the bad couple

chapter 3

So, two hours later, my mum has used her two youngest kids for child labour to clean the house and locked me in my room until I got showered, pit on 'appropriate' clothed and worked on an apology and it's now secen, so I'm free, i make my way to the kitchen, where Amy is wearing a yellow summer dress, and max is wearing a white dress shirt and my mum is wearing a light blue dress.
"you know you don't have to dress up, she won't" I groan.
"it's to make an impression, now go put these on" she says holding up a dark blue dress shirt and black trousers.
"no way, I'm not going to try to impress leia"
"it's to show you really want to be her friend"
"I don't"
"but you don't want to go to discipline school, so atleast try" I glare at her before taking the clothes and changing.
"happy?" I ask sarcastically when I come out.
"one sec, come here" she ushers me kver and pushes my hair out of my face.
"mum, it's fine, she's here now anyway" I point to the window and leia getting out of her car, wearing a spaghetti strap top and denim shorts, sexy, but I hate her,
"thank you so much cals" max says eyeing her as she walks up the drive to the door.
"callum, go let her in" my mum orders.
"why? Max actually wants to"
"callum, now!"
"fine" I walk slowly to the door and open it, she looks up and glares at me.
"let's get this shit over with" she mutters.
"please, come in" I say with a smile.
"don't act all innocent infront of your family" she snaps walking past me.
"whatever, come on" I lead her into the kitchen.
"this is my mum, who you already know, Janet, and this is my brother and sister, Amy and max"
"hello leia, it's so nice to see you again, I'm sorry your parents couldn't make it, but atleast your here" my mum says smiling as if they're friends.
"yeah, hey" leia mutters, not looking at my mum.
"please, have a seat" she gestures to the seat, facing where I'm to sit.
"thanks" leia says taking the seat.
"hey, leia, I'm Amy" Amy introduces.
"hey Amy" leia offers her a small smile, a forced one, she's obviously uncomfortable as fuck, probably expecting my mum to threaten her or something.
"and I'm max" max says smirking.
"hi max" leia offers him a small forced smile too, my mum eyes me and I take my seat.
"I'll be right back with the food" my mum says dissappearing into the kitchen.
"leia, why do you and my brother hate eachother?" Amy asks.
"he's an a... Annoying person" leia recovers from cursing infront of my little sister.
"we don't mind if you swear, callum does all the time" max assures her.
"well he has a problem, i don't" she tells him, he chuckles looking at me, i just glare at him and leia.
"leia, why do you want to send callum away?" Amy asks sadly.
"i don't want to send him away, i just don't want to be his friend" leia sighs.
"but your meant to be friends with everyone"
"me and your brother don't get along"
"who started it?"
"him"
"no, I didnt" I defend
"yes you did" she fires back
"we both hate eachother, that's it, no one started it"I explain.
"you keep telling yourself that, act all innocent with your mum"
"atleast my mum's trying to keep me here, once again yours didn't even bother to show, where was she, on a plane somewhere?" I snarl at her.
"you don't know shit about my parents so stop talking about them like you do" she snaps, weak spot her parents.
"okay, callum, calm down, remember were trying to make this better, not worse" max tries to calm us down, but her face shows nothing but anger and her fists are clenched, she was trying to get me to flip, to show myself up infront of my family, no freakin way.
"here's dinner, everyone" my mum walks in with a full chicken, roasties, carrots, Yorkshire puddings, pretty much a Christmas dinner.
"i need the bathroom" leia says standing up.
"callum, show our guest to the bathroom, please" my mum asks sweetly.
"fine" I stand up and walk out not bothering to check if she's following.
"in there" I say pointing to the door, she walks past me and the look on her face instantly sends a wave of guilt washing over me.
"leia, whats going on with your parents?" I ask grabbing her wrist.
"none of your business, let me go" she says trying to pull away, i tighten my grip but be careful not to hurt her.
"I'm sorry, I know it's a sensitive subject for you and i keep..."
"you don't know shit, get that into your thick head, you don't know and you won't ever, this little dinner you threw together, is cute, but I won't forgive you, just pretend to be my friend and stay out of my fucking way" she snaps, trying to pull away again.
"there's a reason I don't want to pretend, I'm sick of always fighting with you, please let's just be friends and put this all behind us"
"I already told you, i don't forgive and forget" she snaps trying to pull away.
