I thought about Neve Campbell from sun-up to sun-down in the days that followed. Then I remembered. Neve did have a brother. I couldn’t remember his name, but I specifically remember the day she came up to me in class.
She said, “Oh M, I’m so happy!”
“Really? Why’s that Neve?”
“My brother is going to be coming to this school right away!” She went on to explain that her dad had made arrangements to transfer him in during the school year.
“Really, that’s terrific,” I said. Then I tried to pretend like I was sharing in her joy, but I really wasn’t.
That’s when she asked me, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“M, I know when something is wrong. What’s wrong?”
“Well obviously. I know you love your brother. You talk about him all the time. I have this bad feeling if he starts coming here, you and I won’t be hanging out anymore.”
She could see I was jealous and she was very sweet about it. She said, “No. I’m sure my brother will have his own friends, we can still hang out. It will just be nice to have my big brother here at this school with me when I need him.”
It was reassuring to hear that, but I still had this bad feeling.
I don’t remember what year it was that Christian transferred into Vista Heights. I think it happened when Neve and I were in Grade 3, but we may have been in grade 4. One thing I am 100% certain of is that the year he transferred in, the school year had already started. When this memory came back I had to cross number one off my list of reasons I thought it was a dream. I rewrote it in the column of why I thought it was real.
She said, “Oh M, I’m so happy!”
“Really? Why’s that Neve?”
“My brother is going to be coming to this school right away!” She went on to explain that her dad had made arrangements to transfer him in during the school year.
“Really, that’s terrific,” I said. Then I tried to pretend like I was sharing in her joy, but I really wasn’t.
That’s when she asked me, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Why do you ask?”
“M, I know when something is wrong. What’s wrong?”
“Well obviously. I know you love your brother. You talk about him all the time. I have this bad feeling if he starts coming here, you and I won’t be hanging out anymore.”
She could see I was jealous and she was very sweet about it. She said, “No. I’m sure my brother will have his own friends, we can still hang out. It will just be nice to have my big brother here at this school with me when I need him.”
It was reassuring to hear that, but I still had this bad feeling.
I don’t remember what year it was that Christian transferred into Vista Heights. I think it happened when Neve and I were in Grade 3, but we may have been in grade 4. One thing I am 100% certain of is that the year he transferred in, the school year had already started. When this memory came back I had to cross number one off my list of reasons I thought it was a dream. I rewrote it in the column of why I thought it was real.
