See You Again

XXV

The rest of my summer vacations were spent visiting my grandparents in Australia.

My grandpa had finally let go of the younger woman he was seeing, yet my grandma was not so forgiving. That resulted in them bickering back and forth all day and all night and me and my siblings escaping the house.

With all the time differences, I ended up calling Kenzie at night since it didn't bother my sleeping schedule, but I knew it would bother hers. We were nine hours apart. I knew if I called while she was asleep she wouldn't mind, yet I knew I had already ruined many of her sleeping hours and mine couldn't be ruined further.

"What are we doing today?" Sadie's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. We were having breakfast at my grandparents' place, a modest house that barely fit us all, let alone let us hide from the fighting.

"I have a date," Nate said proudly.

Sadie snorted, "Yeah, right. Who's the tormented soul?"

Mum told my sister to stop annoying my brother. I kept quiet. I didn't care about what Nate did or didn't do as long as it didn't involve and for the first time; it sounded like it really wouldn't bring repercussions upon me.

My phone vibrated with a notification and I reached for it almost automatically, only to find a picture of Ezra and Walt with a tiny ginger man cookie with the caption: It's youuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!

I couldn't help but snort, though mum shot me a look almost immediately. I felt like I was about to lose my phone.

"No phones at the table," she commanded with a glare. Mum wasn't strict about many things, but family time was family time and any technological device was pure evil.

It wasn't really family time if we considered grandma and grandpa were outside having another discussion and dad was on the phone with someone from his company trying to solve some problem more important than family time. If the call had rung after he was sitting on the table, I'm sure mum would never let him take it.

"It's his girlfriend," Sadie mocked before I could reply. "Isn't she?"

"No, it's Ezra." I answered dryly. "My girlfriend is not up at midnight baking cookies."

Mother's jaw dropped. And I mean, she was so surprised I had just confirmed I had a girlfriend. She didn't know what to say. Then came the irritation.

"You're dating Vanessa? Why?" I knew she didn't like Vanessa the least, and I understand why she automatically thought of her. After all, I've spent most of my years in love with her. I think she'll be happy to know I'm not with her.

"Her name is Kenzie," I said without looking at either of them in the eye.

Sadie already knew, so she didn't look surprised. She guessed it after a while, but Nate was looking at me as if a third arm was growing out of me and mum was just looking, probably processing.

"Kenzie," she repeated, a delighted smile appearing on her face. "Short for McKenzie?" I nodded. "H-How is she? Is she nice? Smart? Is she... How is she?"

I shrugged, trying to find words capable of describing her "She... loves After Eights."

"After Eights?"

"In stick form, not the classical squares." She always tastes like mint. "She's very nice sometimes... Others not so much, depends on her mood and who is she talking to. She's funny and so... Careless."

I think of the girls I met at Peter's birthday party, the one who threw herself in his arms with a smile on her face. I didn't know that girl at first, I only knew empty stares and mean words, but I think I know her now, at least I know that smile she gave him, though I also knew sweet kisses under the covers and warm nights lying beside her.