{UNEDITED :P }
Chapter 5: Hidden behind her smile
I groaned as sunlight fell onto my face, attacking my eyelids. Slovenly, I reached out to cover my face with a pillow and felt a sharp tugging a my hair. It was all I could do not to cry out in pain. Slowly, I lifted my hand, skimming it across my head. A gasp left my mouth at what I felt.
Someone had tied the ends of my hair onto my bed! A scream of outrage left my lips as I desperately tried to get free. Suddenly, my bedroom door slammed open and Jack raced in, eyes wild and a broomstick raised above his head.
"What is it, what is it? What's wrong?" He panted.
I waited a couple of seconds to let him get his breath back and get a chance to look at me. His eyes skimmed over me and as soon as they did, he burst into fits of laughter; one hand pushed against his belly and the other gripping the doorframe. His broomstick lay forgotten on the floor and the poor recipient of my glare as I wated for Jack to shut up.
"Are you quite done yet?!" I ground out five minutes later.
"Not quite yet." He gasped, glancing at my hair again and bursting into yet another fit of laughter.
"Ten years later..." I sarcastically snapped the second he had stopped. I could clearly see that he was still trying to control himself and huffed out in annoyance.
"You know what? Why don't you get out of my bedroom and come back when youve ceased to find my situation funny." I said snarkily, making a shooing motion with my hand.
He was out like a bullet and it wasn't long before I could hear the sound of his laughter echoing through the house.
"Idiot." I muttered, rolling my eyes. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out how to get the knots out. I soon gave up, letting my thoughts wonder to who would the nerve to do such a thing. Racking through my brain, I drew a blank. Unless.... no, it coulden't ; he woulden't.... would he?
Actually, he would. He did promise me after all... And besides it is Max i'm pondering about - I mean, the boy really did have no limits.
A smile twitched at my lips as i thought about the reason he so desperately sought revenge...
~ We were having a sleep over at mine and I was messing around with his hair. He'd grown it out, just past his shoulders and it suited him perfectly. On some guys you just think 'hell no' but on him, it added a manly beauty to his face. His shiny raven black locks would make any girl and most guys green with envy.
As I ran his silken, satin locks through my hands, I decided to play 'hair dressers. At first, I just plaited it, wrapping it up into complicated hair does. It wasn't long before I had all my hair "tools" out and was, and I quote : "Hacking at his hair like a maniac on crack."
The only problem was, I was an inexperienced 'maniac on crack' and when I put curlers in his hair, I managed to get them twisted and tangled up. You can imagine what happened next. I had to cut off half of his precious hair just to get them out and he ended up looking worse than a caveman. A little like my mum in the morning to be honest. I wouldn't let him look in the mirror and organised an emergency appointment at my uncles hairdressers. Thankfully, they managed to get his hair done up into a nice style but not before he got a glimpse of the shipwreck I had made of his hair. He swore on his grave that he would never forget that day and that he would get revenge, even if it was the last thing he did. ~
So, you can see why I think he would have done this - I mean, no one else had more motive than him. In fact no one else had any motive to do this to me at all.
My door slammed open with an echoing thud that vibrated through the walls, making me jump out of my skin. I rolled my eyes in annoyance and looked towards the door. My mum stood, dressing gown and all, with a worried expression etched across her face.
"Oh my gosh, my poor baby! Look at what he's done to your beautiful hair! Aww, pumpkin pie!" She exclaimed, rushing over to me and cradling my head in her hands.
"Mum don't.... Hold on a sec, did you just say he?"
"Of course I did sweetie."
"And he is....."
"Max of course!"
"Max?" I asked, disbelievingly, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes."
"And Max was in my room, hell, our house because....."
"He said he had something important to give you and that he was sorry to bother us. I was so happy to see him, I just let him in. We talked for a while and had a bite to eat when he said he had to go but just before he went, he asked to see you. I told him you were sleeping and he said its fine - he just wanted to see you coz he missed you. I should have known he was still up to his mischievous ways."
"Sounds like him alright." I replied, huffing but not able to keep the grin off my face.
