College

I believe my mother had other thoughts in mind when I was named Flame, if only

she was aware that I would be nothing like the fierce woman that she is.

Neither did I take after my father who would make children wet their pants just

by glaring.

So yes I grew up in a rather fierce home and turned out to be a very timid

woman. Mother thought it was okay while I was growing up since I was only but a

child, she would force me to play with the neighborhood kids and it was hard

enough to get past saying "Hello or Good day, " to their parents, so I stuck to

the ever polite smile and found comfort behind my mother, until she left and I

had to act busy with the hands of my shirt.

It was shocking when I made friends with James, as he was the opposite of what

you would expect that I would associate with. Jamie talked for as long as he

wasn't eating or sleeping or into one mischief or the other and sadly I was

always the innocent accomplice in his childish pranks.

One time I stared hard at his face, his mouth especially hoping to spot any

addition that the creator must have made but there was none so I had given up

on telling him to shut up or talk him out of whatever crazy idea that he had, I

just tagged along and waited till we were caught and punished.

Mum must have been as crazy as James or they probably didn't think the same

way as other normal humans do, because she taught James was a good influence.

If there was anything that James would be described as good at, it was

definitely lying and not influencing.

We grew up together and celebrated birthdays together, he was my date to prom,

partly because he was the only sick person who went ahead to ask Mr Hilton, my

father with roses in hand if he could "steal" me away for the night. I was wary

with the word steal because he was pretty good at doing that at that time. For

added measures, I wrote my will and placed it on the dressing table, in case he

forgot to return me to my parents. My father agreed since he was very familiar

with the young mischievous man that little Jamie had grown into. I was still

the old innocent Flame and I had to listen to what dad said because Jamie was

"good" influence.

James Richardson was brutally rich and I could attest to that owing to the

countless times that I had visited his home, not willingly, I was threatened to

else he would have dyed my hair into the color of his parrot for added

information, his parrot was rainbow colored and I wasn't ready to look like a

clown at school. So I visited him at first hoping to leave quickly, I fell in

love with the masterpiece he called a house, as far as I was concerned James

didn't deserve to live there, he should be locked up in an asylum, away from

humans or any other living creature. Apparently his father was a rich business

man and his mother owned a big shopping mall in Seattle. I actually spent the

whole night wondering why he still took things that weren't his especially

after he had "taken" Mrs Smith's hand bag because he loved the fur on it. I

finally came to the conclusion that he was sick, terribly sick and the bad

thing was that there was no cure and I had to cope with his Shiny Object

Syndrome (S.O.S)afterall, who was I to mock a sick man.

Spending twelve years with him made me know when he was lying and he wasn't

this time, I stared at him as he broke the news of his acceptance into college

all the way in Los Angeles. I should be happy, I should be painting Seattle red

or all the colors of his parrot, I was familiar with that, I was "gifted" the

colors on my 16th birthday. I had to wear a top hat for as long as I could. I

was not happy though, he was the only friend and brother that I had, forget

that I threatened to stab him in his sleep or that I added more salt to his

cereal countless times. I needed him to stay and fix me.

"Just a few years and I'll be back," Jamie cajoled but I was stunned into

silence and I didn't like what he was saying one bit.

"Are you pranking me?" I could easily have forgiven him just like I always did.

" Come hear, baby" I leaned to his hug taking as much comfort as he could

offer.

"Don't go" pleading with him was a waste of time but I was willing to believe

in the slightest hope that he would have a change of heart. Who was I kidding?

"Don't go around hanging your head in misery when I leave, don't look at any

guy twice, don't cry, I hate to see you cry for any reason except one that I

have given you.

He left, true to his words and I cried even after he told me not to. Seven

years went by slowly and I had majored in accounting yet no Jamie