Behind the display

Chapter 2

Everytime I look up into the sky, I get a constant reminder of myself.  I’m not the sky but I am a Skye with an ‘e’ in the end.  I’m not as beautiful as the sky but sometimes I compare myself with dark clouds and thundering storms, which all happens in the sky.  Each morning, as I exit our little cottage I look up and say ‘Hello sky, I’m Skye.’  My twin brother would greet me with a straight face, ‘hey Skye’ and just when I’m about to greet him back he says, ‘No, I meant that sky’ while pointing up with his long index finger and only coming down with his middle one. His name is Skyler. Mom named us after the sky, hoping that would inherit her and dad’s pure blue eyes but instead we got brown one’s. The first few months of our birth gave mom and dad false hope, as all babies are born with blue eyes but mom said whether we had brown eyes or pink eyes she loves us just as much.  Dad says that one day our children will have blue eyes and we should swap our names with theirs, which makes me and Skyler just roll our eyes.

“Remember we are having dinner at Aunt Rose tonight.” Mom speaks through a hurried voice as she dramatically scatters around the house.

“I have plans with Jessica.”  Skyler comments through quick crunchy bites from his bowl of cereal.

“Well, you will cancel them.” Mom threatens him with red pursed lips and raised eyebrows.

He slumps down in his chair with a defeated look on his face, making me smirk.  He is more dramatic than the queen of all drama queens in this house. Also known as mom. Her wild red curls and icy white skin makes her look like a princess from a fairytale. Unlike me who has straight brown hair and an olive skin tone.  Skyler’s features resemble mine, except that he has messy curls and his eyes have some green and yellow in them, which makes it hazel rather than brown. Dad has thick dark brown hair, and an olive skin a dash darker than mine and Skyler’s.

“I’m going to Andrew’s.” Skyler says, standing from his chair.  I swallow uncomfortably hearing Andrew’s name. My lifetime crush. And also Skyler’s best friend.

“No, you’re not!” Mom exclaims, making me wonder why she’s so cranky.

“Why?” Skyler challenges, with a long and hard sigh.

“You went out enough.  This weekend I want you to stay in.”

“Why?”

“Because I said so.”  I roll my eyes at her words. A typical parent phrase.

“I don’t see what’s the problem.” Skyler lifts his shoulder.  “You’re being ridiculous.”

“If Skye can do it, then you can do it.”

“Skye doesn’t even have any friends to go to in the first place.” he throws his hands in the air and I know that he’s going to be mad at me for a very long time.  Even though I didn’t even do anything.  Having the most popular boy in school as your twin brother is hard.  Not having any social skills is hard.  Being shy is hard. I wasn't blessed with a golden tongue like him.

“Don’t blame it on Skye.”

He gives me a snarly look and march towards his room.

“That kid.” she says as her nostrils flare.

I shake my head and look down, knowing it’ll be in her favour.

“Where’s dad?” I ask trying to let her mind run elsewhere and make her cool off.

“He went to go see a work colleague.” she says, folding some napkins on the kitchen counter. I leave the table and stand next to her, trying to see if I can help her but it seems like she wants to be alone so I stroll towards my room and crash onto my fluffy single bed.  Single. Single could replace my name.  I’ve been single for so long.  Actually I’ve been single my whole life.  

I let out a steamy breath as I think about Andrew.  His beautiful dimpled smile and honey coloured hair, always so soft and smooth and the way he's always sweet and nice to me.  He is tall and lean built.  Not too bulky, just perfect.  His musky smell.  I literally want to melt into him each time he’s near me.  But I know he only likes me as a friend.  A sister even, given how long we’ve known each other.

“Hey Bobo.” I call, hearing our big black greatdane’s lumpy paws stepping on the tiles.  “Come here.”  She obeys my words and comes standing next to my bed with a wagging tail.  I pat on my bed for her to excitedly jump on.

“That’s my good girl.” I rub her back before I push her in next to me.  I wrap my arms around her, hugging her tightly against my chest

“Oh, I love you.” I say in a high pitched voice. I throw my leg over her warm body and nestle myself comfortably next to her.

“You’re so cute.”

“You’re the best dog ever.”

“I want to hold you forever.”