"Lets get your uncle over and fix this mess then hon." She replied, kissing me on the forehead.
-------
An hour later, I was sat downstairs, sipping hot chocolate. My mum was giving me sympathetic looks across the table and my uncle was stood behind me, admiring his handiwork.
"Well?.... " He asked into the silence.
I carried on sipping my hot chocolate rudely.
"Come on now girl - you haven't said a word since I began cutting your hair. And you know I wouldn't give you some hideous up do. So, it's either your:
1 - Over thinking
2 - Tired of waiting
3 - About to blow up
4 - Need a hug
5 - Falling apart
6 - Crying inside
7 - All of the above."
"Seriously Uncle Sam? Seriously? You just tried a tumbler quote out on me?" I asked incredulously, giving him my famous 'I'm not amused' look.
He scratched his head sheepishly and opened his mouth a few times, closing it seconds after. "I.... Well, I... Ahem...."
"Oh, stop making him squirm Clair." Mum snapped at me. Then, turning to uncle Sam, she said: "She's just devastated at the loss of her hair - she was growing it down to her hips and was nearly there too."
"We'll, look on the bright side - you look hot now. Not that you didn't before, but now your just, wow. Go and have a look in the mirror. I guarantee you'll come back thanking me like you've never thanked anyone - ever." Uncle Sam drawled in his Devon-shire accent, looking at me expectantly.
I got up with a small huff and headed over to the antique mirror that hung in the hallway. I skidded to a half in front of it, my eyes widening in surprise. I looked AMAZING - even if I do say so myself. Uncle Sam had cut it so that it was a longer, layered type of bob, with a side fringe that touched the bottom of my neck and got shorter until it brushed against the bottom of my nose.
I smiled at my reflection. The haircut made my eyes glimmer like real emeralds. My cheek bones looked higher and more pronounced, my nose slightly narrower. It was perfect! I whooped silently in my head and did a little jig of happiness. 'Beat that sucker - I came out of this looking WAY better than I did before!' I thought, aiming my thoughts at Max.
A slight cough made me spin around and I turned to face Jack. "You look nice sis - I hope that doesn't mean I'll have to be going all macho on any boys that notice that too." He said, giving me a once over.
I snorted at him and raised an eyebrow. "Macho? You couldn't even do that if you tried bro. Save it for your dreams." I taunted.
"You little worm!" He cried, his face flaming red. Then, he dove at me, giving me a noogie. I desperately tried to wriggle free, shouting out in protest as I did so.
Loud laughter rumbled behind us and Jack loosened his hold a little as he turned towards the sound. I took advantage of it and spun on my heel, getting out of his grip. Quickly, I scrambled away, heading towards Uncle Sam who stood laughing behind him. As I did so, I caught a glimpse of my hair.
"You messed my hair up Jack! God, I'm gonna kill you!" I screeched in annoyance.
"Hah - like you could touch me! " He scoffed.
"Wanna try it?" I asked.
"Go ahead, try." He said, hands spread wide and face mocking.
"Oh, I'd love to bro. Just don't cry when your on the floor, writhing in pain." I retorted, slipping around my uncle and heading towards Jack. I carefully watched his muscles, anticipating an attack or any sudden movements. He stayed still, so I stepped right up to him and drop-kicked him to the floor. He landed with a bang and glared up at me.
"Teach you not to antagonize a gymnast, won't it?" I asked smugly.
"They do not teach hat kind of stuff at gymnastics." He groaned from the floor.
" No - but they teach us to do flips and that kinda thing so that was fairly easy." I replied, giving him a hand. I pulled him up and gave him a light kiss on the head where he had fallen, feeling a bit guilty that I had done that just to prove myself.
"I will never understand your relationship." Uncle Sam declared, looking between us incredulously.
Jack and I grinned at each other, everything forgotten and gave each other high fives. Then, we headed back into the kitchen where our mum was busily making a full English breakfast.
"Gosh - I love Sundays." Jack said happily. "We get English breakfast and roast dinner - what's better than that?" He finished.
