Playing Princess

Playing Princess 2.20

Joey killed the engine with a twist of a key. Where he had found a car in such short notice still baffled me but I hadn’t really bothered to question it.

I pulled open the handle and nudged the door but it wouldn’t budge. I turned to Joey. “What up?”

“You never said goodbye to me, you know,” he said quietly, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. His lips were pursed into a frown, hands still clutching the wheel. “I thought we were friends.”

With a sigh, I lapsed back into the seat and crossed my arms. “It happened too quickly and I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye. Allegra told you afterwards, didn’t she?”

“She should have taken me to see you off,” he grumbled and pulled the key out of ignition. Joey snuck a sidelong glance at me and I caught the sly smile that tugged at his lips. “Or maybe you were afraid of crying because you’d miss me so much.”

A sudden burn crept into my cheeks and I wrinkled my nose at him. “A-As if. All that yelling and arguing while we were riding? Please.”

Joey gave a laugh and pushed down on a button, the car emitting a collective click. “Alright, you’re free to go.”

“Thanks,” I snapped, pushing the door open at last.

Just as I removed half my body from the car, I felt a hand grab my wrist and pull me down. Joey leaned over the gear and smiled up at me, blue eyes twinkling. “We are friends, right?”

“Not for much longer if you keep stalling.” I wrenched myself out of his grip and slammed the door shut. After fumbling around with my keys, Joey had leisurely reached the front door and watched me in amusement.

“Am I really that distracting?” he teased and leaned a shoulder against the front door.

I paused with my key already having twisted the lock. I shot him a brief scowl then quickly pushed open the door. He fell forward with a yelp and stumbled across the raised threshold. A smirk pulled my lips upwards as he quickly regained himself, his facing having turned bright red.

“You distract me with your clumsy ways,” I sighed regrettably and locked the door behind me. “Mum! Leonard! Look what I brought home.”

“What?” Joey choked out. I reached down and undid my shoes easily, Joey following suit. I kicked off the heels and felt relief from me from head to toe. “Now I’m not even a person?”

I ignored his remark and headed for the kitchen. Juice was too sweet for my taste buds and it hadn’t been enough to quench my thirst. Rummaging through the fridge, I popped back up with a carton of milk and snagged a cup from the drying rack by the sink.

“Whoo, Auntie Helena won’t be happy that you brought a boy toy home, Astrid.” Leonard leaned in the doorway to the kitchen with his arms folded across his bare chest. I rolled my eyes as he started flexing his arms and began to shoot menacing looks towards Joey. “What’s your name, pretty boy?”

“Pretty boy?” Joey repeated with a snort. It only made Leonard’s expression more menacing but Joey didn’t seem to be fazed.

“Stop being a show off and put a shirt on,” I reprimanded and took a long sip of milk. At most times, I did prefer drinking milk over water. “Joey, this is my idiot of a cousin, Leonard. You, be nice to my riding instructor.”

“Joey? Lennox?” Leonard’s brow shot up and the look of menace melted from his face only to be replaced by a wicked grin. “You came up a couple times when Astrid told me about her adventures in Aldern.”

I choked on my milk half-gulp and slammed the glass down with a clang. My mother just happened to enter the kitchen at the same time and the expression on her face dropped to absolute shock. “You brought a boy home?”