Repaying Her Blood

Chapter thirty two: Matchmaking

Marissa

It had been three weeks. Three weeks since uncovering my sister’s tormentor. Three weeks since Gracie went all crazy on me and locked me in her basement.

And three weeks since she got taken away to a psychiatric ward. Although I hated her with my every being, there was a small part of me that hoped she’d get the help she needed there.

"Alexis, you stand over there," I ordered, pointing to the dark corner of the room.

"Madeline, could you hide over there please? Just beside Andrew. And lastly Elijah, would you kindly crouch behind the sofa?"

Beaming at everyone who tried to be out of view as I reached the door, I breathlessly commented, "Perfect."

I texted Jordan quickly before repositioning the decorations and balloons once again. My phone binged after a few minutes of fiddling with the already arranged decorations.

Get ready. We're almost at the door

I grinned excitedly and then situated myself beside Elijah who was staring at his phone with a bored expression across his face. Glaring at him, I slapped his hand in which he replied to with his middle finger.

Rude.

Faint voices were heard outside of the door, making me freeze up and quickly grab onto Elijah's arm in panic.

"Ow let go of me, you cretin!" He snapped.

"Shhh!" Everyone around him quietened him. They were also very excited to see Miles' face once he stepped through that door and looked at all of the decorations and food we had made. Spoiler, the food would be his favourite creations.

Apparently Madeline's an excellent baker and she thought that baking tons of treats for Miles would help cheer him up for his birthday.

I could never blame Miles for being so down; it wasn't nice to have your parents filing for a divorce before your sixteenth birthday.
Hearing the door slowly unlock, I prepared myself to jump out as well as pull the tab on the party popper.

Once we heard Miles' small gasp, I was the first one to jump out behind the sofa and shout loudly, "Happy birthday, Miles!"
The gigantic grin that painted across Miles' face was what made three months of planning worth it. We hadn't seen that smile for a while and knowing that it was still there and was the product of our hard work made me feel ecstatic.

"Guys! This is absolutely amazing. Thank you," he declared gratefully, setting his eyes on Madeline's jam tarts and Victoria sponge cake. "Who was the skilled baker that made those? Because I think I'm going to need a whole cupboard full of these wonderful goodies."

Madeline rolled her eyes and stepped forward. "That would be me. I made them."

"If only I could make you my wife. I would be practically swimming in delicious treats." Miles sighed out dramatically, his eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head.

"Buddy, be careful," Andrew remarked with an edge to his tone. "I would like to refrain from hitting you on your birthday."

"Only joking with you Andy Pandy!" He winked over at Alexis. "I'm happily taken."

"My boyfriend's ridiculous." Alexis closed her eyes as if she was in pain.

I was rather shocked once I heard that they were both dating just a few weeks after meeting each other. With Miles' latest crush turning out to be a psychopath, I would have thought that him dating would be out of the question. Apparently not though.

Even though it was so sudden, I could trust Miles in wanting to date my new friend Alexis because as far as I was concerned, he actually fancied her.

"Little mouse, come here," Jordan said as he waved me over.

"What is it?" I asked, smiling at his stretched out arms and wiggling fingers.

"Gimme a hug," he murmured childishly.

Stepping into his warm embrace, I breathed in his comforting and familiar scent. "Why are you behaving like a needy child that wants constant affection from their parents?"

"Because I want affection but from my beautiful girlfriend," he muttered, stroking my hair softly and nuzzling his head into my shoulder.

"You got enough affection yesterday," I whispered, trailing my hands up from his abdomen to his neck.

He groaned grumpily and pecked my neck several times.

"Jordan!" I blushed wildly, hiding my flaming face against his broad chest.

"Hey love birds!" Madeline called out loudly. "We're cutting the birthday cake and opening the presents!"

"That's our cue," I chuckled, pulling away from his hold.

"Nooooo," he wheeped immaturely, reaching for me again.

Rolling my eyes, I walked further away from Jordan before I rushed back into his arms for the warmth and safety that they engulfed me in.

*

"So I just sit here?" the confused fourteen year old asked.

"Yep!" I cheerfully replied, hoping that Georgia would show up. I had never got her phone number (I didn't even know if she had a phone) so I didn't know whether she would be here or not. I just hoped for the best.

"And I stare at this tree, right?" Alex questioned, perplexed at the idea.

"Yep!" I responded, backing slowly into the trees with my camera. I was hoping to record their first conversation.

Alex, the poor thing, believed my pathetic lie about needing a photograph of a young person and an old tree together to represent new life. I had told him it was for my photography portfolio. I didn't even take photography which made it even funnier.

"Marissa what was-" Alex turned his head to see that I, the matchmaker, had disappeared. "Where did you go, Marissa?"

He continued to frown and search around for me but I was hidden within the trees and camouflaged too. I, cleverly, had decided to wear a green shirt as well as khaki shorts. I know, I'm a genius.

My eyes connected with a familiar blonde haired ponytail and I looked at the girl's face to make sure that it was the person who I had been expecting to find- it indeed was.
Those same eyes I had used to detected Georgia widened involuntarily once I spotted what was about to happen.

Alex bumping into Georgia and hilariously landing on his rear. The groan from Alex and the light giggle from Georgia was what had me grinning like an idiot.

"Sorry for laughing," Georgia spoke, sticking her hand out to Alex who was sprawled out on the ground.

"Apology accepted," he mumbled, hesitantly taking Georgia's hand who then pulled him up to his feet. "Sorry for bumping into you like that."

"Apology accepted," she teasingly said, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder and quirking up her eyebrow.

The little flirt.

"I'm Georgia," she introduced, sticking her hand out again but for a hand shake that time.

"Alex," he quietly said, almost making me burst out into hysterics at his shy side towards girls. They grow up so fast.

Keeping my camera on them, I slowly revealed myself from the trees and let out a small chuckle. "Looks like I didn't need to introduce you to each other after all. You did it yourselves."

Georgia waved at me and then turned back to Alex with an incredulous look across her face. "Wait so you're the super intelligent wizz kid?"

"I guess," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck as a crimson colour creeped up to his face.

Stopping the recording, I left them both to carry on their conversation. But not before saying, "Have fun, kids."

Well, my work was done.

Cupid out.