Uncle Sam shook his head nothing and mumbled something about my mum being the best cook he'd ever come across.
_________
After breakfast, I headed upstairs to get dressed - I had a long day ahead of me. Josh was coming round to take me on a date to the movies and then dropping me back home where the twins were going to have Sunday roast with the family. Then, we were going to watch another movie - horror this time (The twins and I). They would go home around ten, giving me enough time to get ready for my nightly jog and a chance to rest for tomorrow which was chockablock with activities as well.
I had a quick shower and got dressed in a summery white dress that stopped at my knees. I blow-dried my hair and brushed it out, grinning at how it only took me ten minutes as apposed to the half hour it used to take me. Just as I was slipping on my black Roman styled sandals and long sleeved black crop cardigan, a faint tap sounded at the door. I looked up from my perch on the stairs and saw a masculine outline through the frosted glass. Jumping up, I grabbed my bag and ran to the door.
Josh stood on the other side, a grin plastered to his face. When he saw me, he did a double take, his jaw hitting the flaw.
"Wow - you look stunning Claire." He breathed out, grabbing my hand and placing a light kiss on it. My tummy fluttered at his compliment and the affectionate way he brushed his lips against my hand.
"Thank you." I replied, knowing that a blush would be staining my cheeks.
"Come on, lets go - apparently there's an amazing horror on at 12:30. If we hurry, we'll get there." He said, wrapping an arm around my waist as he pulled me out the house. I shut the door lightly behind me and made my way over to his car.
When we arrived at the cinema, Josh payed for our tickets and goodies and we headed straight for the horror movie he had told me about: 'The Conjuring.' We sat comfortably in the back row, munching away at popcorn as we waited for the movie to start. As we sat, my thoughts began to waver to Max. I was slightly annoyed at what he'd done to me but the happiness of finally having him back overthrew my annoyance. Honestly, if I were to see him any time soon, I would probably embarrass myself by charging at him and tackling him into a bone-crushing bear hug. Or, I would act cool and give him a nod and a little wave. Or maybe I would just ignore him. Nah, that would be too mean.... I seriously needed to think of something else before my mind became consumed by all things Max.
Thankfully, the movie started just then and I found myself enthralled by the opening. As the movie moved on, I began to get jumpy, the scenes getting scarier and scarier. Josh grabbed my hand and squeezed reassuringly, but somehow, it failed to comfort me. I found myself remembering the last time I went to the cinema to watch a horror movie with Max. The way his calloused hand had enveloped mine, making me feel protected and helping to quench my fear. Somehow, I found myself comparing Josh's hand to Max's, his smile to Max's, his laugh - even his jokes.
When the movie finished, I found that Josh's company had some how lost its touch. Everything I said and did was fake. Even my smiles weren't quite real as we finished off our date. My half-hearted goodbye when he dropped me off home had me disgusted at myself. How could I be comparing Max to Josh? He was my best friend for Pete's sake! And I hadn't even seen him for the last 3 years - he could have had gender change for all I knew! So why did I find myself pining after him? Why did I feel as though I had to compare my faithful boyfriend of 2 years to him? "Ugh!" I huffed, peeved as I headed upstairs to my room, getting changed into some comfortable house clothes. I then went back down stairs, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. Needing to clear my mind, I bounded out into the garden, deciding to practise my gymnastics before the twins came round.
Hours flew by as I pushed myself to the limit, letting all my frustration at myself out as I did so. By the time it was six, I was drenched in sweat and aching. The twins would be arriving any minute now, so I decided to take a quick shower and get dressed before they came round.
I took a cold shower to sooth my throbbing limbs. Quickly, I got out and dressed into my dads old jumper and some worn leggings before thumping downstairs. The twins were already downstairs, helping my mum set the table. Dad sat in his armchair in the living room, watching footie with Jack. I smirked as he hollered out an enormous "NOOOO!" When Manchester United scored a goal.