I jerk my head when I hear a chuckle outside my open door.  Oh no, it’s Andrew.  I throw my leg off of Bobo and pull myself in a sitting position making Bobo lose her balance and almost fall from my bed in weird jerking movements.

“Bobo!” I yell, saving her fall with a tight grip around her body.

Andrew’s chuckle turns into a full blown laugh and it feels as if my face is being splashed with red paint.  Bobo jumps back on the bed and lightly licks my hand, as if to say that she’s okay.

With a toothy grin on his face and a shake in his head he walks off before he takes a step back  

and glance around my room.

“Nice.”

I purse my lips in a smile and let my eyes wander around my newly decorated room.  I covered the usual peach painted walls with light green and posters of the band Linkin Park.  I changed my old pink bed covers to white one’s, decorated with tropical floral prints

I mentally facepalm myself as Andrew disappears from my sight.  He’s probably thinking I’m a walking embarrassment. Or maybe I’m overthinking this.  For me it’ll be cute to stumble upon someone who’s loving and cuddling their pet.

“Come!” mom pokes her head through my door, having the expression of uneasiness on her face.

“Where?” I ask, knitting my eyebrows together.

“We’re going to get you a nice dress.”  

I jerk my head backwards in surprise, “A dress?”  My closet consists of jeans and oversized T-shirts and I prefer it that way.  I don’t think I have ever worn a dress in my entire life.

“Please don’t be so difficult like your brother now.” she sighs and puts her hands on her face and I can see her contemplating with herself. “We are in some deep waters, Skye.  We have to make a good impression at Aunt Rose tonight.”

Deep waters?  What does deep water have to do with a dress?  I let it slide, biting away my burning questions.

“So get dressed.” she eyes me up and down with judgy eyes before she marches out of the room.  I look down at my favourite dinosaur pajamas and shrug.  Mom thinks it’s meant for little kids and always gives me a look of disgust whenever I wear it.

I close my bedroom door and strip from this so called faulty pajamas into black jeans and a nirvana T-shirt, with my white converse shoes.  I comb my hair into a high ponytail before I escape my room, almost bumping into Skyler and Andrew.

“What’s up with mom?” Skyler asks with a freaked out face. I lift my shoulders and follow them towards the car where mom is waiting.  We ride all the way to the mall in complete silence, with only Andrew and Skyler making some small talk. 

When the car stops and we all climb out Skyler looks at me with big eyes.

“Skye, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Come kids.” Mom calls with a rushing voice making Skyler look down, as if to say that he’ll tell me later. We follow mom and Andrew in the hot burning sun and as soon as the glass doors of the mall opens, mom goes into the first clothing shop, keeping to herself.  We follow her with confused and dumbfounded expressions.

“Skye, try this on.” mom pushes a baby blue dress in my chest, her attention on the rags.  I slump my shoulders, really not feeling in the mood to try on dresses.

“This too.” she puts another peach dress in my hands.  

I turn and look at Skyler who looks blankly ahead of him.  Something is definitely bothering him.

I bite my lips and walk towards the dressing room in dread.  Is mom going to force Skyler to wear some fancy clothes as well.  Why is it such a big issue?  Aunt Rose is a lovely woman.  She wouldn’t care if we wore rags to her house.

“Mom?” I call, hearing footsteps outside my cubicle.

“Yes.”

“Mom, this dress is too short.”  I tug at the baby blue dress, that’s wrapped around me like a second skin.

“Let me see.” mom urges and with hesitation  I show her and she covers her red stained lips and raises her eyebrows.

“This is the one.” she says adjusting the dress.

I shake my head, “Absolutely not.”

She gives me a stern look, “Definitely.”

“No mom.” I whine, but she takes hold of my hand and drags me out of the fitting room.

“Skyler. This is the one right?”

“Yeah it looks nice.”

I can’t help but steal a quick glance at Andrew who’s busying himself on a shelf with sunglasses. I quickly turn before he can see me.

“Fine.”  I mutter, being thankful that I don't have to try on the other dresses.

When it’s time to pay, I know the dress is a bit pricey, but when Skyler offers to pay , it makes our heads turn.  Mom doesn’t say anything and seems that her mind is another place and Andrew is talking to some school friends. I take the opportunity to talk to Skyler.

“Hey. What did you want to talk about?”

