Pause

by CJ Adler

  “Oh, nothing,” I reply, distracted, quickly changing the subject. “So, its the weekend and we should do something fun because I don't know about you, but I'm bored out of my skull.”

  Maybe I can still get out of this if I play my cards right.

  “Aqueela,” he says flatly, “you gotta face this. Trust me, running from your problems gets you nowhere. Fix up the second you realize that you've messed up.”

  “I can't,” I say helplessly.

  He gives me a push. “The Aqueela I met in that store months ago was feisty and determined. What happened to that girl? The Aqueela I knew then would have marched right back up to that front porch, knocked on that door until her knuckles bled and then barged right in anyway.”

  Our agreement was only for a month. He's lasted longer than I thought he would. He's still here, and he knows me well.

  I give a lighthearted smile, agreeing with him. “True.”

  The more he continues to lecture me, the more I zone out, and the more I zone out, the more it becomes clear to me that Jay is wrong . I'm still me and I'm still right here. Nothing has changed.

  So, well he continues his lengthy rant, I, being ever so polite, shove him out of my way and march right back up to the front porch. I begin to ring the buzzer and knock repetitively on the door until Troy has no option but to open again.

  “New visitor!” He slams open the door wide in excitement, barely missing my face.

  I cough. “Not quite.”

  His face drops when he sees that it's still me. “To what do you owe me the pleasure?”

  “Move!” I demand at the top of my lungs.

  He folds his arms across his chest stubbornly, blocking my path. “I don't think so, Squirt.”

  “Well, I do!” I raise my tone in frustration, forcefully pushing him out of my way as I barge into the house. Troy all but loses his balance, stumbling backward, allowing Jay's entrance too. “Ah,” I breathe out in relief, collecting myself. “There we go.”

  I turn back to find Troy giving me the lethal I'm-going to-kill-you stare. I take my chances and rush up the stairs, Troy following suit. I let out a squeal when he catches up to me and grabs a hold of my upper arm, failing to stop me.

  I kick him in the stomach in response. He lets out an oomph before collapsing on the stairs, wheezing like a beached whale. Still, it doesn't stop him from crawling up the stairs after me, grabbing ahold of my ankle as if to trip me.

  “Let. Go!” I hiss at him, kicking again, feeling more than satisfied when I see him roll down the stairs in pain.

  “I will not be stopped!” Troy shouts from the bottom of the stairs, still on the floor, as Jay begins to drag him away, giving me the time I need to make amends.

  I sprint into Bell's room, only to find her snuggled deeply in all her blankets. There's an empty tub of Ben & Jerry's on the floor, that being her guilty pleasure.

  I shake my head, annoyed. I didn't ask for any of this. It's not like I control Mason. I mean, I could, being all-powerful and everything, but I make the choice not to, every single day of my life. Give me some credit. I'm the good guy here.

  “Bells…” I start weakly, trailing off, at a loss for words.

  “Go away, Aqueela,” she murmurs hoarsely, taking it out on me.

  I don't listen to her as I plop down onto the bed, pulling her into a hug.

  “I'm so sorry for how things turned out. I never meant to get involved—”

  Bells cuts me off with a blunt remark, “I understand that he tried to kiss you and that you pushed him away. I understand that you never wanted him to kiss you and that you never wanted me to get hurt. I get that. What I don't get is why you look at him the way you do. So be straight with me, do you have feelings for him?”

  I fall silent in anger. I can't believe she has to even ask me that.

  “Get out.”

  “What?” I ask abruptly, hoping that I somehow heard wrong.

  “Get out,” she commands, animosity in her voice. “Now!” With that tone, there's no need to tell me twice.

  ***

  “Why do you have to drag all of us into this?” Max asks, failing to sound irritable. Who's he kidding? He is the most joyous from all of us. I admire his heart.

  I don't answer and merely continue on with my brilliant plan.

  “Got anything?” Max looks to Jay for an answer instead, realizing that he won't get anywhere with me.

  Jay shrugs, leaning against the wall of his lounge as he stares upon the ultimate team, the team that I gathered, better said, the only people I know, ranging from 'Blubber the Great' to 'Simo the Semi-tolerant, and, of course, I had to throw Max into the mix too.

