The Odds in Our Favor (WLW)

FOURTEEN

*DISCLAIMER: I was suffering through writers block during this and the past couple of chapters because filler is annoying. NEXT CHAPTER will have more plot!!!

★Kiara★

"Kiara." Lucille's voice snaps me away from my thoughts. I release the wipe I was using to clean the counter from my hand, turning around to see what she wants.

"Hm?"

"I think you've cleaned the whole house by now... You can take a break." She says with a small, exasperated laugh.

"Right..."

She stands, approaching me. "Are you okay? I know that's a stupid question, but you can
be honest. Tell me what's going through your head."

She presses a hand to the counter, making sure it's dry, and then lifts herself up to sit on it. I hate how my eyes are so easily drawn to her. She's wearing black spandex shorts, and a baby blue pullover. That with her faded pink hair remind me of cotton candy. It's funny because she's not the sweetest person.

I don't think I've had cotton candy in years... Maybe not since homecoming night my sophomore year. I never went to the actual dance, instead I went to this Fall Fair that was thrown together in my city. I went with Deven. We'd only become friends recently at that point, but neither of us had dates nor an interest in going to the dance.

"You there..?" Lucille, yet again, snaps me away from my own mind. 

"Yeah, sorry." 

"So... Your mom." She prompts. I know that's what she's expecting me to be thinking about. And it was what I was thinking about a moment ago, but now I'm noticing how she's still a bit shorter than me even when she's sitting up on the counter. She's—probably—around 5'5", maybe only 5'4". I'm pretty sure I'm around 5'9" or 5'10" so I'm not significantly taller, but her height is still cute to me.

Dammit I'm getting distracted again. "Right... I don't know, maybe it'll be fine, probably not, but who knows." I shrug. I really don't have any exact thoughts or worries on this matter, I just know it's going to suck.

Lucille gives me a sympathetic smile. "Maybe... And I'll be here. Deven could be too if necessary."

"Right. My mom will probably be somewhat nicer if there's another presence in the room."

"So it is just your mom?" Lucille asks, I know what she means.

"Nah, my dad will be here too, he's just less of a concern." I haven't spoken to my dad in years. He's been around. He's always around. We just don't talk. He's defended me in front of my mother a couple times, but it wouldn't have mattered if he said anything or not. Mother knows best. 

"Ah, okay." Another awkward silence creeps over us both. 

"Uh, Deven said they'd come over on Friday, so... Yeah." I'm glad Deven and Lucille have been getting on well. The first time they met was very awkward—Deven is one hundred percent the one to blame for that—but they seem to get along better since. 

"Right, good." She gives me another kind smile, and I hate how it makes my heart flutter. She hops down from the counter top. "You sure you don't want to talk?"

"Yeah. I'm okay right now." I return a smile. 

She scans my face for a short second, and then leaves the kitchen area, plopping down on her bed on her phone. 

I sigh quietly. I throw away the Clorox  wipe I had been using, wash my hands, and then eat a bowl of Goldfish crackers. The rainbow kind. The gay kind. The best kind.

★★★

"Uno!" Lucille shouts, putting down her final card. Deven showed up around an hour ago and we've just been screwing around. Right now we are playing Uno and Lucille keeps winning. And she is clearly very competitive. 

"Goddamn, isn't this game supposed to be luck?" Deven mutters, placing down their next card. I believe they have a total of 12 in their hand right now.

"It starts as luck, but it slowly becomes strategy." Lucille claims. I place down a Green 4. 

"I think the odds are just favoring you. Which is racist, frankly." Deven argues. Lucille doesn't seem to know what to say to that. "Girl, I'm kidding."

"Anyway... I win." Lucille says, putting down her final card and then grinning.

"Yeah, I quit." Deven slams their cards onto the floor and stands up, approaching the fridge. Lucille snorts, her head jerking over to me to see if I noticed. I laugh.

"Shut up!" She hits me in the arm playfully.

Deven returns with a can of Coke, "So, Lucille, I actually have a very important task to bestow upon you."

"Oh?"

"Tomorrow, since you'll be here when the bitch shows up, you are now in charge of making sure things don't escalate."

"Dev, don't give her that responsibility." I say.

"Why not? You don't think I'm capable?" Lucille asks in mock offense.

"No, I just think things are going to escalate regardless. Things need to escalate so she can finally have her shit handed to her." I explain. The idea of confronting my mother feels great. I doubt it'll actually happen, but if I have the opportunity I will be taking it.

"Fair..." Deven admits. "Well then Lucille, you are required to offer emotional support when necessary."

"I will." Lucille agrees.

"Yeah, you guys really need to stop acting like this is some heavy-duty, top-secret mission." I complain. "It's literally just my mom visiting." 

"Yes, but your mom sucks!" Deven throws their hands in the air.

"I am fully aware. That has been established. You—both of you—are just being really weird about this. Lucille hasn't yelled at me in days if we don't count her telling me to shut up a moment ago. I'd like some normalcy, please." I snap, followed by a sigh. I shouldn't be mad. It's just the chaotic mix of anxiety, and my massive, embarrassing crush, and this long week, and the unknowing about what's to come, and everything.

"Alright. Sorry, Ki." Deven says in understanding. They pat my shoulder once and then take their hand off. 

"Wait—you want me to yell at you..?" Lucille cocks an eyebrow at me.

"If I'm being annoying, yeah." I admit, though it's embarrassing.

"Alrighty then..." She rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

"Anyway, I'm thinking we should play charades." Deven suggests and I know exactly why.

"We can't do charades with three people. Also, just no." I say bluntly.

"But we always win!"

"Because we'd always play against your tío's and they are awful." I glance over at Lucille, she seems very lost.

"Yeah, 'cause uncle Fern's a dumbass." They groan, defeated. "But alright, fine."

We settle for playing Cards Against Humanity. It's another game that's hard with three people, so we only play a few rounds. Lucille suggests having her friends over next time, which we honestly should've done this time, but it is what it is.

Later, we order some food and eventually Deven heads back to their place.

Lucille is brushing her teeth in the bathroom now and I'm sitting in my bed, just thinking. I'm not going to want to get up tomorrow, but I will. I'd better. Because my mother shouldn't be allowed to control every one of my thoughts and emotions like this.