"Thanks for the ice cream." I smiled as we got to my house.
"You're welcome." He had his hands in his pockets. "Although you should have told me you wanted to eat a whole drum instead of ordering little scoops till I couldn't count anymore."
"I only took seven. Okay that's way too much." I laughed and then it got silent. "Um, isn't this the part where we hug?" I said that without thinking. Immediately I thought of what I'd said, I wished I could take it back. Well, it was too late.
He grabbed my arm and pulled me into a bone crushing hug while I stood with my hands at my side for about five seconds and them I wrapped it around his neck.
A very annoying clearing of throat brought our short hug to a stop. I didn't need to turn around to see who it was. I just whispered goodnight to Cameron and stood till he disappeared down the road. That was a long time because he kept on stopping and turning to wave me goodbye. I finally turned around and -you guessed it- Eunice was still standing by the door.
"Where as you coming from?" She folded her arms across her chest and looked me dead in the eye as if to scare me.
"I went out with a friend."
"A friend? She has the guts to tell me she went out with a friend." She said to no one in particular. Except we regard the long-overdue-for-a-trim-flower she was currently facing, a person. "What is a young girl of seventeen doing "out" with a boy?"
"Definitely not what Laney did at seventeen that landed her in the hospital." I knew it hit her hard because her expression suddenly changed and she took a much longer time to reply.
Well, when I said reply, I didn't expect the kind of reply I got. I expected something verbal. If I didn't still feel the sting on my cheek, I would have thought I dreamed it.
"You slapped me?" I stated the obvious. Or in this case, asked. I don't know why I did that. Maybe because it sounded cool when I saw people in movies do it.
"Get out of my sight!" She screamed and no one told me to obey else I receive yet another slap.
Walking to my room, the laughs from Hailey and Laney's room didn't go unnoticed. Something made me stop and listen to what they were saying.
"I thought she'd get a bigger ass whooping" Laney laughed and Hailey followed suit.
"Did you see her-" she paused and laughed. "Her,her face?"
If I was still having doubts about them, this was more than enough confirmation that they were pretending.
"I don't understand what that Eric's cousin sees in her anyway."
"He's cute tho." I could imagine Hailey blushing. "But I prefer Almond. Why do these guys like her though?"
"Beats me."
I was done listening to them. I had bigger things to do like take care of the stinging sensation on my face before it left a mark.
My phone didn't let me get to the door when it started buzzing in my bag. I used one hand to push the door open while the other searched for the phone.
I had seven missed calls from Almond and I didn't hear one of them ring.
"Hello"
"Miss, it's been a long time since I heard from you." He greeted back.
"Yeah. It's been a busy week." I sighed and pulled off my shoes. I set them on the rack and then flung my bag on the bed.
"Hold on. Let's face time." He said and hung up.
The first thing I did was rush to the bathroom to look at my face. Shit! Two finger marks were already beginning to show on my face and Almond wanted to face time. He didn't even give me time to think of a solution when he called again. I reluctantly swiped right and waited for his face to pop up.
"Are you just coming back from a photoshoot?" Was what came out of my mouth when I saw his face. His hair looked sleek like those in a men's conditioner advert and what was it with those lilac contact lens?
"Yeah. Kinda." He ran his hand through his hair. "So what have you been up to?"
"School; exams. Plus I'm back to my old house." I rolled my eyes.
"You're shitting me!" He exclaimed. "Why would you go back?".
"I had to." I went on to explain aunt Marie's career project and her sudden move.
"Oh! I get it now. Well, are you up for some fresh air?" He winked at me.
"I don't understand."
"Just say yes and I'll explain to you."
"Okay."
"Say it."
"Yes." I said and he hung up.
Minutes passed and I'd already applied ice to my cheek and a spot removing cream but no calls or text from almond. It was getting darker -no, brighter. Judging by the lustrousness of the moon.- and I was getting tired.
Just as was about getting into bed, I had a knock on my door. I chose to ignore it of course but the intruder wouldn't take snub for an answer. Eunice pushed the door open and walked in like she owned the place.
"It's a good thing you're awake. I got a call from a friend, she lost her husband so my children and I will be going to see her. We won't be coming back this night."
"Um, okay." I said. Wondering why she was telling me.
"Is there any place you could hang out for the night because I want to personally lock up the house?"
"What? Why?
"Because I said so. Okay." She clapped her hands. "I'm going now. Take your time and make your choice. Leave or stay locked up." She made a sound that sounded like a laugh and left the room. What was all that?
I rolled over in bed, thinking about what she'd just said. A friend of hers. Why couldn't she just leave the keys with me?
"Bye!" I heard her shout and then heard the door lock shut.
As fast as I could, I raced down the stairs and yes, she'd locked me in. Alone. It was useless to shout or cry so I just slumped down beside the door and thought of my next move.
"Psst. Hey!" Someone knocked on the window I was squatting under.
I slowly stood up to see who it was. "Almond?!"
"Surprise!" He smiled at me from the other side of the wall.
"How did you know where I live?" I asked as I opened the window.
"Um, I might or might not have tracked your phone." He scratched his head which was still sleek.
"You did what?"
"Chill. I didn't mean it to be creepy or something."
"Wait a minute! How did you know I was going to be alone? You can't say lucky guess."
