70 Days Of Summer

Day 40

Today, I have a internal conversation with myself to decide if I should get up. It's 8 am. I'm so tired and my legs feel....fat. Like there are 100kg weights strapping them to the bed. Hmm, that sounds a lot like gravity. I could get up and make my parents a delicious breakfast in bed before they leave. I attempt to pull my back up, but I flop back on the springy mattress. Forget breakfast in bed. What else have they done for me besides provide shelter, food, and everything I want?

" wake up!" My mother screams, and I feel the silky blanket being pulled off me. My body twists around and around as the sheets under me gets ripped off, and I hit the rough, carpeted floor. My eyes flutter open and my mum is standing above me; and from the crease on her forehead, furrow of eyebrows, and tomato red cheeks, I'm guessing she's mad. Really mad.
" morning," I mutter.
" do you know what time it is?" She asks sternly, pulling down her white, chiffon, ruffle neck, blouse.
I reach up my hand to get the digital alarm clock on my bedside, but it flops straight back down, and slaps me on the face, making me laugh like a tired drunk person. Which I am. The tired part, not the drunk part. My mum stabs me in the hip with her black, pointy toe, 3 inch, Neiman Marcus last call, jimmy choo's; and I wince in pain.
" up!" My mum demands, her orange hair shaking back and forth, as she shakes her head.
I clamber upwards, and feel a little shaky when I'm on my feet, but I manage to stay upright.
" yes mother," I say, slightly scared of why she is so angry.
" it's 11 am! We had to leave for the airport, and drop you to Catalina's house 15 minutes ago! We had a slight delay in plans when our 14 year old daughter had neither woken up nor packed her bags," my mother shouts.
Suddenly my dad waddles in the room wearing his formal 50% off Thomas pink traveling suit.
" darling, darling! Don't worry," my dad booms, patting me on the head.
" sorry mum," I squeak,looking at the floor.
" just go get ready. I've packed your bags," she says trying to control her temper. I burst into the bathroom, and start furiously brushing my teeth while letting out my bladder on the toilet. I hear squabbling between my parents outside the door, and my mum screams,
" HURRY!"
I flush the toilet and ditch the toothbrush on the floor. I slip into my old jeans lying on the floor from last week that never got washed; and a random red shirt Cassie left here a few months ago, that reads,
Wreck it!
I pick up my toothbrush, hurriedly wrap it in a tissue, and stuff it into my traveling toiletry kit that I keep ready every year. I collapse out of the bathroom, a bulging, mint green, now attached, half price Ted baker toiletry bag in one hand; and a comb in the other hand, attempting to straighten out my curls.
" I'm ready," I huff, while slipping on my havainna slippers.
" come down," my mum says abruptly, and sashays off.
I run down the stairs, and run back up remembering I left my phone, and run back down, and straight into the town car my parents hired. For the whole car ride to Catalina's house, my mum gives me a lecture about responsibility and punctuation. I just pretend to listen while reading,
Gone with the wind
We finally pull up in Catalina's massive driveway and I hop out, only stopping to plant a quick kiss on my mother and fathers cheeks. I grab the 2 suitcases my mum packed for me and wheel them inside; the toiletry bag, comb, AND gone with the wind, in my hands.
" hello!" I holler.
Catalina and Paige come running into the main foyer, slapping each other with leftover buttercream. They stop when they see me, and Paige's face turns into a sour, frown, but, Catalina's stays a giddy child.
" hey guys," I smile, staring at their funny, icing slathered faces. Paige gives me a death stare and purses her lips.
" what is she doing here?"
" oh! I forgot to mention; Clara is staying with us. Her parents have gone back to the couples retreat, and, so, yeah!" Catalina says happily.
" oh," paige says b****ily.
" yah," I say just as b****ily.
Catalina looks at both of us and snorts,
" come on. Let's go unpack."
Their butler takes my bags, and I notice it's a new butler. Not Leo, with whom I had a 2 day fling with. Or maybe it's just another butler. This house has so many. I start to unpack while paige and Catalina furiously whisper in the corner, and I can hear words like,
Conversion, Buddhist, sacred
" if you guys need help with finding a sacred item, I could help," I offer politely.
" what," paige blurts; her eyes a deep black with a menacing look, and her body is tense, as if she's ready to attack.
" what did you say?" She repeats, with gritted teeth, walking towards me.
Catalina gives me a 'you shouldn't have done that' look, but I just shake my head.
" I know about the Buddhist conversion thing," I say matter-of-factly.