  “I still don't get why you called me. I barely know you.”

  Oh, and Grey, Jay's 'acquaintance'.

  “She didn't even tell me what's up. One second my house is empty and the next it's flooded with people,” Jay replies back in nonchalance as if he couldn't care less. I suppose he really couldn't.

  Grey argues, finding Jay's defense to be weak, “Yeah, but you're the one with her. I have no obligation—”

  “Grey.” Jay gives him a look, signifying the importance of shutting up when told. “She's just progressed to 'friend' status, don't make me knock her back down to 'enemy'.”

  I'll kill Grey if he makes that happen. I will kill him!

  I begin to explain, “As I was not saying, I have gathered you all here today on this fine evening—”

  “It's five in the morning,” Grey cuts in, checking the time on his cell phone. “I'm tired, irritable, and still don't know why the hell I have to be here.”

  “Because I said so!” I huff, frustrated with his constant interruptions. “If I ever gave you the impression that you have a choice or that I care, then I'm sincerely sorry,” I tell him, ignoring his glare of anger directed at me. I brush the grump off. “Anyway, as I was saying—”

  “Oooh, oooh, question! Question!” Max interrupts excitedly like a toddler on crack.

  This better be good or he dies too.

  I roll my eyes at his childishness. “What now?”

  “Who is he?” Max asks and points at the familiar frown-faced man, the very same frowning man who served me when I went out with Dylan, the very same waiter who quit on me.

  I made it my mission to seek him. I found him and apologized. Caught off guard, he apologized too, telling me that his girlfriend dumped him. After some brief small talk, I got the guy smiling again with my spectacular charm. Next thing he knows, bam slam! He's Aqueela's new friend and a good asset to the team, unlike

  Max!

  “His name is Benley,” I answer, impatient. “And he's my new pal. Now, shut it, Max,” I explain, ignoring everyone's confused glances. They might as well talk to each other and get to know one another because we have a long mission ahead of us. “So, the plan goes down like this—”

  “Let me just get this straight, this plan is for your hot chica friend no?”

  Blubber is the one to interrupt this time.

  “No, actually I believe she called it operation 'Bring Bells Back' or some junk like that,” Benley corrects in a calmer manner than when we first met. “Banging alliteration in the op's name, by the way.” He grins at me. “Love it.”

  I don't really blame Benley for quitting on me. I mean, other than his girlfriend dumping him, he still had to deal with a wacko customer—I would have felt the same if I had to serve Dylan. Speaking of Dylan, he might be a little annoyed when he finds out that I stole Simo from him.

  “Okay, so everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing, correct?” I ask.

  Everyone shakes their heads in response.

  My eyes widen in shock. “What! Why? I explained it like a billion times.”

  “A billion times too little apparently,” Max states cheekily. “Oh, and by the way, who is he?” He motions to the filthy peasant beside me.

  I shrug, clueless.

  Max pulls a face, stunned. “How can you not
know who he is?!”

  “He lives in a cardboard box beneath the local bridge. He started following me, so I started chatting with him. Apparently, his name is Oog,” I reply just as Oog grins at them with his yellow teeth. “He's agreed to watch Jay's house while we're out,” I tell the group.

  Jay's head snaps to mine in fury. “The hell he is!” He raises his voice, unaware that he's offending Oog in the process. “I'm sorry, Aqueela, but I'm not having some hobo watch my house.”

  “Jay,” I reprimand him, motioning down to Oog, “have some respect. It has feelings too! How on earth will you get along with him when you adopt him?”

  Grey backs Jay up, despite the lie that they're not even friends. “You literally pulled the bugger out from underneath a bridge and you befriend him?” He interrogates me.

  Oog, feeling overwhelmed, cowers behind me. I turn around and pat his head in sympathy. “It's okay, Oog. They're just being big meanies.”

  “Meanies. Is. Mean,” he agrees in a caveman-like voice before reaching into his thick beard to take out a red lollipop, popping it into his mouth.

  I laugh while everyone around me seems to be disgusted.

