I took out her house keys, still juggling them, looking back and gave out a lazy wave to Jeremy that was still having hard time to leave me alone. I’m sure he was just waiting for the right time for me to run away, just as he drove off without his consent. But I wasn’t packed for running away, my needed gears aren’t attached to my back, just a couple of bucks in my pocket which I don’t plan on using unless it’s an emergency. My stomach went grumbling, speaking of food, looking into the long glass window next to the door and tapping it repeatedly to see if anyone was home. No answer. The porch was not swept, dry leaves were all over the place, and this wasn’t how Chloe’s mum would have kept the place. Maybe both her parents went to the Caribbean living her all alone in this messed up shack, expecting her to clean it up. Which I have to say, would be called a miracle, as Chloe doesn't like to clean anything else except her own room.
I walked around the porch, still not finding my way in. Jeremy drove off and gave out a honk as a way of saying goodbye. I perched to one side, reaching out my cell phone, figuring out a script on what reason to give to my mum. The day was drooling all over me, I looked over my shoulder and saw a chubby girl in shorts, walking her thin skinny looking dog. At least she had company. The wind was breezing through, most of my hair was already entangle but I didn’t have much care to untangle them. Me, still holding on to the cell phone, wondering what to say to Mum, or how to explain to Dad. Whether I should be at home resting right now, or just get a grip and get my ass into Chloe’s crib.
As I set foot into Chloe’s house, I felt a light breeze, only creepier than the natural ones Mother Nature had for me outside a while ago. It was like walking into a haunted mansion, those cold blooded gargoyles statues just staring right at you like they were alive. I watched too many ghost stories, the reason why I sometimes scare myself or even pee in my own shorts. It was obvious enough that no adults were at home, I plan on dishing up something, but in my mood swings at that moment, I rather choose not to touch anything, before someone, or something gets hurt and nailed by me. I have my bad days, today is just one of them. I opened up the refrigerator, still having the intention to cook something, or heat up something, but knowing Chloe, she’s more of a dine out person. And now with Tyler in the picture, I believe she had tons of lamb shank stuffed in her empty stomach whenever she is hungry. Lamb shank happens to be one of her favourites for mediterrandan delight.
No eggs, just some cold leftovers of an unknown food course that I don’t have the intention of knowing what it was before, or how it tasted as it has been expired for quite a long time by the stench of it. Says it all.
I made my way to Chloe’s room, noticed that her bed is now in right side corner, along with her cupboards shifted to the edge of the room and her study table on the left near the bathroom. I put down my bags and went over to the bed, making myself all cosy and comfy under the warm comforter with little daisies on them.
The times when I hid under the covers together with May and Chloe, us reading story books and playing dress up with just a torch light for our own lime light fame. The time when nothing matters as we only took Ken, the Barbie doll of a male structure as our boyfriends. Remembering how we would get on each other’s nerves when everyone of us had our own Ken Doll, but still goes around bugging each other about which ones to be crowned the most charming one. As the fact is, all Ken dolls are the same, and only realized it when we turned 9.
I looked around Chloe’s wall, all glued on with our pictures, our best friends forever poster. A big pile of memories scattered all over the wall. Chloe had good taste in positioning pictures together, burning the edges making it look epic. Praised work for an about to be graphic designer.
All of a sudden, my cell phone came ringing. It was from my home. Still thinking what to say, I just picked it up breathing in, trying to fake a breath of me having an asthma attack. “Hello? Is that you Lea?” Mum said, of all the things she would ask. How could anyone get wrong about calling my phone number, and still asking if it was me in the first place?
“Yes Mum. Who else would it be? How are you?” sounding a little further away from her now, like I had been away for a long time and a distant from my own family. Still asking the basic questions of “how they are doing” wise. Sounded so weird just hearing my own voice spoke like that.
“I’m good” she cleared her throat. “Mr Hampton called earlier just now” I quickly got up from the bed, started to walk in circles helplessly. Me, still kept quiet for a long time on the line. Long enough for her to say “Did anything happen today at the boutique Lea?”- “Want to talk about it?”
