Isn't it funny how one thing that happens in your life, can change it forever? Yeah. That's what happened to me, Mckenzie J Cosimo. Not that long ago, to be honest, but I suppose it's still a long story, and I've been waiting to tell someone for years. I guess that those years are up. I was, about, fifteen, and my older brother, Jonah, walked in from college, stinking of his terrible boy smell, sweat dripping from his sandy colored hair. "Jesus J, you reek of your disgusting I've-played-soccer-for-six-hours stench." He laughed and shoved my face in his armpit, one of the joys about my big brother. "That's because I have, Zee!" He walked straight into the bathroom, and I breathed a sigh of relief, at the fact he was going to have a shower. "Zee, sup kid?" My other brother, Lucas, ran in, kissing me on the forehead. I rolled my eyes but blew him a kiss anyway, like the good sister I was. "The sky, you do*chebag." I smiled and shook my head, I hate to say it but Lucas was always my favourite brother. "No sh*t, Sherlock." He stuffed his face with buttery toast as I walked upstairs, to get ready for 'The party of the century.' I was invited, on the grounds that I am classed as popular, and must satisfy my crowd with my sweet ways. I laughed quietly to myself, and stepped into our upstairs shower, hazah we had two, letting the stream of hot water cascade over me. As I got out, I studied the room, once again noting it's size like I always do. We we're incredibly well off, living in the clean part of town, and having the best 6 bedroomed house we could ever wish for. "Hey there, Chessy." Chessy was my dog, a beautiful dalmatian, but loved to get mucky. "Come on boy!" I padded once again into my room, and looked in the mirror. "Bring it on." I attacked my face and hair with make-up, sprays, blow driers and straighteners. Pops, as I called my Dad, knocked on the door and I let him come in. "Mckenzie, please take your phone so I can text you-" he took one look at me and smiled, from ear to ear. "Oh mio Dio! You look beautiful!" I blushed and looked in the mirror, studying every part of me. My skin, a light olive tan shade, was complemented by my raven black hair which fell around my heart-shaped face. I was tall, very tall, 5"11 to be exact, and that was why I always wore ballet pumps. "Grazie, Pops!" I kissed him on the cheek and walked into my mothers room. "Mother, what do you think?" My Mom was incredibly ill, and was always in bed, pale, and tired. She could only ever turn her head. "Zee, è un aspetto magnifico! Vieni qui bella." She smiled. I knew mother only ever spoke in her native tongue, Italian. That's where my olive skin and my father's cooking talent come from. I obeyed, as my mother asked, and sat on her bed. "Questo è il mio abito da quando avevo la tua età. Oh Zee, grazie!" She cried, and I hugged her, kissing her head. "Anything for you Mother, no need for grazie." She smiled and fell asleep, as I stroked her black hair quietly. "Ti voglio bene mamma, vengono ben presto, per favore!" I lifted myself of the huge bed, carefully as not to wake her. I had just shut her door when the bell rang, loud and obnoxious. "It's probably for me!" I shouted, running to the front door. I opened it, and there stood my best friend, Cale. "Oh my Zee, you look stunning!" He hugged me and kissed my cheek tenderly, before walking in. It was at that time when Jonah walked out of the kitchen, milk bottle in one hand and biscuits in the other. "Jonah!" Cale greeted, doing their stupid hand shake, grinning like idiots. I started off upstairs but Cale stopped me, his eyes looking solemnly into mine, and gave me a bouquet of beautiful white lilies that smelt absolutely divine. "For your mother." He whispered softly. I blinked back tears from my emerald eyes and thanked him, hugging him tightly. Even Jonah was affected, I could tell by the way he quickly shoved past me on the way upstairs. "Thank you, Cale. That's incredibly sweet." I said, holding his hand and smiling sweetly. He knew they were my mothers favourites, the flowers she had at her wedding. I ran upstairs, eagerly awaiting my mothers reaction, as I swung the door open and woke her up gently. "Mother! Mother, Cale got these for you!" Tears once again stung her eyes as I replaced the dried out roses with the fresh lilies. "Cale? Lui è un ragazzo meraviglioso, i miei fiori preferiti!" she smiled softly, and kissed my cheek. I left her silently, and took Cales hand as I left the house, looking behind me to wave at my Pops. "Zee, let's go have the night of our lives!" ------------------------------------------------- Oh mio Dio!=Oh my God! Grazie= Thank you. Zee, è un aspetto magnifico! Vieni qui bella.=Zee, you look stunning! Come here beautiful. Questo è il mio abito da quando avevo la tua età. Oh Zee, grazie!=That was my dress when I was your age. Oh Zee, thank you! Ti voglio bene mamma, vengono ben presto, per favore!=I love you, Mom. Get well soon, please! Cale? Lui è un ragazzo meraviglioso, i miei fiori preferiti!=Cale? He is a fantastic boy, my favourite flowers! Please feedback!