He let out a sigh. "Hailey has a crush on me, I know. She told me they were going out and won't be returning till tomorrow. I asked of you and she laughed and said you were locked in."
"Really." I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah." He looked around uneasily. "So are you still up for some fresh air?"
I looked around me. The chairs seemed to be screaming 'go' and fan began to blow hot air. Or was it just me?
"Yes."
"Great. And good thing Hailey told me about the back window."
"What back window?"
"Upstairs, the storage room. I think that's where she said has no burglarproof."
"Hold on. You're expecting me to jump from a window?"
"I promise you KitKat."
"Okay."
Just like that, I was lowering myself from the window.
"You can jump down, I'll catch you." I heard him say.
Okay. Here goes... Three... Two.. One. And I landed on the grass.
"Why didn't you catch me?" I frowned as I dusted myself while he stood there laughing. "Never mind. Where are we going?"
"Somewhere." He smiled.
That somewhere turned out to be someone's backyard.
"Please tell me this is your house." I shook as he made his way up the stairs to what I guessed was a treehouse. I stopped at the foot of the tree to scan our environment. The large house in the middle of the yard was eerily silent and no lights were on. Thanks to the moonlight, I could see something like a child's bicycle lying on the fence close to the tree I stood by.
"Climb up." He ordered from the top of the tree and I obeyed.
"OMGeeee!! Who built this place?" I stared in awe.
"I don't know. I just maintain it."
It didn't just look like any treehouse, it looked like one straight out of that Tarzan movie only modernized. I mean, a tree house with glass doors.
Inside was even more magnificent. There was an 18' TV showing keeping up with the kadarshians -remind me to change that later- and a mini fridge at one corner. There were no chairs but most of the space was occupied by a large -I would say king sized- bed with lots of pillows, both large and small. On the floor, just beneath the TV was a game console and two control pads. I'm guessing boys came up here to play FIFA.
"Like what you see?" Almond came up behind me.
"When you said fresh air, I wasn't expecting this." I confessed just as his finger traced my exposed shoulder making me shiver. "So, should we play FIFA?" I bent to pick one of the pads.
"You play?" His eyes lit up in surprise. I nodded. "Well, not today." He smirked and took the pad from my hand. "Would you like anything to drink?"
"Anything not vodka or Smirnoff or anything alcoholic at all."
"Hmm. Okay." He walked over to the mini fridge and brought out a bottle. He poured the content into two wine glasses and offered me one. I lowered my head and took one sip and it tasted like grapes so I took the glass from his hand. "So how's life with the evil queen?"
"Miserable. I haven't been there for two whole days and I already feel like dying." I took a sip. "How did you know Hailey?" I've been dying to know the answer to that question.
"Stalker. I think she found me through your page. I didn't recognise who she was at first till she mentioned you. Any problem?"
"No." And then there was a problem. It started out lightly but I felt it. "Almond?"
"Hmm" he replied nonchalantly.
"Stop it."
"What?" He smiled and cupped my face. "You're beautiful."
Just that simple sentence made me smile sheepishly and forget what I wanted to say. Even when his mouth came down on mine, I didn't object. I allowed it. Welcomed it. And then his hands began to move.
Something kept telling me this was wrong but his lips on mine wouldn't let me listen. I could feel his hands creep under my shirt but I did nothing to stop it even when the girl in my head kept screaming stop. I was confused. My head kept screaming stop but my body was urging him to continue.
I don't know how but somewhere along the line he'd lowered me flat on my back on the bed and my body did nothing in protest. My greedy tongue just continued battling with his while his hands explored.
"Cameron."
He stopped.
I came back to my senses.
"Why the fuck did you call his name?" He shouted and pulled out his hands. From the waistband of my jeans? Was I going to allow him do that if I hadn't moaned the wrong name?
"I don't know." I sat up. And then slapped him. "What was all that for?" I adjusted my top and moved to the edge of the bed.
"Testing your limits" he smirked. "I'm sorry. I know you're not that kind of girl but I just wanted"
"Wanted what? I'm not that kind of girl. Period." But you almost let him. Shut up.
"I'm really sorry. I swear I would have stopped if you had said so. "
"But I did say so."
"You didn't mean it."
Was he right?
"I'm no more comfortable here." I confessed.
"And I'm truly sorry about that. How about we play FIFA 18? I promise no more advances."
I thought for a while. I couldn't go back home alone. So I nodded my head instead."I pick Barcelona" I picked the first pad.
"Messi. Really?"
"I only called the club."
"I'm going with PSG." He connected the wires.
"Now look who worships 'neymar the falling'"
"That was a trick to get a penalty."
"Didn't work." I stuck out my tongue.
The rest of the night was spent playing different games and he won only three out of them. The rest he claimed he let me win. Thankfully, he respected me and didn't make any more advances but I couldn't help but wonder why I had called out Cameron's name.
It's that time of the semester again. EXAMS!!! It's only due to a certain strike action that I was able to make out time to write this. I don't know when my next would be and I hope you bear with me.
Random fact: I actually knew someone in highschool who had a birthmark that looked like someone had given him a hard slap on the right cheek.
Ahem! Someone's having ideas for a new book which means few more chapters till the end of this book.