"Hi, Wendy. Come on in," Mrs. Miller steps aside from the doorway to let me in. Vincent's house is already packed with his relatives, who give me a glance and go back to whatever they were doing.
"Hi, Mrs. Miller. I brought some desserts if you don't mind." I try to balance the three pans of mini cheesecakes, fruit tarts, and pies in my arms.
"Let me help you with that," Mrs. Miller offers, taking a pan from me and leading me to the kitchen table.
"Thanks."
"No, thank you. These are so cute. How did you make all of this?" Mrs. Miller beams.
"I was just practicing."
"Well, they look great." Mr. Miller passes by us from the backyard, but Mrs. Miller pulls him aside. "Honey, look at how cute and yummy these look. Can you believe Wendy homemade all of them?"
"Sure, they look... fine..." Mr. Miller replies in the least genuine tone possible. I'm no longer bothered by how cold Mr. Miller is towards me. It's established at this point that we strongly dislike each other. Instead, I let my eyes wander around to find Vincent.
"Vincent's upstairs," Mrs. Miller guesses from my searching eyes.
"Sorry, but may I ask what this party is for?"
"Oh, we have some family friends that just moved next door. They're practically family, so we're throwing them a welcoming party."
"I see... Well, thanks. I'm going to go find Vincent."
Mrs. Miller nods and starts arranging my miniature desserts on a plate.
I head for Vincent's room, carelessly swinging the door open out of habit. Vincent's just sitting on his bed, smiling into space.
"You will not believe what Wilbur and Charlotte did yesterday. They shared a strawberry and-"
Vincent's desk chair spins around and girl sits on it, staring at me wide-eyed.
I know how I describe Vivian as being drop-dead gorgeous and looking as if she was clipped out of a magazine cover, but this girl came straight from the runway. Her platinum blonde hair in a summery beach wave, minimalist make-up, and glowing skin. I'm sure I could look at her skin with a magnifying glass and not see a single pore. She looked as if she had a camera filter on her constantly.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" I ask, even though it was obvious that I did.
"No. Come here and sit," Vincent says, patting the spot next to him on the bed.
I hesitantly approach and slowly seat myself next to Vincent.
"Hi, I'm Madelyn, but most people just call me Maddy," the girl introduces.
Even her name is pretty...
Vincent nudges me.
"Oh, sorry. I'm Wendy."
"I'm Vincent," he interrupts.
Maddie laugh, slapping Vincent on the shoulder in the process.
"Vincent and I go way back. We were friends since birth since our dads are best friends. I had to move away after middle school, but now I'm back."
"That's great," I smile.
"What are the chances too that I get to live next door now?" Maddy continues, excitedly.
"Wow... that's great..."
"Are you and Vincent close?"
"Well, I've only known him for a year, so not as much as you, but-"
"Oh really? You guys go to the same school."
"Yeah, I tutored him last year-"
"You must be really smart, huh?"
"Not really..."
"Wendy's really smart. She's going to be valedictorian if she keeps up her grades this year. Its pretty much a guarantee," Vincent praises.
"I was going to be valedictorian at my last school too. I hope my GPA transfers. Who knows, we might have to fight each other for the spot," Maddy laughs.
"Yeah, maybe." I smile back.
"Hungry, Wendy?" Vincent asks.
"Always," I reply.
"Do you want anything, Maddy?"
"No, thanks. I'm on a juice cleanse," she replies.
Both Vincent and I exchange looks, unsure what a "juice cleanse". Vincent just nods and heads downstairs.
Maddy then looks intently at me, beaming very widely.
"I'm so glad one of his classmates finally came. I didn't want to ask Vincent directly since its awkward..." Maddy begins.
"What do you want to know?"
"Well, I've moved away for a while now, so I don't know what Vincent is like these day. Like if he is still friends with Carson..."
"Oh, yeah. With Luke and Logan too. Let's see... He's captain of the track team... Well, I guess he's friend with everyone. Or at least talked to everyone in our grade at least once. Everyone knows him since he's nice to everyone."
