Chapter 7 Rock-Paper-Scissors-West
Rock-Paper-Scissors-West
“C’mon!” Allison grunts just as I lose to my sister in rock-paper-scissors.
It’s Saturday, which means Allison and I lost and have to go get the laundry from the clothesline. It’s sad that a seventeen-year-old can’t beat a twelve-year-old, but that’s reality.
The sun has set a while ago, and stars are starting to appear. We should probably hurry up.
As I step outside, I feel the summer breeze and walk around the garden, while listening to Allison complaining.
“I’m almost 99.99% sure that your sister cheated.”
“How do you cheat at rock-paper-scissors?” I laugh, looking around the garden just as she continues the ranting.
I always felt lucky having a big house in the country, but I only come here in summer and on holidays. The garden has a pool, a garage, and in the back, an orchard. It has many other things… Like a clothesline...
When we get to the clothesline, I place my speaker on a tiny stone table nearby, and before I can even suggest a song, Allison turns to me with what looks like an overly enthusiastic and dangerous face.
“You know what we haven’t done in a really, really long time?”
Honestly, I have no idea what she’s talking about, but I think in the depths of my despair and my heart, unfortunately, I know where she’s going with this.
“The Shake It Off!” She clarifies, and I sigh, cringing at the memory of us forcing our parents to sit and watch a dance we had been rehearsing for a week, including in the middle of school.
“We’re not doing The Shake It Off.”
I start taking the clothes off the clothesline, and as if she didn’t hear a word I say, Shake It Off by Taylor Swift starts booming through the garden.
I continue what we were originally supposed to be doing, and Allison dances coordenated beside me, but when the bridge comes on, I can’t help but ditch the chore at hand and join Allison, mimicking Taylor’s voice while muscle memory does the rest.
Our dancing comes to a stop, for dramatic effect, and we look at each other and pretend to hit the high note, immediately followed by the rest of the dance.
Suddenly, I hear several claps, making us follow the sound.
We face the balcony of the house next to mine.
“Didn’t know you could move for more than five seconds without passing out, Brown. Good for you!” A voice says. It’s dark, and I can’t see anything but the clothesline, but unfortunately, I know exactly who just saw us.
“Wow, haven’t seen that dance since 5th-grade recess.” Another joins.
“Thank you, thank you, I know, the world will never know how brilliant we are.” Allison bows, but I stand frozen, heat rising to my cheeks in complete utter embarrassment.
You know, in school, back in the city, a lot of rumors would come around and appear.
Either Did you know she hooked up with… or She cheated on her boyfriend with…
Even though the rumors were endless, as it is expected to happen in a high school, there was one thing, better, one person they all had in common.
Jake West. The very same from the detention. As if going to the same school wasn’t enough, he also happens to be my neighbor. I feel like I need to explain this better.
Our parents have been best friends forever, so they do everything together, and their kids do everything together. Same school, same dinner every other Friday night, houses next to each other — how they first met in the 80s.
His house is one of the three big houses around here, if we exclude Amanda’s mansion. There’s mine, his, and one across mine that’s half house, half castle.
I always dreamt of living in a castle, and that one specifically blocks the view of the perfect sunset with its big tower, which means that it has to have a fantastic view. So, no, I wouldn’t mind living in there, either.
I’m trailing off. The point is that a light is turned on, and I can see a smirk on his face.
“What are you even doing here so soon? You’re not supposed to be here until Monday.” I was planning on stopping there, but it’s bigger than me. “I wasn’t aware prick season started earlier this year.”
I know I’m being an ass and an idiot, but with West, I have to keep myself at, not even arm’s length, but moon to Saturn length.
I have to push him away so he doesn’t even try to come close to my perfectly curated stone-cold wall protecting my mushy and fragile heart.
Because as much as I’d like to deny it, if Jake West wanted and I mean really wanted to win me over, he a 100% would.
I mean, the guy could charm Professor Snape if it came down to it, so who am I to resist all his attractiveness?
I’m not blind, but as long as looks are all he has, we’re good.
As soon as we come near deep conversation territory…
Goodbye self-respect, hello pathetic Madelaine.
Whatever, let’s just also add that it’s also payback for a countless number of stupid and childish pranks I can’t even begin to explain.
“Oh yeah, it started right when you got here.” He flashes me his most ironic, self-satisfied, stupid smile, and I scrunch my nose at him, trying to stop myself from flashing him my finger for the second time in the span of 48 hours.
“Urgh, just get a room already.” Allison complains beside me.
“It’s too early for your aggressive flirting, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” Riden pats his best friend’s shoulder.
After the silence settles, the boys just continue on the balcony, not removing themselves and letting us do what we need to do.
“Humm, do you mind?”
“Not at all, just waiting for the next song. If you show me your dance moves, I can show you mine.” He smirks, and I roll my eyes, returning to the laundry at hand.
Allison turns to me with a sly smile and then turns to the boys.
