Three kisses and a quarrel

4

It was time to close the store for the day. Of late I had been letting Dad get off early by staying back to clean and sort the store by myself. It was my subtle effort to ease him into retirement. I felt I was ready to take over the legacy of Pickwick Papers. It wasn't entirely dark when I walked down the cobblestone path back home, which meant I still had some more time to myself.

I could have stayed back and continued working on my little project, but I had other things occupying my mind. It had already been a week since the little fiasco with Reed. A week of not seeing her or her sweet bakes. I was too conflicted to say I missed her. I was sure she was taking her time regretting that night and I didn't know how it made me feel. Maybe this was for the better.

Nobody could answer for me about what I felt for Reed. It was sometimes the stomach turning excitement, it was annoyance most of the time and it was worry. All I knew was, everyday I found an excuse to wade further deep into the quicksand, hallucinating her at the other end. She was a tiny rock trapped inside the boots and she was also a little house in the middle of a forest. She felt home, she also felt far away from it. Do I like you, Reed Baker? No. I hated her. I hated the person I became next to her. I hated that I had little to no courage to accept that I loved myself the best around her.

And before I knew it, my feet were already taking me to the lion's den - The Bakers' Residence. I wasn't sure what I was expecting. I guessed it was one of those rare moments where I acted out of pure impulse. Riley opened the door for me, but why did that disappoint me? Was I expecting a drunk Reed to open the door like last time and have yet another fiasco with her, just for me to act indifferent about it later? Riley looked fairly surprised to me at her door. Of course, the poor girl didn't know I wasn't exactly there to meet her.

I quietly followed Riley to her room while she chatted away about everything we had to catch up with. Breaking open two chilled bottles of beer, we made ourselves comfortable in her room. The little yellow lights hanging from her bedpost really set the mood, making us vulnerable to emotional confessions.

We emptied our bottles while my best friend filled me in on the freshest gossip of the town that I didn't deem important but it was important for the friendship to sail. My ears were with Riley, but my thoughts were with her sister.

I wonder if Reed is home. She was a shameless girl. She'd bolt straight to wherever I was, at the faintest sound of my voice, but it looked like she really did regret her drunk confession.

"Want another?" Riley asked, lifting her long emptied bottle.

"Yes please."

I laid down on her bed and stared at the little light bulbs after Riley left to get us more drinks and I decided to stay the night at her place. A dragged and deep sigh left my mouth. That was my physical reaction to have accepted that I was really missing Reed. Damn, I don't like this feeling. It's very inconvenient. I couldn't shake it off like I did every other feeling. Suddenly the door flung open and I heard,

"Can I borrow your satin spaghetti top, Riley? I'll let you borrow my platforms." It was Reed. Our eyes met and we both froze. There was this unexplainable rush of euphoria inside my body. My body felt light but heavy at the same time. I felt ecstatic to see her after a whole week, but I was also speechless because I had nothing to say, quite literally. What does one say in situations like these? Reed didn't move or speak. She stared holes right into my eyes. It was so obvious she was surprised. What were you so busy with that you didn't hear me come?

"What do you need my satin spaghetti for? You know they are worn to parties, right?" Riley pushed past her sister, towards me, with two bottles of beer in each hand. We finally broke eye contact and Reed replied.