70 Days Of Summer

Day 37

I awake to the sound of quiet laughter and murmuring coming from downstairs. Who is here? My parents never laugh - together. I slip out of bed and I don't know how, but I'm wearing my pajamas. I cover up my very old Winnie the Pooh nightdress, with my also very old sleeping beauty silk gown, which is too precious for me too throw away. I shuffle downstairs and find : Libby, Ashley, paige, Catalina, Mary-Beth, and Brenda, sitting around the coffee table chattering. They all notice me and, Brenda; who is wearing black track pants, black tank top, neon green sweater, neon green converse, and is holding a coffee mug; gets up and directs me to a seat, on the moldy brown couch, right next to her.
" hey" Brenda say, and the whole room choruses,
" hey."
" hey guys. What are you doing here?" I ask, and I notice the pile of bouquets around the coffee table.
" we wanted to see how you were doing," Libby starts,
" and hope you get well soon," Catalina finishes.
" oh. Well, thanks. I'm feeling better," I lie, ignoring the pounding pain in my forehead.
" I brought the chrysanthemums," paige chimes.
" daffodils."
" sunflowers."
" daisies."
" roses."
" tulips."
We all burst into giggles and I thank everyone; even Brenda for the rotten tulips. I think I've mentioned she gets about 1-2 hours of sunlight a day.
Suddenly my mum rushes out of the kitchen, with a tray full of snicker doodles. I didn't even know she was there considering the kitchen and living room/ tv room are interconnected.
" hello darlings! I've made everyone's favorite! Clara darling, your awake! How are you feeling? The doctor says you should be fine after another day of rest - which reminds me I must give you the tablets," my mum says in her happy mother tone, while placing the tray on the coffee table. She seemed to be speaking to everyone but referring to me, so I follow her into the kitchen. She is wearing a purple Mickey Mouse baggy top with jeans, and a France tourist apron wrapped on top. She wipes her doughy hands on her sweaty hair and pulls out a bottle of tablets.
" oh! It's hot in here. Now, take this," she instructs; handing me a tablet and bottle of water while switching on the air conditioning. I gulp down the tablet and turn around to find paige standing behind me. She is wearing a very tight and very small orange tank top paired with orange leggings and plastic orange sunglasses she used to play with when she was 5. Why is she always dressed in orange?
" can I talk to you?" She asks tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ears.
" sure," I smile, noticing she is looking down. We sneak upstairs to my room and I ask paige,
" what's going on?"
" I have to confess something," paige says calmly.
" o-Kay" I say cautiously, sitting next to her on my bed.
" the reason I was so hung over after the kidnapping is yes, partly because my own dad kidnapped me," Paige starts snorting at the idea of her dad kidnapping her, and continues,
" but mostly because Bryan and I broke up. I ended it with him. The day after we were found, I just didn't think he would want to be with a wreck like me, but the truth is, I didn't want to be with him anymore." Paige is choking on her tears now and keeps taking,
" now I want him back, but he's with Catalina. I let him go. He will never forgive me."
I wrap my arm around Paige's Shoulder and look into her eyes,
" oh paige. Remember, what happened between Berun and I? I turned him down and I thought he would never forgive me, but, look at us now, happier than ever. Everything will turn out right," I comfort paige.
" maybe," Paige murmurs, wiping away her tears.
" besides, When has any of Catalina's relationships lasted more than a week," I joke, and paige laughs.
" I heard that, and by the way Bryan was a record with 7 whole days!" Catalina says, sitting next to paige on my bed. We laugh but then paige asks,
" what do you mean, 'was a record?'" Paige inquires mysteriously.
" I ended it yesterday. With Bryan. I just never felt right, I mean, it's always been paige and Bryan. The golden couple," Catalina says seriously.
" really? Oh, Catalina. I'm so sorry," Paige hugs Catalina; hiding her excitement.
" yah right. I bet you were drooling about him in your dreams," Catalina says, swatting her away. Paige giggles and nods her head.
" anyways, paige. Can you come over tonight so we can discuss....that thing?" Catalina says urgently, widening her eyes, and making random hand gestures.
" sure," Paige says nervously, glancing between Catalina and I.
" what 'thing?'" I ask, making quotation marks with my fingers.
" nothing. Haha. No-thing. Get it? Anyways, come downstairs, everyone is waiting for you," Catalina says hurriedly, in her terrible lying voice. She disappears downstairs and Paige gets up, but I stop her.
" what is going on?"
" Catalina should really tell you herself," Paige stutters.
" fine," I agree, even though I'm frustrated they're keeping a secret from me.
" oh, clara! Will you come shopping with me? Tomorrow. I need to pick up some more orange clothes," Paige informs me, while we descend down the stairs.
" anyways, I've been meaning to ask, why are you always dressed in orange?" I ask.
" it's a monk thing-" she starts but Ashley interrupts her, by screaming across the room,
" Clara!"