“Not now Mum. Nothing is wrong.”-“And Mum, I will be staying it Chloe’ for tonight, and maybe a couple more nights.” Looking at the clock now, hoping that Chloe was already back, at least I had someone to show a grin to or a slight frown.
“It has been so long since you had a sleep over with Chloe. And now you’re suddenly shifting tables to be at her place rather than your own?” sounded a little disappointed in her tone of her voice. I just stayed quiet still. Grabbing my cell phone a little loosen now, making it almost slipped down my hands. “It’s fine” she said. I could feel that she didn’t want me to explain anything, but was already relieved that I told her where I was.
“I’m sorry Mum” I said, feeling rather guilty for not being too honest with her. “Just let me know if you need anything at all. We love you very much” the phrase she always use, to make me feel bad enough already, just a little deeper now, whenever she drills me about how much my family is there for me, how much she is there for me.
“I love you all too, Mum” I said. We said our goodbyes, and I just land on my bed again. Feeling rather bored out of my skulls. I took the urge to go downstairs and use Chloe’s house phone cell to get some pizza’s delivered.
I was just about to dial the phone number. Someone was already ringing the door bell, disturbing my fantasies of having warm creamy cheesy pizza’s melted in my mouth. I opened up the door, to find Leon standing there, sweating like he had been running, or just a bad hurricane hit him with a heavy down pour of rain. I closed back the door, almost slamming it against his nose. Wishing it did hit him, but didn’t, cause no painful squeal was heard. I bang my head against the door repeatedly, already giving myself a bad headache.
“What do you want Leon!” saying like a statement, rather than a question.
“I need to talk to you Lea, please. Let me in” he said, knocking on the door.
I hold on to the door knob, stopping him from turning it and budging in. “Go away” I slammed the door harder this time.
“Please Lea....” “I just want to talk to you, just for a while”.
“The door is not sound proof, so you can talk all you want. Without looking me in the eye”-“and believe me, now with you looking at me in the eyes. I so...DON’T trust your words anymore!” I shouted, my long finger nails already started scratching on the base of the wooden white door.
A silence, I didn’t see any shadow from below the door. I figured, he gave up and was already heading back into May’s arms. Was sure that he’d come to his senses to think that I was never worth it. Not even to apologize. I sat down on the floor, still not opening to door. Just sat there, breathing.
A knock was heard a while later again. “Go away Leon!!” I shouted and opened the door. Finding Chloe standing there with big bags of groceries, quickly grabbed some in excitement, but wasn’t hungry as I did before. Her lips were sealed as she was biting on to a ticket. Not a good movie ticket, but more of a fined ticket. I guess she had been speeding on that particular day, or maybe she parked on the wrong spot that day.
Just as she took the ticket out her mouth, she stared at me, long enough to just let me spill it out. “Leon came over just now” taking out the carton of eggs and putting them gently in the basket next to the sink. Chloe, pushing herself up on the counter, just sat there. “What does he want this time?” she grabbed an apple, and gave a sharp bite. Crunching apple bits in her mouth, wiping her own saliva with her left arm. “ I didn’t gave him a chance to speak, I closed to door on him” I said, smiling. “You did?” couldn’t believe what she heard and gave me a high five “That’s cool” still biting on the apple that was left half now. “How did he knew I was here anyway?” Chloe sat there, kept quiet and just by hearing her swallow down the apple bits made me hungry. I went over to the stove, and started making me some pancakes. “Want some?” lighted up the stove, warming up the pan.
“No thanks, I had some lunch. Mr Hampton was asking for you.” I looked at her, hearing his name only gives me the chills. “I’m fired am I?” shaking the pan side by side.
“Nah, I covered up for you. The sales were great today. Of you not being there today?” –“I’m sure he didn’t actually cared but big bucks in his pockets.” Like the news made me felt much better then.
“Good” started mixing the flour and eggs together, and pouring them one by one in the hot pan. All together, were 10 rounded pancakes all laid out on a plate, neatly.
“You do know that there’s only you and me right?” she looked down at the 10 pancakes, feeling a little nauseous. “I’m hungry” I chuckled and grab myself a place and sat at the dining table. Chloe just sat next to me, her plate still empty. “Help yourself” I said, already starting to cut the pancakes into small slices, and eat them with maple syrup. Yummy
“You never change.” I stopped “Still the same old Lea that comes by to my house, and making it look like her own place” Chloe said, while giving out a small smile.
