Lily gave me a text last night, finally with my new replacement phone hooked on the laptop to restore all my stuff back. She has told me that she got the part because most of the girls were terrible as her. But she only got the part because Mrs. Bloomfield said she was the only girl who showed up. As for Aladdin and Genie, goes to two boys; Robert Lindsey and Bruce Turner. Also for the role of the Sultan and Jafar; Martin Sears and Omar Monroe. The rest of the cast has been put up and I got the part to be one of the girls' harem where Aladdin is running away from the palace guards for stealing.
I was happy for her that she got the part and will support her as an extra on stage. Lily sent me the script through email and decided to practice our roles at her house today.
I left the house with both of my siblings out and pivoted my feet to the right making my feet pace pass the Wolfe's home. "Hey, fairy princess," I halted," where are you off to in this fine Saturday morning?"
I shut my eyes shut and hissed once I heard Seth's voice. I looked at him standing on the porch of his home and without a shirt as he stretched his arms.
"Going to a friends house," I replied.
"Oh, and who is this friend?" He approached me with a grin. "A boy or girl? Unless you go down both ways."
"It's a girl and if you don't mind keep your voice down," so, Logan won't hear you.
Yesterday, I had avoided all contact with the outside world and that includes Logan who has been non-stop calling, texting, and even went to my home to bang on my door. He wanted to talk to me but I just have to ignore him with music in my ears until he goes away. After hours of rampaging on my door, he stopped and left my house. And didn't bother to call or text me again. After everything I've gone through yesterday with Paris, I didn't want to leave my room. I stayed hidden like a hermit crab until the coast is clear.
Seth smirked. "Are you worried that Logan will pop up anytime soon?"
"N-no."
He laughs at my stammering. "Well, today is your lucky day princess, my little bros are at the shop with the others working and won't be home until tomorrow morning. I was about to head over there after I finish some business here."
I lift my brow.
Tomorrow morning?
I didn't want to ask and held a stare at him hope he didn't catch on. "I bet you are wondering why he's coming home tomorrow morning?" Crap! "If you give me a quick kiss then I'll tell you."
I yelped back making Seth bark a laugh.
"I'm kidding, can't do that to my little bro's girl. Don't roll like that unless the girls come to me after they are done with whichever of my brothers they slept with - shit!" he covered his mouth as a fly went in. "You weren't supposed to hear that."
"It's okay, your lucky my sister isn't home and hear that from your mouth. You saw what she did to Ares." Seth winced and I gritted my teeth upset. "Now, excuse me. I'm late to meet up with a boy, not a girl. Tell Logan to have fun fucking around and get genitals disease for all I care."
"Wait, Aphrodite."
I stomped away angrily ignoring Seth calling to me. I heard him swore from a distance, but I didn't look back and kept walking.
I can not believe these brothers would share the same women as if they are sharing each other's clothes. That is disgusting. Are they afraid if they get some disease while sharing? I took the bus ride down the street just five blocks away from my house from their I walked to Lily's house. It was in the area of beautiful, elaborate homes with a broad street in Bixby Knolls.
I approached the doorsteps and rang the bell. Waiting I took a second to adore the home. It stands family home, with lovely brownstone fence and green grass with varies of flowers made my home look plain I bet her dad designed it which makes sense since he builds homes and buildings.
The door opened as a man with long smooth hair dyed in burgundy red and heavy makeup, and comfortable clothes that fit his slim figure and busty breast that tells me implants or fake boobs stand before me. I couldn't say he was a man but with a pretty face like his could be mistaken for a woman.
"May I help you, sweetie?" He asked, kindly.
"Hi, I'm Aphrodite-"
He gasped cutting me off then squealed with delight. "Oh, my god you must be my daughter's new friend. You can call me Nicky. The fabulous Youtube sensation stylist and makeup daddy of Lily. I bet you watch my videos?" He batters his long fake lashes.
"A few," when Lily sends me the link to her dad's YouTube channel. I watched a few videos of him doing make-up tutorials on himself and others.
"So, glad to hear that," he smiled. We were expecting you; please come in."
"Thank you," I led once Lily's dad stepped aside and closed the door.
"Lily, your friend, is here," he called out in a high pitch voice. "Want something to drink, dear?"
"Um, no thank you," I said politely. He seems very nice.
"I love your skin, what moisturizer do you use?" He began touching my face like old ladies feeling on pinching a baby's cheeks. "Maybelline? Shiseido?"
"Um...Dove soap and strawberry hand lotion...?" I say it like it's a question because I don't own any of those brands he mentions. Not my taste to use big cosmetic brands. Plus, I don't need it.
