by CJ Adler
I sigh cheerfully, content. At least, we came this far. Now it's time to clean up my mess and attempt in making amends with Jay as soon as detention ends.
With a spring to my step at my latest achievement, I walk into the cafeteria in order to clean up the food and graffiti, only to find the place entirely spotless. I glance around in complete gratitude. I was not looking forward to cleaning everything all on my own.
It's then, from the corner of my eye, that I spot Mason, a cloth in his hand, as he rubs the graffiti off of the walls. Confused, I hesitantly approach him, picking up a cloth off the floor as I begin rubbing down the walls with him. He notices my presence but says nothing. “This is surprisingly...” I waver, “…nice of you.”
He shrugs, turning to face me. “Figured I owed you one for all the times I made you miserable.”
“Got that right,” I mutter.
I know I always brush Mason's bullying off, but, truth is, he hurt me back then. It's not easy for me to just get over it, hence only talking about it when someone brings it up.
“Did you clean the entire cafeteria all on your own?” I ask, stunned, trying to change the subject.
“No. I got Bell and some geeks to help out. They left a while ago. I just wanted to stay and finish it off,” he mumbles from beside me, averting his eyes in shame, his mind clearly stuck on what he first said.
With a smile, I drop the cloth from my hands and wrap my arms around Mason's neck, catching him off guard. “Thank you,” I say quietly, stepping back to release him before he can even react.
He chuckles in good nature. “It's no problem. Like I said, I owe you.”
My face falls at his reference to the past. My smile fades, the light leaving my eyes and the energy leaving my body. “Let's not talk about that right now.” Or ever.
I try to walk away, but he catches me by the waist. “Hold up,” he pleads.
I sigh and decide to give him my time of day for all that he's done. “You've got ten seconds, Montry.”
He lets me go and uses his ten seconds wisely. “I'm sorry. I regret doing all those things to you. I never meant for it to get so out of hand. You need to know that I really am, from the bottom of my heart—”
“Pitless soul,” I correct teasingly.
“From the bottom of my pitless soul,” he repeats after me with a hidden smile, “sorry. I'm sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
Chapter 16
Bounce Back
“Here's another tip, young padawan, always borrow money from a pessimist because he will never expect it back,” Uncle Jeffrey jokes.
Hence me borrowing money from Jay Taylor, the biggest pessimist known to mankind.
“A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man,” Jeffster tells another, teaching me in his ways.
Uncle Jeffrey is the brother of my father and the first child of my grandparents. Unlike his little brother, Lars, Jeffster is somewhat sensible. He is nothing like my father. I can actually relate to him. I'd live with him if he didn't travel so much.
I turn to my gramps and send him a wink. “So, that's why Grams is not successful in life?” I tease, only for him to glare daggers at me.
When Jeffster chuckles, Gramps turns his glare onto him next. He's never been a fan of the bond between us as it's virtually unbreakable. We get along so well and Gramps tends to get jealous when we don't pay him enough attention. It gets to the point where he feels so left out that he tries to crack a joke in an attempt to fit in. It's sad really, really sad.
Gramps does exactly as expected—he's just that predictable. He sticks his hand up all too willingly and jumps up and down despite being old and frail. “Oooh! Oooh! I have one!” Gramps yells a little too enthusiastically. “My back!” He shouts soon after, holding his back as he crunches over in pain.
I motion for him to go on, expecting the worst. I've become a pro at feigning a laugh here and there.
“How do you get a sweet little eighty-year-old lady to say a bad word? Get another sweet little eighty-year-old lady to yell 'bingo'!” Gramps throws a fist to the air. “Booyah! That's the real reason why your Grams isn't successful in life, you titfaces!”
I can't help but burst out laughing. For once, it's good. He pulled it off. Even Uncle Jeffrey, master of jokes and pranks, claps for Gramps. It's rather impressive, to say the least, and judging by the way Gramp's eyes brighten, he too is impressed with himself.
My proud impression of Gramps doesn't last long and burns out like a dying flame when I hear a shrill voice roar from behind us.
