Paper Hearts | ✓ | [ e d i t i n g ]

chapter seven - make smoothies and sell them like lemonade

Theo apparently had troubles finding my house. It didn't surprise me. A small white structure hidden in a catacomb of trees, I would have troubles finding it too.

When he knocked on my door it was all I could do to keep my mother from answering it. " I've got it!" She yelled, lunging for the knob. My arms clasped around her waist and I pulled back.

" No mom, you can't!" I squealed.

My mother, being a manlier woman, pressed forward, digging her heels into the ground and ducking her head like a bull. A low sort of growl emitted from her throat, and when she started towards the door I could feel myself start to slip against the tile, " mom, please, let me answer the door."

Arms still locked around her waist, I turned and started to pull back. It was like body styled tug of war, and we were both determined.

Hesitantly, Theo knocked again, " um... hello?"

Pushing my mom away, I bolted to the door and opened the door, " um, hi! sorry... my mom.... yeah... long story. Wanna come in?"

He shifted his head to the side slightly, " um, i think."

Carefully, he stepped through the doorway and looked around. My mother collected herself, smoothing her drag racing shirt, " hello. I'm Ms. O'Brian. I've heard so much about you. please please come in."

She ushered Theo in, who looked less than amused but wore a smile, " thank you, ma'am."

Waving her hand at the boy, my mother led us into the kitchen, " well, i'm sure everything you need is in here somewhere. I'll just be goin- unless you need any help, of course."

" No mom, we're fine." I casually pushed her shoulder while she waved, forcing her into another room, " go read a book."

She shushed me, but fell back into her room and shut the door.

Back in the kitchen, I saw Theo taking slow steps around the center island, looking around at the assortment of license plates and signs stuck to the wall, " no family pictures?"

" We have one, but it's really old." I said, pointing to the small picture hanging right above our door, " My mom's not a picture person."

" may I?" He asked, reaching up to grasp the frame.

I shrugged, " yeah, sure."

Theo held it in front of him, his thumb running over the glossy finish, " How old were you?" Something about his expression was off. The faraway look in his eyes, the way his lips seemed to turn downwards rather than up.

" I um." I said, starting to rummage through the cabinets, " I was nine."

" oh." He snapped out of it. Placing the frame gently on it's hook, he walked over to me, hands in pockets, and asked, " when are we getting started?"

" right now." I said, pulling out what I guess was necessary smoothie materials. Fruit, a blender, ice. It was a nice day in Rhode Island, sunny and heated.

Making the smoothies themselves seemed easy enough; put everything together in a blender and blend. It started out good and well. Theo made sure I put the lid on everytime and sometimes we'd switch. His hand would rest on the top of the blender and his thumb would press down on the little button.

He went to get some more ice and I forgot to put the lid on.

When he came back, I was covered in a cold layer of strawberry smoothie.

" Someone had fun while I was gone." He said, arching a brow.

I crossed my arms and laced my eyebrows together, " Yeah, fun, sure."

Theo dug around in some drawers before finding a towel and gently taking it to clothes, " I warned you, kind of."

While he wiped off my left arm, I slid smoothie out of my hair with my right. Moving my hand away, he dabbed at my face, moving a strand of smoothie drenched hair out of the way.

Then his eyes met mine. It was like being swallowed by a wave; layer after layer of blue attacked me, different shades and different hues all merging together in an endless see of emotionaless iris. I was sure my eyes didn't look as fancy. A pearl grean, light and plain.

Theo looked away, and handed me the towel, " I'll make some more smoothies."

Deathly quiet, he held the lid shut while a combination of ice and fruit blurred together against the glass. I ran upstairs to change into another set of clothing and to brush any lasting smoothie bits out of my hair. The red curls were less than amused.

Trotting back downstairs, I saw we had an array of smothies prepared. We packed them all in coolers (don't worry I had prepared for this occassion) and took them all to the end of the street. The thing about New Brooks, was that it had people and they went outside a lot. Most of the driveways were lengthy and most of the houses were two storied and doll-like. 

We set up camp, putting out a table and hanging a banner in front of it. The banner was made with markers and magazine clippings. 

I set out a sign reading, ' Smoothies for sale! two dollars per smoothie!'

on the sign, black letters read $2. 

It wasn't like selling lemonade, not really. People didn't stop as often for teenagers and when they did they weren't often friendly. I looked over at Theo, who was stretched out on the chair, " So why were you in the park the other day?"

" Don't worry about it." He said, nonchalantly. He handed someone their blueberry smoothie and rested his elbows on his knees.

" I'm not worried, just curious." I replied, taking a smoothie for myself. 

Theo shook his head, sold someone a smoothie, and never replied. Looking over at him, I saw his face turn dark and the ocean of his eyes turn stormy while he frowned, " Then be curious. I'm fine."

I snapped, leaning forward and setting my smoothie on the edge of the stand, " Exactly! That's what everyone says, 'I'm fine'."

" And most of the time, they mean it." He said, elbows pushing into his knees. 

" but you don't." I said, tone falling soft. I bent myself at the same angle as him, and looked at his face. By nature, my eyes flicked from his lips to his nose, watching for any shift in expression.

" I mean it." He said, finally, looking over at me with rolling eyes and a blank face. 

I sat back. Maybe he did mean it. Maybe his eyes were very alive with a very dead emotion, and maybe I hadn't seen him crying that day on the bench. Maybe not. I pulled my legs up, crossing them, and started to campaign the smoothies again. They were okay, pretty good for my first go at a blender. When the road seemed devoid of people, I said, rather casually, " Maybe you are right now, but you weren't at the park and you won't be forever. I'm your friend now, so, you can trust me."

He sat up straight, taking a blueberry smoothie and taking a sip, " You've been my friend for two days, Marisole." A partially amused look touched his lips.

Rolling my eyes, I replied, " Two days, two years. Not every infinity is the same size." 

" Not everything is infinite." He replied, " Two days won't last forever."

" You're right, it only adds to the bigger infinity of time."

He shook his head, " no, that's not right."

" what do you mean."

" Nothing," He replied, sipping his smoothie, " is infinite."