taken for granted, the simple joys of their life. Just them living one day, one moment, at a time. It was the little things really. To cherish the moments, nothing big or grandeur just as simple as talking over dinner or sharing a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. These little things, as compared to attaining wealth and fame, brought her joy quite unlike she had ever dreamed or conceived of. Her stepfather's sickness was such a wake-up call. Elliot helped Kassidy as they lived their life as they had before, as if nothing was wrong, and it was here that Kassidy learned that his stepfather drew happiness and contentment in these little things. Because he acknowledged the fact that he had precious time left to relish these experiences. He wanted to maintain this living dream for a little while longer, before the inevitable fate that awaited him in a white chlorinated room with dripping tubes and beeping machines.

Elliot helped Kassidy away from such thoughts.

The dates for Kinley and Kassidy's flight were drawn. The weeks leading up, Kassidy began to cherish time more and more. Where once she wanted to leave this town and conquer the world, the first taste of life's curveballs left ash in her mouth. It might have crushed heart her if not for Elliot's small acts of kindness that grew into something great. She learned nothing was going according to plan, not in the way she had hoped.

Time moves on, changing even now. The last couple of weeks left a bittersweet taste in her mouth as she counted the days till her old wish finally came true. As Kassidy and Kinley boarded their flight, the older sister was filled hope and strength she hadn't known, more at peace.

However, even with this newfound wisdom, she failed to anticipate what Elliot actually felt, the layers hidden beneath. But as with the unexpectant nature of life, people react differently and though Elliot may seem composed to Kassidy's eye. The mask we wear as we say the words "I am fine", when otherwise, we are not. When others see the ones they draw strength from, thinking nothing would bring them down as life hammers down on them.

Everything was going to be fine, she thought as their plane took off.