“Howard!”
You hear her before you see her. The trick is to show no fear. She can sense weakness. She is less afraid of us than we are of her.
Her wrinkly face appears before we are forced to watch her whack Gramps upside the head for his comment. “You vulgar old man! I'm only unsuccessful in life because I married a ninny!”
Relationship goals. Old potato goals. True love at its finest.
It's on that note that I leave.
Uncle Jeffrey follows me out and hands me some cash. “Here we go, kiddo. Get out while you still can,” he advises.
I laugh and take the money out of his hand before hugging him. “Thanks, Jeffster! I really appreciate it.” I can only imagine how it must have been like for Lars and Uncle Jeffrey to grow up with two insane parents. Tough life.
“Don't thank me, kid. I don't want my niece to suffer like I did with those two mad hatters. I hope you now understand why I don't make frequent visits. I'm sorry, kid, but that would be torture.” Uncle Jeffrey laughs in good humor.
To be honest, I hate that I barely ever see him, but I'm grateful that when he is in town, he makes sure to spend most of his time with me.
“But I'll see ya around, kiddo. I'm in Burnsville for the next couple days.
You go hang with your friends for now and let me take care of those two maniacs before one of them ends up in prison for murder. My bets are on Lillian,” he jokes.
Oh yeah…my friends.
I turn back to retrieve Bells and Maggot, but the both of them are already leaving the forsaken house hand-in-hand with a glint of instability and fear in their eyes.
“Aqueela, you should really do something. Your gran just punched your grandad in the face…again,” Bells says slowly, her hand trembling.
I glance up at Uncle Jeffrey pleadingly. He sees me and holds his hands up reassuringly. “On it.” He winks, closing his eyes for a brief moment to gather his thoughts. He opens his eyes again a second later, having summoned up enough courage. I watch as he sucks in a deep breath before entering the house.
“So…you've officially met my grandparents.” I send Bells a sheepish grin.
I have no pity. They both asked for it despite my warnings. Bells insisted on meeting my beloved grandparents from hell. Whatever traumatic mental setbacks they sustain are on them. I had my say and they had theirs. Their say overpowered mine. They must now suffer the consequences of their choice.
“You left us to die in there,” Bells says, still shaken up.
The aftermath is always the worst.
“Every man for himself,” I answer.
“I will never be the same again,” Bell murmurs as she absentmindedly leans back into Mason for support.
He flinches slightly but recomposes himself quickly.
“Well, call us even. You did confess to me that you talked to Jay about how ridiculous my protesting at school got in order to get him to put an end to me and my followers, and an end he did put…to me and my followers,” I remind her, still annoyed with that latest revelation.
“You jumped from entering MMAs to starting a rebellious faction within the school, not to mention that this rebellion was already filled with rebels to begin with, giving new meaning to the word 'rebellion',” Bell points out in a matter-of-fact way, unimpressed.
Usually, a rebellion is tarred with innocent p
eople who turn bad due to their strong belief in the cause. My rebellion started with rebels who turned more rebellious. That's just how I roll.
“Well, I had some spare time on my hands when I quit MMAs, and so I thought, 'hey, why not start a rebellion?'” I tell her, defending myself. “Rise of rebellions, cool right?” I ask with a grin.
Bell scoffs. “That's not the word I'd use to describe it.”
“I can't believe people actually have the same thoughts as you,” Mason mumbles, confused by the number of people who joined my rebellion.
I shrug. “It happens.”
“No.” He shakes his head, disagreeing. “No, it really doesn't.”
“Whatever, Maggot. Let's get out of here already.” I smirk and then glance
Bell's way. “Besides, I'm up for a bubblegum ice cream, and this time, it's on me.”
Thank you, Uncle Jeffrey!
Bell's eyes widen in disbelief. “I'm sorry, on who now?” she asks as if me having money is so unrealistic—then again, I suppose it is.
“The leech has cash on her?” Mason questions aloud, just as skeptical as his girlfriend.