"Dad, don't pester Effie," Lily said once she approached us from her room. "Not everyone wears makeup like you."
"That's an insult to your daddy, and I'm just asking since you also don't wear makeup." He snorted and made me smile.
"Because I don't need it."
"Oh, honey, just once let me do your make up. You will look so beautiful, and someday a dashing prince will take notice."
"Nope, not going to happen."
"You are no fun like daddy," he pouted, and Lily rolled her eyes.
"Hey, you came," Lily pulled me into a hug. "I hope you didn't have a hard time finding the house."
"Well, that is what Google Maps are for," I joked, and we both giggled.
"Let's go to my room," she suggested. "Oh, dad, can you make your homemade cookies?"
"Sure thing, darling. If you let me do your-"
"No," Lily said it firmly, made his dad pouted again heading to the kitchen. "This way," Lily took my hand and lead us to her room, and just one step inside I felt like I was in a fairytale.
"Wow." I breathed.
"Sorry, my room seems is a bit pink," a bit? More like it's everywhere, "and my dads didn't want to change it."
"No, it's cool. At least your room is better than mine." Lily room was entirely pink. Everywhere is pink. She has a full-size bed with a canopy over it, stuff animals at the corner of her room with the more abundant teddy bear as the center, a flat screen 16-inch tv on the wall and underneath was bookshelves. On the pink wall base and painted green vines spread around leading to the decorated tree behind her bed.
"I rather have your normal room any day," she snorts. "I keep telling my dads to change it to teal."
"Leave it; I think it expresses who you are."
"That sweet of you," she smiled and sat on the beanbags as I took the other. "So, how long can you stay?"
"Well, Athena is working late as usual, and Ares is probably somewhere since it's his day off."
"If you want you can sleep over?"
"You don't need to do that - actually, that will be a great idea," I remembered about a certain person. "I'll text my them that I'll be sleeping over."
"This will be awesome!" Lily cheered. "I never had a sleepover before."
I gave her a deadpanned look. "Never?"
"Never."
"What about that friend of yours, um Anna Wong?"
"Oh, her parents were too strict to let her sleep in other peoples house because they are afraid she might get drunk or something. But, I was her only friend."
"You know, I'm never brought it up but why did she move back to China?"
"She got pregnant."
"What?!" I cracked. "Pregnant? By who? She has a boyfriend?"
"No, and no," Lily chuckled. "Apparently, she secretly snuck out because she met this college boy working part-time at the coffee shop she goes studying at the past summer. She went to the party his frat boys were having and then a two months later of throwing up and seeing a doctor, she found out she was pregnant. Her parents were very angry with her, and because she already arranged with someone, they decided to move to China to solve the problem."
"Damn."
"I know," she flipped through the script. "I was the first to notice the baby bump, never said anything because it's her business, and knew that she was pregnant. Anna was a slim girl so she couldn't gain a pound after two months."
"What do you think her parents' will do with the baby?" I asked.
"For all I know, they would have wanted an abortion. But, with Anna's personality, she would want to keep her baby." She turned to me. "Did you know if you want another child in China you have to pay the fee? I'm telling you Asian's are crazy."
"Hey, I'm Asian, well sort of."
"I'm Asian too, and you don't see me all defensive. Indian's are much worst with arrange marriage than the Chinese. They celebrate for days before the actual wedding, and from the day you are born you, and the guy from another family if are heavenly match can set the marriage once a mature age."
"A wedding like that I would be dead for wearing heels the same day every day."
"But the cool thing about it the soon-to-be bride and female relatives do those henna tattoos from their hands and feet. I would want that for my wedding."
Do you want to have a nonstop party until your feet are covered in blisters? No, thank you." I flipped the pages over and over again as if I haven't highlighted my lines with yellow markings. But I felt lost.
"No, I mean henna tattoos," she paused. "Hey, I know you don't want to talk about yesterday. How are you holding up?"
I stop from flipping the pages again. More than fifty pages of the musical held in my hand but now on the floor. "Like shit."
Lily sighed. "Well, at least you don't have to see those three evil stooges. I heard from students who saw Clark and Heather that they have only a day of suspension."
My eyes widened and got up. "Your lying?"
"Yeah, I'm surprised as well. It seems that Principal Brown had hush money from their parents to ignore the situation and let their kids continue school."
My throat went dry and as I brushed my hair back. "One day? He said two weeks! I got three for wresting Paris on a choke hold. They should be expelled for what they did to me."
"I could agree with you more but Clark's mom is a lawyer, and Heather's dad is one of the biggest real estate developers in Long Beach and Los Angeles."