He suspiciously looks around before he slightly pulls open his jean pocket.  I lift my eyebrows when I see stacked money, fitting perfectly in his pocket.  Money that can’t just be owned by him, without getting any more.  Not that I know of.

“How?”

He swallows, “It just comes.”

“What do you mean? It just comes?”

He nods, but quickly shifts his attention on Andrew when he comes standing with us.

My mind gets knotted as I try to solve the evolving puzzle of Skyler.  How did he get the money? All through the day I’m unable to get him alone and asks him all my spamming questions.  Maybe he got it in an illegal way.  I think about it all though our busy day until we’re standing in front of Aunt Rose front door.

“My dear’s.” her smile is almost wider than her arms.  Mom is the first one to give her a hug, then dad, then Skyler and then me.

“Skye.” she doesn’t say my name in the same tone she said the other’s.  This tone is more honeyd as her eyes look me up and down and it feels as if she’s unraveling all my secrets.

“You’re so beautiful.” 

I’m assured she only says it because I put so much effort on myself.  Well mom did.  Curling my hair, spritzing expensive perfume all over my body and coloring my lips with a brightest shade of red.

The delicious smell of vanilla engulfs my nose as we step into her warm adobe.

“Please make yourself at home.  The food is still in the oven.” She looks at me and Skyler and then at mom and dad with eyes that tell us to leave them alone so we go to the so-called play room, filled with various musical instruments.  I stroll around the room waiting for Skyler to start talking but he stays silent.  My gut twists thinking about the money he has shown me.   I shut my eyes, briefly, hoping that he would say something.

“Skyler?” I say in a questionly manner, urging him to speak.

“Why are we here and why.”  he gestures at my dress.

Mom said they were in deep water, but I don’t know for what reason.  I also don’t know for what reason I had to dress up like this.  So I lift my shoulders.

“It doesn’t make sense and mom is acting so weird- like something is eating at her and she’s trying to get her mind off it, by doing stuff we can’t even afford.”

I sit on the piano stool, “What do you mean?”

“I heard her and dad talking,” he clears his throat.  “Dad lost his job.”

I whirl around in the chair, “Really?”

My stomach churns when he nods.  If dad lost his job, it means we'll have no source of income.  Mom doesn’t work.  And me and Skyler certainly don’t work.

I open the fallboard of the piano, letting my fingers slide over the keys, wishing I’m able to actually play.

“Well where did you get all that money?”  I finally ask.  

I crane my neck at him and I can see him nervously gulping on gathered spit.  Oh, Skyler, what have you done? I touch a key on the high side of the piano when a burning sensation starts to flutter on the tip of my fingers.  I frown, eyeing them, to see them looking normal.  I touch another key and the sensation burns  through my whole hand.  It doesn’t hurt.  It just feels strange.

“It just appeared.”  Skyler starts but I’m focused on the piano and how it feels as if I desperately need to touch it with all my fingers.  So I do and a quick rigid gasp escapes my mouth when I hear the sound.  As if my fingers are doing their own thing they press on more keys and the  sound is mesmerising.  I’m playing like a professional.  I’m playing as if I’ve been playing for years and it feels as if fire is controlling each of my touches.  I feel confused.  I slightly turn my head to see Skyler with wide eyes and his mouth in a ‘o’ shape.  I’m frightening myself. But I’m also intrigued.

Soon mom, dad and aunt Rose are standing in the doorway, watching me with confused expressions.  

After several minutes I forcefully take my hands off the piano and look at them as if they’re something magical.

“I didn’t know you could play.” Aunt Rose is the first to speak.  

Everyone seems awestruck and I don’t know what to say.  I don’t even know what to think.  I pinch my arm to make sure I’m not dreaming but everything is as real as it can get.

Without warning I start to cry, unable to supress what just happened.  

We all stare at each other, mom and dad giving each other raised eyebrows and then joyes smirks.  What just happened, I don’t know and what’s to come out of it, I don’t know.  I’ll just have to wait and see.

Chapter 2

Skyler

It was 11 pm when I heard murmured voices coming from the living room.  Still in a bubble of sleepiness I forced myself out as the voices got louder.  It was mom and dad, arguing about something that I still tried to figure out.

“What are we going to do?” Mom's voice was brittle and her breathing was shaky.

