Home Alone - GirlxGirl (Edited 2022)

Chapter Three

It was a quiet dinner that night at that Parker's. By quiet, I mean that Tami and I weren't really speaking as much as her parents were about the things they thought we could do while they were out of town. Not so much quiet, but more awkward. 

"Oh, what about that roller rink you girls used to go to?" Josh started up.

Tami let out a breath, "I don't even know if that's open anymore, dad"

It was. I still went sometimes. Not to skate, but for the horrible popcorn they sold at the snack shack inside. Stale but absolutely ripe with butter. It reminded me of better days, like when Tami and I were kids. 

I saw Theresa look at me and start to say something, so I shoveled a bite of green beans into my mouth to avoid answering any questions about the rink. 

"Besides," Tami continued with her mouth full of mashed potatoes, "Addie's way too cool for that kind of stuff nowadays." She nudged me with her elbow playfully. 

I gave her a closed mouth smile as I chewed my food and her parents chuckled. Once I swallowed, I said, "Me? You're the one with all the "rockstar" friends,"

Tami pretended to look offended and said, "I don't have rockstar friends, I am the rockstar friend!"

We all laughed and finished the dinner a little less awkwardly with some amiable small talk to finish us off. 

"Hey, Ma, do you want some help with the dishes?" Tami asked, washing her hands in the sink.

"No, thank you, baby," Theresa said, putting the leftovers into some Tupperware. 

"Sweet," Tami said, "I'm gonna go play video games, holler if you need me!"

As Tami walked out of the room, I started gathering dishes from the table anyway and stacking them by the sink, "Are you sure you don't want any help Mrs. P?" I asked.

Theresa looked up and around the corner to see if Tami was still there, " I would actually really enjoy the company," she smiled, "I'll wash and you dry?"

Bewildered, I agreed. She must've noticed the look on my face because then she said, "I love when Tami helps me with dishes, she just tends to get a little distracted." We both laughed. 

As we did the dishes, I thought back fondly on all the times Tami had gotten a "little distracted" when we were growing up. Landing specifically on the time she told me she liked girls. She'd always had the tendency to space off. I remember I used to look at her and wonder what exactly she was thinking about in those moments. It was almost like you could see the cogs turning behind the sea of green that was her iris. Then, there were the other times, where it seemed she didn't have a single thought behind those same seas of green. 

After we finished up with the dishes, Mrs. Parker dried her hands and hung up the towel. She thanked me, and I smiled and started to walk off. She caught me by my arm and pulled me into a hug, the kind of hug only a mother can give. I melted in and hugged her back. 

"It's so good to see you again, Adeline," she pulled away, still holding my shoulders. She gave me a warm smile and a shoulder squeeze and sent me on my way. 

After climbing the stairs, I walked the hallway down to the two rooms at the end of the hall. I stopped at Tami's door, "Hey are you gonna-"

"Oh you SON OF A BITCH! What a fucking sweat. Maddy, did you see that shit? He's drop-shotting. Fucker," Tami flicked her hair from her eyes and that's when she noticed I was standing there. She flipped her microphone up on her headset and took it off one of her ears, "Shit, sorry Addie, what's up?"