I exhaled harshly one after another. "Damn rich kids," I grunt sitting back down on the bean bag chair. "Just fucking great!"
"Oh, sounds like someone is speaking blood," Nicky popped his head with his beautiful hair sway to the side. "I would love to hear."
"Effie is pissed because Clark and Heather are going back to school after what they did to her."
I looked at her wide eyes like I sent her air messages like the why-did-you-tell-him look and she sent a look back at me and apologized.
"Oh, you mean those fabulous popular rich kids," Nicky placed the tray of cookies down, and I could smell the sweetness filling the room. I felt my mouth watering. "Those kids can get out of anything when involved with money." He grabbed a cookie and took a bite.
"I want to give them more than just a choke," I focus my attention on Lily's dad once he made himself on the floor next to us sitting Indian style.
"So, good," he muffled then moan after a second bite. "Lily told me you went all WWE on Paris Blake. I'm glad you did it, girl."
"Dad, don't encourage her," his daughter grunts. "Be a parent."
"What?" Nicky said as insulted. "I know Paris's father; he is a mall security guard who has a fetish for men in drags." He winked.
Lily and I looked at each with wide eyes staring back at Nicky.
"Well, I better start with dinner have to go grocery shopping while Daddy is still out with his buddies." Nicky rose from the floor.
"Dad," Lily called out with a hard time preventing him from leaving. "Are you saying Paris's dad is...gay?"
He chuckled sitting back down biting his bottom glossy lips acting weird. "Oh, honey, you know before I met Wayne at the nightclub in LA. I met Paris's dad, he and I-"
"Wait!" Lily cut her dad off and express a sour face. "I don't need to know that too much for my ears to catch."
"Lily, it's just sex."
"Stop!" Made her face red and her dad laughed, so did I which made her snarl at me. I laughed more. "I do not want to know about you and Mr. Blake. Just go do your shopping."
"Aw, you are so cute my little Lily-pad."
I snort a laugh through my nose, and it made Lily grunt as her face flashes red. "Dad!"
"Okay, going," Nicky plant European kisses on both Lily's cheek. "I'll be back." Then he left the room closing the door.
Lily let out a loud sighed. "Sorry about that."
"I love your dad," I confessed with a smile. "Has a colorful personality. He looks like someone I could talk to about secrets." I put a long face on her. She flinched.
"Sorry, whenever I get home from school it's a habit of mine about what's going on. I talk to my dad, but only to that dad. My other dad, not so much interested only if I talk about boys." I felt her inwardly rolled her eyes.
"Just as long you keep that pretty mouth of yours shut from others I would have to sew it up."
"So dark," I gave her a deadpan look. "Okay, my lips are sealed," she pinches her lips and pretends to lock it with a key as humor and I just had to crack a smile.
"Okay, you are forgiven, because your dad made cookies and I'm hungry," I chuckled then grabbed a piece of cookie took my bite and just allowed my taste buds to get a kick of the sweet flavor. My eyes popped out. "Oh my god, these are good!"
"My dad makes the best cookies. My Grandmother's recipe."
"I need some baking lessons from your dad." My mouth was full I could barely make out a word, but she understood.
"I'm sure he will be happy to teach."
Later that day, Lily and I practice our lines. Nicky came home and started pacing around the kitchen making dinner. She pulled on her headphone playing the Aladdin soundtrack singing A Whole New World along with lyrics of the song. She sounds like a frog is in her throat. So, as a good friend, I pulled my own earpiece and pulled up the same song on Spotify. Lean against the bean bag, closed my eyes and sang.
The moment my lips move and the voice within reach harmonically. I open the book of memories in my head of my parents. Large fingers pressed the white and black keyboard on an old antique piano; my dad started to play the tune A Whole New World. The little girl of me sat next to him smiling as he played the music.
My dad began to sing Aladdin's part and his voice sounds like an angel. He told me he used to be in a choir as a kid when his grandfather taught him to play the piano. Once Jasmine's line for the second verse I sang my heart out full of joy. I looked up to memorize of his handsome looks; dark brown hair closely cropped to his head, and beard that has not been shaved for weeks, strong cheekbones so sharp they could cut glass, and my dad's grey eyes and remembered how beautiful they are and filled with love for his family. My mom would be in the kitchen enjoying the song, Athena and Ares sit in the living room listening to us sing while doing homework. They didn't seem disturbing to the music as I could hear them humming along.
Memories are so important and yet a weak spot in my heart just thinking about the whole family together. Together, the five of us like before.
I began to tear up almost to the point I want to be in my bed and cry, but my conscious is telling me I'm in someone else's home and hold it in.