“I’ll try to find a new job and in the meanwhile we can try new things.  Maybe start an online business or we find something to sell.”

“And what if it fails.  What are we going to do then?  Then we’re going to be worse then we are now.”

I heard dad sighing, sounding beat and discouraged. 

I pressed myself hard against the wall, trying to hear for more information, but when I heard the shuffling of their footsteps, I quickly ran back to my room.

If dad lost his job it means we’re in big trouble.  Dad worked as a foreman at a building company and the money he brought in was literally just enough to cover fees and put food on the table.  We’re not poor, but we’re not rich either.

If I could get a job on weekends and maybe after school I know I could help a lot.  For the time dad is looking for another job.

That night I tried hard to stop my vigorous thoughts and go back to sleep but I stayed awake the whole night.

---

“Good morning, mom.” I try to stay as cheerful as possible given my throbbing headache.  She nods at me coldly and puts a bowl of cheerios on the table where I usually sit.  I slump down on the chair, watching mom intendly.  I know whenever something has triggered her, she becomes distant and sometimes blames it on us.

“Mom.”  I say, wanting to tell her that I know and that I want to help.

She raises her eyebrows at me, making me weak in an angry emotion.  She doesn’t have to be like that when I did absolutely nothing to her.  I chuck the anger away and clear my throat when Skye waltz in, tiredness still drifting around her.  I can see mom sighing, probably because of Skye’s dinosaur pajamas that mom hates so much.  Skye is about to greet us but I can see her widening her eyes, seeing mom’s bad mood so she sits in front of me in complete silence.

“Remember we are having dinner with aunt Rose tonight.” 

I inwardly wine.  Aunt Rose has the most fake personality I have ever encountered.  And I made plans with Jessica tonight, to talk to her parents for a job as they own a local restaurant.  I already texted her.

“I have plans with Jessica.” I feel irritated towards mom.

“Well you will cancel them.”  Mom’s eyes are big and scary.

I sniff and slump down in my chair, feeling more and more remorse towards mom.  She has the ability to turn the whole vibe in the house towards a depressing and angry one.  And I’m not in the mood for that.

“I’m going to Andrew’s” and mom has a problem with that too immediately saying no.  I stand and  walk towards my room.  If I can’t go to Andrew’s, I’ll text him to come to ours.  I always tell him everything of what’s going on in our life as we have been friends since six years old.  I text Andrew and quickly change from my long John’s into my dark blue jeans.  I feel something heavy in the pockets and when I slide my fingers inside a burning sensation grows from my hand to my arm.  It felt strange, as if it came from inside and not from my pockets that I just touched.  I clench my teeth, pushing my hand further inside the pocket.

“What?”  I whisper to myself, feeling crumbled papers.  I pull it out to reveal- money that I certainly know I didn’t put in there.  My hand slides back into the back, for more money to come out.  My face creases in confusion, checking if the money is real.

“What the?”  

With shaky fingers I find more and more money coming out.  Money that would never have fitted in this pocket.  Not even two  Or three.

I pinch myself across my whole right arm, to make sure this isn’t some kind of shady dream I’m having.

How is this possible? The burning sensation in my fingers doesn’t fade and I think that it has something to do with all the money I’m collecting.  Above the dark blue covers of my bed lays hundreds of money papers, scattered untidily.  I massage my stiff neck and stroll around my room, wondering what the hell is going on.  It feels like something I can boast about, especially now that dad lost his job, but how do I explain my pockets filled with unlimited money? How do I explain something that I can’t even place in my mind.  Maybe I’m turning crazy and this is all just in my imagination. I try to unravel anything my mind is keeping secret from me but it all seems everything seems legit.

“Hey Aunty.”  I hear Andrew’s voice and I quickly gather all the money and push it under my bed.  I eye my pockets to see it still filled with money notes.

I sit on my bed and put my hands together, thinking what I should do about this situation when mom storms in with angry eyes and I know what she’s going to go off about.

“I wasn't allowed to Andrew’s so I invited him.”  I raise my shoulders and mom rolls her eyes.

Andrew enters the room for mom to stomp out.  I don’t know why mom is like this but being mean to me is really pissing me off.

“Your mom in one of her moods again.” Andrew asks, already knowing how to place our household.  

I nod and widen my eyes, emphasising how I’m currently feeling. 