It was about three in the morning, and I lay outside, the sky looking like a black net scattered with glitter. The party truly was the party of the century, and had been filled with beer, dancing and laughter. "Mckenzie, you look freezing! Come here." I looked at Cale as he spoke, feeling a shiver run up my spine, noting me of the freezing temperature. Cale wrapped me up in his coat and his arms, and we collapsed on the grass, the early morning dew seeping through my light dress. My head rested lightly on his chest, Cale's chin sitting on my head, his warm breath tickling my ear. "This is nice, Cale. Just us." I whispered quietly, looking into his eyes, his solemnly beautiful eyes. The music from the party was pumping through the doors and windows, but quietly, getting quieter and quieter. But it wasn't. My breathing sped up, and Cale broke the silence, saying, "It sure is, Zee, I wish this moment could last forever." We stayed like that for what seemed like hours, the seconds melting away into the night, with only a dash of words here and there. It wasn't until I looked into his eyes again, and Cale moved so he could truly look at me, that the moment ended, but a new one began. Time froze, but my heart beat faster, my breaths grew shorter and sharper with every inch closed between us. My nose brushed his, my cheeks flushing, surely a crimson color. My lips grazed his, and we melted into each other, our breathing matching, our heart beat pacing, it felt perfect. I could imagine us there, bathed in sliver moonlight, held in each others arms whilst the whole world disappeared around us, letting us become oblivious to others that stood in it. No, not imagine, feel. I smiled against his lips as he pulled me closer, it felt like we had been kissing for a eternity, but we didn't mind. But someone did. "Zee, hey, I was loo-" I felt like a ton of bricks crashed down on me. ---------------------------------------------------------- No Italian this time, please feedback!
Cale's POV- "Zee, I've been loo-... Cale?" His face paled as I stood up sharply, and I prepared myself for the insults and punches that we're bound to be thrown at me. I looked down at Mckenzie, my beautiful Mckenzie, and devoured her beauty. Her eyes glazed over with horror and sorrow as she looked into mine, the feeling so intense it forced me to look away. She was so graceful, everything about her, the way she spoke, the faces she pulled when she was lost in thought, how she held herself when she walked, and how she was stunningly gorgeous. Many a time I catch others staring at Zee, wondering why they weren't put together the same way as her. I looked back at her, and smiled solemnly, but she ran way into the darkness, her tears streaming freely down her cheeks. I looked to Ryan, and was greeted by a angry, icy stare. I dropped my head in shame "Cale... You were supposed to be my good friend, the quarterback who stood next to his captain, not just as a team member, but as a friend! Now I just know your an absolute f*cked up low life who holds people's hearts and crushes them, like the piece of sh*t you are!" Ryan's fists clenched as he stalked menacingly towards me, and I swallowed to newly formed lump in my throat. "You know I love Mckenzie, you know I do! You p*ss me around too much, you compelete b*tch." He spat, glaring coldly into my eyes. "I trusted you Cale, pretty stupid, huh? I have loved Zee since I first met her. The first day of Kindergarten, and you steal her? Your so full of crap, saying I could trust you. Trust you my a*s!" Ryan looked at me once again, a sadness shadowing his brown eyes as he shouted. "She was mine. I loved her with all my heart, all my soul, and I was never, ever going to give her up. Never! Thanks, Cale. But you just broke my heart. B*stard." He glanced quickly at me, before storming away back into the house. He only did that to hide his tears. I fell to my knees and punched the ground till my knuckles had swollen and I could feel them no more. My head fell against the floor as my tears, driven by anger at myself and pure regret, streamed down my face. "What have I done?" I whispered, my throat raw, my heart sore. "Cale?" A quiet voice squeaked behind me. I turned around and hugged Mckenzie, as her tears fell. But, as horribly selfish as it sounds, I hugged her for my benefit. I need her. But so does Ryan. Oh Zee, my dearest Zee...
