70 Days Of Summer

Day 30

Romilda, the Russian maid, awakes me at 9:30 am.
" Mizzus clora. 2 gulz are wetting for you downstairs.
" ok. Thanks," I grumble. Who would come see me at Catalina's house? Where is Catalina? Who is here? I check my phone and I have 5 missed calls from Berun. Oh snap! Aren't I supposed to lose my virginity today? Nah! I'm not in the mood. I call Berun and he picks up sounding sorry,
" hey! I've been trying to get a hold of you! Maybe you were sleeping? Anyways, I'm so sorry but my dad wants to take me away on a business trip with him so I can see how the world of law works. It may sound stupid, but he's making me go and I won't be back for 3 days, so I won't be in town, and I'm going to have to take a rain check for today. I'm so sorry. I promise I will make it up to you." Awwww. He's so sweet. He feels bad for canceling on something I don't want to do. He doesn't even know what we were going to do.
" don't worry, I'm not feeling too good either," I say, putting on a sore throat accent, and stifling a cough.
" oh. That's a shame. Have lots of chicken soup, and, I'll see you in 3 days," he says sympathetically.
" okay. Love you, bye," I say hanging up. I shuffle into the elevator, get on the escalator, and I find 2 figures standing in the black and white living room. I see Mary-Beth, and.......Libby.
" hey guys. What are you doing.....here?" I ask confusingly.
Libby is wearing her red tank top, white leggings, and her ripped slippers. Her black, sleek wig is cascading off her shoulders, and her extremely pale skin looks tanner.
" well, I was just hoping to spend the day with you....and thank you for....helping me find Derek," Libby says non-chalantly.
" Derek?" I ask quizzically.
" my....boyfriend," Libby says quietly.
" oh" I say awkwardly. Mary-Beth is just standing in the corner, examining the mini sculpture of some Egyptian artifact from the B.C. Era, that her parent probably auctioned for $1 million.
" Mary-Beth. Why are you here?" I say in my fake, it's-so-good-to-see-you voice, and I smile fakely.
" well, believe it or not. I'm here for the same reason. If we hadn't met up that day, I would have never met quing, and we've been dating for a while now. He's even met my parents so, I think it's serious," Mary-Beth says quietly. She is wearing her ankle length, grandma style, pink pleated skirt, with, a crisp, cotton, stainless, pink, button up blouse tucked into it. Her glasses are places perfectly on her nose. Her hair is pulled tightly into 2 blonde pigtails, and she is wearing her grandma style, polished white sandals. Ugh! That reminds of her extremely creepy white room.
" ok. So, did you guys plan this together?" I ask, still very confused of why they are here.
" no" they both say in unison.
" I'm sorry to intrude like this, especially at very short notice. I understand if your busy and would like for me to return later. It's just that.....I cleared up my schedule for the day. Including SAT practice," Mary-Beth adds meekly.
" ok. Well, why don't we all spend the day together?" I suggest, twiddling with my hair.
They look at each other and I can tell they don't like the idea but Libby shrugs her shoulders and says,
" sure."
" great. I'll just go get changed and be back soon. You guys can think of some places to go. Libby don't touch anything, and Mary-Beth, don't touch too much," I say warningly. I get changed into my black slags, and pink tunic top with my pink open toe sandals and black spike ball earrings. I grab my cell and some money, and go back downstairs. I don't know where Mary-Beth got a magnifying glass from, but she got one, and she is trying to read the Egyptian Script on an ancient digging tool, that is probably a knockoff but Catalina's parents paid a fortune for it. Libby is slouched in the grand couch with a black and white leather checker design, staring at Mary-Beth as if she is a freak.
" let's go guys," I holler.
" yes, please. Let's go!" Libby says in relief.
" guys! I was so close to figuring out what king tuts last words were," Mary complains, but nonetheless follows us outside.
" ok, so we are first heading to the pro football hall of fame, and by request of no life Mary, we MUST visit the First Ladies national historic site," Libby explains, putting emphasis on the must.
