28
HARLEY
“One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. You’re missing the count, Ella!” Gillian Abrams yelled at the girl with the pigtails and pink ribbons who was red in the face. They started again from the top.
Harley didn’t know what was going on because she knew zero to nothing about ballet or even Swan Lake for that matter, except that it meant the world to Annabel.
Therefore, when she was asked to come meet her so they could head home together she thought why not.
Except when she said yes she didn’t think it would have her sitting here for three hours or that she would have to spend that time with Ed, Edd and Eddy—Daniel, Arden and MJ.
They all sat at the very back of the auditorium, feet rested on the chairs in front. Harley asked, gesturing to the dancers, “Do we have to buy tickets to this when it’s all done or do we just show up?”
“Buy tickets. The money goes to charity,” Daniel answered as he chewed on the green grapes he had separated from the red.
“Every year?”
“Yes and no. They pick between them and the theatre department. Through rock, paper, scissors or drawing short straws. I wish I was kidding,” Arden said, not lifting his head from the laptop he was typing on. His tennis racquet hung out of the bag next to him, he came from practice.
“The theatre department is putting on a play? Are youse going?”
“Absolutely not. Chloe York is the lead and it’s Hairspray! ,” MJ shuddered as she chewed on the red grapes that Daniel had separated. Harley didn’t know who that was but she nodded along.
“Do you guys do this often? Sit here and watch them dance?” she asked.
“Yes,” all three said in unison. They had been told off for cheering whenever Annabel or Devon were in view and were threatened to be kicked out multiple times now.
Harley missed Scarlett, she wished she had invited her to this impromptu gathering to at least make it fair.
But even she knew Scarlett would rather spend her Monday evening doing anything else.
Regardless, she was with her cousins and wouldn’t have been able to make it anyhow.
Harley could not think of anything she would want to do less than be around Lucas Carney.
The gang situation still bothered her and despite Scarlett’s reassurances that what they did wasn’t so bad it still left a horrid taste in her mouth.
Her experiences couldn’t be washed away by a couple of words.
There was a kid, Jack, who lived on her street.
Him and Harley weren’t close due to him being three years older but he always said hi, and bought her food from the shop when they had none at home– they attended the same secondary school.
He started dealing during the summer between year 10 and 11, when he became friends with these strange guys who used to loiter the streets.
They looked too old to be wanting to hang out with a fifteen year old.
Harley didn’t find out until later on but they were members of a low level gang who were indoctrinating him into their lifestyle.
When year 11 began for him, he did their dirty work by selling in school and people knew to go to him if they wanted anything.
One day, his luck ran out when he was eighteen and he got caught by the police.
They denied knowing who he was and put the fear of God in people in the neighbourhood who could account for seeing them together.
In the end Jack didn’t really know who they were since they only ever let him know what they wanted him to.
In the end, he got 7 years in prison. She thought about him a lot and that was always what came to mind when she saw Lucas.
Daniel, who sat closest to her, brought her out of her stupor, whispering, “Usually we do go because I help make the costumes for the plays but I’ve been too busy this year to do it.”
“Your clothing brand, right?”
He nodded, a light in his eyes at the mention of his hard work. “Yeah, it's official. We are launching next summer.”
“That’s so sound. I hope you’re proud of yourself.”
“I am,” he replied but then he got a tiny bit despondent. She knew at once what was upsetting him.
“Did you finally tell your mum?” she asked. From what Harley had been told he had been keeping this a secret because his mum was a little hard to reason with, and having been raised by a mother of the same ethnic background herself (Nigerian), Harley probably understood his plight better than most.
“Yes. Unsurprisingly, she isn’t talking to me at the moment,” he told her with a sad, hollow laugh.
“You don’t have to pretend it’s okay when it’s not.
Parents should unconditionally love their kids no matter what.
” Harley was projecting her own upset at her mother onto him but it didn’t disparage her point.
People always said ‘mother knows best’ and to always listen to your parents but what happens when the selfishness of the parent prevails their need to be good to their kids.
She thought of Willam too, how he forced his views and wants on his kids.
Annabel had worked herself to a pulp just to make him happy and still he wanted more.
“Maybe so but she’s still my mum.”
She changed the subject because the topic of parents did nothing but wind her up. “It’s nice that you all come to watch them practice.”
“We’re family. There’s nowhere else we’d rather be. Especially when I don’t have anything else to do.” They chuckled at that.
“I’ve never had that. People who care about you and are always in your corner, at least not until I came here.”
“Scarlett?” he asked, deducing she didn’t just mean her sister.
Harley nodded.