“Listen Andrew,” I start but get interrupted with mom entering my room again.

I blow out a steamy sigh.

“Get dressed, we're going to the mall.”  she snarls and raises her eyebrows, as if to say she won’t take no for an answer.

Today my mom is like the devil’s spawn and it’s eating on my temper.  It feels like I’m mentally going to burst.

Andrew sniggers at me and it feels like I want to hit a wall or something.

“I swear I’m going to run away.” I say and knowing it’s just a joke my mind runs towards all the money I just made by doing nothing. I cautiously look at my bed, making sure no money is peaking out.

“Let’s go.” I say, almost bumping into Skye, when we exit my room.  

I can see the uncertainty in Skye’s face  and how she’s inwardly totally freaking out.  Maybe mom already told her that dad lost his job given that she is my mom’s favourite child. I try to keep up with Skye’s good grades and how she’s never letting our parents down.  But doing sports and having a very busy social life is hard.  It’s hard to be Skye’s brother, as mom and dad don’t worry about sports and that’s all where I’m able to achieve it.  It’s hard to not care what anybody thinks of you, like Skye does.  She’s living her own life and being herself in it.  Something that I’d wish to be.

“We have soccer tryouts next week.” Andrew starts ro talk in the car and even though soccer is one of my main sports, I don’t feel like thinking about it but I try to sound interested and chat somewhat back.

When we stop at the mall I try to talk to Skye and tell her what’s happening but I keep getting interrupted.  I frown when mom rushes into a shop and throws dresses at Skye.  Skye isn’t even a dress person.  I feel sorrow towards her when I see her lips quivering as she bewilderedly walks inside the dressing room.  She comes out, wearing a tight blue dress and I can see Andrew stealing quick glances at her.  I sniff knowing Andrew has been having a lifetime crush on Skye.  I never mention it, because I know we have a bro code, which just wouldn’t sit right if he even told me he liked my sister.  

When me and Skye finally find ourselves somewhat away from people, I show her my loaded pocket. 

“How?” she asks, concern lacing her voice.

“It just comes.”

“What do you mean? It just comes?”

I almost feel dumb saying that it. Who’s going to believe me anyway.  I regret that I just told her and feel thankful when Andrew invades our space.  Maybe I should tell Andrew and we can try and figure out a way to solve this mystery.  

My mind races like a car in a circle's race track.  Over and over again I don’t know what to do and after a while I don’t even know what to think.

When we enter Aunt Rose’s house an irritating sweet smell invades my nose and it feels as if I want to puke.  Why are we even here? Aunt Rose is a try hard wannabe and I can’t see how she and mom are sisters.  Well sometimes I do. I sigh and follow Skye towards the music room, feeling at ease to be out of Aunt Rose and our parents' sight.  

I can see Skye wanting me to start speaking to her, but I can see her nervous just as I am. After a few minutes a sound is being filled in the room.  Thinking that it’s Skye’s phone ringing I see her playing the piano.  Playing the piano like a pro.

When did Skye learn to play the piano?  I travel around my brain, trying to find Skye ever playing the piano or going for lessons.  Maybe she did it secretly to stun me like she does right now. When mom dad and Aunt Rose come standing in the room with wide eyes, I know that something is up.  I close my agape mouth and zoom my eyes into Skye’s face, to see her looking awestruck as well.  As if she’s not believing herself right now.  I take out my phone and start to take a video, capturing the moment to show Skye whenever she doesn’t believe what just happened.  Or anyone else.  Mom and dad look at each other with confused expressions but I can see pride behind it.  Aunt Rose is gasping but I can see jealousy in her aura.

The music suddenly stops and a surprised ‘wow’ escapes her mouth.

“Honey, where did you learn that?” Mom is the first to speak.

“I-I.” she stutters as she stares ahead.  I can’t see if she doesn’t want to say or if she just plainly can’t say.  She plays with her lips and it seems as if she wants to start crying.

“Did you guys take her for lessons?” Aunt Rose asks and I can see her wanting mom and dad to say yes but she looks defeated when mom and dad shake their heads.

“I practised at school.  On the school’s piano.” Skye says but I can immediately see her lying.  Mom and dad don't as toothy grins get plastered on their faces. 

“Wow, honey.” mom boasts.