" I find the ladies national historic site absolutely fascinating, and I think you will too," Mary adds calmly. The bus ride is literally 10 minutes away and we offload at an 85000 sq meter building and Libby pays for our tickets. I'm supposed she can afford it. $15 per person. Libby walks us through the huge building because she's been here several times before. She loves American football! Mary dozes off to sleep in her walk and I drown out her voice. It's been 2 hours and we're still listening about Bert Bell. We ditch the tour halfway through and it's already 1:15. We have lunch at a small cafe round the corner. I pay for Libby's fajita and coke, Mary's taco and sprite, and my burrito and Mountain Dew. Yep! It's a Mexican cafe. During lunch Libby asks us,
" so, what did you learn?"
Mary and I glance at each other and both coincidentally blurt out,
" Bert bell!"
Oh my god! How are both thinking of that same person. Maybe, because that was the only person we bothered to listen too. We finish the lunch and hit the ladies national historic site. Yay! Fun! Fun! Fun! The bus ride is only 10 minutes and we step out of the bus and 2 large, beautiful, brick buildings stand before us. This shouldn't be too bad. I try to listen to Mary's boring, dry voice go on and on about...I don't even know what she's talking about. Mary-Beth has that sort of history teacher voice that is just interminable. Basically there is Ida McKinley's house who I think was the first of the First Ladies or down thing like that. The other building is the 1895 city bank building, which I completely ignore, because, seriously, who wants to know about a city bank building? There is a beautiful library and I start to pull out a book from the shelf but Libby pulls me away and we leave.
" so, what did you guys learn?" Mary asks, mocking Libby.
Libby and I glance at each other and without meaning too, we both blurt out,
" Ida McKinley!"
We all laugh and walk to Catalina's house because it is only 2 minutes away.
" ummm, I just thought that you should know that Derek and I are serious," Libby says seriously.
" yah. Quing and I, too," Mary pipes in.
"Actually, this is our first day apart. We're inseparable. Most of the time, who am I kidding? All of the time we have together, we spend on kissing and getting naked," Libby says, laughing.
" well, most of the time quing and I have together, which is not much since he is a great flute player and is practicing a piece to perform at the queens luncheon in England in a few months. Anyways, we spend our time reading fine literature and listening to Mozart," Mary-Beth says shyly. Libby rolls her eyes and scoffs at Mary-Beth and I giggle,
" wow! I never thought I would be the one to set you up."
We turn into Catalina's house and I say,
" bye," and they say,
" bye!"
We go our seperate ways. I walk past the living room and Catalina's parents are sitting in the beige living room. A tray with three teacups and Madeleine biscuits is set on the table In a very tittery matter. The tea mugs and plates and the tray all have little lavender flower patterns hand painted on them from.....Vietnam.
" oh, I'm sorry to interrupt," I say hurriedly, but notice that there are 3 teacups and only her parents. Maybe, the other person hasn't come yet. Maybe.
" no, no, no. Clara, we wanted to talk to you," Minou says, gesturing for me to take a seat in the beige wingback chair. Minou is wearing a stiff, green, army design dress, with a cotton belt over the waist. She is wearing army green Miu Miu slippers and an Anne Taylor headband. Asim is wearing, well, what he always wears. Khaki trousers with mulberry or some other designer button up blouse tucked into it. This time his loafers are Burberry and he's wearing a Hermes belt.
" ok. Did I do something wrong?" I ask worriedly, taking a seat on the chair.
Minou starts pouring tea and says,
" no, no! Quite the contrary. I'm sure you remember our conversation last night about the kitchen and expanding and all that. Well, Due to Catalina's childish behaviors, we find that she is not suitable for the 5% partnership. That's why we would like to offer you the partnership instead." Minou hands me the dainty teacup, with a large smile plastered on her face. Me? They want to give ME the partnership? No way! Yes way! What would Catalina say? She would be angry as hell! She went over to Justin's house to end it with him, didn't she?
" Catalina has gone to end it with Justin," I say boldly, sticking up for her even though I want the partnership so bad.
" it never should have started," Asim says in his one and only serious tone.
Well. I'm sure Cassie's therapy isn't cheap. Plus, the amount my parents spent on their retreat. They've been saving for 25 years! I guess my family could use some help.
" yes. I'd be honored to take the partnership," I say, and a smile appears on both their faces.
