The Chinese delivery showed up with the food almost half an hour later. We were all sitting and watching a boy movie Dylan suggested we'd watch, and we all had a good time. Almost all of us at least. Elaine was quiet the whole time. She barely ate.
"Are you okay?" Parker asked her throughout the whole movie, turning all our gazes towards her.
"Obviously," she'd just answer. "Why wouldn't I be?"
When the movie started coming to an end, Isaac was just texting with Mia, according to Dylan. The frown on Isaac's face was only because he still couldn't believe he was now dating the girl he was crushing on for so long.
"Where are you going?" Gina asks him when he gets up.
"I'll be back in a second," he answers, not lifting his head up from the phone.
"Yeah keep it in your pants, will you?" Dylan says to him. "A dickpick an hour after you two got your shit together isn't the best move," making all the boys burst out laughing.
"Fucking bastard," Isaac just mumbles under his breath and walks up the stairs.
Landon gets up and walks inside the kitchen, a second later yelling, "Elaine!"
She smoothly gets up and follows him, staying there for a good five minutes before he furiously walks out.
"What's with you?" Parker asks him.
"Nothing," he growls.
Iona, Emma, Elaine and Gina stayed for a while. They even ate dinner here, and Elaine was just as quiet throughout the rest of the day. Gina and Emma later went home, but after Isaac convinced Elaine (which took some effort) and Iona convinced Parker, both of them decided to stay the night. Isaac showed up later again and tried talking to us instead of talking to Mia, and Dylan's been mocking him the whole night.
It's now eleven pm and I'm laying in my bed, my head almost dangling down from the edge of the bed as I'm holding a book I'm trying to read in the air, the way Kaitlyn studies. Apparently, when she's too tired, she drops the book on her face and that wakes her up and she continues studying.
"Come in," I say when knocks are heard on my door. I don't turn to look who my guest is; I need to finish the four last rows of chapter eleven.
"Studying?" I hear Landon say laughingly as he sits down, probably on his knees, and puts his arms on my bed. "Come on."
He takes the book from my hands and I see his face above mine.
"I needed to finish that!" I complain.
"And I needed to go out with the trash, but here I am, five minutes after that Parker's lectured me about what will happen if no one in this house works."
"He's got a point," I agree.
"Of course he does, he's Parker."
He gets up and lays down beside me, looking me in the eyes, and it's now I realize how happy I am that I'm not flinching or moving or shifting or doing anything. He places his hand on my waist and I smile as I put my hand on his. I'm used to him being close now.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
He positions his head in his hand.
"What was wrong with Elaine?"
He doesn't go with the whole look when you regret opening your mouth, but he considers which words to use. "You don't have to."
"No, it's okay. She's okay, at least according to her. Said it was only because of the face of Mother Nature, the ugly one, that contains period. Those are her words."
I smile in attempt to cover up my blush. That topic is still something I'll rather not talk about. I talk about almost everything with Landon, almost as if he's Kaitlyn back in the old days, as if he's my best friend, not my boyfriend, but I'll rather leave periods out of the spotlight. "Which reminds me, I've got to change this."
He gently removes my hand from his and steps up, walking towards the drawer he never emptied but that I'm glad exists now. It's brought me comfort and safety just looking at it sometimes, knowing something is there that's his.
He takes off his shirt as I watch him, the muscles of his back flexing as he moves, and when I get tired of him hiding from me, I slowly get up and walk over to him, turning him around and taking the shirt he was going to put on.
I can't believe I'm standing with my hand on a half naked Landon's shoulder and feel like it's natural. It definitely wouldn't be a while ago. I really love him.
"How many times have I told you not to hide that from me?" I ask and drop my arm. I put the shirt on the drawer. His gaze is searching for something on the floor as mine is searching for his eyes. "I don't care about it being there, I don't, but the fact that you hide it from me is what I care about."
"I've told you, I don't wanna show it off."
From the second I took the shirt from him, he's kept his arms folded over the scar, concealing it on a way that angers me even more.
"I'm not telling you to show it off Landon, I just don't want you to hide it from me like that, I don't get why you feel like you have to hide it from me."
"Look I get it, but stop. You should be the last one wanting to see this."
He must see my colors drain when he says that, because they disappear faster than I don't know what. If I'm the last one who wants to see it, he's the last one I thought would say that to me.
I'm right, he sees it, because as soon as my colors a millisecond later vanish from my face, he grabs my arm and face and quickly adds, "I'm so sorry, I have no excuse, I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" I ask, not because I crave an answer but because I'm gonna answer him myself. "Don't be." I make him lose his grip and continue. "You're right, don't be sorry. I shouldn't want to see it, I shouldn't want to be reminded of the scars the same people put on me, but you know what our difference is? I showed them to you and you helped me, but you for some stupid reason refuse to let me be there for you, even though you forced me to let you help me. Landon I love you, and that scar, and Noah and John and my mum and what Noah did won't change that." At the sound of Noah's name he clenches his fists and tightens his jaw, but I continue. He doesn't scare me like he used to when he'd barge into the house with the same lethal look in his eyes. "No one can change that, and especially not that scar, because I've got the same, and you still love me. Don't you?"