"Oh, I guess he's still the same."
"Vincent was like that in middle school too?"
"Yep."
"That's cool."
Maddy leans closer to me and speaks much quieter.
"Vincent and I actually had a thing back in middle school," Maddy blushes. "So, I think he might still have feelings for me."
"...Maybe..."I reply.
Luckily, Vincent returns with a plate piled high with a burger, fries, bread, macaroni salad, and coleslaw. In his other hand is a small cheesecake and two forks.
"Here you go, Wendy," Vincent says, handing me the plate and reaching his other hand fro me to pluck out a fork. "And this is for me." Vincent keeps a fork for himself and the cheesecake.
As I dig into my food, Maddy began to speak again.
"Wow, you have a big appetite."
"I guess," I shrug.
"I wish I could eat junk food. I'm on a raw, vegan diet at the moment. It keeps my skin glowing and I feel more energized."
She was right. Her skin was like a newborn baby's. Mine was as greasy as the bottom bun of a burger. But food is too good to pass up.
"Remember why I stopped eating meat, Vincent?"
"Yep. We went to a petting zoo and you saw a live chicken for the first time and fell in love with it. Then you realized that's what chicken nuggets are made of out of," Vincent replies, musing over the memories.
"I was so shocked. I had no idea."
"It's literally in the name, Maddy!" Vincent and Maddy laugh simultaneously.
I keep shoveling food down my gullet as they continue to talk about their childhood together. How they learned to walk together. How they rode their first roller coaster together. How they biked together. How Maddy was there when Vincent had to get his tooth removed. How Vincent was there when Maddy had to get a cast. How they got their flu shots together. Heck, Vincent even gave Maddy his jacket to cover up when she got her first period.
I feel like I don't even know Vincent. The Vincent I know just eats with me. Feeds me. And occasionally visits to eat with my turtles and me. Maybe I'm not spontaneous enough. Maybe I'm not as exciting or energetic.
"I'm not to go downstairs for a bit. I'll come back in a bit," I say, interrupting their flurry of reminiscing.
They nod and continue their conversation as I leave and head downstairs. Down in the kitchen, I toss away my paper plate and plastic fork, and began to search for a bottle of water. I find the ice box of drinks next to the backyard door. The door is opened, but there is a screen door to keep the bugs out. Off to the side, I see Mr. Miller, sitting in a circle of chairs with his friends, each with a glass of beer in their hands. I open the chest to take out a water bottle, but I also catch a part of their conversation. The only voice I'm able to distinguish is Mr. Miller's.
"Yeah, Maddy was really excited to be back."
"Vincent was too," says Mr. Miller.
"I hope they catch up well. They were best friends when they were kids."
Mr. Miller chuckles, "Who knows. They might end up in a relationship."
"That would be great. After all, your son is a good kid."
"Not really. My son would be the lucky one."
"Speaking of which, Vincent doesn't have a girlfriend does he?"
"Not really. His current one isn't really serious."
"Really?" the man's voice seemed to be concerned.
"Don't worry. Vincent really likes Maddy. It's just because she moved away. They'll be together in no time now that she's back."
"Hey," one of Vincent's little cousin calls.
"Yeah?" I reply.
"Your hand is going to get frostbites," he says, pointing to the ice chest.
I look down and realize I've been sticking my hand into the icy water for too long. Pulling it out, I can feel stinging in my nerves as it tries to readjust to the warmth.
"Aren't you Vincent's girlfriend?" he asks.
"Yeah..."
"...You're not that pretty," he says, sounding as if not out of intention to insult, but more out of blunt honesty.
"Sorry to disappoint you?" I didn't know what else to say.
"You know who's pretty?"
"Who?"
"Maddy."
"She is really pretty," I admit.
"I'm going to marry her," the kid says.
He looked no more than seven years old, but I tried to show that I genuinely believed him. "Cool, invite me to the wedding."
