Musica Anima Mea Est

Chapter Ten- Jeffery

It felt so good to know that the air was cleared between Batty and I. But now I had to get a planner. Shoot. That would be my fifth, all forced on me by Batty.

Back at my apartment, I fed the gingerbread to my trash can, since I have no desire to remember last night at all. An incoming text message made my phone buzz, and I looked at the screen, then smiled. It was Batty, reminding me that the concert was in two days. Another text, another buzz. This one was Camilla.

Is it safe to have another rehearsal?

Or are the two of you going to have another row? I smiled. It was just like Camilla.

We're fine. I responded. We talked things over today. I switched over to the band group chat and shot a message to everyone. Would it be okay to have a meeting this afternoon?  Penny, it's your turn. I shut my phone off and looked down at the anxious Tracy standing on my foot. 

"I see you girl." I whistled for Scout and waited. And waited. I whistled again. I got a soft whimper in reply. It was coming from the laundry room. Walking down the hall, I saw Scout sitting atop the dryer, looking like someone who was proud of their accomplishment, but not proud of the fact that they were now utterly stuck. I picked my mischievous dog up and set him on the floor. "How did you get up there? You're not even a fifth of the height of that thing." He barked happily at me and trotted to the living room, where Tracy was now pacing back and forth. I hooked them to their leashes and took them outside to the grassy lawn at the back of the apartments, where they could do their business.

"Jeffery!" I groaned. I did not want to deal with Carolyn right now. I turned. She was clinging to the arm of a younger man, who no doubt was going to go to bed with her that night. Or possibly right now. I shuddered at the thought.

"Hey, Carolyn."

"Did you like the gingerbread I gave you?"

"Yeah." I lied.

"Good." She turned to the man next to her. "I'm an amazing baker." He leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Carolyn was practically purring with pleasure. I looked down at Scout, and I could almost swear he knew exactly what was happening because the look on his face was purely exasperated. I hooked the dogs to their leashes and walked inside to my apartment. Standing in the hallway was Penny, her phone out, looking extremely bored. At the sound of the dog's happy barking, she looked up and smiled.

"Finally! I've been waiting here forever"

"No you haven't, I was outside not even five minutes!"

"Whatever. I need to talk to you. About Batty." I groaned. "Could you unlock to door please?"

"It's unlocked." She shot me a look and opened the door, walking into my apartment, and sitting down on my couch.

"Sit." She patted the couch, and I sat down next to her hesitantly. "So. It seems like you've been a bit, well, clueless as of late." I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. "Look, as someone who loves reading people, I'm here to tell you this. You like Batty, Batty like you. But neither of you are willing to grow a pair and tell the other!" She slammed her hands down on the couch, and I struggled to keep from laughing. "Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Her voice softened. "But seriously Jeffery, you need to say something. Soon. I've seen the way Liam looks at her sometimes."

"What?!?" Something inside me exploded. Batty had always been like a little sister to me, and now, I don't know how I saw her, but the thought of Liam, or any guy, looking at Batty that way just hurt. I sighed. "Maybe you're right."

"Oh, you know I'm right Jeffery Tifton." She got up and gave me a hug. "But, seriously, you need to say something."

"Fine. I will." Mentally, I added, Penderwick Family Honor.

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Authors Note

Okay, so I've been writing this on my Chromebook that my high school gives out to students, and I have to return it today, so updating will be really slow at first since there aren't a ton of other options at my house. We have 6 computers in our house, but two of them are strictly for parental use, and two SUCK. And sorry for taking a while to update, I was really unsure of one specific part, so I just kept rewriting one paragraph over and over for forever. So, yeah. And HAPPY END OF SCHOOL!!!! I get out tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure most people got out recently, or are getting out here in the next week or so.

QOTD: What is one summer thing your family always does that you enjoy? My family goes up to my great aunt and uncles cortege for a day, and we go tubing behind their boat, then play on a stretch of beach they own, then go back to their house and go paddle boarding and kayaking until dinner, then we roast s'mores until dark. (That was really long) Your turn!

Comment, vote, and tell me what you think

Lots of love,

Sammie K