“That’s a good thing right?” feeling awkward and blushing to myself.
“Of course it is. I never wanted anything to change” she said, putting one pancake on her plate and just eating it bare. “Neither did I”
She put down her fork and gave me a look. A look like those doctors give to patients when they have a hard time telling them that they will die soon. Yeah, that very look. That odd looking look.. “What actually happen?” she started asking.
“I don’t want to talk about it” –“You saw what happen” I looked at her, then stopped eating, and swallowed my last bit of pancake, pushed the plate away from my sight.
“Yes, I did. We both did. But I’m not the one who is hurt here Lea. You are.” Sounded worried, reaching her hand awkwardly and brushing her hands behind my back. “Gosh Chloe, I’m really fine” I pushed her hands with my shoulders, gave out a lazy laugh. “Funny isn’t it? Best Friends as back stabbers?” I said.
“Talk to me Lea, I’m still your best friend right? Am I?” sounded unsure, causing me to brush her back this time. Felt guilty enough. I should just spill my guts out.
“I’m not sure what happen. Jeremy knows it better than me. Apparently, May was in love with Leon for quite a while, and was waiting for Jeremy to dump her so that she could go to him” Chloe mouth was wide open, staring at me. She moved her chair a little closer, waiting for me to finish the story.
“What a jerk” she said.
“And now they’re together being Cinderella and the prince.” Sound annoyed. “While me and Jeremy.” I stopped.
“Are together as well?” she said, already smiling at me. “Well, are you?” asked again.
“I got up from my seat, feeling uncomfortable enough to walk away from her. Opening the window and putting my head out for some fresh air. “I don’t know “- “We’re both in rebound, some of us just happens to want to stick around. For each other’s sake”
Chloe reaching out something far under her brown bag to retrieve a box of a rumpled pack of cigarettes and some matches in it-“ You need this more than I do then” she handed me the box. I just look at it, then back at her. “You smoke?” – “Since when?” still staring at the box of cigarettes. “About a week now, don’t have to be so huffy about it. I have my own problems as well” she shook out a cigarette and put it in her mouth, then took it out.
“You should try it” she added with a flourish, popping the cigarette back into her mouth.
I shook my head “No, thanks” I sat next to her, keeping my eyes on the cigarette box, wanting to take one. But I didn’t have the courage to.
She reached over then lit a march and touched it to the end of the cigarette. She handed the box of cigarettes again to me, close enough for me to grab one out. And she lit it up for me. Not knowing how to actually puff, looking at Chloe puffing her way then blew the smoke out the window, where it circled across the garden and into the sky.
“It felt good huh?” she said, taking another long drag off her cigarette and fanning the smoke out the window. “My parents are getting a divorce” Chloe said, waving her hand in front of her face to fan off the smoke. “My dad was caught cheating. Guess, not everyone is happy with whoever they say I love you to”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I said. If even an ex pageant queen like Chloe’s mum could be cheated by her husband that was not that attractive to look at. Imagine what would be of the world.
“Yeah well, I had some great punch to my dad’s face of course” Chloe showing her muscles, me picturing her letting out a punch. Must be quite a bruise on her dad’s nose.
“What about your mum? How is she?” a little concern, as her mum was like a second mum to me. My godmother.” She’s spending her money in Europe, while my dad had move to his mistress place two days ago. Don’t know where, but I don’t care” she puffed one last time and tossed the cigarette out the window.
“How are you taking it?”
“Please, I’m fine. He wasn’t a good father anyway” it was not really like Chloe to be judging her dad like that, when I knew from the start, ever since I know her, she and her dad were like two peas in a pot. Everything they do, clicks. Knowing her, she always had her problem of showing her true anger and also her tears. Chloe and her dad would go to baseball games and go bowling together. But sometimes the closest person you thought you’d love, screw the best out of everything to make you hate them in return.
“I guess, no one is loyal huh?” I tossed my cigarette out the window.
“Don’t compare my parents with yours Lea. They’re much better” she said.
“How would you know? Some things, change. And I wasn’t actually talking about my parents Chlo”
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