"I'll have to go to college first. And then get a good job. And then buy a house for us. And we're going to have fifty kids! And their beds will be bouncy castles. And I'll be a cool dad. I'll give them ice cream for every meal," he proudly announces.
"Wow, that's cool... Well, it was nice meeting you, but I have to go..."
"Okay." And he wandered off easily, looking for more things to entertain his overactive mind.
At least he had confidence. Maybe if I had his confidence, I would believe I deserved Vincent, that Vincent was as lucky to have me as I have him. Maybe if I did, I could march out there and tell Mr. Miller our relationship was serious. Maybe I could parade around announcing I was dating Vincent. But I don't.
I rush out of the house, climbed into my car, and pulled off. Driving on the road, I didn't know where I was going. I didn't even bother to tell Vincent.
After driving around, I finally stopped at the dollar store. Inside, I start to fill my basket with items for random and repetitive activities- glitter art, cheap molding clay, puzzles, word searches, connect the dots, coloring books, crayons, markers, and friendship bracelet kits. As I walked out of the isle and turned to find snacks, I bump into someone, sending both of our baskets flying and contents.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I apologize. Kneeling down, I prioritize picking up the stranger's items first. This mostly consisted of paper and plastic kitchen ware, a toothbrush, toothpaste... deodorant, shaving cream, and some chips. After I finish gathering the items, I stand up and extend my hand, offering the stranger their basket back. The stranger does the same with mine. Due to my childish contents, I keep my head bent down.
"Wendy?"
I look up to see Gregory. His curly had return, which the last time I saw his hair was slicked back, but was buried under a baseball cap. He had on his glasses and wore a loose shirt and shorts, seeming as if he just came from the gym.
"Gregory! Hey!" I take my basket back and Gregory takes his.
"Quite a basket you have there," he laughs.
"Oh, yeah..."I swing the basket behind me in embarrassment. "I got bored so..."
"If you're bored, mind helping me move in?"
"You're moving back?"
"Yeah, but only by myself. I've got my own apartment, so I could use some help."
"I don't know. I'm not supposed to go to strangers' houses," I pretend to suspiciously eye him.
"And I shouldn't be letting strangers into my house. Plus, we aren't really strangers."
"Fine. But I'll just text my sister to tell her if I go missing, that you're the one who murdered me."
"Good plan."
"Come here, first."
I lead Gregory to the glassware aisle, and began to take out the paper and plastic ones out of his basket. Picking out a few cups, plates, bowls, and silverware, I refilled his basket.
"Actually, my place doesn't have a dishwasher. So, I'm kinda being lazy."
"I'll wash your dishes for you then if I have to. It's just kinda lonely to always eat out of disposable stuff. You know?"
"I guess."
"Does it have a washer or dryer?"
"No. I have to go to the laundromat every weekend."
"Hmm, then I guess you won't need detergent. You still need dish soap...some sponges...household cleaners...some air fresheners...a couple of laundry baskets...towels...toilet plunger...toilet paper...paper towels...tissues...shampoo...bar soap..." I said as I collected more and more items. By then, I had to get a cart to fit everything.
"Um, Wendy. This is too much."
"This is just the basics."
I rolled everything out, with Gregory's basket and mine on top.
"All together?" the cashier asks.
"Yeah," I nod as I took out my wallet.
"Wendy, I got it covered," Gregory protests, trying to pull out his wallet, but I block him hand.
"Think of it as a housewarming gift."
"Thanks," Gregory grins.
Once we loaded everything into Gregory's car, I got into mine and followed him to an apartment complex. It looked nice outside, with each room having a balcony. There were trimmed hedges and rows of flowers in the front, indicating that the building gets maintained. It wasn't too far from my school either.
Inside, we took an elevator up to the fourth floor and Gregory had the room furthest down the hallway. So, it took us a few long trips to get all the items upstairs. Once we finish, I finally got he chance to look around his apartment.
