Painful Smiles

At home during the holidays, Claudia was having a hard time moving about. She couldn’t go for summer lessons which she loved.

Even about the house. Her mother had to help her take her baths, she hated those. She wasn’t five!

After walking for long to the hospital, her black outs worsened and it seemed her mother would never forgive her for it.

Her mother was suggesting babysitters for her she needed to work at her bakery, but Claudia assured her that she need not have babysitters.

She had added that it would waste money but her mother had quickly retorted that the boy she donated blood to sent a lot of money. She was shocked. This guy was sure rich!

‘You need someone to make sure you sleep, eat and sleep right?’ her mother had said.

‘But.. that’s all they’d make me do. Sleep, eat and sleep. I can’t play with my gadgets and I can’t work out new kinks. It’s totally a bad idea, please mom’ she begged.

‘If they’ll only make you eat and sleep then that’s what you need, baby’ her mother patted her hair.

Claudia wanted to protest again but her mother placed a kiss on her forehead, it was her mom’s way of saying ‘that’s final’.

She moaned and collapsed in her bed. She’ll just have to make the babysitter uncomfortable, then they’ll leave.

She knew her body was doing badly though. She felt the tiredness before the black outs but she forced herself to function and sometimes failed.

She wondered if ‘Frenchie’ was suffering the same fate. She knew receivers were always recovering better than givers. She was glad he wasn’t feeling all this. He’d suffer so much already.

‘Mom, take a picture of me. We need to give one to the boy I donated to’ she told her mom.

Mrs. Larabee frowns and faced her, ‘He didn’t give you his. I don’t know but your dad handled it. Leave that case alone dear’.

Claudia slumped back on her bed. Would she then be cutting all connections from her Frenchie?

‘Mom, did you get a phone number? Where is the mail addressed from?’ she asked her mom again. Her mother glared at her giving the ‘l said leave that case alone’ look.

Claudia quietly obliged as she slumped back on her bed.

May the holidays go by faster. She would want to go back to school. She wasn’t actually nerdish and it would be junior year. Finally!

Junior year wasn’t half as exciting as Senior year. And that she looked forward to. Perhaps life would be much more fair to her by then. And she’ll have cool friends too.

With her daydreams Claudia finally did the one thing her mother wanted her to do always – Fall asleep.

*****

After staying few days at France, Michael realized that it was so bad after all. Except for the ‘family friends’ that mourned over his mother’s death.

He had been at the US while his mother was being buried. It was one of the things that had frustrated him, he couldn’t even give his last goodbyes. His father had a flimsy excuse to back up his claim.

Michael had earlier thought that the gang that assassinated his mother, while looking for him, was at France but since they’re here. He didn’t know anymore.

He wasn’t as restricted as he used to be at the US and roamed more freely. So far he made seven friends!

That was the total of how many people he knew at US. But now he had kids like him as friends all seven. He tried taking his Clara’s advice on holding on to life. And opening up to new people.

Dennis, Tom, Bennie and Jennie, Wendy, Lara and Jotham. Five boys, two girls. He hadn’t actually made friends with the girls, they made friends with him.

Wendy had even called him ‘cute’. He had replied with ‘thanks’ and a shrug.

Personally, he loved Tom and Dennis. They’re best friends to each other and were really good at playing football.

He never got the chance to play those. Jotham was a video game addict and was two years older.

The twin Bennie and Jennie were actually distant relations that stayed in France. They were second cousins to his mom so he was somehow related to them.

Lara and Wendy were neighborhood friends like Tom and Dennis and together, they would be keeping him company all summer. It felt good actually to know he had something to look forward to every morning he wakes.

A football, a video game or a dare challenge. His life was more exciting. He was having a taste of a normal life.

Well, soon, the holidays came slowly to an end. His twin cousins had to move to their own part of the country. Wendy and Lara were boarders. While Jotham only came for the holidays at his cousins.

Michael was left with only Dennis and Tom. And like Michael, Tom’s parents were overly protective of him. He had a rich and powerful family so everything was a danger.

It so happened that Tom’s dad was once a manager of The Bleu Cristal before leaving to open his own company. Gladly, it didn’t spoil his relationship with his former boss.

Also, at age 11, Tom had begun helpimg in the family business.

Michael felt disgusted by anything pertaining to the Bleu Cristal, he just wanted to live normally. Make friends, and hang out with Clara when he wanted.

‘You cant live normally when you are an heir to a multi-million company!’ Tom told him. ‘You can’t even live anything close to normal’ he added.

Then how do people wish to be multi-millionaires, it all sounded like a punishment to Michael.

‘Well, I’d try my best to live normally’ Michael said with a low voice.

‘Yeah, because of that Clara girl, right?’ Tom smirked. A frown crept up Michael’s face. When did he bring up Clara now? Why did he even tell Tom about Clara!

‘Not that!’ he retorted. ‘I didn’t say anything about Clara did I?’.

Tom muffled in a laughter. ‘ People do good all the time, if you get a silly crush for some girl who gabe you blood then more girls would give you blood’ Tom said as a matter of fact. Michael frowned deeper. Who said anything about a crush.