“Come help us.” She instructs, and they shrug.
As soon as they’re out of sight, I smack her arm.
“Ow!” She rubs the spot, and I glare at her. “This is for your own good, Madelaine, you will thank me later.”
After a minute, the small wooden ancient door that connects my garden to his opens, and the boys greet us with smiles.
I should smile. Be nice.
No, no. That’s flying too close to the sun.
I focus, folding a sheet in what I’m sure is the wrong way. I huff and, like a sniffing hound dog, West senses my despair and teleports to my side.
“Need help with that?”
I almost say yes, but something about his crossed arms and raised eyebrow in amusement makes me be stupid and stubborn.
“Nope, I’m good.”
“I see. You know, as much as I’d like to see you curse at that sheet with the same passion you curse at me, I can’t just stand here and watch you willingly torture it like that.” He covers his mouth, his face nearly breaking.
I know he’s trying to hold back his laughter because, honestly, who wouldn’t? I’m not sure I’ve seen a sheet so badly mistreated by a human folding it.
“I’m fine. And there is absolutely nothing in this world that I would curse at harder than you.”
It seems I just struggle even more. Okay, this is personal now. I’m coming for you, sheet.
“Let me just-” He tries to help me, grabbing the end of the sheet, and I eye him, but nonetheless don’t push him away.
“This one gives you hell. You have to grab that end.” He starts giving me directions as if I’m helping, but it’s all his work. I stand there, slightly thrown off by West helping me and knowing how to fold this sheet sent from hell.
How is that hot? How can it be hot?
As soon as he stops, I take it from his hands, not liking my reaction to him.
“Thanks.” His eyes widen, as he has never heard anything kind coming from my mouth directed at him. But of course, I have to be an asshole. “Who knew you could do a basic task?”
He smirks and nods as if saying And there it is… and my stomach hurts ever so slightly. It’s not like I want to be like this. I don’t know when I became so- Sour all the time, but I don’t know how to exist without being it…
I want to ask him, Why did you help me? Why did you help the girl who hasn’t said a kind word to you since she can remember?
But of course, those thoughts are buried way deep, and I wouldn’t want to allow them to become reality because I’m a coward.
Just like everything in my life is controlled by fear, so is something as basic as speaking.
West passes by me and answers with as much content as one should, not caring about my hostility.
“Who knew you couldn’t?”
There. That’s better. That’s what always happens. I’m rude, and he’s rude back. I don’t feel guilty, and he… Well, I don’t know what he gains, but I guess it annoys me…?
The speaker starts booming a somewhat familiar song, and I turn around to find Allison and Riden holding their phones as microphones.
They start singing Can You Feel The Love Tonight? from the Lion King soundtrack.
“Seriously, Alls?”
“They might have a point, you know…” West says from behind me, but too close, and I freeze.
“Shut up.”
He chuckles as Allison continues, an arm now around Riden’s shoulders while a hand points at West and me.
I cross my arms, but I can’t help smiling a bit.
And there’s the mocking, sarcastic French accent. I purse my lips, determined not to budge.
They start shouting.
“Okay, knock it off, you animals.” I throw a pillow case at their impression of Timon and Pumba, and they stop, laughing.
I glance at West, and he looks the other way, pretending he wasn’t looking at me. I place every sheet in the baskets and, without saying too much, bid goodbye to the boys, leaving Allison with them for a little while longer.
I come through the kitchen door and trip over the entrance mat.
“Woah, Maddie, what’s wrong?”
I look at my dad with a numb face and shake my head.
“Nothing, I’m just- Low social battery.” I tell him, and he takes the basket from my hands. Then he places his arms around me and carefully hugs me. Then he kisses the top of my head.
“I know, believe me. Being adopted by extroverts is exhausting.” He squeezes me, feeling my tiredness.
“Have you taken your pills?”
I shake my head and move to said pills.
I take them and say to my dad, I’m going to bed.
I have suffered from insomnia ever since my mom left, and finally, I was taken to a psychiatrist to get it fixed.
My social battery just… goes down sometimes. I love Allison, and I don’t entirely hate our interactions, but sometimes it’s too much, and it drains me. I know it’s also related to severe anxiety, something my therapist and my psychiatrist love to conspire about, I bet.
I pull the sheet over me, and my head crashes onto the pillow. My body’s tired, but my mind is still very much alive.
As I lie on my bed, I try to think positive thoughts about tomorrow.
Tomorrow, after lunch, my job at Miss Patty’s Library starts, and nothing could be more wonderful. I mean, it’s only once or twice a week, but it’s something.
When I was a kid, I didn’t like to read.
But one day, when I was in the main square, Miss Patty herself came to me with the first book I’ve ever read.
Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone.
After that, I read the whole series, but it was the only fantasy book I’ve read because after that, I discovered the art of romance books and only read romance-related books.
I mean, I did read fantasy and sci-fi, but only if it had romance in it.
Yeah… I have issues.