He suddenly turns from that killer look to an ashamed one, looking me straight in the eyes with a sad look. I take the shirt from the counter and look at it once before holding it out for him. "Here. I'll walk down and you can change."
I've talked so badly with all of them the past days, and I'm pretty sure Isaac will regret telling me to stand up for myself when he sees what monster he's created.
"Wait," he says when I'm halfway towards the door. I turn around and see him holding the shirt in the tightest grip, as if he wants to tear it apart and is trying to prevent himself from doing so. He puts it on the drawer and drops his arms to his sides, his gaze at the floor. I smile sadly at him, hoping he sees it, and when he finally lifts his gaze a second and does so, he walks over to me with some quick steps and hugs me tightly, one arm around my shoulders and the other one around my waist, and his bare upper body doesn't bother me at all. I hug him back immediately, making sure it's as tight as him. I let him be the one to end the hug, and he does that by lowering his arms to my waist.
"I'm sorry," he says. The small smile that curves his lips mirrors my own as my hands find place on his neck, stroking his jawbone lightly.
"Don't be," I tell him. "I get it, don't think I don't, but you need to overcome the fear of that scar. Don't let what they've done come between you and the people around you that love you, like I do. They're not worth it."
He keeps his smile as he lowers his head to place his soft lips on mine. The warmth of them spreads throughout my whole body, and when it reaches my stomach, it brings all the butterflies I carry in there to life. I keep stroking his cheek with my thumb, and I keep my hand there even after he pulls away.
"Well that's something you don't see everyday," I hear and turn to the direction it came from; Dylan in the doorway, leant against the frame, arms crossed and a smile over his lips. I drop my hands and look at him, not being able to stop smiling. "I'm proud of you." His words are for Landon. I know it from the way he once nods at his abdomen, at the scar, and then he turns to me. "You too bestie."
As my childish smile grows, he walks down, making sure to close the door after him.
"I don't know when I got the luck to meet Dylan," Landon says and takes on the shirt. "When my dad died, mum sent me to this football camp so I wouldn't stay in the bad air, and during the two weeks I was there I shared room with him. God, I was blessed to meet him."
"Dylan is a blessing," I say. "He made moving here so much easier."
"That's him."
"I forgot," Dylan's voice comes back. "I didn't came here to see you make out, it was a bonus, but I wanted to say we're gonna walk down to the pool."
"Isn't it too cold?" I ask, still considering January as winter.
As soon as I've asked, I find myself being surprised by my question. Usually, when they bring up their pool, I say a "No thank you" and go to my room, I don't comment on the temper.
You wanna try, don't you?
Dylan's smile grows, but he brushes it off.
"Not the plastic, kiddy pool. The one in the basement."
"There's a pool in the basement?"
I've been living here for six months, how come I've never been to the basement? How come no one mentioned the pool in six months?
"Well yeah. I hope you don't expect a man cave plus a few chicks to not have a secret basement....?"
I laugh at him. He says it so seriously it's hard to hold it back. "You coming? Both of you, I hope."
He flashes a smile, a hopeful one, and I really wish I could tell him "Yeah, let's go", without any hesitation, but my heart still jumps. "It's just us, Iona and Elaine, hopefully you two."
What surprises me is how part of me does want to go down to them all and spend my time there. I'm not scared, I'm nervous, and that's the result of living with them for six months and spending one of them alone with Landon.
My fear isn't fear anymore, now I'm just nervous. I'm not scared to go down to the pool with the boys, I'm nervous, and they're the reason behind that and the smile that is currently growing on my face.
"Is that pretty smile a yes?" Dylan raises his eyebrows and smiles.
"Yeah," I hear myself say, first shocking them both before they start smiling from ear to ear.
"And you, what about you?"
"I....," Landon starts. I look at him with raised eyebrows.
"Bro, no one cares. Come on. Show those abs."
For each second that goes I love Dylan more and more. For each time he says something he reminds me how lucky I am and how blessed I am to have him in my life, but also how much I've taken him for granted.
"Okay," Landon says. "Fuck it, fine."
"Great."
He turns to leave, but then turns back around. "Hey... you two, are a strange couple." It makes me feel weird when he says it, as if he's referring straight to Noah and what he's done, and to what John has done to Landon, but before my smile can disappear, he adds, "You both have the talent to get on my nerves, but I still love you with every annoyed nerve in my body."
He leaves and I start thinking about my wardrobe and the swimwear I brought in fear of leaving it with Noah. The thought of it there just disgusted me. Even though I knew I wouldn't wear it, I still threw the light pink, simple bikini into my things.
"This is a first," Landon breaks the silence.
"You tell me?" I say. "I'll be back."
I leave to go and find and take on the bikini, feeling really uncomfortable when I look myself in the mirror.
The boys won't care, they'll be surprised I've come down, but they won't care. I'm as sure as I can be now. I've always, without wanting to, compared them to Noah, but that's over now. They can never be like Noah, not just because they hate him, but because they love me, something they've made sure to tell me ever since I got back, even Isaac.
