“Soooo……what is it?” I asked and pursed my lips into a thin line.
I was standing in my living room while dad was busy watching some talk show.
“Aaah! You’re here! Just a second!” mom called from the kitchen. She wiped her hands off her apron and removed it and came into the living room with some keys in hand. “Okay, so, your dad and I have a surprise for you!” she squealed and smiled widely.
I looked at them with squinted eyes and a lopsided grin. Just the way they were acting had made me all giddy inside. “What?”
“We’ve got you a new ride!” mum said excitedly.
“REALLY?! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY G-OD!” I started jumping up and down while clapping my hands. Mom seemed as much excited as me but when I looked at dad, he gave me a bored look. “Oh, really? Thanks…” I said as I sobered myself and looked at dad with sorry eyes. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’d never be able to take Hercules’ spot,” I said and looked at him with a faint smile. I noticed a ghost of a smile appear on his face and his eyes soften.
‘I’m sure it’d never be able to take Hercules’ spot’- MY ASS!!!
I’D FINALLY HAVE MY OWN CAR! MY OWN FREAKIN’ C-A-R!!!
“What?” my mom asked as if I was crazy. I widened my eyes at her and pointed to dad.
"Oh…yeah…God…umm….may God rest its soul in...peace?….” she said as she finally got what I was doing. Dad nodded briefly.
“OKAY! LET’S GO!” I squealed and pulled mom along, out of the main door. Dad unlocked the garage while mom covered my eyes. “God! Hurry up! I can’t wait!” I said again.
“Okay here you go!” she said as she removed her hands and dad flicked on the lights. I looked straight ahead and what I saw, made my jaw drop on the floor and get buried six feet under.
Is…this….a joke!?
Was being grounded for a whole damn week not enough as punishment?
“WHY DAD? WHY? WHY WOULD YOU GET ME-“ I looked at it, “THIS!” I said with disgust. “I WOULD NOT EVEN FIT IN THIS!!” I yelled as the betrayal started taking over me.
“Hazel, that’s Norah’s!” dad said nonchalantly and rolled his eyes.
I looked at the small pink tricycle in front of my eyes and said, “Oh! That makes more sense!”
“Yours is-“ Of course, they wouldn’t have bought me that! “here!” mom said as she picked up the cover from somethin-
OMG! IT’S GORGEOUS!!
“Is this mine?” I asked as I stared at it.
“I don’t think you’d ever fall asleep while driving it,” dad said and smirked.
I was looking at it with complete awe. I looked at my parents and gave them each a big sloppy kiss. “Never!” I said to dad while chuckling and shaking my head vigorously. They both laughed and patted me.
“I told you she’d love it!” mom said to dad and smirked while he just smiled.
I looked back at my yellow colored baby.
Hellll….llllo Vespa!!
***
For the first time in the seventeen glorious years that I’d spent gracing our dear miss Earthy, I had woken up before six on a Monday!!
Yeah, baby! The things a new scooter could do to me!
“Mornin’ gorgeous!” I chirped as I opened the garage and looked at my baby.
Hmmm…I gotta take Ash for a ride!
With that thought in mind, I set out to the Knights’.
“Morning Mr. Knight,” I greeted Tyler’s dad who was sitting on a chair with a cup and a newspaper in his hands in their front lawn.
“Mornin’ Hazel,” he said and smiled widely. “How have you been?’ he asked.
Tyler didn’t look much like his dad. They both just shared that bright smile and blue eyes.
“Great! Umm…Is Ash up?”
“Yeah,”
“Okay, thanks!”
I rushed to Ashley’s room and started banging her bathroom’s door. “ASHLEY…SHLEY….LEY…EY…Y....ASHLEY....SHLEY....LEY....EY...Y!!” I was yelling for her to come out.
“Dammit! Hazel! I just got in! Plop your ass down on the bed and just wait,” she answered back.
Gah! I can’t just sit and do nothing! Sitting and waiting is just not me!! My mind doesn't allow me to sit ideal. The pot of crazy ideas in my head is always brimming and I need to act quick to stop my brilliant ideas from spilling!!
I NEED SOMETHING TO KEEP ME BUSY-
TYLER!
Of course! I’ll take him for a ride first then!
I peeped out of her room and looked around for him. The living room was empty and I could hear Caroline’s voice humming something from the kitchen so I walked to the staircase and started climbing it without making any noise.
“Hmm…I think I should wear this blue shirt today! Bree will so love this on me! Me and Bree….” I’d hear him say and smile at the mirror while thinking of all the kinky things they’d probably done or he wanted to do with her. On hearing this, I would roll my eyes and scoff. “Might as well use this lip balm, the secret behind my pink plush lips that Hazel loves to kiss!”
