Rocky Road

Chapter 3- Ugly. Ugly. Ugly.

‘Ugly. Ugly. Ugly.

Oh Cleo what big mouth you've got.

Oh Cleo what big lips you've got.

Oh Cleo what big nose you've got.’

I'm starting to know how the wolf in little red riding hood feels as I felt my features. I stared at the 'news papered' mirror hating the constant feeling of ugliness I get when I look in that direction. Almost like an irritant phobia, I couldn't get rid of.

Hugo arrived just as I trudged downstairs, papa was resting on the armchair listening to bobby Womack- that's the way I feel about cha and reading the papers. I have gotten to know Hugo since this past few weeks and I can say my crush is here to stay. My mouth always seems to shut itself in his presence except from the occasional ‘yeh, hm’. In the midst of helping Papa and him fix the fence I have come to realise Hugo is a good therapy to help with my verbal diarrhoea because I talk way too much, well I used to.

"I've fixed the fence. I'm going to pick up the paint from old Barley. Need anything else?"  Damn he looked good today. Wash out top, knee length khakis and his trademark: straw hat.

"Hello Cleo." He noticed me just in time, wiping the sweat on his forehead. That is so sexy.

"Hello Hugo." Mama emerged from the kitchen, carrying big batches of Rocky Road. I had helped her prepare it last night, all 16 batches of them.

"Cleo, why don't you come with me? You've been here a week and you still haven't checked out the town. I’ll show you all the best places." My insides screamed excitingly, I didn't ever fan over guys, but with Hugo, it was so tempting to faff over him like a Greek mythical God. I looked at my grandparents and they nodded approvingly.

He gave a small smile as I followed him into his jeep, placing the rocky roads into the back. All the windows were down; it was a young day to roast. His arms whirled around the wheels and I watched in fascination how his juicy veins visibly popped and contrasted with his bronze skin. It wasn't till I saw a flash of hand, that I realised I had zone out.

"Sorry what did you say?"

"Are you enjoying it here?" Well since the moment I laid eyes on you, that's for sure.

"It's been good so far. My grandparents are pretty cool people. You and papa seem to get on pretty well." His eyes were on the road but he chuckled at he spoke. Even that sound made me melt.

"Yeah we do. He is a great man. Like a grandfather to me. You should count yourself lucky." I nodded. "So how come your down here for the first time?"

"My mum and grandparents fell out before I was born, so I never got a chance to ever meet them." We reached a traffic light and he turned to face me.

"What made this year so different?" His gaze held mind trying to search for answers in the orbs of my eyes like a fortune teller with a ball. Just like that the moment was gone and it was true: why did my mum send me to her parents when she's never done so in my life? What made this year so different? Apart from the obvious answer I hospitalised myself with the bleach, I thought I was taking the quickest way out of this skin, I wanted the change to happen fast and it all went wrong still, it didn't mean she had to send me here. I have never known my mother to be helpless but when it came to me I could see it, sense it with every nerve in my body, maybe that's why she sent me here, like a final resort because she's given up hope, the thought was emotionally disturbing to me, my birth mother giving up hope on her only female daughter. But yet again it wouldn't stop me a fourth time, I had an unhealthy obsession to be lighter it made my heart burn so horribly. Although I made joke of the situation it was the only I coped with the heavy misfortune that has been placed on me. Even looking at Hugo, I knew I could never have someone like him; guys like him never went for girls like me. I’m going to gush over him like a waterfall but not enough to get splashed.