We Belong: Chapter 1

730 words

6 minute read

MAPLE STREET

(Lexie)

TW: Ableism

“Jesse!  Stop it!  This is my room!”  I say, standing in the doorway, so he can’t keep trying to get in.  “Mom already said.  You and Seth have to share.”  We just moved into 2424 Maple Street.  It’s a nice house.  The best part is, I get to have my own room.

Jesse is my twin brother.  We’re nine years old.  Usually he’s super nice, but today he’s being a pain.  Seth is our little brother.  He’s only three and an even bigger pain.  I think it’s a great idea to put the two of them together.

With no furniture in the house, it looks gigantic.  The other best part is the basement, which is the biggest room I’ve ever seen.  Dad says we can only go down there when grown ups are down there, too.  But I already have plans to send Jesse down to spy around and see what is so amazing that we can’t see it.  When I looked, it was just a concrete floor and bare walls.

“Lexie!  My room!” Seth demands.

“No, your room is over there,” I point to the one next door to mine.  It’s smaller.

Seth’s bottom lip sticks out.  “Daddy!  That’s my room, right?” he pouts.

“That’s right, little buddy,” Dad says happily, swinging Seth up on his shoulders.  I feel jealous.  Seth gets everything.

“That’s not fair!  I claimed this one!” I protest.

“You’re getting your own room.  Your brothers have to share, so it makes sense that they have the bigger room.” Mom says, carrying in a big box and setting it in the hall.

“No it doesn’t.  That makes zero sense,” I complain.

“Why don’t you kids go out and play?” Mom suggests.  She’s trying to make me forget about having the smaller room, but I won’t.

“...Maybe because the yard’s full of dirt?” Jesse mumbles.  He’s such a crab today.

“Aha!  I knew it was in here somewhere!”

“What is that?” I asked, looking at the weird plastic bucket Mom’s holding.

“Sidewalk chalk,” she announces, like it’s money.

“Me!  I want that side-bawk-bawk!” Seth screams, like there’s a chicken in the bucket.

“Fine,” I huff.  “Come on, guys.”

Outside, we sit on the front steps and Seth dumps every piece of chalk out.

[Image is: Lots of multicolored sidewalk chalk dumped out]

“What’s your problem?” I ask Jesse, bumping him with my shoulder.

“Um, hello?  We moved!  Terrible things happen to kids who move!”

I laugh.  “What terrible things?”

“No grass in your yard, no furniture in your house, you have to share a room with a baby…”

“Hey!” Seth said, waving a yellow chalk at us like a weapon.  “I can color on you…”

“Plus, we moved away from Connor and Shane.  Now who am I supposed to hang out with?”

“Hello?  Me!”

“I know!  But other than you…  Doesn’t it bug you we moved away from all our friends?”

“Not really…” I admit.  Jesse is forgetting that I don’t have many friends, other than him.  Those two boys he named?  They’re our cousins.

Just then, a kid rides towards us on a scooter, and two more on bikes.  They stop right in front of our house and stare at me.

“What’s wrong with you?” one demands, taking off her helmet to stare at me even more.

I bite my lip.  My ears feel hot, and I can’t say anything.  I feel Jesse move closer to me.

“Hey guys!  Wanna color with us?” Seth asks, waving them over.  He’s too little to know how mean they are.

“Say we have to go inside,” Jesse whispers.

“Mom says we have to go inside,” I repeat it louder.

The kids all laugh.  “Oh my gosh.  They’re such babies!  Let’s go, guys!”

I shove my walker back away from me.  I push my crutches so they fall down.  Sometimes, I hate them and all the ways they make me different.

Right then, I know Jesse is right.  Terrible things do happen to kids who move.

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Questions for Discussion:

Have you ever felt like Lexie and hated the way disability made you different?

Jesse whispers that Lexie should say they have to go inside when kids are mean to them.  How do you respond when kids are mean to you?

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