I'm a boring person, I have boring brown eyes, and boring brown hair. I have a boring name, and a boring life. I live in a boring town, nothing happens here and nothing is ever going to happen.

My name is Natalia Smith, but my entire family calls me Alia. And I live in a house of guys. Well, except for when my Grandma visits. My Mom died in a car crash, so it's only be me, my my three brothers, and my dad since then. I have an older brother named Blake, a twin brother named Charlie, and a younger brother named Jack. Blake and Jack both have light green eyes with amber flecks, and Charlie has amber eyes. We all have brown hair, the shades varying from person to person, but I'm the only one with brown eyes. I'm the only one who's boring.

"Alia! Do you want to go to the Park with me and Blake and Charlie?" Jack asked me, his light green eyes wide and pleading.

"Sorry Jackie, but I'm going to stay here, maybe go hang out by the river," I told the nine year old boy.

Disappointment filled his gaze, and a twinge of guilt wormed it's way into me.

"Okay," He said softly and walked out of the room.

I'm pretty much an outsider in my own family. I'm not very good at sports and I'm not very interested in the things that they are. But I notice things, I notice the small things that not many people notice. I also like to piece facts together, I was thinking of being a Forensic Scientist when I grow up. I can tell my Dad is trying his best to support me with my interests, but he doesn't have any interest in science, all he knows is sports and fixing broken things. He can fix almost everything, except the hole that was left in all of our hearts when Mom died.

When Mom died, it felt like my entire world was smashed into pieces. I can't even describe the full feeling, because it's a feeling that you only get when someone that you loved dies. And yeah, I reacted like any normal kid would when you were told that you're Mom was dead. I cried, and I cried, and I cried. I tried to stop myself from crying and be strong, but the tears kept flowing. I knew that I would never see her again, I knew that I would never hear her voice telling me a story, or feel her hand slip into mine. I would never feel her arms around me after someone was mean or told me I was ugly. I could never go to her after my brothers were being mean. It's funny how life can gift you with such a perfect mother and then take her away. One minute she's here, and the next she's gone. My Mom was the one who would always help me with science. She was always proud of me, even if I felt different from my brothers. Because she was a scientist. But when she died, I had no one to help me with Science. When she died I felt lost, and I couldn't find my way through the labyrinth that we call life. I wanted her to hold her hand out to me and guide me. But I didn't have that hand to guide me. On our first Christmas without Mom, I remember writing to Santa asking for my Mother, it was the only thing I wanted that year., and the next, and the next. And when Spring came around, my Grandma showed me a willow tree by a lake. And that special place is where my Mom used to go to think. And now I go there as well.

And right now, I really needed to think, I needed to feel close to my Mom. So I slipped on my worn pair of converse and a hoodie before walking outside.

It was a late spring, the sun lighting up everything my eyes could see. And the sky was a soft blue. There were wisps of white in the sky, and the trees were blossoming like cake frosting on the trees in beautiful cream and pinks. The petals burst out from the bottoms of the branches and started to form the familiar soft pink hearts that I knew so well. The grass had gained its staining green color and a warm breeze completed the picture. My Mom's old garden was starting to bloom. For as long as I could remember, I would always help her with the garden. I would help dig the holes for the seeds and sprinkle the cool clear water onto the bed of dirt.

I slowly walked to the stream breathing in the scent of spring. When I got to the river I sat on a large rock and took off my shoes and socks. I dipped my toes into the frigid water and cast my gaze on the stream. The bottom had smooth pebbles that were all different colors; twigs and leaves twirled on its surface and danced to a rhythm only nature could bring.

The brooding mountains stood silently in the background casting a mystical presence on the surrounding sky. A carpet of angel-white snow covered their lofty peaks. And a weeping waterfall poured from a the majestic mountains. The distant sound of drums was heard from the waterfall as it seeped and snaked smoothing through the valley and past all obstacles. The waterfall poured into a brook that split into many streams, one of them traveling all the way over here. The waterfall was glinting brightly, as it fed the river. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

My gaze returned to the swirling stream in front of me. The watery grace of the river seemed magical to me at that moment. The sweet perfume of the forest drifted to my nose as I drank in all the beauty of this spot. Birds sang and the river seemed to dance with the song. This was the music of nature, the song that the inhabitants of this earth have been singing for centuries.

I let my mind drift around like the clouds in the sky. Nature is interesting, everyday you see something different. Everyday the clouds are in a different pattern, and everyday nature grows a little more. Everyday plants grow a little more, more flowers bloom, and the rocks in the river shift. The waters of change flow throughout the world.

