The Hidden Pocket {ruel van dijk}

chapter ten.

A sudden and deafening knock on my front door startles me, waking me up from my daydream.

I accidentally drop my mug of tea, shards flying left and right. I curse under my breath, hopping around the broken pieces of glass and out of the kitchen.

"One second!" I shout at whoever is on the other side of the door. I grab a broom from the linen closet and do my best to quickly sweep what I can into the dust pan. It doesn't do much, the broom is old and frayed. Another knock comes, even louder than the first.

I dump the shards into the garbage can and rush to the closet to put the broom back. They knock again.

"I said one second!" I shout, throwing my arms up in surrender. I rush to the front door, throwing it open.

I almost start crying when I see who stands on the other side of the door frame.

"Mom!" I gasp as I rush into her arms. She embraces me tightly and strokes the back of my head, running her fingers through my hair. Her sweater is cold from the nighttime air.

I almost forget about the rest of my family until my dad clears his throat. I unravel one of my arms from around my mom and pull him into the hug. After a few comforting moments, I pull away. Hazel stands besides my mom. I crouch down to her level and squeeze her tightly, rocking back and forth.

"Hello Haz." I coo into her ear. "I didn't even know you guys were coming! What's the occasion?"

I stand up and run my fingers through my hair. I've been a nervous wreck today. Ruel has his interview right now and I won't know how it went for a few hours. I didn't put on nice clothes or do my hair when I got home from school. I hope my mom doesn't comment on how I look at the moment. She's lovely, but she is also a nuisance when it comes to appearance.

What I motion them inside and shut the door behind them.

"Genevieve darling, why is your kitchen floor covered in glass?" My dad asks as he stands by the bar. He places his hands on his hips and looks at me questioningly.

"You guys scared me when you knocked. I accidentally dropped a mug. I did my best to clean it up before I opened the door."

I grab the broom out of the closet again.

"Go show your sister around your apartment. I'll clean this up." My mom says as she grabs it from me.

I pick Hazel up and carry her upstairs, figuring I should start up there and work my way back down. I set her down once we get to my bedroom. Luckily I cleaned it after school today. Hazel wanders around my room, touching all of my plants and petting every pillow and blanket she sees. I notice a fern wilting in the corner so I rush to the bathroom to get water for it.

When I turn back around with a full cup of water in my hand, I notice Hazel is standing in front of my nightstand. In her baby hands is a Polaroid picture of Ruel and I that he took a few weeks ago at the rock.

I wasn't paying attention, staring into the distance and off into the trees while he took the picture. He's in it too, smiling cheekily in the bottom corner. It's not the best photo, but it's the only one I have of the two of us.

I rush to her and grab it, spilling a little bit of water on my carpet. I shove it into a drawer with haste.

"Who was that?" She asks with large eyes and a pouting lip.

"Nobody." I say. I pour the water over the fern then lead her out of the room.

:

A few hours later, the four of us sit on my couch, passing a large bowl of popcorn between us as a movie plays on the TV. Hazel is asleep, leaning against my right shoulder and breathing heavily. I brush my fingers through her long hair, I've missed it. Its something I used to do all the time when she was younger to comfort her.

Luckily I'm not holding a mug right now because when another knock sounds from my front door, I jump. I get up slowly, laying Hazel down gently on a pillow.

"Who is it?" My mom asks quietly over the dialogue of the movie.

I shrug and walk to the door. Of course I know who it is. I quickly pull my hair up and into a bun.

As soon as I open the door, Ruel plows through it, pulling me into him. He rests his head on top of mine and hugs me so tightly I think I might pop. He lets go quickly, stepping back yet still holding my shoulders.

"I did it." Is all he says. He looks flustered, his cheeks red and his eyes smiling.

"What happened?" I ask excitedly.

"They want to sign me." He bursts. I push him away from me, the biggest grin taking over my face.

"You're kidding!" I shout. I jump up and down a few times, grabbing his hands and having him jump with me. He twirls me once, then twice. Even though it's dark, the only light coming from the hall, I can see how happy he is. We move in slow motion.

Then he stops and awkwardly clears his throat. It takes me a second to realize why he does so. I almost forgot about my entire family, sitting on the couch, having just watched that whole encounter.

"Oh yeah." I say. My shoulders rest. "Mom, Dad, this is Ruel. Ruel, these are my parents. They'll be staying with me over Easter Break."

Ruel waves at them from the doorway. "It's good to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Alberry." He says kindly.

"Is he a friend from school?" My dad asks.

"Yes Dad, he is. He also is standing right here so you can talk to him, there's no need to speak over him." I snap.

"My apologies, Ruel. It's good to meet you as well. It's a relief to see my daughter has made some friends here." Says my dad.

"Yeah thanks." I reply sarcastically.

There's a lengthy pause where nobody says anything. Ruel and I stand in the entryway, my parents sit stiffly on the couch, and Hazel begins to snore. I'm astounded at how inept we all are at communicating without creating such a suffocatingly awkward situation.

"Well I guess that'll be it, then. Goodnight Genevieve, goodnight Ruel." My mom says . I'm thankful when she grabs my dad by the elbow and leads them upstairs and into the guest bedroom.

As soon as they're out of sight, we continue our small dance party.

"So what's your next move? What happens now?" I finally ask when I start to run out of breath and I'm too tired to keep dancing.

"I'm not really sure quite honestly. They've connected with my parents and they're going to find a manager for me. Then I guess we'll see from there." When he speaks I don't look away for a moment, I'm too focused on him and I keep drowning in his eyes. It's especially hard to forget how much I like him during times like these, when it's just us and we're over the moon.

"I'm so happy for you." Is all I manage to say. I could tell him now; I could tell him how I've loved him for months. I could tell him that I think he's beautiful and that I would do anything for him, how he has me wrapped around his finger.

But not now. Not ever. He has other things to focus on, other priorities. Like his career, like school, like Charlotte.

He hugs me one more time before he heads for the door. "I've got to go tell everyone else now. I'll see you later, Genevieve." He says as he reaches for the door knob.

"But it's late." I say.

"This is important, plus I've got too much energy to relax." He basically runs out of my apartment after he finishes his sentence.

I exhale dramatically.

I close my eyes and tilt my head upwards. Even though Ruel is out of sight, the fuzzy feeling doesn't go away. It doesn't show any sign of relenting either.