"we need to talk about this" I tell her staring into her eyes.
"we just need to stay out of eachothers way, got it?" she snaps and pulls away this time, she goes into he bathroom and locks
The door before I can say anything.
I sigh and make my way back to the kitchen, where I'm greeted by Amy and max trying to control their giggles while my mum gives me a hard, angry stare.
"did I do something?" I ask, confused.
"you upset leia, you know, for whatever reason, her parents aren't exactly the best out there, always bring away on work anol but you continue to use them against her, they could be the reason she behaves so badly, she never had real role models, you did and its up to you now to prove that to her by getting her to forgive you and work with you for two months"
"I don't even want to, we can pretend to be friends that's it, thats all we have to do" I bark back.
"i knew you didn't want to forgive and forget, me and you will never be friends, sorry Janet, but he's a dick, let us pretend and let that be it" I hear leia say from behind.
"no, I'm sorry, leia, i do want to, your just being so difficult" I try to apologise.
"well now you don't have to because I will pretend and that's it, I'm making no effort to actually be your friend, got it?"she snaps.
"please leia" I beg but she cuts me off.
"got it?"she barks.
"yes"I mutter, she glares at me for a few seconds before turning for the door.
"callum" my mum snaps and i know she wants Me to go after her.
"wait leia!" I shout running to catch up, she's in her car about to close the door i catch it before she closes it.
"listen, I'm sorry, ok? I did want to be your friend, but you were pushing me away, please let's just try" I beg.
"last time I actually tried, i was left at the side of a highway, it took mark half an hour to find me and three guys pulled up thinking I was a prostitute standing at the side of a highway in the middle of the day, so now I'd rather not" she snaps at me.
"told you guys really looked at you twice" I say trying to lighten the mood.
"they were atleast thirty five, now get off my car, i have something to go to"
"what is it?"
"none of your goddammed business now fuck off"
"tomorrow let me take you for lunch to make up for it"
"no, fuck off"
"please leia"
"no" she pushes me back and drives away, i grab my keys not saying a word to my mind in or max or Amy and drive after her, she realises she's bring followed and speeds up, cutting through red lights and driving zig zags, i follow her to an apartment building, when I get there she's just going in the door, i run in after her and get in the elevator with her.
"seriously fuck off callum" she says when we're there.
"does mark live here or something?"
"no I... A friend lives here"
"why are you here?"
"I'm waiting for her to come over "
"please, lunch tomorrow"
"I'm going out with mark"
"invite him?"
"only of i can get one free punch now" she says sarcastically.
"ok"
"what?"
"one free punch now, but you have to help clean up the blood in your friends apartment before I go home, max wouldn't shut up if i told him you hit me" I say casually.
"your serious?"
"yup"
"and you can't do anything back?"
"nope, you and mark have to come tomorrow though"
"won't it be awkward? You were the one that left me at the side of a road"
"I know, but I really will make it up to you"
"ok" she says as we walk down a hall, before I can say anything, she turns and punches my nose, i stagger back and utter a few curse words as I realise there really is blood.
"your a fucking psycho!"
"you let me, now come on" she opens the door with a key and leads me into the bathroom.
"why the fuck did you punch me do hard?"
I ask staring at my bloody nose in the mirror.
"you've been in plenty if fights, didn't they hurt more?"
"not with one punch"
"ah well" she shrugs and rinses a cloth before gently running it against the blood, her face is inches away from mine and I can really say she is pretty now, not sexy, pretty, until she dabs the cut, i hiss and flinch back.
"sorry, couldn't help myself" she says smirking.
"starting to regret our deal"
"bit late, don't you think?"
"little bit" suddenly there's a knock at the door.
"shit" she mutters.
"wouldn't you like to show me off to your friend?" I ask raising an eye brow.
"she's early, you can either hide for about two hours or climb out the window or try to sneak out"
"what?" I ask in disbelief.
"leia, are you home?" a woman calls out, she sounds about thirty.
"who is it, your mum?"
"no, are you hiding or what?"
"just say you had a friend over and now he's leaving"
"she knows who you are, I'll explain later but please just shut up and hide" she pushes me into her room and leaves me there holding a rag to my nose.