Operation Marriage

Chapter Eighteen - Horse Hair

Chapter Eighteen - Horse Hair

After school on Friday, precisely one week until the end of our 'marriage', Devon and I decided it was high time to treat the cute little sibling of his. He told me that his parents had told him, when he got home after school yesterday, that Lily hadn't actually stopped talking about the promise I had made her about taking her to ride the horses. He had then told me that my parents now definitely held a grudge against me and if I didn't take Lily out to ride anytime soon, there was going to be 'trouble'. When I questioned him about the type of trouble there would be, he just gave me a look  that suggested something to do with murdering me ferociously - possibly choking me on my 'yellow tips'. It was good to know his parents liked me.

So now it was after school on Friday and Devon and I were walking down the sloping path towards my house, Lily clutching her older brother's hand. She was practically bouncing with excitement as we walked. As Lily chattered on about how excited and happy she was, and how much she loved horses and me, I looked across at Devon. He was wearing a small smile, like a proud father would wear. When his eyes met mine they seemed to sparkle, even behind his glasses. He was definitely, well and truly happy.

"Devon, you do realise that we're both making you ride a horse, too, just so I have an excuse to put more fail photos of you in our journal." I said, deciding to let my evil side have some fun. Devon's eyes narrowed and his smile flickered, but he wasn't angry.

"It's going to be hilarious. I mean, you can barely walk straight." Lily then said, cheekily. I beamed as Devon scooped Lily up in one fluent movement, tipping her - giggling - upside down as we continued walking. I knew Devon would be able to hold her, so I didn't freak out like I usually would whenever someone attempted something so scary with a young child.

"Barely walk straight, huh? So that means I can't hold you. Want me to drop you?" Devon said, jokingly. Lily shrieked with joy, laughing madly. Her dark hair had fallen down and her t-shirt had draped slightly, revealing some of her pale stomach. Lily continued giggling as Devon threw her over his shoulder and carried on walking.

"Why can't you carry Holland and not me?" Lily said in-between her giggles and sharp breaths. When Devon gave me an evil look and I realised what he was thinking, I shook my head at Lily.

"Don't give him any ideas. Last time he carried me, he dropped me in the sea." I replied. Devon then explained how I then tried to drown him and I gasped, acting innocent. Lily patted her brother's arm so he would put her back on her feet. When he did so, she moved around him so she was walking between the two of us, holding each of our wrists. We had walked about half way down the sloping hill towards my house. I knew Russell would appear sooner or later.

"Are the two of you in love, like the other boy and girl teenagers I see?" Lily questioned, lifting our wrists so that our fingers brushed. Devon choked on the oxygen around him and I smiled, feeling embarrassed. Little children did not have filters. At all. "Because you both act like a real married couple, instead of a tem-po-rah-ree one. You pick on each other all the time, but when you picked me up from school, I saw that you both also go all starry eyed and mushy with each other all the time. It's weird and sometimes a little bit gross."

"Oh, Lily." Devon said. Were the tops of his cheeks pink? For some reason, that made me feel quite happy; like I'd made some sort of achievement. "Next time, you can say that to yourself if you'd like...but in your head."

"Fine. But I'm only being truthful. You know how our parents feel about lying. Lying means a smack upside the head because lying is bad. And your hands aren't tiny like mum's." Lily said. Devon coughed awkwardly, but almost immediately went back to his smiling self.