Shae

Chapter 9

Dread filled me as she stalked toward me with a fire burning in her eyes. She brought her hand back and slapped me. Boiling hatred could be felt in every tingling part of my face where she'd touched me. I tried to stand tall and dignified as much as possible, but when she began to reprimand me, I had to contort my face to hide my tears and turn my face away.

She was back, shouldn't I be happy and surprised? I forgave myself, though, she was slapping and lecturing me. Kade stared at the cat fight taking place before him. It took him WAY too long to realize what this was about. I saw him basically give himself a face palm and he exclaimed "OH" ashamedly. I grabbed Beau's wrist and dragged her back behind the vendor shacks. She shook me off violently when we stopped walking and I pressed my finger to her lips.

"Look, Beau. I don't know what to say, but obviously you have a lot. You're just going to embarrass yourself if you keep going on like this. Can we yell at each other at home in my bedroom or like a nice clean guest room you can destroy?" I hoped that worked. She looked at me like I was a child that had just asked for an entire roller coaster for Christmas. Then she nodded slowly and pushed her finger in my face.

"All right but this.. this is not done."

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By the time we got back to my house it seemed like all Beau wanted to do was brood and glare at me. I let her, and spooned heavily sugared cereal into my mouth. I ate a lot, actually, it seemed like I was eating all the time, like a grazing cow. I wasn't a stick thin Barbie, but with the amount I ate... Let's just say my metabolism was doing a very good job keeping me thinner than I ought to be.

Beau turned her creamy brown eyes on me without a glare in them for the first time since our little interaction. Instead, she seemed to replace the anger with a look that scared me, though I couldn't quite place it.

"You know, Shae? I'm gonna forgive you. It's not like I ever told you I liked the boy or anything. So I guess girl code didn't really app- oh, get that spoon out of your mouth!" I had been listening to her intently with my spoon handle sticking out of my mouth, mid spoonful. The entire bowl of the rather large spoon was stuffed into my mouth and I suppose I looked quite like an awkward chipmunk. I could see that it must be difficult to have a serious conversation with someone when they looked like they'd just swallowed a UFO.

I removed the spoon from my cheeks and swallowed with difficulty. "So I'm.. Forgiven? You're not one to give up so easily, what's the catch?"

"No catch. I'll be staying in a guest room, seeing as my dad was arrested recently and well, my mom has never been around much.." Beau's family was a bit broken.. She lived with her dad after his wife left him when Beau was about four. Her dad was a very kind man, gentle and constantly like he felt he might accidentally hurt like a fly or something. I was shocked to hear this news. My jaw dropped very inconsiderately.

"Oh. My. Gosh, Beau. Are you okay?" She folded her arms and looked at me like 'really?' I winced and emitted a little apology. I hesitantly began to ask, "What-" I was stopped abruptly by her sharp "Don't ask. That's all you get to know right now." I decided now would be a good time to keep my mouth shut.

Beau's dad.. Arrested! I guess she'd be staying with us for a while..