By Helena Yeung, staff reporter
Brooke remembered everything.
She remembered where she was when Star had called her, and around what time. She had been in her backyard cleaning up the toys her cousins played with and left out when they last visited. It was around late morning, and Brooke was freezing. She was too lazy to put on a jacket when her mother insisted for her to clean the house today, and went out in her white plain hoodie and thin plain sweatpants. Her pocket started to buzz, and she knew that Star was calling her. Brooke took out her phone and answered the call, beaming at how excited she was to hear his voice.
“Star! Good morning.” Brooke picked up a beat-up tennis ball and made a face in disgust. Why can’t her cousins clean up after themselves and take their own toys home?
“Hey Brooke, I have a surprise for you!” Star sounded enthusiastic, as if it was the most wonderful surprise he has ever given anyone. Brooke was even more excited. She dropped the tennis ball by the rest of the toys in a bin and sat down on her door steps.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I’ll have to come over and show it to you. When can I swing by?” Star didn’t live nearby, but his older cousin drives him anywhere he wants at anytime. Brooke hopes that Star would never end up like his cousin, Nolan. Nolan was a bad influence towards Star, and Brooke cringes every time she thinks of him. He has been arrested twice since he was twelve, and dropped out and dropped out of college his freshman year after only two months. Nolan was nineteen now, and all he does every day is sell drugs, Brooke was sure of it. Where else would Nolan come back from with hundreds of dollars and acting all high?
However, Star lived with Nolan and their grandma because his parents died two years ago in a fire accident. Brooke never got to hear the details of the story, because Star wasn’t willing to get into it. Brooke hated it that Nolan and his grandma were the only ones left to take care of Star, because of Nolan’s actions. Brooke knew that Star was getting close with Nolan over the years, which makes the worries all the more bigger.
“Is Nolan driving you here?” Brooke asked, rolling her eyes.
“ Well, yeah. He’s here with me right now. We’re playing a game of chess. You want to say hi?” Brooke rolled her eyes again. She never hinted to Star so far that she wasn’t fond of Nolan.
“Not now.” Brooke ran back inside the house and closed the door, shivering. She wasn’t about to stay outside if she wasn’t going to be cleaning. It was way colder than sweater weather.
“Well, I’ll come over ok?” Star was smiling, Brooke can sense it. It made her smile too.
“Okay.” Brooke said, and hung up the phone.
“Your room is always so pretty, did you draw these?” Star pointed out the corner of the walls by Brooke’s bed. Brooke would draw little spiral abstract lines there sometimes if she got bored, and it grows bigger and bigger. Her mom thought they were lovely and encouraged Brooke to do her whole room. Her dad however, wasn’t all too happy about it. He told Brooke to just draw on paper and stick it on the wall. That’s so much more work, Brooke had thought.
Star was now placing the big box he had brought in on gently her bed, and placed a smaller box beside the floor.
“I got you an early Christmas gift.” he beamed.
“Should I wait until Christmas then?” Brooke wanted all her gifts on Christmas, but Star shook
“I want you to have this now. Open it!” Star was grinning from ear to ear. Brooke hesitated, then went over to the big box and slowly opened it. She could not believe her eyes.
“Oh my…” Brooke gently took her new pet bunny out of the box and placed her on the bed. The brown furry animal stared at Brooke with sparkling eyes, and started to bounce around her pillows. Brooke watched the bunny, admiring how cute it is.
“It’s a netherland dwarf rabbit.” Star said, and Brooke turned to him to listen for more. “I saw her at the pet store while looking for fish food for my goldfish Bubbly, and I saw her. I thought you might like her. I included some rabbit food and toys in the box as well.” Star nudged his foot at the box. “Don’t open the envelope in there though just yet.” Star winked at Brooke, and she smiled.
“Thank you, she’s perfect.” Brooke hugged Star tightly, and gazed into his eyes. “This is such an adorable present! The best thing I thought I’d get for Christmas were probably lots of ugly sweaters.” Brooke made a face in disgust remembering last year. Her parents had both gotten her holiday sweaters, both never worn and tucked deep in her closet. How does anyone ever wear those? she had always wondered.
“I’m glad you like your gift. Are you going to name her?” Star gently tucked the bunny back in the box, since she was already nibbling away on the pillowcases. The bunny stayed still in the box, still staring up at Brooke. It looked as if she was happy to find a home.
“I’ll think about it.” Brooke smiled.
“Okay great.” Star checked his watch. “I got soccer practice. See you later?”
“Okay.” Brooke walked Star out of the house, and gave him one last hug before he hopped into Nolan’s car. Nolan gave Brooke a huge wave, and Brooke waved back slowly. She watched as they drove away, and headed back inside. While going back to her room, she began to run a bunch of names in mind, picking the perfect one for her bunny.
Brooke was now watching TV with Nellie. Jacob was whining for the millionth time to let him play with her.
“Brooke, you never let me play with your rabbit.” Jacob crossed his arms. “Why can’t I play with Nellie?”
“Because I said no.” Brooke turned off the TV and sighed. “Fine, just for a few minutes.” She gently placed Nellie into Jacob’s arms, and he smiled.
“Yes!” Jacob headed towards his room, probably preparing to build Nellie a fort with his brand new set of legos. Brooke shrugged and turned back to the TV, still clutching onto the little note Nellie had found for her from Star. She had been holding onto it tight for so long, it was starting to rip. Brooke sighed, and placed it back in her pocket. It was the newest thing she had of him, now that he is gone.