" Catalina! Why would you tell her?" Paige shouts.
" Catalina didn't tell me. I just found out," I say calmly.
" how? How do you know? How did you find out?" Paige screams, right up in my face. I push her off, and throw all my neatly stacked clothes at her.
" Paige! Why do you care if I know!? What is your problem?! Why are you being such a baby?!" I shout, completely irritated at her behavior.
" you ruin everything!" She shouts and throws all the clothes back at me. She runs out of the room, and Catalina runs after her.
" you stay here. I'll handle this," Catalina tells me as she leaves the room. I sigh and start re-folding the clothes. My phone starts ringing, and I glance at the caller ID.
Brenda
" hello," I say into the phone, and lie down on Catalinas king sized bed.
" hey clara! How are you?" Brenda's voice chirps.
" good. What's up?" I ask getting straight to the point.
" the girls and I are going for a date dinner. We were wondering if you wanted to come-with Berun?" Brenda asks.
" yah, sure. Which girls?" I ask.
" Mary-Beth, Ashley, Libby, you, and I," Brenda chirps.
Before I have a chance to reply, she says hurriedly and in a panic,
" don't tell Catalina and Paige! Of course, we'd love for them to come,but......they're not really dating anyone.....so......it would be awkward."
" don't worry. I won't tell. I'll see if Berun is free and give you a ring. What time, and where?" I ask.
" 'joes pizzeria' at 8pm," Brenda replies non-chalantly.
" ok. I'll let you know if we can be there. Bye," I say, and hang up. The line goes dead, and I get off the bed to start folding the clothes again. I'm halfway through my jeans, when paige and Catalina come strolling back in the room. Paige had this, b****y, posh princess, 'I'm going to kill you' look on her face, while Catalina just looks concerned. I don't say anything, because, if I do, I might start violently punching paige. What is wrong with her? Why is she being such a sour puss? I didn't do anything wrong? At least, I think I didn't.
" sorry, clara. Paige was just upset about something else," Catalina says, making random hand gestures as if that explains everything. I raise my eyebrows in disbelief at Catalina, and then shake my head, and say sweetly,
" it's fine."
I go back to packing and paige and Catalina are squabbling again in the corner of the room. I don't interject this time, but, I don't have to, because Catalina says meekly,
" remember that Buddhist conversion thing I told you about? Well, tonight is the only night we can go, otherwise we have to wait till Christmas. We already have our sacred items. Mine is an ancient conch, and Paige's is a old African coin."
Why are they telling me this? I don't care!
" cool," I say while hanging my fancy dresses.
" well.......the the thing is....," Catalina stutters, but paige snaps in,
" the thing is you can't come."
She has a satisfied smirk on her face, and she looks at me like I'm a piece of trash. I give her a fake smile and say fakely but true,
" yah, well, guess what? I don't freakin care about your stupid, idea of the moment, Buddhist conversion. Gosh, paige. I'm not as lame as you. I actually have plans tonight," I snap back at her.
Her smirk turns into a disappointed, but evil, glare.
" oh. With Who?" She enquires rudely.
" my friends. I still have them, unlike a spoiled brat I know, who suddenly holds a grudge against her childhood best friend, for doing.....nothing!" I scream at her. For a moment, I notice a glint of regret in her eyes, but, it quickly dissolves to a how dare you glare.
" whatever. By the way, your sleeping on the....how do I say this.....sex bed," paige says bitterly.
" what the hell!?" I scream at her. Paige is about to say a snarky comment, but, Catalina waves both her hands, signaling for us to stop.
" I will sleep there. You guys share this bed, but, if your going to kill each other at night, then, one of you move to the guest house. I don't want blood all over my new duvet," Catalina says calmly.
" fine. Clara will go in the guest house," paige says abruptly, and waltz over to the bathroom.
" fine, but, just so you know, it's going to be your blood on the bedsheets," I tell her sharply. She slams the door behind her, and I continue rolling my eyes. Catalina goes downstairs and comes back up with a tray of beef sliders and chips.
" lunch.....at 3pm," Catalina says awkwardly.
" I'll call paige," I say huffily, and amble towards the bathroom. The toilet named,
Paige
Is locked shut, but I tap on the fake wood door.
" lunch is ready," I call lazily.
" I don't want any," she says angrily.
" fine, your loss," I holler.
I stand there for a few seconds, but she doesn't budge.
" c'mon paige,tell me what's wrong," I say quietly.
I hear sniffling, and she murmurs,
" no."
