It's as Complicated as

1.1

One. 2

Two. 3

Three. 4

The first numbers anyone ever learns. The easiest, the most used, the only ones I can say in four languages. The only numbers can earn you a medal, since honorable mention is a crap award that was made up to soften the blow of losing. Three is a good number. Two’s a little sketchy. Because when you think about it, two is two ones, together. But what if something happens to one of the ones? Then ones all alone, and there’s no fun or point in that. Four is stable I guess, but if you think about it it’s a little off. Because if you’ve gone to kindergarten, you know that two plus two equals four. Four is two twos pretending to be one thing. And that just brings us back to the original problem. It’s too easy to divide four, too easily broken to feel safe. Five doesn’t have that problem, but by the time you get to five you can round to ten (if you went to first grade anyways.) But three seems too compact to split up. Three is bound together, three ones intertwined so tightly that pliers would be needed to beak them apart. There’s definitely a reason that three is the magic number. 5

2.6

“Mom, please change the radio station.”7

“Noo, it’s Miley Cyrus! I never get to hear her, Claire!”8

“Claire, let your sister listen to the song.”9

God, I forgot how excruciating these car rides with Claire and her family can be. Too bad her dad is tied up and his job and can’t be in this fun ride. Not that Claire is annoying or anything, but she and her sister Mallory go a t it nonstop. They make me glad for the music in my car with my dad and my mom. 10

“Aymi, I’m sorry we can’t listen to good music since my sister insists on listening to mass produced crap. ”11

“Claire.” A glare from the rearview mirror from Mrs. Montgomery. 12

Claire rolls her eyes, “What, mom? That’s the nicest thing I can say about this song.”13

“Claire, I love Miley Cyrus.” Claire rolls her eyes at Mallory. I should probably chime in around now. 14

“So, Mallory, how’s ballet going?”15

“It’s great, Ay-mi. I just learned how to do a spinny thing and…”16

Good, a nice, safe topic. I should probably pay attention to what she’s saying, though. 17

“God, Mallory, why don’t you just shut it? You look like a flightless bird when you try to dance.”18

Or not. I should’ve known not to count on Claire in a mood like this. 19

“Claire-” Mallory half whimpers. Oh no. She’s crying. Dang dang dang what should I do? Mrs. Montgomery pulls off the road and into the parking lot of a McDonalds. Apparently she knows what to do. 20

“Aymi, sweetie, can you take Mallory in for a milkshake? ”21

Mallory rubs her eyes. “Mommy, could I have M&Ms in it?”22

Whoa there. Way to milk it, Mallory. She’s smarter then I thought. Or sad. Jeez, I need to work on being a more positive person. Mrs. Montgomery pulls out her wallet and takes out a ten. 23

“Sure, sweetie. And Aymi, get yourself one two. Claire and I need a little talk. ”24

I don’t drink stuff like milkshakes, but I take the ten. Claire is probably going to need a morale booster. I take Mallory’s hand and steer her to the McDonalds. 25

3.26

Everyone has pain, everyone has sadness. Sometimes, it’s easier to deal with then other times. If you were dumped in a local coffeehouse by your boyfriend of two moths, you can throw out all your pictures of him and never go in the store again. But if your boyfriend who you pictured forever with dumps you in a Starbucks, you have to delete texts, emails, pictures, and you’ll have to rub your eyes whenever you go pasty a Starbucks. Sometimes, though, your pain isn’t all your own. No one can read minds, no one knows what anyone else is thinking. So for years, when I thought that me, Aymi was screwed up beyond repair, I never knew what was really happening. I never knew that to some people, three is a cursed number, that awkward and shouty car rides should have been my fate. I never thought that my parents wanted anything else. Sure, our family had fights but doesn’t everyone? I never knew why my mom would cry and why my dad would be quiet. Sometimes people wonder why I can be uptight, why laid back Aymi can freak over a dusty table, an extra eaten cookie or a low grade. But out of all the chances, all the hopes my parents had I’m the only me, I’m the only Aymi. I’m the only one they have. 27