Experiencing Love

Natalie was 11 when she figured out her family’s dynamic. Chloe, the perfect replica of the Rogers family. Fair skin, blonde hair, green eyes, and perfect forming body. Puberty had been very kind to her cousin. And was tall for her age, she was already 5’7 at 11 years old. Natalie on the other hand, she apparently looked like her bastard of a father. Brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, curves that came early, and was having trouble with acne. And she was only 5’0. It was Christmas, and her pile of presents was significantly smaller than Chloe’s. Her mom obviously got her stuff, and her great-grandfather got her plenty of gifts. However Chloe’s pile put a mall to shame. Chloe got designer everything, jewelry, clothes, shoes, bags etc. Natalie got a brand new Jansport backpack, with it being full of books, pens, notebooks, and little Knick knacks. Her great-grandfather had given her new clothes, from Old Navy, Kohls, and two pair of converse. Natalie was grateful, especially when her great-grandpa gave her one last gift. “I got this for your Gigi when we first started dating and I worked at the movie theater and only had $20. It holds a special place in my heart, and I know you’ll appreciate it more than anyone else.” He handed her the little box, and she said a thank you. She opened it and a beautiful pendant was inside. “It’s pretty Gramps! Thank you! But what’s the stone?” Pulling it from the box, Chloe strutted over and attempted to take it from her. Natalie though saw her in her peripheral and quickly tucked the necklace closer to her person. “No fair!” Chloe all but stomped her foot. “Why did you give her more presents than me Gramps!” She shrieked and Natalie put her hands to her ears. Chloe could put a banshee to shame. “Knock it off Chloe!” Gramps rarely yelled. He was 65, his blonde hair was starting to turn white, his green eyes still sharp, and at 6’3 still had a decent physique. He and Gigi married young at 17 apparently, and had their first kid at 19. Natalie’s maternal grandfather was only 46. Her mom herself was only 31 having had Natalie at 20, and Chloe’s parents were just 32. Yeah, evidently getting married young was a trend in the family, her grandpa and grandma got married at 16 because of her uncle. Shot gun wedding anyone? Chloe on cue started crying. “What did you do you little brat?!” Natalie’s aunt Kayla raised her hand to slap her, but her mom Margot blocked it. Sending her sister-in-law a death stare. “Stop it Kayla! Natalie didn’t do anything!” Margot also looked like a Rogers. She was 5’10, beautiful wavy blonde hair, green eye, and fair skin. At 31 her mom could pass for 25 still. “Chloe is crying!” “That doesn’t mean that Natalie did anything!” Gramps stood and placed a hand on Natalie. And then put himself in the middle. “Enough Kayla! Check your child! She tried to take the gift I gave to Natalie away from her. I admonished her for it. If you actually raised your child instead of spoiling her to this entitlement we’d have a decent Christmas!” Kayla’s face went red. With anger and indignation. Her husband, Gage, Natalie’s blood uncle pulled his wife away and his daughter but gave Natalie a glare. The air was thick with tension. “Sorry Gramps…” Natalie murmured, somehow whenever the adults fought it was always centered around her. “Haaa. Sweetie that wasn’t your fault, some people are entitled and don’t know how to grow up.” He said loud enough for the whole room to hear, and she saw her uncle flinch but not say anything. “Anyway honey that stone.” He tapped the stone and then tapped Natalie’s nose and he smiled. “Is an opal. Not worth a lot back then, but it would be now. I had it made into a necklace for our 20th wedding anniversary. It’s engraved on the back.” Natalie flipped it and it read: “Forever and Always Yours!” “Your Gigi was it for me. I have never tried to find someone else, even though she’s been gone for 5 years now, she will always be it for me. I am giving you this because I know you’ll wear it, cherish it, take care of it.” He knelt down and hugged her. “You young lady are loved. You remind me of your Gigi when she was younger. Never change.” Natalie hugged him back. “Thank you for the clothes and shoes Gramps. I needed new clothes.” He chuckled and then whispered. “I put a ton of gift cards in your stocking as well. Get what you want and anything else you might need. Especially those special hair products, I can’t imagine what you need for those curls.” That made Natalie laugh and so did he, her dimples finally making an appearance, he really did like those dimples. ~Two Weeks Later~ Natalie was back at school, she was in her first year of middle school, and had a small group of friends and was showing her necklace to them. Her Gramps paid for private school, and while Natalie wasn’t the smartest in class she got a B average all on her own, except math. Math was her number one enemy. Chloe came over. Her group of Barbie’s also coming with her. Natalie huffed knowing nothing good could come of this. ‘Maybe mom and Gramps will let me go to public school from now on.’ Wishful thinking but hey a girl could dream. “Give that to me! It was supposed to be mine!” Chloe held out her manicured hand, expecting Natalie to give in. Usually Natalie did, it was easier than to fight, but this necklace Gramps had told her to keep close and to pass on. Natalie looked at her, putting the necklace under her t-shirt. “No Chloe it wasn’t. Gramps told me it was for me not for you. He also told me to tell him if you tried to take it from me.” Natalie stood and crossed her arms. Chloe was literally shaking with anger. “You don’t deserve it! You’re not a true Rogers! My Mommy says you’re tainted blood and when Gramps dies she’s going to make sure you’re thrown away!” The cafeteria got real quiet even the teachers that were meant to supervise went quiet. “I am too a Rogers Chloe. Mom is one, so that makes me one.” “No you’re not! My mom said your daddy f****d your mommy got her pregnant and then ran off! You don’t look like us! You’re just a bastard!” The gasps could be heard, even though Natalie’s ears were ringing. She knew what bastard meant. She also knew that her mom had loved her dad, she just didn’t like to talk about him. “Go away Chloe. You’re not getting the necklace. Oh and I got a lock on my bedroom door, so you won’t be able to steal it either if you come over, and even if you did, I have cameras in my room now.” She didn’t have cameras but it might make her cousin think before stealing any more of her stuff. Three of her gift cards were missing before they left Gramps’s place and when Natalie had said so, Gramps had made Chloe empty her pockets. And what do you know she had take them. She’d gotten in some serious trouble with Gramps, only because uncle Gage and aunt Kayla never punished her. “Shut up!! You’re nothing! You deserve nothing! Anything you have is going to be mine! My mommy said so!” Chloe yelled, and pushed Natalie. Natalie’s anger bubbled over and she smacked her cousin. Hard. A new quiet went through the room. “f**k you Chloe! You spoiled rotten b***h!” The cousins fought. Well Natalie beat her up. Chloe had a black eye by the time the teachers pulled them apart and their parents were called. Natalie had been suspended, as had Chloe, but only because there were cameras in the cafeteria and they had audio. And the words that Chloe had spewed were heard by all. Natalie understood then. Her family wasn’t really her family. Only her mom and Gramps. Everyone else hated her. And they were not shy in letting her know.