Rue
"I don't even understand why you thought it was acceptable to ask and at that on the day of. We already paid for the trip. We're not letting you stay home because you got into some argument with your big brother. You'll get over it and you'll have fun. Call me when you guys get to the airport." My mother kisses my forehead.
I have been staying with my parents for the last few days. Kathleen stayed with me last night. My mother and father are forcing me to go on this almost week-long trip with my enemies at the moment. We have to ride with Lottie and Joe to the airport so my dad and Joe are putting our luggage in the back of his pickup.
"Okay kids, have fun, be safe and Joesph you and Simon need to try not to get hurt this time around, something is always broken when you two come home from spring break." My dad places his hand on Joe's shoulder.
It's true, their first year Simon came home with two broken toes. Last year Joesph started a brawl at this huge beach party we went to so his nose got broken and Simon had some fractured ribs. They both act like white boys when we go on spring break, all of their home training goes out the window. Not that Joe ever had any.
"Yes sir, I give you my word that we will come back alive." He cackled.
"Why do I ever try? Get out of here before you all miss your plane." He nudges Joe.
"Hey, Rue." Lottie says from the front seat. I haven't seen or talked to her since we all went to the mall.
"Hey." I slide in my AirPods and try to quickly turn on music but nothing sounds good.
"I've missed you at the apartment. It's been empty without you." She looks back at me. I don't say anything. "I'm talking to you, Rue. I know you're not playing music cause when you do everyone hears it. You've never just played your music lowly."
I look up at her. "Excuse me if I'm not too eager to talk to you today. I don't make a habit of talking to people I'm upset with." I just decide to press shuffle on my whole library. In the hours it takes to get to the airport I listen to a playlist worth of music, fall asleep and watch an episode of my favorite show. We still aren't there.
"What's wrong love?" Kat kisses my shoulder.
"Nothing, I'm just a little tired. Plus I'd rather be at home."
"Well cheer up, your going. Plus you invited Kaleb, he'll be hurt if you don't come." She reminded me.
Being at odds with Lottie and Simon makes me feel terrible. I've talked to them almost every day since we were kids.
The last time my relationships with them were on hold I was miserable not having my best friends to talk to. I can't just let them hurt me and get away with it. On top of everything no one has tried to even apologize to me yet. Simon and I have had no contact, I haven't even seen him since our disagreement. The only reason I even know he's going on this trip is because of Kathleen.
I'm willing to put our differences aside in order to have fun on the trip but I won't continue as if nothing happened.
The plane ride over to Florida went smoothly, I sat by Alexis and some random white man. He was pretty cool, he and Alexis kept me entertained for the few hours we were on the plane.
The house we are all staying at is huge. It sits just behind a beach, luckily it's private only con to that is it's not the beach that we will regularly be going to.
The house has floor-to-ceiling windows so the sun is reflecting into it perfectly causing the house to have a golden tent. The furniture is white so everything flows beautifully together.
"This house is beautiful." Morgan says holding her boyfriend, Andre's hand.
Joe darts past all of us leaving a gust of spontaneous air. "Where are you off to?" Simon calls out.
"To pick the biggest bedroom duh." He runs off and it clicked to everyone else because we all rushed off running around the house like chickens with our heads cut off.
Honestly, all the rooms are stunning so I don't mind which one I'm saddled with. "Angel, I found us a room." I hear Kathleen call.
It takes me a little time but I find out which one she's in. It's the room on the third floor, it has a perfect view of the beach. I guess this is considered the attic since it's the only room up here. Once you walk up the stairs that's all there is up here. It's huge and it even has its own bathroom. One of the walls, the slanted one, is solely made of glass.
I walked to the window and took in the beach with the white sand, the water isn't as blue as it should be but I'll take it. "It's gorgeous princess.".
Kathleen comes up to me and wraps her veiny arms around me. "It is but I have a better one." She kisses my cheek.
I turn to face her and wrap my arms around her. "You're so corny."
She planted her forehead on mine "I'm serious, you're alluring and these braids look beautiful on you." She compliments me.
"I have to keep up if I'm going to stand next to the most beautiful woman in the room."
"Aww, shucks you're making me blush darlin'." She says in a playful deep country accent.
I move my arms to her waist and I lay my head on her shoulder. "Mmm, what's wrong Angel?"
"Nothing, I just enjoy your presence." I inhale her scent.
"Well, let's get settled in then maybe we can go for a swim before we go out for dinner."