So basically the opposite of me. All the colors change and everything is just so unique. I stared at my reflection in the glistening water when my eyes caught sight of a glittering object in the water. I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what the foreign object was. When I couldn't figure out what that's glinting in the stream was I stood up.

I rolled up my black leggings and waded into the stream. Cold water is honestly the best thief of heat I know. The river at my feet didn't look cold, it just looked beautiful, yet my blood is almost frozen in my veins. Before I even got halfway to the shining object, my skin is rough with goosebumps. The water surges around my skin, rising up my leg on one side,and then on the other. The weight of the water is almost enough to topple me, the current enough to take me far downstream. I hope that my muscles don't give out on me at this low temperature. Crossing a river that is filled to the brim with such cold water is hard you have to be fast enough not catch hypothermia and steady enough not to fall.

How stupid was I to actually wade into a feeling cold river. This is the water from the mountains, it's melted ice and snow! Of course it's cold! But I continued till I saw the object, It looked like a broken pocket watch, and I felt drawn to it. Like it was calling to me. It was nestled in a little crevice, and it didn't look too deep, I could probably just pluck it right out of the water. I have no idea why I had the drive to get this pocket watch so bad, but I did what I always do. I followed my instincts.

I rolled up the sleeves of my hoodie, praying that it wouldn't get wet, I really like this hoodie. I leaned forward and plunged my arm into the crystal clear water. Do you know how streams and rivers are always deeper than they look? If you do, then you might realize that I now have a little problem. Instead of just plucking the pocket watch out of the river, my entire arm was submerged. My hoodie got wet, but at this point I wasn't going to back out and scream. I leant forward a little more and my fingertips brushed the cool metal of the pocket watch.

My entire body tingled and I was entranced by the cold metal. Parts of it were broken off and I hissed as I cut my finger on one of the sharp edges. Scarlet blood started to leak out of my paling skin and I pulled the pocket watch into my hand. I stood up quickly, hoping to get out of the water soon. Touching the pocket watch for the first time made me forget about the cold, it made all my racing thoughts slow, and it made me feel peaceful and safe. It made me feel special like it was meant for me. But that's stupid isn't it, it's just a broken pocket watch and I'm a girl who just wants to be special.

But because I stood up way too fast, I slipped on a stone and fell into the water with a large splash. Coldness immediately surrounded me and it pierced through my skin like needles. The current started to drag me along the river bed. I fought against the current and failed. At least I now can say that I fought against a river and lost! Wow, that's kinda sad, no wonder why I'm a disappointment. I tightened my grip on the pocket watch and fought even harder. My teeth were chattering as fast as a motor and I thrashed around in the river. Fear flooded through my body and thoughts raced through my head as fast as the river that was carrying me away. I accidentally inhaled water and suddenly the air wasn't a resource anymore. Panic soon overtook all of my senses and I felt like death was knocking on my front door. With a huge push, I managed to reach the grassy banks of the river and heave myself out of the river. I laid on the grass panting and coughing up the river. Air started to replace the water in my lungs and it tasted sweet on the tip of my tongue. I never thought that I would appreciate air as much as I did now.

I sat up looking at the swirling river before me. On the surface, it appears so calm and graceful. But once you get under the surface, it's just an icy torrent. The water whips around, swirling with emotion. Beneath the surface, the river is just like a person. It can put on a smile, or a facade to trick the outside world. But once you plunge beneath the surface you will find a whole new world, something you wouldn't have ever known unless you dig deeper.

The river is just like any person, the river is like me.

I sat in the sun, trying to capture the rays of warmth that it gave up, but to no avail. The cold was stealing the heat from me, I was too slow. I heaved myself up and started to walk home. My teeth chattered and I was numb. When I got to my lawn, I saw my brothers playing catch with a football.

"Hey, Alia! Want to-" Jack began to ask but then fell silent when he saw me.

"Decided to go for a swim?" Blake asked a smirk crawling onto his face.

I shivered and he started to laugh.

"Alia, you're a mess!" He exclaimed, "You look like a wet dog right now!"

Isn't he the most loving older brother?

"Wow, thanks for offering to get me a towel," I said dryly.

They got the hint and Jack ran to get me towels. When he got back, he had an armful of fluffy white towels. I quickly snatched one up and surrounded myself in its warm embrace.

"Come on Sis, let's get you all dried up," Charlie said guiding me inside.

They made me a cup of hot chocolate and put in three mini marshmallows.

"One for each brother" as they said.

After drinking the hot chocolate I felt a bit better. I had taken a warm shower and changed into warm and most importantly DRY clothes. And after I was all dry, we all cuddled up to watch a movie.

While my brothers can be the most annoying people on the planet. We all care for each other, and we will for the rest of our lives.

I love my family