  “What the heck does he have up all in there?” Benley asks, pulling a repulsed expression at the sight.

  I roll my eyes at him. “Just a comb and some snacks, oh, and I think I saw a razor in there somewhere too.”

  “The irony,” Grey comments, shaking his head.

  Oog whimpers. I can't help but feel pity for him. I pat the top of his head again in order to calm him down. Unfortunately, Maxipad notices.

  “He's not a pet,” Max states, watching me with disbelief.

  I ignore him and rub the grease from Oog's hair onto an unsuspecting Blubber who yelps and glares up at me. “I don't care. I'm keeping him and I'm keeping him here at Jay's house,” I retort, defensive and overprotective over Oog.

  “It's like I get no say in this,” Jay mutters, annoyed.

  Oog tugs at my hand as if wanting my full attention before eagerly pointing to Jay's cell phone lying on the table.

  “Now now, Oog,” I scold in a gentle manner, “I know you're a kleptomaniac but you need to promise me that you won't steal anything of Jay's while we're gone.”

  “A what now? In my house! Alone?!” Jay shouts, losing his temper. “You've gone too far this time, Aqueela.” He yanks me aside to speak to me in private. “We don't know anything about him.” He starts naming things off his fingers. “He could be a criminal. He could have diseases. He could...I'm not letting some homeless caveman stay in my house! I shouldn't have to explain this to you.”

  Oog growls at Jay after first eavesdropping on the lecture.

  “Oog!” I reprimand the miniature klepto. “We spoke about hostility!”

  Grey interjects before I can, turning to face Jay, “She's insane. I hope you get that.”

  “Oog promises he won't take anything. Right?” I say, glancing at Oog for some confirmation, for Jay's sake.

  He nods fervently. “Promise.”

  “See.” I rest my case.

  “No, I don't see, Aqueela,” Jay replies back calmly, battling to keep his anger at bay. “All that I see is him crossing his fingers behind his back,” he points out what

  I failed to observe.

  “Oog!” I frown in horror. “No nixes!”

  “Just get on with the plan so I can forget this all happened and hopefully move on with my life,” Grey mumbles sleepily, still infuriated with me.

  “Well,” I huff, placing my hands on my hips, “someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.”

  My remark earns me a sharp glare from Grey himself as he defends his grumpy behavior. “You woke me up at 5 a.m.!”

  “Aqueela. Plan,” Max reminds me before I can get sidetracked again.

  “You two—” I point to Grey and Max, “—keep Troy preoccupied. That's your job.”

  I turn to Simo and Blubber next, only to find Blubber sleeping with blobs of drool flowing down the side of his open mouth as loud snores escape him. I slam my fist down in front of him, the sound echoing loudly. He jumps up in a fright as a result, letting out a loud fart and not being bashful about it in the least.

  Gross!

  “Blubber and Sims, you two are on the 'kidnap Bells and bring her to Benley' mission. Benley, you up for keeping Bells busy while Jay and I do our bit of the mission?” I ask. Before he can answer, I talk over him, “Good! Then it's settled. We all have our part.”

  “How come you get to be with Cool Guy Jay?” Blubber asks with a girly pout, jutting his chubby lips out in a failed attempt to look cute.

  “Because I'm the leader, that's why!” I snap at him. “I'm the Red Ranger and you are the pink one!”

  “Fine,” he reluctantly agrees. “But I'm not promising that I won't make a move on Bell.”

  “Touch her and I will personally cut off your fingers and feed them to your toes,” I warn menacingly.

  “Simo want be with Sprinkle,” Simo insists as he wraps his chubby arms around me, lifting me completely up off the floor before carelessly spinning me around.

  “Can't breathe.” I heave out before being lowered back to the ground.

  “And why do I have to be with 'scary, emo guy'?” Max whispers rather loudly into my ear as he edges closer to me and further away from Grey, almost as if intimidated by the dark aura radiating from the beast of darkness.

  “Scary, emo guy can hear you,” Grey replies back knowingly, crossing his arms over his chest as he towers over Max and me threateningly.

  “Grey is a softie, Max. He's just an act tough kind of guy,” I tell Maxi, purposely irritating Grey by doing so. I have him all figured out already.

