Blue Letter Night

10. Mason is innocent

For this incident, we only had Machelle to blame. She was the one who sent me to wake Beth because she normally did not sleep in that late. Granted it was only 10:30, and as much as Beth was a 30 year old woman, she was still in a teenagers body. So, I made my way upstairs, mumbling to myself about why I was always chosen for that kind of stuff.

Beth's yellow door was cracked open a smidge. Peaking inside to make sure I wouldn't walk in on something that didn't need to be walked in on, I noticed a huge canvas. Seeing as Beth was still tangled in her yellow blanket, I pushed the door open to enter. Beth's room was exactly as it was the first time I was in there, only now, in the middle of the room was a canvas, painted to show a landscape with trees mountains and wild flowers making it colourful and detailed.

I had to admit, sense learning about Sebastian, I was beginning to realize that Beth wasn't just a stuck up know it all, she was an actual person who I didn't really know much about. Our fights, partly because of the weather, had cooled down from us spouting rude things towards each other, to an aggressive banter. That didn't mean I was going to wake her nicely though.

I crept towards Beth who was fast asleep. Her hands and face had splotches of paint on them, and her hair stuck out in every direction. When she rolled over to her side a devious plan formed in my head, I mean come on, it was right there, and Machelle did tell me to wake her.

I stuck my finger in my mouth, making sure to coat it in saliva. Her reaction when I stuck my finger in her ear was as expected. She shot upright, her expression full of disgust.

"Mason! Uck," she exclaimed, "why are you so disgusting!"

"Good morning to you too," I replied laughing at her reaction. She rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing?" She asked jumping out of bed, giving her back a good stretch. She was wearing the clothes she had on the day before thrown over the bathing suit she had been wearing.

"Blame Machelle," I told her, "she asked me to wake you up and that's her own fault,"

"I'm sure she didn't mean for you to give me a wet willy," she rubbed her ear he face twisted in a cringe.

"Well, everything needs a little Mason Carter flare," I argued. She only made a drowsy sound that sounded like "Yeah, right."

"Max wants to go out and collect some 'specimens' today at the basket ball courts," I told her, "Machelle wants us to take him,"

"Right," She said in between yawns. She yawned with her whole body, stretching out and up as she did, "sense the heats supposed to die down today it shouldn't be a problem," I nodded my head in agreement.

Beth and I having a... normal conversation. Maybe the world was going to end, just like Max always talked about, because this was absolutely a sign of the apocalypse. I stood in place, confused at the almost friendliness.

"So... are you going to leave or...?" she asked standing with her arms crossed. Quickly snapping out of my confusion, I grinned.

"Well, I could stay if you wanted,"

"Alright that's it, get lost Carter," she demanded with an eye roll. I held my hands up in surrender and walked out the door.

By the time I headed down to breakfast after getting dressed and brushing my teeth and what not, Machelle was gone to the clinic, and Anne and Max sat at the table, munching on eggo's. The kitchen was covered in the mornings warm light that reflected off the hardwood table.

"We heard a scream, everything alright?" Anne asked me. This was the first day I was here that her hair was in a twist on the top of her head. I was surprised because she had hair as long as her mother's, and Machelle's hair was always up because she said it was a hassle.

"Oh of course," I replied laughing, "your mom requested I wake up Beth, so I did,"

"How?" Anne asked suspiciously.

"Hey! A little wet willy never hurt anyone," I argued. Max bursted out laughing.

"Classic!" He managed. I picked up a plate of eggo's and high-fived Max before taking a seat next to him.

"Max," Beth scolded as she rounded the corner into the kitchen, "You're supposed to be on my side," The waves of her hair hit her collar bones and was substantially darker sense it was wet from a shower.

"I'm on nobodies side. I'm a rebel of this war," Max declared. Beth rolled her eyes before popping a couple of frozen waffles in the toaster.

"Please, we all know you're on the winning side, AKA my side," I retorted with a wink. Beth snorted to say "as if".

"What time do you want to go to the basket ball courts?" Beth asked as she sat down next to Anne, grabbing the maple syrup of of my hands before I could set it back down.

"Rude," I mumbled. Beth ignored me and looked at Max.

"I dunno," Max replied, "I was thinking right after breakfast," we all hummed in agreement and I brought out my phone to text Eddie to see if he wanted to tag along.  

Max was a weird thirteen year old. I loved the guy like a little brother, but normal kids didn't go the basketball courts to collect bugs. Maybe I would try and teach him some basket ball after he found what he was looking for, Max never really did any physical activity, and I was no expert but I was pretty sure that was important.

My phone chimed from Eddies text agreeing to meet us at the court with a basket ball. That day was supposed to be way less hot than the day before. An over cast would make Beth the ghost happy, the bugs would keep Max occupied, Eddie and I would be more than entertained by the basket ball hoops, and I was sure  Anne wouldn't have any trouble finding something to gossip over. That day was set.