“You both heard me. I'm paying…” I falter, quickly changing tactics as a plot comes to mind, “for Bells only,” I correct myself, a smug smirk on my face as I take in his irritated expression.
Mason shoots me a narrow glare. I grin victoriously and stick my tongue out at him playfully. However, I guess I still owe him a few for getting me out of jail and for saving me from expulsion.
“You're lucky that I'm a nice person,” I say to him, hoping that he won't catch on that I'm only doing this to match the scores.
He snorts before walking on ahead of me. “Yeah right.”
***
“This is heavenly,” I say placidly as I delve into my ice cream while sitting at the table nearest to the window.
Bells and Mason choose to ignore my comment, used to my random outbursts of joy when devouring bubblegum ice cream.
“So are you, babe,” I hear an annoying voice, one that unfortunately proves to be impossible to forget, from beside me.
My eyes snap open at being torn away from fantasies. I glance down toward the chubby life form in anger. “What the hell do you want, Blubber?”
“Nothing, smexy thing. Just dropped by to sweet talk you into buying me ice cream,” he retorts confidently, Mason snickering in the background, adding to my infuriation.
Bell, on the other, blatantly bursts out laughing, not bothering to cover it
up. “Woah. You weren't kidding when we met this kid. He really was harassing you.”
“Told you so!” I reply, raising my voice as if to get it through to her.
My mood always dampens at the mere sight of Pork Chop.
Blubber glances around the table as if looking for someone before his eyes raise back up to mine. “Where's Cool Guy Jay at?”
I raise a hesitant eyebrow. “Cool Guy Jay?” I repeat, bewildered.
What angle is he playing at?
“You know…tall, brown hair, same eye color as your ice cream, fit chap, the good-looking fellow that you are usually drooling over with your big, googly eyes,” he blurts out much to Bell's growing amusement.
Mason falls silent at the mention of Jay.
“Since when do you know JT?” I ask, confused. Last time I checked, Jay wasn't friends with Simo or Blubber.
“Since like always, duh,” he replies in a matter-of-fact way as if he's known Jay for years. “The dude is my idol. He helped me top you. He took you right off the winning customer list as revenge for all his jackets. It's why your photo was removed and placed second, after mine,” he informs me with a smug smirk on his round face.
“Impressive.” Bells nods, pursing her lips in thought, also wondering how
Jay managed to pull it off without me finding out.
Blubber, as if able to read our thoughts, answers the questions passing through our minds. “He uses brute yet strategic force. The guy is my hero. He befriended Dylan and went from there.”
“I knew Jay was behind it! I just knew it!” I grumble aloud, still frustrated that Blubber took my place as number one customer. I'm not over it yet. I deserve to be on top. I worked hard to be there. I ate hard to be there.
“Where is he?” Blubber repeats as if I should automatically know. “He is almost always where you are. Or you are always where he is. Whatever.”
“He's angry at me because I took a slam on his job,” I confess, feeling guilty as I remember back to the way he reacted. I tried to apologize again, but he refused to listen or be reasoned with.
“Oh great!” Blubber chortles in sarcasm, clapping his hands in irritation. “Thanks a lot! Whenever Jay is mad at you, he becomes distant and grumpy. You just love ruining lives, don't you, you psycho, twisted Shih Tzu!” He barks at me before waltzing off, genuinely furious.
“Excuse me,” Bell suddenly says as she stands up. I watch her walk over to 'manager dude' for some small talk, the two of them being close. However, I know her well enough to know that she's really there to talk me up in front of him.
I glance back to where Blubber was standing to find that he's now ordering another ice cream. I narrow my eyes when he laughs along with Simo. He seems to be in a more chipper mood already. He's a total drama king.
Blubber eventually notices me staring and immediately stops laughing. When Simo continues to laugh, Blubber hastily explains something to him. Simo instantly stops, his laughter fading as a frown morphs onto his features, that frown being solely directed at me.