She hand gestures for me to come over, so I do; and wedge into the remaining space that Ashley's pale pink, Givenchy, very puffy, 90% tulle dress; didn't take up. She bends down; really stretching the tiny strap that holds up the 40kg dress; and hands me a small, pale pink jewelry box.
" what is this?" I ask, watching everyone stare at me.
" we all pitched in to buy you something," Mary-Beth says sweetly.
" open it," Catalina shouts. I chuckle and pull open the small box, to reveal, a beautiful silver chain with amethyst pendant. I hear a large gasp behind me and a moan,
'It's beautiful.'
I turn around and nearly collapse with fear of seeing my mum standing behind me. How did she get there? I turn back around, and smile.
" thank you so much. I love it."
" your welcome" and " it was nothing" are all the responses I get from everyone. My mother hooks the necklace on my neck, and goes back to make more snicker doodles. We all talk and laugh and play truth or dare for a few hours, until gradually they start leaving.
Once everyone has left, I ask my mother,
" can I go out, please?"
" no. You need to rest," my mother says sharply, while packaging the leftover snicker doodles.
" please mum. I'll be less than an hour. I promise I will be back before 6," I plead.
" where are you going?" My mother asks sternly, sealing the lid on the container.
" somewhere," I say, not wanting to tell her incase she offers to come along.
" where?" She asks with force, placing the container on the top shelf.
" just for a walk," I say convincingly. She takes a deep breath, stares me in the eye and gives up.
" fine, but if your not back by 6, then you are grounded for a month."
" yay! Thank you mom!" I squeal hugging her. I shove on my rain boots which are the easiest of my shoes to shove on that are downstairs, and I run outside. It's 5:35, which means I spent 5 minutes arguing with my mum. I sprint until I finally make a turning and arrive at a familiar narrow cobblestoned street. I enter the 'hat aquarium' and a meek voice comes from behind the rows of dusty hats on even dustier shelves.
" who's there?"
" mrs. Karen. It's clara," I call out, weaving my way through the cob web shelves, and arrive at the small chipped desk in the front of the room. Mrs. Karen is sitting there in a paisley print, pale and dark pink nightgown with scratched beige old lady ballet flats. Her gray hair is frazzled around her queer face, and her normally shining grey eyes are dead.
" Clara. You came," she says distractedly.
" yeah, I kept my promise," I say giddily, laughing and sitting opposite her. She lets out a chuckle, but seems to be out of it.
" what's wrong?" I ask; placing my hand on hers. She shudders at the touch of my hand, but her eyes don't move from the blank circle In the wall. After 3 minutes, she says blankly,
" I'm closing the store down."
" what? Why?" I ask, shaking her so she looks at me. She finally gives in and looks into my eyes,
" look at this place. It's dead. I mean, once in a while, the odd visitor comes in, and walks straight out. I'm low on rent, and this place is a dump."
I shift in my seat and my amethyst sparkles in the rare beam of sunlight; that shines through the odd glass panel, among dozens of bricks. Mrs. Karen's eyes catch the sparkle; and she smiles coyly, and her eyes light up with hope.
" that's a beautiful necklace," she says reaching out her frail fingers to touch it.
" thanks," I say, unhooking it quickly and handing it to her.
She continues smiling as she carefully evaluates the necklace.
" amethyst.....must have costed a lot," she murmurs. Suddenly, it hits me! It hurts me, but it hits me!
" keep it," I say; scooting my chair backwards, and getting up, realizing its 5:50 pm.
" Clara dear, that's very generous but-"
I interrupt her,
" no buts, mrs.Karen. It's all yours. Sell it and bring business back."
" thank you so very much. How can I ever repay you?" She asks gratefully.
" just promise me that you won't shut this place down, and day after tomorrow, you will let my friends and I clean up this place, and being business back," I say pleadingly.
She chuckles and says softly,
" I promise."
I smile and start to walk away, but just as I'm leaving I hear her croak,
" your a wonderful girl, clara Clipton."
That makes my smile broaden and I make it home just before the clock strikes 6:01. I run to my room and tell mum my plans, and listen to her tell me how amazing I am, and blah, blah, blah. I call up: Libby, paige, Mary-Beth, Catalina, Brenda, and Ashley; and tell them about the plan. Everyone agrees; even Ashley who hated the idea of being around dust and dirt and everything yucky. Paige reminds me of our plans tomorrow, and Catalina is coming along. I still have to confirm with my mum; so I trudge to her room and prepare myself for the 1 hour battle. Surprisingly she just says,
" yes."
" yes?" I ask quizzically.
" yes," she says confidently, while sewing a button back on one of my dads shirts.
" okay....yes, then," I confirm, and she nods, and I go shower. My dad comes home and we eat my mums terrible lasagna, and I thankfully avoid watching a Indian movie with my parents, who are addicted to those, and I spend the night texting Berun. We spend numerous hours texting each other, and eventually my head starts pounding, so I decide to go to bed. Love hurts!

HEY GUYs! SO NO ONE DID MY ROOM CHALLENGE WHICH IS OK BUT I JUST WNT TO REMIND U TO KEEP VOTING AND COMMENTING I ALSO HV TO GIVE A SHOUTOUT TO Riya_Lovatic !!!! LOVE U GUYS AND KEEP COMMENTING AND VOTING! BYR NOW!!