Shae

Chapter 3

"Can I come in?" Beau asked quietly through the door to my bedroom. She was asking in vain, because I was sleeping soundly, and had been for four hours. Mom said that wasn't healthy, but I didn't care, I was mad.

Beau came in anyway, it was her room while she was here, too. She closed the door softly behind her and crept toward me carefully. I buried my face in my pillow and kicked the pile of clothes perched at the end of my bed. They fell to the floor with a soft thud. Beau kicked them aside and crawled onto my king bed. She sat and the end, and watched me for a good five minutes. I could feel her awkwardness, and I eventually sat up to look her in the eye.

"Hey," I said with a humph, realizing I had forgotten to throw my book. I did so, grabbing "Forgotten Fate" by Hannah Miller and chucking it at the window. I was mad at that book anyway. It made me need a man, even whilst I hated men.

Beau rolled her eyes. "Okay, straight to the point, what's up?" She folded her arms.

"Nothing," I clenched my jaw and looked at the wall beyond her.

"Come ON!" she yelled, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "I don't get you! Here I am, a willing listener, and you just huddle into your sad little shell of misery!" I was getting a little nervous now, and I backed myself up against my headboard, knees pressed up to my chin. "Now, tell me why you were so mad!"

"Geez! Calm down, Beau! I'll tell you!"

"Nevermind, I don't want to know anymore," She furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes, then spun on her heel and slammed the door after her.

I sat against my headboard and shuddered at her sudden change in attitude. She must've been pmsing or something, because she was usually very mellow. I came quietly down the stairs about ten minutes later, scanning the hall for sight of Beau. I heard the fridge open in the kitchen and the sound of a glass being set on the counter. I snuck a glance around the corner, seeing her overfill the glass with orange juice and groan as it spilled onto the floor. She slammed the carton of juice down on the counter and yelped as she caught her hip on the edge of the open drawer where we kept the dishrags. She sat down abruptly on the floor and tears began to spill down her cheeks.

I tiptoed around the corner, and sat down with her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. She turned to me and sobbed into my shirt. I suddenly pictured myself burying my face into Kade's chest the same way. I blinked hard and shook the image away, but it stayed fixed in my mind's eye.

Beau and I sat there for like ten minutes just clutching each other until I stood up and proposed we go to the basketball court next to my pool and try in vain to make each other drop their guard. We were both pretty good, even with her being so short. We ended up changing into our swimsuits and trying to make baskets from the deep end of the pool. I made one and did an amazing victory dance if I do say so myself. Beau laughed and dropped into a back float. I dove under the surface and tickled her from underneath. She squealed and flailed, kicking me in the face.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I was sitting on the side of the pool nursing my swelling eye while Beau was in the pool house trying to find an ice pack. I got up with the intent of moving to a chair, and tripped over a painful potted yucca on the way. I winced at the pain in my shin and sat slowly on the ground. My mother came out of the house in alarm, hearing one of her prescious pots shatter. She saw me sitting on the concrete and came over to me for the first time in weeks. She is very good at the silent treatment. She wrapped her arms around me smoothly and cooed at me like I was two.

"Oh honey are you all right? Let me see, I'll make it better.."

Ugh, the agony. It was almost sweet, though. Beau came out of the pool house and saw my mom. She rushed over with the ice pack she had found with so much difficulty.

"Oh my gosh, Aunt Sue, I am SO sorry, it was an accident." I waved her off, insisting silently that I was fine, and she just gave me the ice pack and stood by to watch, concern etched into her face.

My mom touched the ice pack to my eye and then my leg. She walked me inside and sat me on the couch. Amazingly, she didn't put a towel down first or anything. She turned on the tv and handed me the remote as she walked into the kitchen to find some pain killer. I shamefully turned on battlestar galactica, I was into it! Beau stood so awkwardly behind the couch, I looked at her and raised my good eyebrow. She slowly sank into the cushion next to me and attempted to avert her gaze to the tv. I texted Toad and told him to come over. I told him what happened and he responded quickly. Beau looked over my shoulder and her eyes widened.

"Why are you texting Kade?"

"What? No that's Toad!"

"Shae... It says Jock.."

"Nonononononono!" I texted him quickly and fumbled around with the virtual keyboard. I told him I didn't need him I thought he was Toad don't come over. I had Beau read me back the response.

"'Too bad, sucker, I'm coming. BTW, what do you mean by 'don't comb over?''"

I groaned and told Beau to change the channel. She scrolled through and I stopped her at random.

"I don't care, that one is good"

"But-"

"Just turn it on he can't see me watching this!"

Next thing I knew I was listening to the my little pony friendship is magic theme song. I actually liked that show, but obviously Kade couldn't see me watching that either. I jumped for the remote, and Kade walked in like he was freaking Toad. He streamlined for me and leaned on the back of the couch above my head. I looked up, wincing at the pain and his amused expression as he stared at the television screen. He looked down at me, and it was his turn to wince.

"Whoa! You look like you stuck a blackened baseball in your face! Beau were you wearing heels!?"

Beau stifled an embarrassed laugh, and I rolled my eye, determinedly watching mlp with remote intensity. Kade started playing with my hair. No, nope. He was ripping the hairs out one by one and dropping them on my face. I hated him, I did. I reached my hand down and pulled the lever that kicks back the seat. He grunted and I felt a few of my hairs pulling out. Mission accomplished, though. He stayed there on the love seat for the rest of the day. Checked his phone a few times, declined a few calls..

Toad called and asked if he could come over. Oh, PLEASE do! A few minutes later, he walked in to save me. He stopped when he saw Kade, then looked at Beau, back at Kade, shrugged, and sat down on the arm of my couch. He looked at the screen and quietly said "go pinkie pie.." I snorted and cried at the pain that shot into my face. He asked what the ice on my face was for, the naive boy was amazing oh my goodness I loved him so much. I laughed and pulled it off. He gasped and blinked hard a few times. He reached forward, then coming to his senses, pulled his hand away. His wavy hair fell slightly into his eyes as he leaned closer to ask what happened. Beau shrank as I told her the story.

What, Rainbeau! Were you wearing heels in the pool!?" Kade chuckled and I heaved a sigh. Beau was left with only her eyes sticking above her knees, and she had them open wide, like a scared lamb. I flicked off the tv and stood up to get some more pain killer. I fell, stumbling over the foot rest on my couch. I grabbed Toad's shoulder with both hands and held tight. He wrapped his arms around me and hoisted me to my feet. I didn't let go, I didn't want to fall again, and I looked into his eyes. Genuine concern looked back. Not teasing sarcastic worry, but real feeling. My heart melted, but this sensation was totally not what I'd ever felt with Toad. Granted, he had become pretty attractive over the past six months, but no, I was not necessarily attracted to him.

Kade stood up and walked over to us. He scooped me up and sat me on the counter. He dug through my freezer and pulled out frozen cookie dough. Oh in that moment I loved him. And had to remind myself I hated him. Toad looked quite deflated when I looked up from my cookie dough. I felt bad for the kid, he was so sadly scrawny, while this attractive fit tall guy was carrying his best friend around while he watched like he wished he could do that. Or maybe he wanted to be Kade.. Nevermind that's stupid, Toad has never been that conceited, he's always liked himself the way he was.

Beau walked over and stood next to Kade, basically glaring at him like he had just stepped on her hamster.