It was quite roomy, considering only Gregory is living here. There are two bedroom doors I could see, and one bathroom. The kitchen is connected to the living room, which has a small leather couch and brown, wooden coffee table set there already. Besides this, there was nothing really out that made it look like a home yet. The only other things occupying the room was a cluster of boxes in the corner.
"Nice place," I say, talking things out of the plastic bags.
"I haven't unpacked yet," he sighs. "To be honest, I've been ordering food for the last couple of months. My fridge is still pretty empty."
"You know how to cook though, right?"
"Instant ramen. Cereal. That's about it."
"Do you even have a pan or pot?"
"Nope. Probably should've brought one. I never cook, so..."
"You should learn how to."
Gregory hands me my arts and crafts in a separate bag.
"Oh, I almost forgot about this."
"Is this stuff fun?"
"Sort of. I kinda needed to get my mind off of things, so...yeah..."
"Can we try one out? If you don't mind."
"You want to help me with making glittery kittens and friendship bracelets?"
"Why not? Sounds interesting."
"Alright then," I agree.
We started off with a five-hundred piece puzzle. Then, we moved onto gluing glitter to a drawing of a kitten. Finally, we made bracelets.
While this was fun, it was also very annoying. Gregory had no method in doing the puzzle, grabbing two random pieces and trying to fix them together. This surprisingly worked at times. He also likes dumping random colors of glitter, so that it came out looking like glittery vomit. Gregory also out whatever beads he liked, and only ordered the alphabetical ones to make my name. On the other hand, mine was patterned and I specifically picked complementary colors.
Gregory and I have always been polar opposites. He was this outspoken, energetic kid who did things in the spur of the moment. I was always reserved and liked to plan everything out. Maybe that's why we clicked. We made up for what the other was lacking. I was there to make sure Gregory didn't go completely wild and Gregory was there to make sure I didn't live under a rock all the time.
My phone rings to indicate a text.
Vincent: Where are you? I've been looking everywhere for you.
Me: Sorry, I left a while ago.
Vincent: Where are you?
Me: At a friend's house.
Vincent: Who? Ally's?
Me: No, one I haven't seen since middle school. He just moved back.
Vincent: It's a dude?
Me: Yeah. Why?
Vincent: Text me the address. I'll pick you up.
Me: I have my car. It's fine.
Vincent: I want to go on a date.
Me: You should hang out with Maddy.
Vincent: Do you like Maddy?
Me: Yeah, she's nice.
Vincent: That's a relief.
Me: Don't worry about me. I'll text you when I get home.
Vincent: Okay, then. If anything comes up, call me.
Me: Okay.
"Something wrong?" Gregory asks, finishing a knot on the bracelet.
"Um, no... Just my boyfriend texting me."
"You have a boyfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Wow."
"Why wow?"
"It's just that you were so quiet back then. I'm surprised you managed to get yourself a guy when you're so shy."
"Well, you looked super dorky back then. But now you look..."
"Look what?"
"...Even dorkier..." I lie.
"Ow, that hurts," Gregory fakes pain in his chest.
We exchange bracelets, but Gregory suddenly becomes serious.
"You seemed upset earlier," he observes.
"When?" I ask, surprised.
"When you were texting your boyfriend."
"I did?"
"I don't know. Forget I said anything."
"Well, I better get going."
"Wait, can I get your number first. I kinda regretted not asking for it when we ran into each other at the waterpark. I don't really know anyone here."
"Sure."
In the car, I started to text Vincent again.
Me: I'm going home now.
After arriving home, there was no reply. He must be busy.
Me: I'm going to bed. Goodnight.
I thought I was tired. My body felt so heavy all day. But really, it was just a sinking feeling in my stomach. And it wouldn't go away.
*****
First chapter to the sequel!!! Thoughts on the new characters Maddy and Gregory? Don't have much to say except for that I'm really excited :) Thanks for reading and stay tuned.