"Yeah, that sounds nice." I smile. I never noticed but the most mundane things make the most impact on our relationship. Moments like these are the ones I live for with her. Just being in her arms excites me and lights up every nerve in my system.
"For us to leave you have to let me go." She grins.
"I know, I just want to hold on to you for just a while longer."
"I'll do anything if it makes you happier."
"Okay, I'm letting go now. Because if I don't we could be here all day." I chuckle.
After descending two flights of steps we make it to the first floor and everyone is in the kitchen.
"At last, the two love birds have come down, we can finally go grocery shopping." Simon yells.
"We were looking at our view of the beach." Kathleen smiles.
"If it makes you sane we'll believe it, now take your stuff up so we can go shopping, chop-chop." Simon sassily claps.
"Yes, my lady." Kathleen snarks and bows.
We took the two rentals to go shopping at Walmart. We got a bunch of food, Alexis and Lottie wanted to just skip dinner and cook so we canceled our reservation for tonight. We're going there for brunch on our last day instead.
Dinner was amazing, they made Salmon, wild rice, and broccolini. Joe made brownies to accompany the food, I think there is weed butter in them so I've been scared to try them.
Right now we're on the private beach having a bonfire. The air is warm but breezy. The waves are crashing and it's overall a vibe. Everyone is in lawn chairs, Kathleen is sitting on the sand in between my thighs while I run my fingers through the parts of her cornrows. Lottie made spiked pink lemonade and we're all talking civilly surprisingly.
"Rue do you remember when momma took us to the lake for the first time behind grandma's house and that boy pushed you into the lake." He chuckles speaking to me for the first time tonight.
"Of course, Kamora had picked up a stick and whacked the boy while momma helped me out of the water. He yelled so loud all the surrounding neighbors came to the lake to make sure everything was fine." I laughed at the memory.
Kamora had to go to therapy for anger management that whole summer because my Nana didn't want another 'accident' to happen. He deserved it though, I couldn't swim and I could've drowned. It was a little overkill but my brother threatened him right after Kamora hit him, his welt was still fresh. Those two were a force to be reckoned with.
"It sounds like Kamora was a menace." Alexis laughs.
"Of course she was, when she and Rue were ten they went to summer camp. She had to come back on the first week for pinning a counselor up against the wall because he called her 'girl'." Simon recalls.
"Yeah, she dragged Rue and me back home with her. We were banned from coming back." Lottie chimes in.
I recall that all too well. Lottie and I were sitting in our cabin and she'd been braiding my hair. Kamora stormed in and demanded that we pack our bags because we were going home. She never took no for an answer.
"That wasn't the worst thing she did, I think the meanest she had ever been had to be when Daddy threw us that surprise sleepover for our 12th birthday." I spoke, and Simon and Lottie's eyes instantly lit up. They knew exactly what I was talking about.
"Wasn't she on punishment for a year after that?" Simon asked.
"Yeah." Lottie tried to contain herself.
"What happened?" Kathleen looked up at me as I cackle thinking about it.
"So my mom and dad invited all the girls in our classes to our sleepover. Unbeknownst to him, Kamora had a "bully". She was the only girl that had ever attempted to mess with her and she succeeded pretty well. She never told my parents about it obviously because the little white girl, Sydney Northington, would've never been there. Sydney kept doing things to piss Kamora off like shoving her, taking stuff from her, breaking her things, and overall being an asshole. On the last night of the sleepover she and I were the only ones up and in my dad's office. She was complaining about not liking her. I commented on no one wanting to be her friend if she didn't have long blonde hair. Before I knew it she grabbed my dad's scissors from his drawer and cut her ponytail off and placed it on her pillow next to her with the scissors." I giggle the whole way through the story.
"Oh geez, how did your parents find out it was her and not one of the other girls?" Morgan chuckled.
"Because the genius left my dad's personal scissors by the pillow. He knew it couldn't have been Rue and it definitely wasn't me. Obviously, it had to be the mini she-devil." Simon explains.
The rest of the night is filled with laughter and new memories. It just reminds me of how much I've missed them. I'm still not initiating apologies and especially not to Simon. Call it petty or immature but HE has to make this one right. I was fully ready to right my wrongdoing the first time around even when he got out of character with me. I was even ready to apologize for mistakes I've made in the past but then when I found out about his secret all of that went out the window.
Lottie on the other hand though, I might just be dragging that one out a little too long but I have a positive feeling we'll make up before we return to Infinity.