I wiped the whipped cream off my face, confused and surprised at just how stupid I must have been to miss that when I opened the door. I already knew something was up. What with the plastic balls rolling out onto the patio and the cobweb I had to crawl under, but somehow, I missed the red bucket gently placed on top of the pantry before it doused me.
Still standing in the pantry, the gooey white substance clings to me as I pad over to the kitchen sink, washing my hands. The white froth comes off, only to be replaced with some weird blue dye. By the time I’ve found a paper towel and wiped as much of the dye off that I can, it looks like I’ve spent the afternoon torturing, then killing a smurf. The only thought running through my mind is how angry Lyss is going to be when she sees this.
I don’t have to wait long to see her reaction as the front door creaked open and she yelled like a wailing hyena. The loud thud made me hurry to the door, only to find her sprawled out on the floor, scowling and cursing Aiden’s name. Laura stands behind her with pursed lips, stifling a laugh. ‘Are you okay?’ I asked tentatively. Her eyes whipped to mine, she held her hand out asking for help up.
‘I’m going to kill him.’ She muttered to herself as she stomped into the kitchen, making the room shake with each step. Unfortunately for her, she was so lost in her plans for revenge, she walked straight into the cobweb, getting tangled in its mossy texture. Now it was me holding back the laughter. Her long arms flail in the air as she pushed through it, grunting her way up the stairs.
Her shrill scream forced Laura and I into action. Lyss was at the top of the stairs, throwing a plastic-covered figure down them. ‘I hate him.’ She grumbled, looking more deranged than I’ve ever seen her. I caught the bag which felt like it had old clothes stuffed in it to give it the shape of a man. I must admit, the dedication Aiden and the guys have put into this one really does impress me. Something I’d never say aloud because I’d rather live to see tomorrow.
Laura and I cleaned up the downstairs rooms, careful to avoid any more traps as we did it. I’m certain we will find a rogue plastic ball rolling around the house in a couple of weeks, but for now, it’s safe and habitable. Lyss hadn’t left her room since she stormed off earlier. ‘I guess I should go check on her.’ Laura sighed, resigned to the fact she’s got to talk Lyss off the edge. ‘I hear toothpaste is good at removing food coloring.’ She said, looking down at my hands, drawing my attention to the blue stains I nearly forgot about.
‘Yeah, I’ll give it a go.’ I smiled, making my way up to my room. I stealthily checked the door before opening it, not wanting another bucket of whipped cream tumbling down on me. Luckily, it was all clear. I hurried into the bathroom, showering for over thirty minutes, scrubbing my arms raw, trying to get rid of the bluish tinge to my arms. I came out looking worse than I did going in. The blue dye had somehow streaked down my body. It looked like a terrible fake tan job in blue. Great.
I dried off and wrapped a terrycloth robe tight around my body as I sauntered back into my bedroom. As I brushed my hair in the mirror, movement in Devin’s room caught my eye. My ears pinken at the mere thought of facing him after he rejected me. Sure, I was expecting it to be awkward, but I didn’t expect him to look so disgusted by my presence like he did when I was in his backyard the other day.
I haven’t been able to look at him since, keeping my window closed and hiding out downstairs until the last moment and going to bed immediately. Today though, my eyes can’t help but look and linger at the sight in front of me. It’s as if someone pulled my heartstrings, tied them in a knot, and then yanked them until they teared, falling to the ground, like little tendrils. Devin’s got a girl in his room. I crouched closer to my mirror, hoping that it would obscure their view of me as I watched them.
My heart was beating like a drum. She’s absolutely gorgeous. Like supermodel level gorgeous. The kind of girl you’d never actually see in person, but only in pictures that you assumed were photoshopped. Her long chocolate hair cascaded down her back where it met her even longer legs. Disappointment courses through my veins when I notice she’s wearing his hoodie. One of the hoodies that Devin offered me before. All kind of rational thought goes out the window as I watch the scene play out in front of me.
She’s sitting on his bed like she’s done it a thousand times before. He joins her. Like he’s done that a thousand times before and then he rubs her back, comforting her as she moves to hug him. Who is she? Is she the real reason he brushed me off? Is she actually his secret girlfriend and he was using me as a sidepiece? One he got bored of very quickly. My heart beats faster now, the tingling making my fingers shake.
God. I’m such an idiot when it comes to guys. Why do I always believe all their lies? Of course, someone like Devin wouldn’t want a relationship with me. He just wanted to use me as a fuck buddy. The words make me feel sick like someone punched me in the gut from the inside. I banged my head against the wall and closed my eyes, trying to regulate my breathing. This isn’t how it was supposed to go. Moving here was supposed to be my shot at redemption. Now, I’ve just dug a hole bigger than the Grand Canyon to that plan. This is why it should have been a one-night thing. No strings attached. Why did I try to tie those damn strings back together? I’ve only hurt myself with miscommunication.
Did he set up this whole thing on purpose? Did he want me to see this so I would leave him alone? There’s no way I can sit in my room while Devin hangs out with another girl. A lump of vomit is already working its way up my throat at the mere thought of seeing them kiss. Sitting here is just torturing myself unnecessarily. I stood up, grabbing some clothes, and made my way to the bathroom. Once dressed, I didn’t bother looking out my window again, instead, I opted to text the one person that I knew could get me out of here.