It's then that I realize I must have really offended Jay. If Simo is frowning at me, then it's bad. I need to fix my mess before Simo does something horrendous, like deliberately putting sprinkles on my ice cream. I wouldn't put it past Blubber to try something too. He is pure evil chubbiness.
Someone clears their throat. I'm reminded that I'm not sitting alone. I have been left with my archnemesis , Mason Montry, my only nemesis who hasn't paired up against me with Jay Taylor . That 's what you call a true archnemesis . He is a worthy adversary.
My gaze snaps back to the quarterback before me. I break the tense air with a simple nod. “Sup, Mase.”
“Leech,” he retorts, unfazed. “Maggot.” I glare at him, in turn.
“Demon child,” he replies back in smoothness.
“Spawn of Satan.” I glower at him, finding his insults to be completely unnecessary.
“Satan in the flesh.” He grins wickedly as he leans forward across the table, closer to me.
“Hello, son.” I laugh sinisterly, winning this round. Things are finally getting back to normal ever since he apologized last week. We are back to being frenemies.
Mason smiles widely and averts his brown eyes to the table. “I've missed this, Aqueela,” he confesses softly, taking me by surprise.
Despite being caught off guard, I can't help but smile at the sincerity in his voice. “So have I,” I admit.
His eyes snap back to mine, unbelieving that I just said what I said. His eyes brighten as he opens his mouth to say something, but just as he does, Bells returns, taking her seat once again. She turns to face me. “What I miss?”
Mase falls silent.
I take the liberty to answer Bell's question myself because, clearly, her boyfriend has gone mute. “Well, your dream has just come true, Bells, because for the first time in all of history, your boyfriend and your best friend are getting along.”
Bell glances from Mason to me, wide-eyed and smiling. “Really?”
I hesitantly nod, waiting for the eruption.
She breaks out into a squeal, gushing over the fact like a maniac, before forcing us all into a group hug, squashing all of our faces together. “I'm so fricken happy right now! This is amazing!”
“Good,” I mumble against Mason's shoulder and Bell's cheek. “Consider it an early birthday present for next year 'cause I'm all out of cash and creativity.”
Bell laughs at this and releases
Mason and me so that we can breathe again and regain consciousness. Before I can say anything else on the topic, the subject has already been changed. “So, I spoke to Dylan and—”
“Who's Dylan?” I cut Bells off, puzzled.
She gives me an incredulous look as she points to sexy, hot manager dude.
“You've spoken to him so many times but you didn't even know his name?” I shrug carelessly. “Sue me.”
The loser gave my place to Blubber. He's dead to me.
“Anyway…” she gives me another look before proceeding, “I told Dylan to give you another shot. I said that you lost his number and so gave yours to him instead. He's expecting a date from you. He'll be calling—”
I don't let Bell finish as I begin banging my head on the table. “No. No. No. Why?” I grumble aloud as I hit my head each time. I didn't lose his number; I purposely tore it to pieces. Bella Bensten is next.
Mason pushes me back upright. “Stop it,” he reprimands. “You'll hurt yourself.”
I ignore him and scowl at Bells instead.
She shrugs innocently. “I'm Cupid, stupid.”
“And I'm killing Cupid, stupid.”
***
I don't quite know how I got here, actually, I do. I walked here, imagine that. I'm currently standing right outside the only place where I know Jay will be during late afternoons. I need to fix what I royally screwed up.
I watch from just outside the window. I watch as he provides entertainment. I watch as he juggles shot glasses for the girls before him before pouring shots for each of them. I watch as they giggle and make flirtatious remarks. I watch Jay not care.
Jay's more focused on making their drinks than paying any attention to them. His blue eyes glimmer underneath the lights and I find myself sinking deeper into the pit of guilt.
A brunette approaches him. She smiles up at him, batting her eyelashes at him. Either he doesn't see it or he refuses to acknowledge it. I'm going with the latter.
I see more than bystanders see. I see Jay for who he really is. I see his heart. I suck in a sharp breath before entering through the bar doors. It's now or never.