Something that you should know about Hector Reed is that not only is he my arch nemesis, he is also my neighbour. I use neighbour very loosely, because we aren't crammed together like you see in all those American dream movies. We live out of town a bit, where it starts to get farmy. His parents have one dairy cow and a goat. We have a ridiculously loud amount of chickens, ducks, geese and quails. Our parents always trade milk and eggs like lovely, friendly, farmy neighbours. And you know who they use as messengers?
"You'd better check them." I tell Hector before he slams the door in my face. He's holding a carton of assorted eggs that my mum insisted on me delivering to his beautiful parents. They are both so sweet, they honestly deserve a better son. I'm not joking. "Some might have cracked on the way over."
He rolls his eyes and huffs. His eyes are so dark they look black. Demon. "This should be good." He lifts the lid and looks down on a beautiful message I've written letter by letter on the tops of the eggs.
It says eat my ass.
He looks severely unimpressed. I smirk in victory. I have won this evenings small game of aggressive politeness.
"Cute." He says, flat.
"The cutest." I agree.
He shuts the lid and eyes me, calculating. Then, he says, "Get off my porch."
I can't really argue with that, so I smile sweetly and tell him, "Say hi to your mums for me."
"I'll be sure to extend the invitation to eat your ass." He moves to close the door.
"No, that's an invitation solely for you, Hec."
"Noted!" He says and closes the door in my face with a heavy click.
On the walk home through the paddock, I make sure to pet Daisy and Daffodil. Daisy is the cow. Daffodil is the goat. Daffodil is a bit of a dick and tries to nip me, but Daisy is my favourite cow on the planet. I've met very few cows, but I know in my heart that Daisy is the best of them. Sometimes she manages to jump the fence at the Reed's, but she only ever comes as far as to poke her head in through my window to say hello. Hector has to come trudging over to take her home.
"You are such a pretty girl." I tell Daisy, rubbing my hand along the bristles of her fur. She is smooth and glossy all over. I look into her enormous brown eye and make funny faces in my reflection. The smell of Daisy is earthy and damp - much more pleasant than the acrid perfume of chicken crap that scents the air at home.
I sigh into her, not wanting to go back to studying. Or practicing the cello. Or listening to my parents tell me I have so much potential if I would just apply myself. Hello - I am applying myself! What do they think applying yourself looks like?
I say that last part out loud, but Daisy just blinks her long lashes at me.
YOU ARE READING
this didn't go as originally planned
AdventureMary-Lin's parents knew for a fact that Mary-Lin was in her bedroom, practicing the cello just like she had done every night after dinner for the past four years. There was absolutely no chance that she was, say, on a sinking row boat in Guam with h...