But it's too late.
"Effie?"
I snap my eyes open once I heard Lily's voice. I looked up and saw sadness not for herself but me.
"Sorry," I sniffle removing my earphones out my ear. "Got caught in the moment."
"You okay?" She asked. "I heard you sing the same song and of course was struck by your voice until..."
I wiped my eyes and exhaled. "I've been crying a lot. I'm beginning to think I'm running out of tears," I chuckled nervously. "My dad used to be a music teacher. I was three and he would play the piano at home and he starts to play the song. He would sing the male verse and I sang the female verse." I started to tear up. "The whole house was full of music and love. But now that my parents are gone I don't think it's ever going to return the way it was before."
"Effie." Lily sat next to me, pulled my head on her shoulder and wrap an arm around me.
I exhaled again. "You know, sometimes I feel like my brother and sister aren't as close to me as before. I noticed it when both of them would stay overnight and come home in the morning."
"Maybe they are swamped."
I shook my head, wiping the snot from my nose. My mouth was clogged from crying as I talked. "No, I know deep down they blamed me."
"That's not true. Yes, your sister has a temper, and I don't know about Ares, but I know they love you very much."
I pulled my head back. "I accepted their attitudes towards me and never said anything. They are family and I love them even if they treat me like that. Thanks, Lily, for listening to my sob story."
"I don't mind; we are friends."
"Best friends," I corrected. My first real friend.
I'm thrilled Lily, and I became so close and told her all the feelings kept inside made me relax. She's the first real friend I ever had for years after my parents died.
Her door was suddenly knocked as Nicky once again pop his head seeing us get emotional he frowned. "Oh my god, what happened?" He came over to my side pulled me into his embrace.
"Her parents."
"Oh, sweetie, I remembered that news. What a tragic death. I'm sorry for your lost."
I smiled wryly. "Thank you."
"Well, all that matters is your alive." He squeezes me in his arms. Then he wiped my tears away. "Now, dinner is ready. Lily would you please set up the table. Daddy texted me that he's on the way."
"Okay, Dad." Lily left the room.
"Come on sweetie you must be hungry."
"Starving actually," I confessed.
"Well, I hope you are craving for Italian because you will like my Mama's Jumbo Meatball Spaghetti."
"I would love to try."
"Good."
At the table, it was full of Italian cuisine I have never seen. I see Lasagne, of course, Nicky's mother's Jumbo Meatball Spaghetti, then he pointed out Italian Stuffed Chicken, Manicotti Italian Casserole, and a bowl of salad. The dishes were too good to eat. The same time Lily's other dad came home, he was a big man, full of muscle. Probably working construction. He had a bald head and tattoos on the back of his head that spreads on his back like a collage of different arts all group into one. Wayne was a sweet guy, gave his husband and daughter both a kiss on the cheek and pulled me into a big bear hug like I almost suffocated but that his affection for others.
During dinner we talk and laugh, enjoying a good meal I forgot what it's like with the whole family together. There are times when Athena cook it would be breakfast, but lunch and dinner never happens. Supposedly, you come home from an exhausting day at work; the meal had been cooked as the table is set up and everyone sits around the table eating, and bonding together. I don't mind if Athena and Ares don't come home I wish we have the day where we could all eat as a family.
Just one night.
After dinner, I had help out cleaning the dishes but Nicky suggests that I go watch tv because I'm the guest. I texted Athena and Ares I'll be staying over tonight. My sister replied reminding me to brush my teeth as if I'm four years old, and my brother was texting me all these questions if I'm staying at a boys house. He hasn't met the Wolfe brothers yet but he knew they were our next door neighbor. I told him I'm staying over at Lily's which he said have fun then stopped texting.
It was getting late, and I had myself dress in pajamas with the courtesy of Nicky lending me extra new underwear and pajamas which he has stock in his closet. I wanted to question him but didn't because that would be rude and I shouldn't judge him.
After brushing my teeth, I walked out of Lily's private bathroom while French braiding my hair. I see her set up an airbed on the floor.
"Are you sure you want to sleep on the floor with me?" I asked loudly over the vacuum-like sound coming from the air pump as the bed rises.
"I want to make this an official somewhat sleepover because if I sleep in my bed, it's not the whole ordeal of having a sleepover."
"Okay."
Once the air bed is large and bloated with air, Lily then started to place blankets and pillows from her bed. Then went out of her room and grabbed more pillows putting them around like one giant pillow.
"Done," she pants as I gave her a blunt look. "What? Can't have too many pillows."
"Too many? More like you covered the whole floor." I found myself trap with pillows.