  “Why can't I go with JT? I know him best,” Grey asks, finding Max to be just as unappealing.

  “Because, as I recall, you and Jay aren't even friends,” I point out, reminding him of his own words. “And Jay and I are most definitely friends,” I inform him with a peppy grin, wrapping an arm around Jay's waist to tug him closer.

  Jay shakes his head at Grey, saying nothing on the subject.

  I quickly take out two criminal masks that I made from black socks, showing them off to everyone. “Look, we even have the same masks!” I exclaim in excitement before giving Jay his one.

  He stares down at me flatly for a second or so before snatching the mask from my hands.

  “Put them on! Put them on!” Max chants.

  I put mine on before forcing Jay's one over his head, against his will. I place my head against his, both our masks on, taking delight in the moment. “Twinzies!” I shout aloud in joy. “Grab some Twinkies for the twinzies!”

  “JT—” Grey shakes his head as if he cannot believe what he's seeing, “—what's happened to you?”

  I pull a gangster look next, leaning back before placing my hands over my shoulders, my head angled to the side. “What up, dawgs!”

  “Make it stop,” Max whines, scarred.

  “I'm going to kill her, I'm not even joking,” Grey tells Jay, giving his 'acquaintance' the heads-up.

  Jay pulls the mask off, his hair sticking up at every angle that it's comical, before sending me a narrow glare. “You forgot to cut a breathing section in. I'll suffocate in here.” He angrily tosses the mask back at me.

  “Maybe it wasn't an accident.”

  ***

  “I feel like some stalker,” Jay mumbles from beside me, unhappy with his current circumstances.

  I shush him as I peer through my binoculars into Bell's room from the tree beside her house. I clap my hands ecstatically and hand him the binoculars to take a look. “There she is!” I whisper excitedly.

  “You say that like you weren't expecting her to be in her own house, in her own room, at 5:30 in the morning,” Jay mutters under his breath, refusing to peer

  through.

  “Meh.” I wave him off, unfazed.

  “And what's with all this war paint…” he trails off a
nd motions to the dark green army lines painted across my face. “And is the camouflage really necessary?” he asks, motioning to the leaves in my hair and the leaf outfit I made. “You always have to go all out. You can never just be.”

  “And you're no fun. Ever,” I mumble back distractedly, not really paying attention to what I'm saying.

  “You think I'm no fun?” Jay queries, sounding a little offended.

  Absentmindedly, I nod, still focusing on Bell's form. “You never want to do anything fun. You're always so boringly grown-up and too mature. I mean, let loose and go wild every once in a while. Live a little.”

  I don't hesitate to let out my high-pitched bird call, Cuckoo Cuckoo, as a signal for Grey and Max to distract Troy long enough for Blubber and Simo to sneak past and kidnap his sister.

  “You're kind of fun just isn't my definition of fun. Sitting in a tree covered in leaves and paint isn't exactly appealing in my eyes,” Jay snaps moodily and it's then that I realize that I may have hurt his feelings.

  “Quick, Jay! She's looking! Jump!” I shout, ignoring his change of mood as I shove him, meaning to rush him to get down and totally not meaning to push him off the entire tree.

  There's a loud clash from somewhere at the bottom of the tree trunk.

  Uh-oh! So that didn't go as planned…

  “Jay?!” I whisper-shout, glancing at the bottom of the tree warily. “If you're still alive, be prepared to catch me. I'm jumping!” I say and dive down the tree like a mad woman, just missing Bell's gaze.

  I'm expecting to land in Jay's arms but instead, my face meets the ground…

  I rub at my throbbing face from impact as I lazily sit up to find Jay beside me mirroring the same pained expression. He landed face-first too. Ha, in his face! Well, in both of our faces! His pained expression quickly turns into a blunt scowl.

  “Why the hell didn't you catch me?” I groan, rubbing at my swelling forehead. You'd think I'd be used to head pains by now.

  “Why the hell did you push me out the tree?” He shoots back accusingly.

  I blink twice, not knowing what to say to that. I end up repeating my first question, “Why the hell didn't you catch me?”