" what will Catalina say?" I ask worriedly.
As if on cue, Catalina bursts in, looks around mysteriously, grins and says,
" are you guys planning a surprise party for me?"
" oh darn! You caught us. Yes, we were planning a surprise party for you," Minou says in her terrible fake voice but Catalina believes.
" alright, well, the party won't have anything to do with Justin and I breaking up and me taking the partnership," Catalina says happily.
Asim coughs awkwardly and Minou says sympathetically,
" oh,honey. I hope you don't mind, but we found someone else to take hold of the partnership."
Catalina looks devastated but says,
" oh,ok. No worries." She musters a smile and Minou squeezes by her and leaves the living room. Asim leans into my ears and whispers,
" we will discuss tomorrow at 6 am. Be here." Catalina doesn't notice, and he walks out the room.
" so how was your day? With Berun?" Catalina asks, still sounding a little down.
" actually, he didn't come. He had to go on a business trip with his dad," I say awkwardly.
" ok," she says.
" hey, I'm really sorry about the partnership deal. How was your day with Justin?" I ask hopefully.
She chuckles and says,
" nah! Don't worry about it! I knew they wouldn't give it to me. Justin and I had a pretty normal day. Kissed, got naked, made out. The usual. Now let's go watch some x-rated films,"she says excitedly, back to her normal self. I grab some freshly baked brownie chunks from her fat American chef with a tattoo on her neck that reads,
" meet me at the motel." Catalina grabs a bottle of mineral water and an orange.
" your going to go anorexic," I say matter-of-factly.
" if I was anorexic, I wouldn't be eating this orange," she says shoving me. I grin and we head upstairs. We start the movie and halfway through I get a call from a random number that starts with +86. I pick up and say,
" hello."
" oh,clara dear! Nice to hear your voice! Anyways, the plane from Chicago has been delayed due to weather issues so your going to have to stay with the van de Vens for another night. Catalina's house," Vanessa chirps anxiously in the phone.
" oh. Ok," I say, glaring at Catalina who is on the phone, giggling and saying sweet love things.
" do you mind?" Vanessa asks seriously.
" no! Of course not. I'm having a good time," I say truthfully, although I want her to come back.
" ok, well I have to go fight with the guest services clerk. They think there getting me at the 6am flight. Yah right!" She says, breathing heavily a As if she's just run a marathon. For Vanessa, walking from the bedroom to the kitchen in her apartment is a proper workout. I can't imagine the walk from the crappy economy lounge to the guest services desk which is on the opposite side of the terminal, because they only help the rich and snobby.
" bye," I say and hang up.
Catalina notices me walking up to her so she whispers something in the phone and hangs up.
" who was that?" I ask mysteriously.
" nobody," she lies.
" mmmhhhhmmm. We all tell 'nobody' that they are sweeter than a goose," I say, taking a bite into the brownie.
" it was Justin," she says, turning red.
" I thought you guys ended it," I say non-chalantly.
" I thought we did too, but he can't get enough of me. Let's start the movie," she says hurriedly, switching on the movie. Catalina acts weirdly for the rest of the night, and very jumpy. We watch the end of the movie and we shower and change into our pajamas. We join her parents for a late dinner at 9, where we eat oysters and calamari. The whole dinner Catalina's parents give me strange looks, I give Catalina strange looks, and she is smiling at all of us. She even tries to start a conversation about 'global warming,' but her mother shoots it down,
" no talking at the table tonight."
Catalina doesn't roll her eyes or make a rude remark, she continues eating. After dinner, in slightly disturbed by Catalina's weirdness, so I lie and say I'm tired. I go to bed and Catalina lies next to me in her king size bed. every 30 seconds I hear Catalina's phone beep and she furiously types. She faces the phone screen away from me, so all I can see Is Catalina's smirking and the back of her iPhone. I eventually drift off to sleep......the sound of her message beep filling my dreams.......

Hey guys! This chapter may not have been useful but I jut had to write it! Anyways, a shout out to vaanika14 for being awesome and voting and commenting like hell!!! I love her for it! I love all my readers! Just remember to VOTE AND COMMENT!!!