The Wrong Sister

The weather turned colder, and my comfortable life with Stacey continued. We saw Lisa again nearly two months later when the family met at their parents’ house for Hanukkah. Her other sisters, some nieces and nephews, as well as her son, were present. Noah was surprisingly handsome, although he didn’t resemble his mother much. He’d apparently inherited most of his looks from his father. To be honest, he seemed typical for someone his age—everything was a joke to him, and he thought he knew it all. He rented a house with his girlfriend and was studying international law. His girlfriend, Luella, was a veterinarian. “I hope this doesn’t seem strange to you if you’re used to celebrating Christmas,” said Marcy. “I’m Jewish too, though I honestly haven’t celebrated these kinds of things in many years,” I said. The family was surprised, including Lisa, though Stacey already knew this, of course. “That’s a long braid you’ve got there,” said Stacey’s mother. I reached behind me. “Yes, my hair grows pretty fast.” “I’ve only got a tiny fraction left on my head compared to what you’ve got.” A round of laughter erupted in the spacious living room. Most of the gifts exchanged were novelty items or household essentials, and most of mine were clothing or other necessities. People probably assumed I was still lacking in essentials, even though Stacey had spoiled me silly, dragging me from one store to another. Plus, I had my government checks. Lisa’s gift, however, was different. She got me an adult coloring book, colored pencils, and even treats for the rat. “Oh, how nice,” said Stacey. “Thank you so much, Lisa! Burkey boy and I will love it.” Everyone laughed, and I felt a touch embarrassed at my childlike glee. I tried not to let on that I liked her present more than the others, though I wasn’t so sure I succeeded. After a while, I felt bored as groups of discussions broke out that mostly didn’t include me, the new kid on the block. Later, I was emerging from the bathroom just as Lisa was passing by to get her coat from the guestroom. “Hey, you,” she said, hugging me. “You doing okay?” I nodded eagerly. “I really appreciate the gifts.” “Well, you’re quite welcome.” Then she added, “Oh, wow, look at these nails,” holding my hands in hers. “Are they yours?” “Usually, but not this time. They’re press-on nails.” “Well, aren’t you just a real feminine, Fancy Claws.” “Femenino,” I corrected with amusement. Somebody called to her, and she released my hands, turning her attention to that person. We spoke again a week later, only it was online. Me:Just thought I would say hello. How’s it going, Detective? Her:Well, how nice it is to hear from Miss Pinker Than Pink. I’m fine, thank you. And how are you and your friend? Me:We’re fine. What language did your friend settle on learning? Her:Haha, I think you mean what language she just talked about learning. Me:Maybe I’ll stop talking about polishing my nails and just do it. Her:What color? Me:Hot pink, of course. Her:Haha. Everything okay with Stacey? Me:Yeah, I just don’t get to see much of her, unfortunately. She’s hardly home and is out of the house over forty hours a week when you add up all the driving time to and from Rocklin and then Elk Grove on Fridays. Everything is fine, though. Her:Glad to hear it, even if you can’t see much of each other. Me:Everything I do, I do it with a passion. If I gotta be a bitch, I’mma be a bad one... Her:Not familiar with rap or hip-hop, if that’s what this is. Me:It’s called CRZY by Kehlani. It reminds me of when you stayed at the house because it was playing a lot around that time on one of my favorite Amazon stations. Her:There’s a song that’s inside of my soul. It’s the one that I’ve tried to write over and over again. Me:Google says it’s a Mandy Moore song, but I’ve never heard it. Her:It’s a beautiful song. Me:I’ll go listen to it now while Stacey’s taking a bath and listening to that jazz crap she likes. It may be relaxing… until that annoying saxophone enters the picture. Her:LOL, okay, enjoy the song and have a nice night, honey. Me:Tu también. :)