Stupid bitch! Stupid! Stupid bitch!
He would pick Baby Lips up and start coating his lips with it when I’d jump from behind him and shout, “BOOOOOOOOOO!”
He’d get scared by the sudden attack and go all ‘meeeeeeooooowww’ as a cat with his fur, I meant hair, standing up with shock. He’d recoil immediately and smear the lip balm all across his face.
“Hazel, what did you dooooo?” he’d wail and pout.
Hehehehehehehehe…..I sniggered mentally as I thought about what was gonna follow.
Finally I got to his room, but he was not quiet.
He was….singing?
"If you don't swim, you'll drown
But don't move, honey....
You look so perfect standing there
In my American Apparel underwear
And I know now, that I'm so down....."
HE WAS SINGING 5SOS!!
"Your lipstick stain is a work of art
I got your name tattooed in a narrow heart
And I know now, that I'm so hmmm..."
Hmmm? Narrow heart?!
I peeped into his room through the key hole. He was standing in front of his mirror....shirtless!!
That was such a B-E-A-utiful sight, folks!
"Let's get out, let's get out
'Cause hmmmm mmmmm....
If I showed up with a plane ticket
And a shiny diamond ring with your name on it
Would you wanna run away too?
'Cause all I really want is you!"
I started chuckling as I heard on his twisted version of the song. I could tell he didn’t know the lyrics well but come on! What girl would not swoon on hearing that big meanie sing! That too that well!
Sure, Derek was a better singer but Tyler was not bad either, ya know?
"You look so perfect standing there
In my American Apparel underwear
And I know now, that I'm so down
I made a mixtape straight out of '94
I've got your ripped skinny jeans lying on the floor
And I know now, that I'm so," He paused. "Hmmm!"
Again hmmm?
“Hahahahahahahaha!! 'Hmm?'....You sure he's so 'hmmm'?” I said as I barged into his room while laughing as if someone had told me that Derek had got an A in biology!
It was that funny!!
OMG! He was in his towel!
Even better!
He didn’t turn to look at me but instead tossed something at me. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GET OUT!”
Ooooohhhh! Now someone’s being shy!
“Tyler you’re not wearing any clothes!” I mused as he kept fidgeting with the towel uneasily.
“No shit, Sherlock!” he said sarcastically but I kept giggling.
“HAWWW!! SHAME! SHAME! POPPY SHAME! OH, THE DONKEY WHAT’S YOUR NAME?” I squealed at the top of my lungs and started slapping my mouth teasingly.
“Hazel-“
“No dumbo! Your name is Tyler!!”
He’s so stupid!
“HAZEL! WHERE ARE YOU BITCH!” I heard Ash call from down the stairs.
“ASHLEY?!” That was Caroline.
“SORRY MUM!”
“Sorry naked beauty! Gotta go! Bye!” I said to Tyler as I stepped out of his room with a big grin.
But then I walked back in suddenly and said in a cheeky tone, “By the way,” He stiffened again. “With a body like that, you’d make an amazing stripper!”
With that I finally made my grand exit with a blast of smoke and spooky Arabian music playing in the backdrop.
Bow to the queen suckers!!
***
I entered with a big cheeky grin and my arm linked with Ashley’s in the math class. I had to see Tyler! I had to see his face! He must have been-
“SHIT! DID THAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU FELL DOWN-“
“Yeah, this happened when I FELL DOWN THE TREE while getting an old woman’s cat down!” Tyler cut me immediately. He had a bandage covering the left corner of his forehead.
“No, you did not!”
All the eyes of the girls surrounding him flashed at me.
“He did!” Ashley whispered in my ear.
I scoffed and looked at him. He gave me a pleading look.
“Yes he did! Suck it up Gazel!” I rolled my eyes as I heard Bree’s voice.
“Hazel!”
“Whatever!” she mumbled as she made her way to Tyler by breaking mine and Ash’s linkage. “You’re just so kind and brave!” She leaned on his desk. “Hope this makes it better,” she said softly and kissed the bandage lightly.
“If you’re done fucking his face, would you just MOVE?” I said and pushed her out of the way while walking to my own seat.
‘Naked beauty? Amazing stripper!’ I smacked my forehead as I thought about what I’d said to him earlier.
Why did I always leak the wrong words at the wrong time and to the…what’s the superlative of wrong…bah!...wrong-est people!!
I gotta take the loose nut back into my brain!
_________________________________
A/N: Hey!! Please! Please! If you like to read HWR then please recommend it to others as well. I'd be forever grateful :)
Love y'all :D
- Aastha <3