Mckenzies POV- ~flashback~ 'Ring-a-ring-a roses, a pocket full of poses. A-tishoo! A-tishoo! We all fall down.' My whole world fell from underneath me, my hands let go of my loved ones, and illness devoured our lives. I woke up quickly, in a hospital bed, the heart monitor greeting me loudly. The stench of death and antiseptic filled my nostrils, and I closed my eyes trying to remember what the hell happened. Fire. Fire happened. I looked down at my body, and my skin was pink and puffy. It felt like I was flaking away. I tried to remember as best I could, my eyes shut tightly, my ears closed. Nothing. I could think of no cause, no reason for my skin to be feeling this way. "Miss, Miss, your dinner." I stared down at the plate of congealed lasagne and my mind suddenly exploded with pictures, screams, and that smell, that... "...Smells delicious Mom, you know how much I love your homemade lasagne! Almost as much as I love you!" I kissed Mother lightly but tenderly on the forehead, and she stopped her hard work to hold me close, and I felt safe and wanted in her arms. "Anything on your birthday, sweetheart!" she smiled, and carried on with her fabulous cooking. I strolled happily into my front room, to be joyfully greeted by my two tall, annoying, playful brothers. "Haply birthday, Zee!" They squealed excitedly in unison. I giggled and told them they were complete and utter noobs, but sweetly thanked them with a kiss on the cheek. They handed me a beautifully wrapped present, a small white box tied shut with a sparkling black ribbon. "Open it!" Jonah squeaked, shaking his huge hands in anticipation. I pulled away the ribbon, stashing it away in my cardigan pocket to use in my hair, and then I slowly pulled back the lid. "Oh Jonah, Lucas! This is beautiful!" I hugged them both tightly, as what my eyes fell upon was truly outstanding. A silver locket, inscribed with our family emblem, 'Una famiglia che si svolge non solo dal sangue, ma dallo spirito.' Inside was a picture of me, Mom, Pops, J and Lukey, all smiling, truly happy. Lucas swept my midnight colored hair away from neck as he fastened the silver beauty in it's place. We stood together, chatting about things that only siblings would ever understand until... Click. WHOOSH. Then a scream, a ear piercing, high pitched, bone shaking scream, my mothers scream. Soon, flames were creeping out of the door, ready to reap their wrath upon me and my brothers. But I didn't care. "Mother!" I screamed, and without thinking, ran to her side, weeping. Lucas and Jonah followed behind, and took my Mom, the sweetest, most gentlest woman on the planet, outside. I quickly ran upstairs and dragged my father out of the burning house. We sat and watched, waiting for the wail of sirens, whilst our life, our memories, our possessions fall as ashes to the ground. I looked for Lucas' hand, yearned for his support, but he was nowhere to be seen. My whole world was falling apart in front of my eyes. "Zee, help me with Chessy!" I rsn towards Lucas and offered a hand for my ash soaked hero. I guess more than one thing changed my life. More than once.
Ran* Una famiglia che si svolge non solo dal sangue, ma dallo spirito.=A family held not just by blood, but by spirit.