Three Sisters One: Algeria

Algeria was seven when Samuel moved in next door. It was her mother’s birthday and she had snuck over into the neighbor’s yard to steal flowers even though her father had told her many times not to. While she was picking all the yellow flowers she could see, she felt something sharp hit her arm. She jumped and dropped all the flowers. When she turned around she saw the most perfectly beautiful boy. He had curling blond hair that made a perfect halo around his perfect head. He had freckles, which Algeria suddenly realized that she loved, and bright blue eyes that at the moment looked angry.
“Don’t you know that you’re trespassing,” he said angrily, though even mad he sounded perfect.
But perfect or not, no one talked to Algeria Lillian Maynard like that.
“I don’t know what tres a whaty means, but no body throws stuff at me and gets away with it.”
Algeria raised her fists. She noticed that the perfect boy looked scared. Even though he was older and bigger than her, he should have a healthily fear of her. That was when she noticed the shadow standing over her. She turned to the looming bearded face of her daddy. Her very angry daddy. With saying a word he scooped her up and tossed her gently over his shoulder. As she scrambled to keep her hat on she called out, “What’s your name?”
He hesitated for a moment then called out, “Samuel. My name is Samuel.”
Sucking in a deep breath, she yelled, “My name is Al.”
Even though she was now to far away to tell, she thought she saw him smile. And she knew at that moment, she would love him forever.

* * * * * * *
Samuel wasn’t stupid. In fact, he was highly intelligent, so how he could pick those stuck up know it alls over her, Al thought, she would never know. She watched him with his current big brained girlfriend who practically spewed out holier than thou. Why couldn’t he want a big chested tom boy with slightly above average intelligence? God just look at him. He was more perfect than any man had the right to be. Those fat golden curls, stunning bright blue eyes, mouth, perfect, nose, perfect, ass, absolutely perfect, and for a science nerd, stunning body. The only time he ever really paid attention to her was when he needed his car fixed. And boy oh boy she would love to fix more than his car… she snapped out of her naughty thoughts when her youngest sister, Anisa, poked her in the back.
“Oh, how long you been there Sai,” she asked, a smile curling on her mouth.
Anisa’s mouth curled up the same way, “Long enough to see you drowning in drool over Samuel.”
Al punched her sister in the arm and replied, “And you would think with me being so obvious about it…”
“He’s a nerd, Algae,” she said chuckling, “we don’t see the outside world very much, and in his case, unless you have numbers written on those balloons of yours, he wouldn’t notice.”
Al frowned and punched Anisa again and said absently, “Don’t call me that.”
Al moved away from her sister and headed to one of the table laden with food. It was her middle sister; Allegra’s grand opening of her gallery and it was full of suits. Al tugged gently on the collar of the conservative dress she wore, one from her convent school days, which smooched her big chest and made her look extremely modest. As she bent down to stuff another one of those puffy cracker things into her mouth, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Yeah,” she said irritably, her mouth full of puffy goodness, and turned around. It was Samuel. Of course.
“I see your manners have improved considerable Algeria,” he smirked, his mouth just begging to be bitten. She gulped the food down rather quickly and began to cough violently. He looked alarmed and started patting her on the back. She took a quick swig of champagne and, yes, sweet blessed air. His hand was doing sexy things to her back and she wasn’t all that eager to talk because when she did, well it was like it had a mind of its own.
“You can stop touching me now dork boy,” she snarled and he pulled his arm back as if burned and blushed so pretty… and do’h her and her big mouth. For whatever reason, he brought out her inner bitch and she was normally so sweet…
“Sorry,” he said, still blushing and damn if that wasn’t the cutest thing, “I just wanted to find out when my car will be done.”
With years of long practice Al hid her disappointment. Of course he wants to talk shop, she thought to herself, I look so plain with my hair all slicked back and this frumpy gray dress. She sighed and said, “Beat it dork boy, I don’t talk shop unless I’m at the shop. Unless the real reason you came over here was to cop another feel…”
He blushed again, this time in anger. “Fine, I’ll come in tomorrow.”
His spine was ram rod straight and he marched away, anger practically pouring off of him. That was so sexy. While she was watching him walk away, she didn’t notice her middle sister’s presence until she felt her second poke of the day. She turned and saw her sister smirking.
“He needs to be hit over the head with a sledge hammer,” she said in her familiar silkily drawl.
Al ignored her comment instead to ask, “How do you make your voice sound like that? I once heard a guy say that he almost, you know; the first time he heard you talk.”
Allegra laughed; a throaty sound that had every man in the area looking her way.
“Don’t try to change the subject Algae, we’re discussing you and dork boy, not my sex appeal. Although,” she said, her smirk widening, “I’m a very good subject to discuss.”
Al snorted and coughed when she breathed in to much air. Allegra looked at her with pity.
“You are a walking disaster. I’m saying this because you’re my sis and I love you. And please, next time,” she said, walking away, “burn that gray dress.”
Al fought the urge to strangle her sister. Somewhere along the way, they lost that fear that Al used to instill in them daily. She sighed. Ah, the good old days. Snagging a glass of champagne, she downed it quickly and walked to the door. She placed the glass on the first flat surface that she could find and stepped through the high glass double doors. The night was cool with a light drizzle. She shivered slightly and remembered that she left her coat inside. For a moment she contemplated going back to get it but decided against it. She had enough embarrassment for one night. She started off home, regretting that she decided to walk. Ten minutes later she was home and soaking wet. She climbed up to the small apartment she had above her garage and fumbled for a minute in her small purse for the keys. Opening the door she was bowled over by her great dane Charlie.
“Arg, Charlie, down boy, down!”
Charlie continued licking her face as she struggled not to breathe in to deeply. Dog breath was known to kill more than one spinster older sister. Finally having decided that he removed what ever meager lipstick she had on, Charlie jumped off and sat innocently, wagging his tail happily.
Al grimaced as she stood up, her face twisted in pain. “Thanks Charlie, for the good night kiss. And there I go, talking to my dog again with my front door wide open.”
She limped in, and closed the door, toeing off her shoe in the process. Locking the door, she headed to the kitchen, Charlie in tow. After stubbing her toe on her favorite chair, again, she reached the kitchen. She turned on the light and headed to the fridge. She grabbed a cold beer and her last pack of chocolate chip cookie dough. She sat down at her scarred table, opened her beer and took a long drag. After opening her cookie dough and taking a huge bite, she mumbled to herself, “That is the absolute last time I look like an idiot in front of Samuel.” Life, of course, was just dying to prove her wrong.