Forty-Seven Uses for a Paperclip (Completed)

Chapter Two: Grapes and Agreements

Chapter Two

 

Grapes and Agreements

"What would we have to do?" Colton asks.

I'm glad he asks; I am wondering the same thing. Knowing Mr. Emerson, probably something unpleasant. Visions of Colton and I picking up trash alongside a busy highway enter my mind. Possibly wearing orange jumpsuits. Then I realize that would mean we're criminals and quickly try to erase the image from my mind.

"Clean a house. My grandmother's, to be exact." Mr. Emerson clasps his left wrist with his right hand behind his back and moves to the window. Colton and I stay where we are, standing in front of his desk.

"Why does it need cleaned?" I ask.

Mr. Emerson sighs. "Because my grandmother's health is failing and no one in my family wants the task of cleaning her house. They were, however, very generous in giving me cash to hire someone. Or, two someones, to be exact." He eyes Colton and I.

"Right now we are in the process of moving her to a nursing home. That should be done before the week is over. After that, her house needs to be ordered. Things cleaned, boxed. And that basement," he shivers. "My older brother used to tell me monsters lived down there. And I still believe it. It's truly creepy."

"So," He suddenly claps his hands, making me jump. Colton snickers. "What do you say? Do you want to spend your summer cleaning some old lady's house?"

I share a look with Colton. He seems pretty sold, especially when Mr. Emerson tells us how much he is planning on paying us per week. Which, I have to admit, is a very nice sum of money.

"Alright," I finally sigh, after Colton begs me with green puppy-dog eyes. He beams and I make a mental note to make sure he loses an argument, just to even up the score.

Mr. Emerson grins (there's a large thud outside the door as a passing schoolgirl faints from its brilliance). "Excellent."

"Yes. Nice doing business with you." Colton moves forward and gives Mr. Emerson's hand two solid pumps. "Well, I've got to be going but I'll see you tomorrow. And you," He turns and smiles at me. I'm hit with both his green eyes and his dazzling smile, which makes my heart flip-flop once-again. "I'll see later." He winks and is out of the door, steeping over the fainted girl, who has gathered a fairly large crowd by now.

Mr. Emerson begins shuffling papers around on his cluttered desk. I take a step closer to it.

"Mr. Emerson?" He looks up and my green eyes meet his soft brown ones. Unlike Colton's, however, Mr. Emerson's eyes can't make my heart flop no matter how kind they look. "Why did you choose Colton and I? And why do you need two people?"

Mr. Emerson smiles. "If I told you that, then I'd have to kill you."

Maybe Colton and I were right about the paperclip.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey, where were you?" Adrienna asks when I finally arrive at our lunch table.

I sit down across from her and open my paper bag, pulling out a sandwich. "Just," I glance down the table, where Colton and his buddies usually sit, and find it empty. Satisfied, I continue, "Agreeing to the worst summer ever."

Adrienna raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, indicating for me to continue.

"Mr. Emerson asked Colton and I to spend the summer getting his grandmother's house in order. Boxing, cleaning, that sort of thing. And we'd get paid."

The eyebrow rises higher.

"You're wondering what's so bad about that."

"Well, yes." She flicks her long black hair over her shoulder. I try not to be jealous of the way it's so straight and glossy.

I tick the reasons off on my fingers; my sandwich flops around with each point. "For one, it's Colton. Two, it's for almost the entire summer. Three, I'm not sure I'm ready to take on cleaning an entire house. And four, it's Colton."

"I see." Adrienna examines the many bangles on her slender wrists. She watches them slide up and down for a moment before her dark eyes snap to mine. "And you're worried your feelings for Colton will get in the way."

Adrienna has somehow managed to find out how I feel about Colton, despite my best efforts to convince even myself that he's just an annoying boy who is distracting.

"Correct."

"Uh huh," Adrienna muses over my predicament while I finish my sandwich.

Finally she sighs. "Why don't you just date the boy?"

"Because he's immature and obnoxious and will distract me from my studies. Plus, he doesn't like me."

"Fine." Adrienna rolls her eyes; she is convinced Colton is in love with me.

I study my clump of grapes. If I just stuck a paperclip into each one and froze it, it would become a grapecicle. Kids and parents everywhere would love them because they're healthy and delicious. I should suggest this use of a paperclip to Colton; it could catch on.

"Then just channel your feelings into becoming friends." Adrienna says.

I pop a grape into each cheek so they bulge out like a chipmunk's. "How so?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to be nice to him for a change."

"Nice?" It's hard to talk with three grapes in each cheek.

"Yes, Cassidy, nice. You know, not being so sarcastic? Maybe even flirting a little?"

My eighth grape shoots out of my mouth at the word 'flirt'. It hits Adrienna on the forehead.

"Bull's-eye!" Shouts a guy from another table, pumping his fist in the air.

Adrienna wipes away the spittle on her forehead with a napkin, not looking amused.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Just make it up to me by not being so mean to Colton, ok?"

I sigh around my mouthful of grapes. "Alright, but only if he catches up with me. Goodness' knows I never go out of my way to see him."

Adrienna rolls her eyes.