I sigh, and walk back to the room where Catalina is daintily Chewing the tip of a chip while watching, cake boss on her flatscreen tv.
" she's not hungry," I say non-chalantly. I sit down and start munching my food. 30 minutes of buddy trying to create the perfect cake goes by, and paige still has not come out. I take her now cold plate of sliders and chips to the bathroom and leave slide it under the bathroom door. Catalina barely eats anything because she is convinced she is going obese, so I have her sliders and the half of chips she did not eat. After another 30 minutes, I go back to check on her, but the food is still untouched. I knock on the door and complain,
" I need to use the toilet."
" use the clara toilet," she replies, referring to the 3 toilets, showers, and bathtubs each named after paige, Catalina and I.
" but I like the paige toilet," I moan.
" why?" She asks, trying to stall time.
" I just do," I complain.
" I'm going to piss all over your sliders and chips if you don't get out," I threaten her, and sure enough, it works. She bolts out of the bathroom, picking up her plate, and I notice something crushed in her hand. I don't bother chasing after her, and I enter her toilet. I really do like her toilet better, it has lavender fragrance.
I call up Berun, because I forgot to tell him about the dinner.
" hey," I say, when he picks up.
" hey, what's up?" He asks sounding tired and worn out.
" the girls and I are all going on a double date and I said I would go, but I would look quite hopeless without the date," I inform him.
" details," he groans and lets out a large yawn.
" Libby and random guy, Ashley and random king, Brenda and luke, and, Mary-Beth and quing. 'Joes pizzeria' at 8. Please come," I plead.
" I don't know....I helped my dad fix up our old car....and...I'm pretty tired," he groans in the phone.
" don't you want to show off your new muscles," I whimper.
He sighs and agrees,
" ok. I'll pick you up."
" bye...love you," i coo into the phone, thinking about how lucky I am.
I fill up my bathtub, and hop in with my book,
Macbeth
I read for what seems eternities because I seem to fall asleep.
Somebody shakes my shoulder and I shake back and forth rapidly until I wake up and find Catalina screaming,
" yo clara! Get up! Berun's here! It's 7:40."
I open my eyes and, my splashing around causes her orange, frilly, chiffon, halter neck dress to soak in jasmine infused bath water.
" sorry," I say quickly, ignoring her shrieks of complain.
I button up my blue and white, casual, plaid blouse, and pull up my urban outfitters flare jeans. I shove my feet into my blue Mary-James, and keep my hair back with a farm girl blue and white bandana. I run out of the room, and downstairs to see a very....disheveled Berun.
" what are you wearing?" I ask in disgust. What the hell? His black jeans are too tight and ripped at many places, not only making him look gay, but, a poor gay man. He is wearing a red roadkill shirt with the visual of an actual squirrel being killed on the road. His sandals are rotted, and...and....and.....he's wearing socks with them!
" clothes," he mumbles, fumbling with the hem of his shirt.
" get serious Berun. We're going out for dinner....not to a pep rally," I inform him rudely, while attempting to rub off an oil smear on his cheek. He stays quiet while I rub, but it won't budge.
" we'll have to cover it with a plaster," I say matter-of-factly.
" no," he shouts back at me.
" excuse me," I say with dignity, raising my eyebrows at his tone.
" let's just go. It's 8:00. It will take us 20 minutes to get there," he murmurs, and starts walking towards the door. I roll my eyes and follow him. Once we're in the train, I start to apply my peach blush, and orange lipstick.
" why are you dressed so fancy?" Berun groans. I give him a death stare and Continue my make up,
" I'm not dressed fancy; I'm dressed casually. Like how a normal person would dress for dinner with friends. Clearly, you don't have the decency to dress casually, or appropriately."
Berun groans, and I roll my eyes,
"What has gotten into you today? Why are you so grumpy?"
He stands up and starts shouting at me,
" maybe because I spent a whole day in the firing sun, fixing a broken car, and I haven't showered or ate anything besides a slab of raw baloney, and, on top of that, my girlfriend who is acting like a princess tonight, forces me to go to a stupid dinner with a bunch of her friends."
The train pulls at out stop, and I mutter,
" baby."
I roll my eyes, and stomp out of the train. We walk in silence to the restaurant and I try to clean him up, but he just grunts and pushes me off. Gosh! How embarrassing? Doesn't he have a little bit of self-respect inside of him. We enter the pizzeria and I stroll ahead of Berun to where all my friends are sitting.
