these troubled bones | s.m.

vi. instigator

i know it's been a while. please read the author's note at the end!

xxxxx

vi. instigator

THE CUPCAKES CAME the day after the poolside kiss with Anna.

I had slept in late that morning, refusing to leave the comfort of my bed until Mum physically dragged me from my room to help with lunch preparations. She had me tossing the salad as Aaliyah sang along (horribly off-key, that is) to some TV musical that was playing. I remember that Mum had been desperate to enroll her in some summer day camp, but Aaliyah had refused, choosing instead to spend her summer lazing around at her friends' various houses and annoying our mother to death. Mum called it "taking a page out of your book, Shawn," which I probably should've found offensive, but ultimately couldn't deny.

Tommy and I were hanging out that afternoon, so Mum made me invite him over for lunch. He agreed, never one to take free food for granted, and said he'd swing by at noon. When it was 12:15 and there was still no ring from the doorbell, I took a quick peek through the blinds to see if I could spot his truck, which had been newly minted at the time, coming down our street.

Instead, I saw him standing on the walkway on my front lawn. But he wasn't on his way to the front door; he was having a shouted conversation with Caroline Summers across the street.

Caro's appearance triggered the usual rush inside me: I checked my hair, smoothed down the wrinkles in my shirt, tried to hold myself more confidently as I bounded toward the front door and swung it open. Both blondes turned to me as I exited my house, Tommy with his usual sly smirk and Caro with a bright grin.

"Mendes," he greeted, exchanging the usual bro shake once I got closer. I nodded at him and waved to Caro, hoping it didn't come off as too eager.

Deep down, I knew I shouldn't have feelings like this toward her. I made out with her sister just yesterday, so it was wrong on more than one level, but I couldn't help it. Something about Caro's unattainability rendered her that much more attractive.

"Shawn! I was just telling Tommy about how you disappeared at the pool," explained Caro, kicking one flip-flop adorned foot into the grass. "Couldn't find you or Anna for the longest time."

"Right," I said, keenly aware of Tommy's curious eyes on me. "We were just... exploring, you know." It sounded dumb even as I said it, but Caro nodded without hesitancy.

"Well, I should head back inside or my mom'll yell at me." She rolled her eyes. "Being grounded during summer is the absolute worst. Stay safe out there, kiddies," she joked.

"Grounded?" I raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Her eyes sparkled with mirth. "I met a guy at the pool and snuck out after curfew to see him again. Mom went ballistic."

Tommy whistled lowly. "Damn, Summers. Thought you'd had more practice to be stealth enough."

Caro shrugged, unbothered. "See you guys. Oh, and Shawn, Anna lost her scrunchie yesterday, the pink one? Do you remember seeing if she put it somewhere or something?"

I blinked, distinctly recalling tugging it off so her hair splayed over her shoulders. I cleared my throat. "No, sorry."

"Yeah, I doubted it, but figured I'd ask anyw-- oh, looks like Anna already asked you."

"What?" I said dumbly.

Caroline nodded to the steps of my house behind me. "I said, looks like Anna already stopped by, right?"