I walked into the kitchen, looking around to see if I could help with anything. Mum had everything under control so I headed back out before the twins could see me. (If they did, they would stop helping mum out and I would have to do it). I stalked into the living room, purposely cutting in front of the TV as I made my way to the sofa; just to annoy Jack and dad. Jack glared at me and dad chucked a pillow at me glancing at my hair and giving me a wink before turning back to the game. I sat and watched them as they hung of the edges of their chairs tensely, their eyes glued to the screen and their bodies tilted towards it. Silence hung in the air as they waited in anticipation for the next goal. All of a sudden, they both let out a whoop of joy, their fists pumping the air as Manchester City scored, winning the game.
Dad, now standing, grabbed me around the waist and twirled me round several times in his excitement. I grinned at his old tradition just as mum shouted: "Dinners ready!" from the kitchen. Jack was out of his seat like a bullet, whizzing past us into the kitchen - he always did love his food. Dad grinned at me, commenting on my hair as he lead the way to the kitchen, his arm around my shoulders.
As soon as we entered the kitchen, Lexi squeald, rushing over to me and fingering my hair. "OMG, OMG, OMIGOD!!! You finally cut it! I LOVE it!!!! You look like, like a supermodel or something!!! OMG!" She cried, jumping up and down in her excitement. Alex simply smirked at me, giving me a 'wow - you look amazing but If I say anything your dad will kill me' look. I smirked back and took my seat between him and Lexi. Jack and uncle Sam sat opposite us, Dad and mum at the opposite each other at the heads of the table and Riley fitting somewhere at a corner. We all dug in, devouring the roast like we had never eaten before.
After the dinner and small talk, The twins and I headed into the front room, ready to watch a movie. Alex picked 'house at the end of the street' and plopped onto the sofa, giving the DVD to Lexi. She turned to put it on and told me to go and get some goodies from the kitchen.
With a humph, I did, dragging my feet against the floor. As soon as I reached the edge of the doorway (to the kitchen), I heard Jacks voice, steadily rising into an angered whisper. I crept closer, wanting to hear what had got him to speak like that. He had NEVER sounded so angry. As soon as I was in ear shot, I hid behind the counter and listened intently. He seemed to be talking on the phone but I couldn't make out what the other person was saying. All of a sudden, there was a crash and Jack whisper-screamed (ok, shouted):
"Damn you Max!!! How could you? After everything we've been through?!!! You just can't do that - she'll be devastated.... Yes she will! You have no idea how much she misses you! You selfish scumbag! You know she cried herself to sleep, every night when you left? If Lexi and Alex hadn't come back from France, I don't know what would have happened to her!"
There was a moment of silence before Jack continued:
"Good god Max! Would you just shut up and listen to yourself for a minute? You absolute moron! You are by no stretch of the imagination a bad influence on her! Do you honestly think I would still be talking to you if I thought you were a bad influence? How the hell would you hurt her? With your charming looks and dimples???!!! Grow up, Max! ....... Your the one who freaking started it! If you want to stay away from her you shouldn't have done what you did last night! A MISTAKE???!!! Are you kidding me? You know what Max? Just bug off! I don't want you coming anywhere near her. If your gonna play your stupid messed up self blame game, go and play it with someone else. You hear me? If you come anywhere near my sister, I will kick your backside to china and back. And just something for you to think about: She loves you."
There was a click as Jack hung up on Max. Then, there was a series of bangs and a string of words that would best not be repeated. Slowly, I slid down the wall and let my head fall into my hands as I processed what I had just heard. Tears spilled from eyes and I whipped them away furiously. 'Fine, if Max was going to be like that - so would I.' I thought in fury, standing up abruptly and storming into the front room. I slammed the door behind me, glaring at the startled twins who were peering up at me from the sofa. I was pretty sure my look could have frozen over hell and wasn't surprised when they looked away, startled and turned on the movie without a word.
I plonked myself onto my dads armchair and sat there, seething. 'Ok Max,' I thought 'if you don't want to be around me, I'm gonna make it impossible for you to stay away from me, and then, I'm gonna leave you lying in the dirt; let you see how rejection feels.'