" hey," I greet everyone, even the random jock Libby is passionately kissing, and the Indian dude with a turban. I squeeze next to Brenda, and Berun eventually reaches the table, and sits next to luke. They were never really good friends, since, Berun is sporty, and Luke is a good boy.
" whoa....what happened?" Ashley says in disgust. Everyone is looking at Berun like, what did the car drag in? Well the girls are, all the guys look...chill.
" he was working with poor children in the country side," I say rapidly, giving Berun a look not to say anything. All the girls coo, and boys grin rudely. Berun looks pissed off and, he stays in that mood for the whole of dinner. We order and the food comes, and Ashley introduces me to her prince,
" this is prince raj. He's the prince of a town in India, called...."
She trails on and on about his families wealth and all the while I'm thinking, doesn't she have enough money? After she tells me about him, he places a tender kiss On her cheek and says in a thick Indian accent,
" my rani."
Rani means queen in Gujarati, and ashley just smiles uncomfortably as if she would rather be anywhere but here. Libby tells us about her boyfriend, Colin, who is a complete jock.
".....and he started the first deaf club at his school!" Libby finishes once she explains that he is 16, parents are divorced, and some other random stuff.
" so he's deaf," I clarify, and there's an awkward moment of silence where Libby looks embarrassed and everyone is frozen and staring at each other; except Colin who is just staring into the air. Finally Libby replies and slowly,
" no.....he just likes deaf people."
" ok," I say quietly, and indicate for everyone to stop staring and continue dinner. Weird. My eyes wander to Berun who is ripping apart the pizza with his hands, while we are all eating with a knife and fork. Half of his pizza falls on his napkin-missing lap, and he just picks it up, and shoves it in his mouth.
" use a knife and fork," I say warningly. He shakes his head, gives me a grin exposing his tomato and cheese filled teeth, just to tick me off.
" place a napkin on your lap, and and USE A KNIFE AND FORK," I say sternly.
" no," he spits back, sending crumbles of cheese and tomato flying towards me. That's it! I slide out of my seat and to his side of the table. I place the napkin on his lap, and slice his pizza into pieces rapidly. He pushes me off and stands up.
" what the hell do you think your doing!? Why can't you just relax!? Jeez! I didn't know I was dating an uptight, rude, and spoiled brat!" He screams in my face.
" I didn't know I was dating a dirty slacker who can't seem to dress himself," I shout back, letting out a loud grunt after.
" maybe we shouldn't date anymore," he shouts to me, and I shout back,
" we shouldn't!"
" bye!" He screams and storms off, throwing $20 on the table for his meal.
" bye!" I scream as he walks off. Everyone is staring at me and I just can't handle the pressure. I toss $20 on the table and mutter,
" I have to go."
I hear Libby and Brenda calling after me, but I just keep on walking. I'm not sad....at all. Mostly mad. How could he embarrass me In public like that? Doesn't he have any self-value? All the girls corn rushing out and ask me if I'm fine, and I say, yah, and bunch of other trash, but really, I'm not. How could I be so self-centered? I can't believe I broke up with the love of my life just to make a good appearance? How stupid am I? I board the train to Catalina's house, and try to call him, but he blocked my number. Once I reach Catalina's house, I find paige and Catalina gossiping on the bed.
" hey," Catalina says cheerfully, and then noticed my dull face.
" what's wrong?"
I tell her about Berun and I breaking up, and paige is actually sympathetic.
" Awww, I'm sorry," she says, and pulls me into a hug. I guess things are back to normal. They tell me about their adventure and how the whole thing was a scam, and they decided to not convert.
" I'll grab a tub of 'London dairy,'" Catalina suggests, sliding off the bed and walking out of the room. Once she is gone, paige says quietly,
" I'm sorry about how I've been treating you."
" it's alright, but, why?" I ask curiously.
" it's stupid," she groans.
" your stupid," I joke, and she chuckles.
" fine, but...don't judge," she starts and I nod.
" I was getting really close to Catalina, and, I didn't want you to come in between us. I mean, we've never had anything in common and this was something we could relate too, and I was jealous of how much more Catalina likes you than me," paige admits.
" that's not stupid," I say softly,
" she likes us both equally. Haven't you seen the bathrooms," I say, raising my eyebrows.
" I realized that," paige replies.
Catalina walks back in with a litre tub of chocolate chip ice cream, and we spend the rest of the night getting fat on ice cream, while watching Audrey Hepburn movies, and giving Each other terrible pedicures. We all fall asleep on a twisted heap on the couch, and my eyes flutter open every hour, to check if there are any new messages......from Berun........