Childhood Games

~Chapter 3~

*Hey guys! Ugh! I've been so busy trying to move into the new place that I haven't had time to edit. Sorry for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy!*

Alan

She was someone I had never met before. That wasn't Naomi. That was someone different.

Besides the shock I received when I saw her standing there, I was even more shocked at who she had become. Naomi was never the type to curse or disobey or do anything that potentially would cause her harm or cause other trouble to anyone else. She was a pushover. She was docile.

Or at least that's what I had thought.

And while she stood there shouting obscenities and being stubborn, I couldn't help but notice that the Naomi that I had left behind four years ago had metamorphosed into a girl that was almost unrecognizable if it hadn't been for those eyes. She was taller, but maybe it was due to the black wedge shoes she was wearing that criss-crossed against her golden-complected foot. She had become skinnier than when the boys at her school placed her penultimate on the list of hot girls in the class because she was "too chubby." I started to remember her crying to me for at least two hours about that.

******

"Brian said that I would be higher up on the list if I lost some of my baby fat" she cried. Her eyes were bloodshot red as she cried into my neck.

"So are you gonna lose it?" I asked jokingly. She looked me directly in the eyes and gave a sniffle.

"Alan," she grimaced. I raised one eyebrow and her face became even more crestfallen. "I'M FOURTEEN. I DON'T HAVE BABY FAT ANYMORE. I'M JUST A WHALE."

"Naomi, you're fine. Those are some stupid ass boys. More guys will want to get in your pants in high school, I swear," I told, but she didn't listen. She was already gone.

And the entire time after that, she cried and let out shouts that were only comparable to that of a whale.

******

My thoughts went back to that black dress that hugged at her now developed curves and shiny brown hair that fell to the middle of her back. She pushed it back so many times as she mumbled to herself that I thought it would rip off. Even though I was furious at that moment, I could tell some part of me, deep down, was fascinated that she became like this. Maybe it was the Alan from four years ago who I so desperately tried to kill.

My train of thought was interrupted when I began to see everyone opening the doors of the car and unloading Estella's bags from the trunk. My heart began racing more furiously as I knew what I was to expect when James opened that door. I took a deep breath, pulled the lever, and let myself out of the car into the garage. James, Estella, and Bimbo were chattering about how good the meal they just had while at the same time, mine was threatening to come back out the same way it came.

Why was I this nervous?

If anything, I should have been the one storming into that place, pinning her down, and asking all the questions. A part of me wanted to so bad, but I had learned to keep my impulsions in check since I had left California. Impulsions led to bad decisions, and I didn't want to show the people who had been taking care of me for the past year a side that I only showed some.

They had already filed into the 3-story mini mansion I had called home for a year. I remember the pretentiousness I felt from this place even before I moved in. When I was growing up, Naomi visited quite often to the point where she had her own room and would live with them for months at a time while her crooked parents covered up their abandonment with a promise that they would be back "soon."

The house looked like one you would see in the Sound of Music with the split descending staircases and the floral arrangements (courtesy of Bimbo) that made the foyer seem more like a ballroom than anything else. When you walked in through the garage, you were automatically on the second floor which meant you were right by the grand dining room and the kitchen.

Which was exactly where Naomi was in her Hello Kitty tank top and her matching pajama shorts.

"Hello," she said rather menacingly. I looked around and saw that everyone had tensed up. I had guessed it was time to sort everything out.

We all sat down in the dining room with Uncle James at one head of the table, Naomi at the other, and me farthest away from the she-devil at in the seat next to James. I focused my eyes on him and Estella so that I wouldn't have to make eye contact with her whatsoever. A few moments of silence and awkward looking-arounds happened before James cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Now that we're all here in a place where it is safe to voice...erm.. opinions," he said looking straight at Naomi, "we can have this discussion. Now everyone in this abode knows that you two don't have the same relationship you once had before."

No shit.

"However, we all agreed, Estella, Jennifer, and I-"

"Your name's Jennifer? I thought it was Jessica?" Naomi interrupted. Bimbo gave a slight laugh and waved it off. She seriously did not get that Naomi was trying to be a bitch.

"However," James groaned, "the fact is that you both are here now and, the way it turned out, we can really do anything about it."

"Plus, it's time for you kids to put aside your differences," Estella mumble.

Our differences? This was more than just differences. She literally caused so much in my life to change that I couldn't even deal with anything. She ruined it.

A few more moments of silence passed as we all processed our thoughts that were going through our heads. There was a deep feminine sigh, and I could tell that things were about to get shaken up by Naomi's newfound tongue.

"When is he going home?" She snarled.

Wait, what the hell? When am I going home? Does she not know? Did no one tell her?!

No, Alan. You have to keep calm. You haven't been in contact for four years.

"More like when is she going home?" I retorted, and I meant it because this was where I was staying for the time being. She could've gone home the same day. That would've been nice.

Keep calm, I repeated.

I looked around and saw all the adults fidget a little in their chairs.

Oh no.. oh no! Oh-

"Hell no! Are you serious right now?" we both shouted now standing. I had never cursed in front of them, and I had never been so disrespectful, but I couldn't hold myself back at that moment.

"You want us to live together? James, that's-that's," I couldn't find the words to say without showing the true Alan.

"Not gonna happen." Naomi said rather calmly. We all turned to her. Her eyes had turned russet. "I will disenroll from Berkley so long as I don't have to deal with him or this bullshit!"

My eyes grew wide.

"She's even at Berkeley?" I yelled. I heard her groan so loudly the neighbors were probably going to call the police if it didn't calm down. She scraped the chair against the polished wood floors and made her way upstairs with loud thumps!

Then I felt it. I had been so calm, but I felt my blood boiling until its breaking point and the next thing I knew I was running up the stairs after her about to tell her how this really was going down. It was one thing when I was in front of people. It was another thing when I wasn't around them. Naomi was many things and could act out many things, but I was her childhood friend. I knew what made her tick even if she didn't know herself, and I knew what would make her break any demeanor.

I walked directly into her room and before she opened her mouth to scream and shout at me, I slammed my hand against her wall trapping her where she was. I had to give her credit as she kept her eyes piercing into mine, but her body gave a very slight jump. Good.

"Let me tell you how this shit is gonna go, sweetheart."

I had broken from my cage.