Not Yet

9 | 𝔾𝕠𝕟𝕖

I picked at the corners of the wooden floorboard, trying to pry it open with my bare fingers. Another thump was heard from out the door. I turned to the noise, and returned back to the floorboard that contained something underneath. I tried again, with my fingers clawing at the edges, but my grip slipped.

"Let me try," Billie sighed as she kneeled down beside me.

"I can do it," I assured, as I caught a sniff of her tropical perfume.

Billie pushed me aside with her hands, and took over. I yelped and fought back. She retaliated, and in the moment we looked like two childhood friends fighting over something so puerile. Just like at the corner store with the glass bottle. It was amazing, really, that we managed to stay together. How I missed the old days, with the calm. It was always the calm, never chaotic. Nowadays, the world is trying to throw at you with everything.

"I can do it Liam. Trust me," Billie stated with condescendence. Always the same word. Trust. Oh, can she just shut up for one second about trust. Where's the trust with telling me that Matt broke up with Sophia? Where's the trust when she stole that glass bottle and took it as something so little?

I stood up, annoyed. I went to Matt and he was positioned against the room door, with his arms closed. He brushed through his blonde hair, and smirked at me. I ignored the smirk.

"Matt... How come that you didn't tell me that you and Sophia... stopped the relationship?"

His eyes dulled, and his mouth dropped open. He scratched his head.

"I knew you will soon discover about it, I just didn't know when," he mumbled as his desert brown eyes stared down at the floor.

"You could've t–" I stopped, not a good time right now, "You will find others as great as Sophia."

He nodded, "I know Liam. Can we just change the subject? I just don't want to hang on, it hurts for me to think about it. The party would be a nice topic."

I struggled with myself to refrain from saying anymore about the relationship. He doesn't want comfort.

"I can't wait to see the fireworks," I simply stated, hoping that it was the right thing to say.

"Especially with Courtney's. Her ones are always the best, somehow..."

As I was about to reply, Billie interrupted, "Yes! I got it opened!"

We swiftly ran to her, and peeked from her shoulders. She shone a torch down into the hole, and there in plain sight, was a small box. A box engraved with delicate pictures of roses, a panorama of a field of roses. And located in the middle, a tiny, steel padlock. This has to be the thing Chloe spoke of.

"Do you have the key?" Billie asked as she pulled the box from the hole.

Abruptly, a slam of a door erupted. We jumped to our feet, and crept to the door. Matt signalled us to turn off our torches, and everything was engulfed in a milky light from the window.

My ears were intently listening for sounds of the visitor.

The world within my mind was pounding.

Then, there it was. The defeating buzz, accompanied by the bangs. The scribbled figure was here. I heard the footsteps trudging towards the door, and I crept away.

"What is it Liam?" Billie whispered.

"It's coming... It's coming," I sharply said, my breaths taking ahold of me.

Billie ran to my side, with the box still in her grasp. She passed it over to me.

The doorknob turned slowly. Matt pushed against the door with his whole body. His face contorted, as he battled against the budging door. My hands were profusely sweating, lining the palm with a hot wetness.