The Marriage Contract (PUBLISHED!)

Chapter Three

            James threw his palms in the air, looking a bit spooked, as April took slow steps towards us, her powder blue eyes, glaring. Her light purple locks swayed over her thin back, her small hands, enclosed into fists, as the pink satin of her dress moved along her slow stride.

            “What the hell, Dorothy,” she said, staring at me. “You’re with this jerk?”

            I sighed, suddenly exhausted, as I stood before James, protecting him from her over exaggeration.

            “April…look at me,” I said slowly. “Did you feed the parrot?”

            She stopped, and realization dawned on her face, as she turned, running towards the window at the end of the living room. Her doe like eyes watered, as she pushed past James, who stared at her in confusion.

            Lifting open the window, tears streamed past her plum cheeks, her thin lips soaked.

            “Plunky!” she cried. “Plunky, I’m sorry! I forgot to feed you this morning. I’m horrible. I’m a horrible, evil, witch! I should go back in time to the Salem Witch trials and volunteer myself as a witch and get burned for treating you like this!”

            James and I watched, as she spoke to Plunky outside the open window, the warm wind gusting through.  

            James shot me a questioning look, and I shook my head.

            “Is she okay?” he whispered. “There’s no one there. I mean…is she a little….you know—“

            “She’s fine,” I whispered back. “She’s just talking to her friend.”

            April took a few steps back, her right arm extended before her, as though balancing a bird on her wrist. Her other hand petted the imaginary parrot, stroking its invisible wings, and feeding it an invisible piece of bread.

            James took a step back- his lips pressed in a tight line, his brows raised, looking terribly uncomfortable.

            “This is Plunky,” she told James, walking towards him. “My parrot. Would you like to pet him?”

            April stood before him, her eyes shining brightly, hoping for him to pet her imaginary parrot.

            I briefed a glance at James, who looked taken aback for a moment, but in the following second, extended his palm towards the invisible bird, petting its invisible wings in a soft, downward stroke.

            “He’s cute,” said James. “How old is this guy? He looks ancient—“

            April smiled, displaying two rows of white teeth. I smiled as well- surprised that he was playing along. I expected him to laugh at her, or worse, give her a weird stare that most people gave her.

            “He is pretty old,” she said. “But I think he likes you. Wait. I was upset about something earlier. I can’t…I can’t remember. Anyways, who are you and why are you here?”

            April suffered from severe paranoia, hallucinations, and had a memory problem, but for the past year, she’d been getting better. I was proud of her.

            James cleared his throat dramatically, turned, and sat on the couch, his legs parted.

            “Have a seat, ladies,” he said. “This will take a while to explain.”