The Bright Side

Chapter 9 - Part 2

SKY

Mum's visiting friends over the weekend and she has taken the three little ones with her; Leslie and Amanda are staying with friends and as per usual Jen has dissapeared from the face of this earth. Having the house to myself is something absolutely alien to me; the times I've wished for having some alone time at home are countless though, and that I had so unexpectedly been granted my wish, makes me feel absolutely indecisive what to do, how to max it out. It should be something I could never ever do with all the people around. I guess I could run around the house naked or something; I bet it's something Tristan would do, laughing his arse off and I grin at the thought, at the idea of how he would do something hilarious just to make it a memorable experience. Being him must be incredibly fun.

I, though, basically tiptoe around the house all afternoon, afraid that I'll disturb the quiet and drive it away. I make round after round through all of the house, just to marvel at the foreign tranquillity, to make sure there is really nobody there; not that I have something naughty in mind, it's just so new, so exciting, so strange to me to be alone, that I want to make sure that I really appreciate it. Every single room is unnaturally lifeless. I even go into my sisters' room, which I usually never enter. For a reason. Unknown pop stars smile at me from every angle, interspersed with not exactly sickening pictures of half nude guys and the feeling of doing something forbidden makes my adventure all the more thrilling. It smells of acetone and deodorant, hairspray and perfume – probably like all the girl's rooms in the world. Well, aside from Joanna's. For some unknown reason hers always smells of leather. There's a whole battery of nail polish sitting on the windowsill, every colour you can imagine in either pastel or metallic shades. A black vial catches my attention and I know just what I want to do. It's stupid and idiotic and out of my character, but not too ridiculous. I carry the vial to my room and start to varnish my nails. And I have to admit, that my hands look really good with it. Really, really queer, but also really, really good. While I blow them dry, the feeling of achievement takes the pressure of having to find an outstanding activity off me and I decide to just watch telly. Skating is absolutely out of question today, because really, what's the point of having the house to yourself when you go out? The hours just drip away, one by one and before I know it, it's night.

A soft knock on the glass from the outside announces Tristan's arrival. He had texted me half an hour ago, asking if he could stay over again. Again!

"You could've just rang the doorbell, mate." I grin as I grab his arm to help him in.

"Where's the fun in that?" His beautiful broad smile is back and my brains melt at the sight of it. "I like your nails. Going transvestite now?" He asks as he sits down on the bed across from me.

"Hah! No. I just wanted to do something fun."

"I usually go skating when I want to have fun. Or do something else that requires balls," he teases.

"You're just jealous that you're not manly enough to pull it off," I say with a smirk.

"I would totally pull it off."

Tristan is so predictable sometimes. There's no challenge he wouldn't accept. You don't even have to directly dare him, most of the times a hint is enough and he plunges into whatever, just to prove his point.

"Paint them." He holds his hands out towards me and I try not to show the smugness I feel. I place his hand on my knee and shake the vial, so all the metallic glitter mixes with the colour again and get started. The intense smell of the polish hits me once again and makes me flare my nostrils. How can girls stand that on a regular basis?

"Thanks, by the way. Again. For taking me in." Tristan mumbles, his eyes on his index nail that is currently half natural and half black. He has beautiful hands with oval nails and perfect half-moons where they root.