“I like her. Always have. She was on the girls football team when Arden and I were on the boys’ and sometimes we shared a bus and had mixers together. She was a little…standoff-ish but no surprise given the bullshit she had to deal with, it was necessary. And she was fun.”
Scarlett was fun. Don’t let the mean mug fool you. “That she is.”
They both sit in comfortable silence for a couple minutes, watching the ballerinas, when Daniel said to her, “It’s not just Scarlett you have. There is us too, or at least me.”
That took her by surprise. She didn’t think she meant that much to any of them. “Why?”
“Annabel is important to me, probably more than you’d think. Not a lot of people know this but I have OCD,” Daniel confesses to her. This shocked Harley as she never would have been able to tell.
“She came with me to my first clinical evaluation when I was eleven, adamant that she had to go because ‘I shouldn’t be alone’ and my parents let her.
Whenever I’ve had flare-ups, she has been the one who has constantly been there, even more than Arden.
She doesn’t give herself enough credit for how much she’s helped me, and the others over the last fifteen years.
Maybe it’s in a different way to you but to me she is my sister.
You mean a lot to her and that matters to me,” he told her, still chewing on the green grapes and continuing, “And personally, I have spent time with you over the last couple months and you’re a good person. The world needs more good people.”
Harley smiled at him in gratitude. “I’m happy you had her. So, thank you.” Then they sat back and resumed watching the girls.
In the corner of her eye, she saw Arden shrug off a second attempt at a kiss from his girlfriend, he pretended it was because he was busy doing whatever on his laptop.
MJ frowned, looking upset for a few seconds but immediately wore a smile even when her eyes told a different story.
Harley couldn’t help but feel a little bad that the girl didn’t know it was because his heart laid elsewhere.
Minutes later, the dancers were finally let out and Arden shut his laptop, all of a sudden not caring one bit about what seemed to have held him up before.
His eyes zeroed on Annabel, and there was no other way to describe it, he looked at her like she hung the moon.
There was a smile that itched to creep its way out but he held it in and worked his face to be sterner.
Annabel ran up the stairs, Devon in tow, holding hands. Those two were rebuilding a relationship that had fractured, spending more time together. It didn’t make Devon less prickly around her but she didn’t–rarely–start up unnecessary arguments.
“I’m so fucking tired. Please get me home, I don’t think I can do Corpse Lily tonight anymore,” Annabel whined, as she pulled from Devon to flop against her.
“We’re just as tired from watching you,” Arden deadpanned.
She raised her head and narrowed her eyes, “Did I see you dancing for five hours? No. So, get over it.”
“Then who is going to be responsible for my back hurting from sitting between those chairs? I’m a respected tennis player.”
“Not my fault you’re basically the BFG.” She pulled her tongue out at him and was quick to link arms with MJ, who was looking at their back and forth with furrowed brows, and walked ahead. The laugh Arden had been holding in was let out softly as he watched their backs to him.
Harley, Devon and Daniel eyed each other and just shook their heads, with one look acknowledging that they were all aware of the dalliance between the two and simultaneously thought the people they were closest to were utterly ridiculous.
Saying their goodbyes at the car park, with promises to reschedule their hangout, Harley and Annabel walked together to the latter’s car.
“You didn’t tell me you wanted to go to a bar tonight,” Harley said, narrowing her eyes at her sister who at least had the decency to look sheepish.
“I was going to ambush you into another hangout but unfortunately I have worked every last bone in my body. You’ve been spared,” Annabel shrugged.
“The universe is on my side and against this, take it as a sign.”
Annabel shook her head and singsonged , as she entered into the driver’s seat. “I don’t think so. Trust me, there will be more opportunities for it.”
“Absolutely not.”
They had been on the road for less than a minute when a heavy swerve had them both yelping in fear.
A car had zoomed past when it wasn’t meant to and had them stumbling.
“Watch where you’re fucking going!” Annabel yelled, as she put her head out the window, in a manner that could only be described as road rage.
She looked at Harley, checking on her, “Are you alright? Sorry about that.”
“I’m fine,” Harley replied. Then her eyes narrowed as she scrutinised Annabel who seemed to be her usual self but she couldn’t be sure. She took note of the gum in her mouth, “You haven’t been drinking, have you?”
Annabel’s eyes widened, either in admittance or offense, Harley couldn’t gauge which one. “No way. I just got out of ballet and nobody could drink and dance.”
Something told Harley that maybe Annabel would be the first to disprove that fact.
“Just be careful and don’t drive us off the road,” Harley finally relented, her hand still clutching the door.
Annabel waved her off with a laugh, “Now, who’s the dramatic one?”