‘So, are you going to explain why you look like the genie from Aladdin?’ Adam’s gaze swooped over my arms and across my neck as he stifled a laugh. I grumbled, crossing my arms in the seat next to him. I’m not in the jovial mood to talk about Aiden and his antics.
‘I thought you were involved with this?’
‘Oh no, I can’t claim any of that. I believe it was the handy work of Aiden, Devin, and Jackson.’ Hearing his name sent a shiver down my spine. ‘I had class. I didn’t manage to get a briefing on what they actually did because something came up.’
‘What came up?’ I asked, curious.
He waved his hand dismissively. ‘Some stuff with Devin.’ That sinking feeling returned to the pit of my stomach. It has to do with the girl in his room. I’m sure of it. I wait for Adam to elaborate, but he doesn’t. The loyalty to his friend stronger than to me obviously.
Tired of the silence, I leaned forward, pressing the buttons on his radio. ‘Don’t tell me you’re going to program in Taylor Swift.’ He chortled as his eyes focused on the road. When I texted him, asking him to take me to the grocery store, he said yes immediately.
‘Please. I’m sure I can find something else.’ I decided to press his pre-programmed stations, surprised when one piques my interest. Old school Blink 182 blares out from the speakers as Adam bared his brilliant white smile, mouthing along to the words.
‘I’m a little old school with my music tastes. You know, the stuff from the early two thousands?’ he explained when he noticed my knitted brows.
‘Oh, I know,’ I laughed. ‘This is some of my favorite music too. My mom used to play it to me when I was a baby.’ I said it before really realizing how much I admitted to him.
As he turned the corner, he said, ‘Although this is an odd choice of music to play your daughter. I can safely say that she’s a badass for doing it.’ My stomach pits out. My mom was a badass. ‘Explains why you’re such a badass.’
I cackled at his words. ‘Please, I am so far from a badass,’
He shrugged, pulling into a parking space. ‘You’re badass enough to ask me to take you to the grocery store on short notice.’ He joked. ‘What’s your favorite album? Take off your pants and jacket or Enema of the State?‘
‘They both have their merits,’ I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. ‘I prefer their self-titled album.’
‘Controversial.’ He quips as he opened the door, sliding his way down to my side of the car, opening the door for me.
‘I’m lost without you, is one of my favorites. ‘ I explained, but didn’t go into detail of how much it reminded me of my parents.
‘It’s a good song, I won’t deny it. Obviously, I’m biased though. Adam’s Song is a good one.’ His lip upturned, and we walked into the supermarket together. ‘Now, what is it that you need?’
My heart rate quickened trying to think up something. ‘I need some macaroni and cheese.’ I blurted out, he paused, waiting for more. ‘And uh, ice cream.’
‘The essentials then?’ We walked swiftly through the doors, heading to the frozen aisle. ‘Did Lyss or Laura say something to you? Because this is the second time in almost as many days that you’ve wanted to get out of the house.’
I shook my head, trying to think of a way to answer without giving away too much. ‘No, they’re fine. I mean, Lyss is crazy, but you already know that.’ He nods. ‘It’s just being stuck in that room sometimes makes me a little claustrophobic. My mind starts going places it shouldn’t and leaving just takes me out of my head.’
‘Who’s got you so wound up.’ I stutter for a second. ‘Don’t try and lie to me. I can tell it’s a who and not a what just by looking at you.’
‘An ex,’ I say because it’s kind of true. ‘I just thought something might happen between us, but they didn’t. I’m moving on though,’
His eyebrows arched and I swear I saw some confusion there. He opened the freezer door, giving me the opportunity to pick my ice cream. I perused the options, settling on rum raisin. ‘I get it. I have an ex like that at home too.’ He says, shutting the door behind me as we saunter further into the aisles. That easy feeling I always get with Adam washes over me, the same feeling I used to get when I hung out with my cousin Ally. Before she slept with my boyfriend of course. I haven’t spoken to her since.
‘I dated her all through high school, but then she dumped my ass before we left for college.’ His sneakers skid across the polished tiled floors, ‘Tried to contact her for a while, but gave up at the beginning of this year. Made a promise to myself to finally move on.’ My mind flashbacked to the day I filled his drawers with glitter. I wonder if the girl in the picture is the one he’s talking about. I can’t ask though, that would be admitting I was in fact the one traipsing around his underwear, not Lyss.
‘Moving on is important. Don’t you think?’ He tilted his head as he asked me.
‘Yes,’ I say, my throat feeling dry. He ignored the hesitancy in my voice as he draped around me, walking me to the checkout, making jokes the whole way. He really does have a knack for cheering me up. We spent the journey home analyzing Blink 182 songs and when I walked into my home, my cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
I walked past Lyss and Laura, who were already planning their next prank, and went straight up to my room. When I shut the door, I leaned against it, smiling with my eyes closed. For just a few hours, I was carefree and away from my thoughts. My eyes swept over to the window. It’s second nature at this point. The sting in my heart came tumbling back when I saw the gorgeous girl leaning out of the window, smoking a cigarette. She looked comfortable and happy in a pair of Devin’s shorts and his t-shirt.
Striding over to the window, I ignored her glances and shut the curtain, vowing to never open them again. I was done with Devin and how he made me feel.