"Well, deal with it." Lily then went on the bed making herself comfortable on the left. "I can't sleep with only a few pillows I need something to hug my back and front."
I snort. "Don't you mean you want Liam to be your pillow." She gasped throwing a square pillow at me and I caught it laughing. "You know you want him." I tease willing my brows as I made my way on the air bed.
"I don't think it's going to happen between me and him." She said. "I was hoping if he showed up at the audition to play for Aladdin I wouldn't have to deal with Robert Lindsey. That boy has been eyeing me since day one."
"He likes you? I haven't noticed."
"Yeah," she sat right up. "He's been wanting to go out with me, but I keep refusing him."
"Because of Liam."
"No, because he wasn't my type."
"You could give him a chance if the whole crushing on Liam doesn't work out," I told her. "I think Robert is cute."
I wasn't paying attention to my classmate, but Robert Lindsey was that one guy who wants to show off all the time in Mrs. Bloomfield's class. I always thought he was a geek. He's a drama geek.
"He's okay looking but he's not a 10/10 like Liam."
"Oh, I see, you like Liam for his pretty boy face."
"Not only for his looks," I arched a brow. "Seriously, Liam is handsome but smart, funny and great to get along with." I nodded in agreement then she paused.
"Sounds like there is a but to your sentence."
Lily laid back down and stared up at her ceiling. Her chest rise and fall. "Effie, what do you call your relationship with Logan?"
I furrowed my brows together. "What are you talking about?"
She plops her elbow to stay on her side facing me with her head resting on her hand. "I'm talking about you and Logan. What's your relationship status?"
"Neutral."
"Don't be stupid," she snorts. "Logan has the hots for you. You just won't admit it."
"I didn't pursue him first if that's what you mean but he and I, we don't have that kind of relationship to be considered lovers."
"But do you want too?"
"I don't know."
"Well, what does your heart tells you?"
"That I need a life."
"With Logan Wolfe?" She reverts from having her eyebrows wiggle at me when I talked about Liam and her.
Damn it!
It's a countered attack.
"No," I answered making her smile.
"Admit it, Aphrodite Catherine Reid," my eyes grew wide and gasped. "Oh yeah, I can call you that too because your my friend and I want you to be happy."
"That doesn't mean I need a man in my life," I argued.
"No, but after everything you've been through with your parents. Who was there to comfort you?"
"My sister and brother."
"I meant for more moral support."
"Logan."
"And who saved you from Clark mini dick - just saying if he does have a three-inch penis."
I chuckled. "Logan."
"Bottom line, you two might not know each other yet to be considered friends, but I feel that he is trying and I mean hard that he ditched Heather for you," Lily explained as her words of wisdom makes sense. "At least give it a try and be friends with him. That's how it starts, like you and me. We became fast friends that we can share each other's secret."
I stayed silent and played at the ends of my hair. "You think Logan and I can hit it off once we become close."
"Girl, if you don't do it, Heather would have to fight you for him, and this time I don't think she would give you a warning."
The thought of Heather clinging on to Logan again made my stomach churn I worked so hard to stay away from her crowd, but when Logan showed up, the whole school realized how he wanted Clark to stay away from me. If I won't allow Logan into my isolated bubble, then he would get snatched away.
But the old me wouldn't care if he was taken away because I didn't have those feelings but the new me, would think differently. All I could think about is Logan and I'm starting to think I have brain damage or something but it's not. I have these kinds of emotions about him I could not exclaim. My hearts tells me something else about Logan that he and I aren't compatible. A bad boy like him would want a badass chick who keeps herself away from people entering her life of misery.
I heard soft snore coming from Lily as she had her back turned to face me. She must of doze off when I didn't reply to her.
I went around the air bed and then turn off the light and darkness took over. With the moonlight lent through the pink silk curtains to use as my flashlight. I tuck myself and drape the blanket over our bodies as I laid down my head on the pillow.
Once I'm entirely comfortable I turn to the side facing the window and watch a peek at the moon thinking about Logan. My mind is filled with Logan, and I feared what I shouldn't be thinking. It a short time a guy suddenly pops into my life and already stakes his claim.
Tomorrow, Logan will be home, and maybe I could talk to him about these feeling and how things would work out between minus the arguing like last time that ended up him fucking me with his fingers. I still feel his finger in me that at the moment my vagina is tinkling just craving for more of Logan's finger in me - worse, feared that not only his fingers can make me feel good and I hate to think if I wanted it.
I groaned softly and pulled the covers over my head to hide my heated cheeks, and I closed my eyes. Fuck! Now, I 'm dreaming about Logan's fingers fucking me.
Oh boy, I'm fucked.