Summer

chapter three

Anna lived with Bucky and his parents for a few weeks, but then everything suddenly took off, and a Saturday afternoon she was laying on the floor of her new apartment, painting the panels. Or, it was much rather a rented room, but there was a small kitchen and a balcony.

If it was up to Diane, she would've lived with them for years to come, but Anna wanted to live for herself. She had decided that she didn't want to return back home, as long as her idiot father tyrannized everything. She had told her mother that, her mother had started crying and said it was best if she moved out, then.

But in their little part of town, cheap rooms weren't exactly hanging on the trees, and Anna was preparing herself to just put up a tent on a field, when she saw the small ad in the morning paper. Room with balcony, small kitchen and access to bath for rent for nice young girl. Rent; house and garden keeping. Anna was overjoyed the moment she'd read it, and immediately wrote a letter in her prettiest handwriting. She wrote loads about how she was calm and loved cleaning, and made sure to use the word 'calm' a lot of times.

The following day, she visited Mary, who didn't look like what she had imagined at all for a landlord. She had some idea that it would be a total snob with curlers in their hair who looked through your drawers and visited at night to see if you had manly visitors. Mary was a lovely older lady, who had made coffee and offered a piece of home baked cake. She asked if Anna had a boyfriend, because the two of them were more than welcome to come down and watch television, when they wanted to. And they were of course allowed to paint the room, and she could just move in when she wanted to. The cleaning part Anna had to administer herself, so it fit her schedule and school.

Nat was green with envy when Anna called and told her the big news. But both Nat and Bucky were kind enough, as usual, and since Saturday morning, they had helped Anna paint the floral wallpaper and the boards white. They worked quick and effectively, and as afternoon arrived, Nat was on a ladder, painting one last coat of paint on the boards, while Bucky was seated in the window, painting the panels. He had a cap pulled down around his ears, the paint-splattered pants he was wearing were ripped in the back, the temptation of tickling the back of his thigh increasing every time he would move.

"You two are a sight for sore eyes." Anna giggled as she plopped down on an old stool.

"You too." Bucky whistled sarcastically and looked her up and down. She was swimming in James Sr.'s old pajama pants Bucky had brought for her. Anna laughed and flicked her paint brush at him, hitting his shirt. Bucky jumped from the window and charged at her with a laugh, smearing the contents his own paint brush on her cheek.

"Way to go Bucky! That's what she deserves!" Nat laughed and clapped. "If you aren't careful, she'll rule your mind. When are we drinking coffee and eating cake?"

"Now. If you're willing to go to the bakery, we'll make coffee." Anna said and kissed Bucky.

"Stop kissing! You'll get herpes, I've told you that a million times!" She covered her eyes as she descended the ladder.

"Mhhmmmm." Anna mumbled as she and Bucky's kiss intensified, just to annoy Nat.

"Okay, that's definitely too much! I don't want to be third-wheeling, so grow some social abilities or I'm out of here!"

"Aw, you're just jealous." Anna giggled, but realized soon after she'd hit a weak spot.

"And so what? Is it alright if I buy the grossest most nauseating cake they have?" Nat said as she pulled Bucky's sweater over her head.

Nat left for the bakery, and Anna strode into the small kitchen and found the small kettle, she had been gifted by Mary when she said yes to the room. While she waited for the water to boil, she walked over to the small window in the gable, tilting her head. She admired the well-kept gardens and even spotted the corner of her mother's backyard. In one of the gardens, a man was burning off weeds, and somewhere in the distance, the noise of kids playing football resonated.