A Veneer

Chapter 3: Harmonic

The sun began to shine through my window on the third floor. I could no longer stand the sun in my eyes or the heat that was pouring into the room. I shook my head as if to shake the sleepiness away and I began to rise. I turned on my phone and received multiple text messages from Aiden: are you up? wake up! wake up! Caelyn! lets hang out. mom's throwing a summer party today, join us. I began to text back when he called.

"Hello?" I answered, sleep still hanging in my voice

"Oh good you're up."

"I just woke up."

"You just now woke up? It's like ten a.m."

"Yeah, in your head. It's only eight in mine, plus it's summer."

"Exactly! Days a wastin'!"

"Get off my back I'm going back to bed."

"No! Wait! You can't! My mom needs you to come to the party! And Bella wants you to do her hair. We all want you there." He said, rushing to get his point across.

"What time?"

"Noon."

"Be here in half an hour." I said with regret.

"Great! I'll see you then!" Without a good-bye, I hung up the phone. I took a quick shower and didn't bother to dry my hair. I threw on a pair of jean shorts, converse and a crop top. While brushing through my hair a third time, I heard the horn of his pickup outside my dorm. I grabbed my bag and hurried to the elevator.

When I closed the door of the pickup, Bella had already grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards her bathroom. "What took you so long?" She whined.

I yawned, "Sorry bells. i'm still a little jet lagged." I explained. 

"No time for excuses! My hair!" She pleaded.

"Alright, alright. You sound like your mother." She sat down on the bench she had set in front of the mirror. I began braiding and curling, pinning and applying hairspray. By the end of the thirty minutes her hair looked amazing. A waterfall braid I had pinned up leaked curls in the back of her head. "So, is a special someone going to be here?"

"What?" She looked shocked. "No! I mean... I..." She stuttered.

"I've known you long enough, and I've been a girl long enough to recognize the look your face gets when you have butterflies."

"Don't tell Jeb or Cameron!" She yelled

"I won't say anything to anyone. Cross my heart," I drew an X on my chest with my index finger.

"Good." She let out a breath.

"Girls are we done in here yet?" Christine peeked her head in the bathroom.

"Yup!" I answered

"Doesn't my hair look pretty, Momma?" She asked.

"It looks lovely sweetie," Christine answered. "We could use your help in the yard, Caelyn."

I nodded and walked to the yard when I spotted Jeb, Cameron and Aiden talking in a huddle. "hey guys!" I said so I didn't hear anything I wasn't supposed to. They all stood up straight and looked at each other.

Finally Jeb answered "hey Cae!"

"So why exactly am I out here?" I asked as if nothing weird was going on.

"We needed some extra hands for the fire wood. But we got that all finished." Jeb replied.

I smiled." alright then." I said a puzzled expression clear on my face. Without another word I went back inside to clean up for the party. Things were getting weird, or maybe they just changed? I looked forward to the rest of the day it would be normal, just catching up with more old friends. Normal? Maybe.