Ingrid's Reminiscence I

So why am I not surprised that I'm sitting in my room getting yelled at by Ivory while Marcelle got out unscathed? Because it's a regular day in the office; it's funny how you have those people in your life who don't notice anything you do up until you do something incorrectly.

I guess I was a bit too young and stupid to fully grasp what it meant when Dad died, I only knew it was horrible based on the sobs and cries of Ivory when she got the phone call that he'd been in an accident on the road. Following the funeral she was checked out of reality 90% of the time and was usually boarded up in her room where I'd scarcely see her throughout the day. Ivory's sister was pretty worried so she and her husband almost constantly stayed over with us for the time being. Sadly that meant their child Marcelle had to tag along too.

Even with my Aunt and Uncles combined efforts they made minimal progress, usually bargaining outside of her closed door. Sometimes they managed to get her out her room for more than 10 minutes and on rare occasions even got her to step outside. Between consoling Ivory and tending to their own child I may as well have been a ghost. It didn't matter how many accolades I received academically, how many trophies I received from soccer I was invisible. I get Dad dying was sad and all, but that doesn't mean everything comes to a complete halt, I was still a freaking kid!

“ Oh wow, you actually came home. I keep thinking that you'll run away and find a new family. ” Marcelle quipped as I entered the house after walking from school.

“ . . .Don't take the bait.” I told myself and tried to ignore her as I walk past her, but Marcelle was determined to piss me off at all costs and cut in front of me on my way upstairs.

“ Think about it . .” She said, putting a finger on her chin. I'm the favorite, your Mom is in shambles, and you're well . .the reject.” Marcelle continued in an exaggerated know-it-all tone and grinning it up because she knew she was getting underneath my skin.

“ Shut up, you don't know anything!” Hook, line, and sinker, I took the bait. Sue me, I'm a hot-head and I wasn't going to let her talk crap like that so I charged straight towards her.

“ Awww, did I hurt your feelings reject?” Marcelle laughed, easily keeping me at bay with her outstretched hand on my skull. “ You know, I overheard my parents suggesting to your Mom she adopt another child, if that happens you'll be forgotten for sure.”

“ I said shut up!” I yelled again, only this time I swung my leg and delivered a kick into her shin.

“ Ouch!” Marcelle yelped and letting go of her grasp.

“ Why you little . .” Marcelle snarled, balling up her fist ready to make me pay for my aggression. Today I could beat the brakes off her with a hand behind my back, but 7 year old me was in over her head against a 10 year old Marcelle who had half a foot of height on me.

“ What's going on down here?” Marcelle's mom came downstairs after hearing the commotion. Though that did spare me from getting clobbered, Marcelle wasted no time taking advantage of the situation.

“ I dunno, Ingrid must have anger issues or something, she kicked me for no reason.” Marcelle said showing the red mark on her shin as proof.

“ That's not true y-”

“ Ingrid go upstairs to your room!” Her mom ordered without letting me get a word out.

Yeah even at 10 years old Marcelle was a little bitch, but even I gotta admit she's not a 100% percent liar. And in hindsight Tanner's presence in the household alone is evidence enoug of her mixing in some truth in addition to being y'know . .a little bitch.

---

Not normal, not normal, not normal. Ivory's words kept reverberating in Tanner's mind as he lied in the bed of his house and stared up into the ceiling. There wasn't a snowballs chance in hell he'd be able to catch an evening nap after that. He couldn't recall a time where she so deliberately made a direct reference to his size. When the topic arose she normally referred to it as 'his condition' or a similar euphemism. Today though she didn't apply an ounce of sugar coating, in fact she was going out of her way to prove a point and she proved it to a tee. He couldn't get over how absolutely massive she was and the way she stared down at him he felt so. . .insignificant. Despite him finding his resolve and backbone it was still effortless for her to shut him down, she just had to stand there without budging a muscle to get the message across. Arguing any further would've been akin to a peasant arguing with a king or a mortal arguing against a God. It was a powerful reminder that no matter how well he was treated, all the power still laid in the hands of the giants he lived around. Or more accurately, he was small and all the power resided in the normal people he lived around.

* Tap tap tap *

“ Shit . .” Tanner gasped after having his musings broken, he wondered how deep a thought he had to have been in to not notice someone walking in. To think the day has arrived where he'd actually prefer it be Marcelle over Ivory right now.

“ Tanner c'mon, I know Ivory already brought here.”

Tanner felt immediate relief hearing the voice of Ingrid, the best of all three options.

“ Tanner stepped out to meet his step-sister who was crouched down on a knee. She slowly drummed her fingers on her cheek as she waited for him.

“ Hey sis. .”

“ Don't hey me, what the heck was that all about downstairs?” In usual fashion Ingrid cut right to the chase.

Tanner rubbed the back of his head, not expecting to have to elaborate on the sappy reasons behind his actions. “ Like I could sit back and let you take all the heat for what happened. I had to do something.”

“ Doesn't matter, I knew Ivory would come down on me the hardest if we got caught, I was ready to take it.” Ingrid explained, leaving Tanner baffled to her resignation that the consequences would be hers to burden.

“ Doesn't matter? If you knew that then why'd you still you agreed to take me to the mall?”

Ingrid huffed sensing it was her turn to say something sentimental. “ Don't make me get schmaltzy, it's because I knew it meant a lot to you.”

Tanner turned his head feeling a bittersweet mixture of happiness and a bit of frustration . “ You're always helping me out like that.”

“ So what, it's not a big deal.”

Tanner shook his head at her nonchalant response. “ It is a big deal, you're always considerate of me and helping me. I just wanted to try and help you for a change.”

Ingrid tried to play off his comment with a short chortle, but for all her headstrong bravado she couldn't stop the glowing smile from appearing on her face. Tanner was almost in awe at such a rare sight and wish he had a camera to photograph it. For all his troubles and concerns over the past few days the sight of Ingrid's sincere grin was enough to make him forget all of them momentarily.

“ Don't worry about it so much, that's what big sisters are for.” Ingrid said still smirking, she knew it bothered Tanner when she pulled the older sister card regardless of the narrow gap in age.

“You're only a few months older than me.” Tanner responded as she anticipated.

“ Still, I'm the big sister in more ways than one.” Ingrid winked. Tanner grinned at her comment, he found it far more charming when she made allusion to his stature when compared to Marcelle who is usually attempting to belittle him or Ivory who can be unintentionally be patronizing. Even if she knew he was small, she didn't treat him like he was.

“ You're hilarious, you better watch out I think I still have a few more centimeters to grow I'll catch up before you know it.”

“ I'm shaking.” Ingrid laughed. As she finished her comment she took a quick peek behind her to make sure no one was around to witness her before she leaned in for a quick kiss on his forehead “Thank you for thinking about me Tanner, it means a lot to me.”

“ . .Sure thing.”

“ You look tired, get some rest little bro.” Ingrid flashed one last smile before getting up to depart back to her room.

It took all of Tanner's willpower to keep his face complexion from sporting a red hue and ruining the moment, but with God as his witness he wanted to perform a triple back flip and if he were physically capable of it. Who cares what happened downstairs or at all the mall, those few heartfelt moments with his sister was worth it. Screw trying to convince himself otherwise, Ingrid was his step-sister, his step-sister who he was infatuated with, Tanner practically leapt into the bed in his house and closed his eyes with his mind replaying a constant loop of the few seconds of Ingrid kissing his head.