Opposites Attract

Chapter-5

I rang the door bell and Vito's mom answered it.

"Hello aunty, is Vito home?"  I asked

"Grace! Come in! It's been so long since you last came here. Vito's in her room." she said with so much cheer I felt like I went back in time to those high school days when there was just Vito and me visiting each other every weekend. Those were the days past. Maybe, nothing has changed between us because I found myself entering her room without even knocking but instead of hiding behind the door, I see her lying on the bed reading a book. She looked up at me the moment I entered though I was sure I did not make any sound while doing so.

"Woman intuition?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

"You bet!" she laughed.

I heaved a sigh at her laughter feeling relieved that it won't take much to cheer her up.

"So how are you feeling?" I asked as I made my way to her bed, took off my shoes and jumped in with her.

"I'm so not well and only you can cure it" she said

"Hold on! That's the sentence." I said, horrified.

"what sentence?"

"The 'only you can cure it' trick you always play on me"

This is not right.

"I never play tricks on you" she said trying to look innocent.

"Yes you do! You're not even sick, are you?"

"I am sick!" she said between fake coughs.

She has used that sentence on me so many times that I easily catch her now. Like in seventh grade when she called me over but I didn't want to go, she said that she was sick and only I could cure it but I still wouldn't go. The next moment she was on the phone with my mom.  Given the fact that my mom is always very eager for me to hang out with friends, she had literally pushed me out of the house. It started from that day and has been continuing ever since but as we were growing up, it was mostly used for confessions. The reason why I'm horrified right now.

She'll get it out of me and I can't let that happen. Distract!

"Oh yeah? Let me see how sick you are" I said and started tickling her.
Her laughter filled the room and she begged for me to stop.

"That's not fair!" she said once she got hold of her laughter. Before I could say anything, her mother entered with tea and snacks.

"Look at both of you shouting like little kids! Here, have some tea first." she said looking around the room.

"It's alright aunty, you shouldn't have made tea" I said like a 'good-mannered' Naga girl. Vito looks at me from the corner of her eyes,  a huge grin plastered on her face. This was our signature look that meant to say 'don't look too innocent'.

"It's just tea... "her mother was saying.
"You've come after such a long time. You should come often" she continued.

I smiled and nodded with a "yes aunty, I will". She left the room after looking around one last time and we entered into silence fully absorbed in eating and drinking.
It is comforting indeed to see that nothing has changed here. It feels like a second home and we still play around like little children—wild and loud. I look at her with all these thoughts not aware of the fact that I have been staring at her longer than I should.
"What? Don't stare like that. I'm eating." she said

"I'm not staring. Just dumbstruck by how you eat like a pig." I replied with fake amusement which made her jump on me sending me off the bed and on to the floor.

Mission accomplished!

Almost an hour went by with Vito as we filled the house with shouts and laughter which was only amplified further with time. After an hour of that madness, I decided it was time for me to head home.

"We should do this more often" she said as we made our way to the kitchen where her mother was cooking.

Just then her mother appeared on the door with her phone in hand. She had the brightest smile I had seen all day and looked as if she had accomplished an award winning task.

"Grace, I just talked with your mother and she said it's totally okay for you to stay over tonight." she said.

What! Yay? React something, stupid!

"uhh... " was all that came out of me.

"what? Really mom!?" Vito knows better to show excitement or for that matter, any emotion at the very moment she feels it. She acts on impulse while I on the other hand has to first think and evaluate before reacting.

"But she says you have to first get home and get some change of clothes though I think you can wear Vito's for tonight." her mom continued, ignoring her daughter's squeals.

"Oh... Okay... I'll go now then" I said.

"Alright. And you'll have dinner here. I've already cooked and informed your mother as well."
Vito's mother has a way of constructing sentences in a way that there is no possibility for anyone to decline her offers. A trait she passed on to her one and only child. So I only smiled and agreed.

On my way back to Vito's place I had an intense talk with myself.  What if she brings up the 'only you can cure it' sentence again? I have successfully avoided it for the time being but I cannot keep distracting her the whole night. I have to make quick decisions now. Should I tell her? Of course. But how much should I reveal? Will it break the friendship between the five of us? Should I care about Rachel? It is a well-known fact that Vito is intense with her feelings and we are very protective of each other so she will obviously not take it well.

Alright Grace, decide!

By the time I rang the doorbell, I had decided to be honest and open but leave out Rachel. Just for the sake of our friendship. Vito opened the door and I could see the excitement in her. After all, we're doing this after two and a half years gap. The last sleepover we had was at my place after our HSSLC  exams.

Brace yourself, it's going to be a long night.