By the time we get back
to the pizza place, Eunice
is waiting outside,
looking a bit put out -
but more than that,
starry-eyed in the presence of
none other than Freddie.
Seth’s cousin himself
looks pretty bored, and
I don’t blame him.
While Euni can be
entertaining at times
because of her airheadedness,
she’s more often tiring
for that same reason.
I’m sure he wants to
get away from her now
just as much as we had earlier.
“Thank god you’re here,”
he says when he
finally catches sight of us.
“Don’t ever leave me
with your sister again, Matty.
Please.”
“He told me
what you guys did,”
Euni sniffs as she
slides into the seat behind me.
“That was pretty mean.”
“But it was
still your fault,”
I point out with a grin.
“You didn’t even notice
when we walked out.”
“I’m still telling Mom-”
she starts, but
I don’t let her finish.
“If you tell Mom,
you’ll get in trouble, too.”
She pauses for a moment,
thinking that over,
before finally sighing in agreement.
“You guys are horrible,”
she grumbles at last,
turning away from me to
peer out the window into
the night gloom.
“I’m never going on
another date with you again,
no matter what Mom
has to say about it.”
“Good,”
Seth says fervently
from the driver's seat,
and I crack a grin
in response.
He glances over at me
to return the smile,
but I hurriedly look away
before I can remember the way
he looked at me earlier
when he tried to kiss me.
Did he really
try to kiss me?
I don’t really know for sure -
it could have just been
a misunderstanding,
which explains why he wasn’t
angry or upset when
we left the park.
He just laughed like normal,
and told me he had a great night.
He says the same thing
as he drops Eunice and I off,
and my sister gags and asks
when the wedding is.
I barely even notice
his laughter as he
drives away;
I’m too caught up
in wondering what exactly
had happened, and what
I should be doing now
as a result.
When I bring the subject up
over the phone call
to Natalia tonight,
she just laughs
and tells me not to overthink it.
Strange, as she is
the one who’s been trying
to force us together
this whole time.
“It’ll work out,”
she tells me,
“I promise.
Just, next time,
don’t get up like that
if he’s about to kiss you.”
“But maybe I didn’t
want him to kiss me,”
I insist.
“I don’t know why,
but it just felt wrong.
It was really weird
watching his face come closer-”
At that, she
bursts out laughing,
making her end of the line
crackle with static.
I don’t see what’s
very funny about
what I just said, but
I wait for her to calm down anyway.
“You’re just adorable,”
she giggles once she’s
gotten some control of herself.
My face flushes just a little -
thank god she can’t see it.
“You haven’t had your
first kiss yet, have you?
You’ll be fine after that.
I mean,
Seth is a pro, after all.”
Before I can ask
what in the world that
is supposed to mean,
she breezes on.
“So, my birthday
is coming up really soon,”
she tells me,
changing the subject.
“I’m thinking of having a party,
but I don’t know when.
Exams are soon, right?
No one’s gonna want to
go to a party
right before exams.
And Christmas is in
a week, too…”
My head is spinning now
from all the information
she just threw at me.
I need to go to bed,
or study for those exams
she just mentioned
or something, but
instead I’m stuck on the phone
with one Natalia Davis.
And I mean, that’s not
the worst thing
to be stuck doing,
in my opinion,
but I’m already dead tired
from the date I went on tonight,
and I honestly have no idea
where Natalia has gone off to
on her train of thought.
“The weekend, maybe?”
I yawn,
trying my best not to sound
like I’m tired.
I don’t think it worked.
“When is your birthday,
anyway?”
“Day after tomorrow,”
she states
matter-of-factly.
“And before you complain
that I didn’t tell you
far enough in advance,
I know I didn’t.
It’s all right.
I like surprises.”
I open my mouth again
to protest or question her,
but as though she can see me
through the phone line,
she, again, interrupts me.
“It's late,”
she informs me,
as if I didn’t already know.
“I’ve got to
sleep on this idea.
Nice talking to you, Matty.
Good luck with Seth.”
And before I can
say so much as a word,
she hangs up,
leaving the line to click dead
in my ear.
×
I write this really hurriedly the other day, so im worry if that's obvious. I haven't had a lot of time/motivation to work because if the crazy shifts I've been working, but I'm trying. Let's see if im able to write anything for tomorrow tonight...
If you guys liked this chapter, I'd love if you would vote and leave me some feedback!! It'd be much appreciated <3
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Unparalleled
Poetry[Prequel to Misalignment] A year before she and Cam meet, Matty Leopold has yet to realize most of the problems that will dominate her near future. She's still stuck in the shadow of her older siblings, as she has been for most of her life - but wit...
