Love and War

Chapter Six: A Clean Split

The Night of Saturday February 13th 2010

Holiday Joss Boulstridge

     Just when I thought I was finally making progress with Ryan he had to run away from me, I thought as I drove to Piper’s house that afternoon. I had just gotten off of work and now I was free to do whatever I liked for the rest of the day. Or rather the rest of the day that was left.

     In regards to Ryan I felt like a hunter. Finally when I had thought I had a good shot at capturing my target, it had to run away like a frightened doe. Maybe I had indeed come on too strong. I mean his hands were on my lips. Though I thought I was showing him my first piercing in a unique and spontaneous way.

     After Ryan had left I realized that I had forgotten the store policy. Everyone who got a piercing was allowed to pick one complimentary piercing, and I hadn’t given Ryan his coupon for his. This was a stroke of sheer luck because now I had a reason to call Ryan after that whole embarrassing ordeal.

     I pulled up in front of Piper’s house which was only four houses away from the Tramblay residence which filled me with a sort of perverted joy. I mean I was going to my girlfriend’s house and I was excited about being near my crush’s house.

     I parked the car on the curb of the Geoff’s house and then exited the car, just in case Piper’s parents wanted to park in their driveway without having my car taking up their space.

     Nervously I ambled up the steps to Piper’s apartment and then rang the doorbell. Piper and her family lived right on the edge of Mississauga which was right next to the rich-end of Oakville. Her house was a mid-sized grey house with a double garage. I considered it humble and functional, instead of pompous and excessive like the Boulstridge estate.

     The last person I wanted to answer the door happened to answer it, and that was Kristoff, Piper’s little brother who was Ryan’s age. When Piper broke up with me in grade eleven for six months, I rebounded with Kristoff who was thirteen at the time. After a chaste relationship that involved a lot of hand-holding and kisses on the lips Kristoff broke up with me because he realized that Piper wanted me back. Being the good brother that he was, he decided that he would break up with me and he and Piper agreed on a truce that neither of them would date me because they didn’t want a boy to come between them.

      That lasted about a month.

      I know that Kristoff regrets letting me go because whenever I see him I can see the hunger in his eyes. He always stares me dead in the eye, right into my soul asking me the silent question; What could we have been?

      “Well, if it isn’t Holiday Boulstridge,” Kristoff said. I thought that Kristoff had interesting coloring. He had pale, almost translucent skin, jet-black hair that shone silver-blue in the sunlight and bright blue eyes. You could have never guessed that the redheaded freckled Piper was sister to Kristoff.

      “Nice to see you, Kristoff,” I replied. I would have entered the house a long time ago if Kristoff would let me in. He was standing there with the door open only wide enough so that he could wedge his narrow hips between. “Is Piper home?”

     “Of course she is,” Kristoff replied. He flicked his eyes down and drank in my appearance from the tips of my black converse shoes to the top of my silver hair. “I don’t think I should be letting you in. As the man of the house, I’m supposed to uphold my parent’s rules and one of them is not let boys in while they’re not home.” A smirk crossed his lips.

      “Come on now, Kristoff. You know I’m an exception. Your parents love me,” I said shifting my weight from one foot to the other. Mr. and Mrs. Geoff did take quite a liking to me. They thought that Piper and I made and exceptionally good couple because we complimented each other so well.