I grab the towel and wrap it around me as I go out, seeing Landon standing there uncomfortably.
"Look what you're forcing me to do," he says.
"They love you," I tell him. "They won't care, you know that."
"Yeah I know. Come on."
I follow him down to the kitchen and to the back, seeing a door I always assumed to be a cupboard or something. On the other side of the small door is a tight staircase leading down to a white and gray tiled floor and a circular pool, reminding me of a big sized jacuzzi where the boys and Iona have settled. Elaine is sitting on the edge with her legs thrown inside between Dylan and Iona.
"Hey," Thomas says, being the first one noticing us. When all of their attentions turn to us, small smiles spread on their faces. "I like your abs."
They all chuckle lightly, even Landon.
"Fuck you," he tells him, causing their chuckling to come to life again.
I get inside between Landon and Isaac, at first having some trouble letting go of the towel, but then I just drop it and get inside the warm water, taking part in the boys' conversation.
"Aren't you freezing up there?" Parker asks Elaine, who's still sitting on the edge, leaning back on her hands with closed eyes, as if she's at a beach on a hot day.
"No," she simply answers.
"Come on," Isaac says and walks his way over to her. "I get cold just looking at you."
"Then don't look at me."
Even though they don't hang out much here at home, Landon told me Elaine gets along best with Isaac in the house, even more than with Dylan. He said their relationship is pretty good and that they consider each other as really close friends ever since Elaine showed up that day. Isaac was apparently the one she for some reason could relate to the most. Lately though, she's been pretty cold. Not only towards him, but also with everyone, and I can't help but feel like I'm the reason to that. Maybe I shouldn't have reacted like that when I found out she's Noah's sister, because she hates him just as much and he's hurt her too. Yes, she's got her times, but she's a strong person. She doesn't give in to anything and she has no fear in her. She stands up for whatever she wants and she's just brave overall, not to mention how much she does for the people she loves.
"Come on Elaine, that time of the month?"
"Yeah, I don't wanna get inside and drown you all in blood."
I blush as Iona smirks and the boys snort or roll their eyes. I still can't get over how openly she speaks like that. Isaac himself just rolls his eyes before grabbing her hips and pulling her inside. Before she falls face first in the pool he places his hands on her waist to steady her when she's inside.
"Fuck you!" she exclaims and hits his chest, dropping his arms. Her two braids are wet down to her shoulders, but her make up doesn't melt. It hits me she's never used make up, ever.
That's why her skin always is so flawless. She doesn't even need make up, she's got a blush and red lips and her eyelashes are long and dark.
"Calm down," Isaac tells her.
"Can I ask a question now that we're here?" Dylan asks after a few seconds. "I need the girls' permission."
"Go on Dylan," Iona speaks for all of us after looking at me and Elaine.
"How irritated do you get when people say a kick in the balls hurts more than a period?"
I DON'T WANNA BE PART OF THIS! I wanna scream, but I don't.
"Very," Elaine answers and leans back between Dylan and Landon. "Your balls hurt for some minutes, how much I don't know. Periods go on to days. Not to mention pregnancy. Oh fuck it must hurt."
"When your time comes we promise to be the best support ever," Parker says.
"Thank you sugar, but that's not how it works. Vodka works, but I'm not killing a kid because I don't have any tolerance to pain."
"I love you," Dylan says and throws his arm around her shoulder.
A phone rings and is seconds later recognized as Isaac's. He frowns.
"Who is it?" Landon asks him.
Elaine jumps out of the pool gracefully and starts walking towards a cabinet with Dylan after her.
"Mia," Isaac answers.
He answers her call and tells her a few yes's and no's and then gives her time and place for tomorrow. The second he hangs up, Elaine's phone starts calling from beside Iona. Everyone knows it's Elaine's phone when Billie Eilish starts singing.
"Elaine," Iona shouts, but Elaine is halfway here.
"What's wrong with you?" Isaac asks her. Usually, Landon and Dylan ask her that, but they're abnormally quiet tonight.
"Nothing's wrong with me, give me my phone," Elaine says coldly.
When she's about to pick up her ringing phone, Isaac's holding it in from of him, frowning.
"What the fuck is this?" he asks. "Why is he calling you?"
"Mind your own business Isaac, give it to me."
"What's going on?" Parker asks.
"That asshole Colton is calling her," Isaac says.
"What?" Landon jumps. "Why?"
"Give me the God damned phone back Isaac," Elaine says, her voice loud and threatening.
"Oh really?" Isaac snaps.
"It doesn't concern you," she says and jumps inside, trying to snap the phone out of his hand.
"You forgot so easily? Well let me tell you something, I haven't forgotten what he's done to you."
He drops the phone into the water and takes a step back.
"Why the fuck do you even care?!"
"Elaine," Dylan says and grabs her hand. "Come on, come with me."
"No! I can do whatever I want Isaac, I don't have to tell you anything."
"Of course you do!" Isaac shouts. "What the fuck is this? Have you forgotten all the rumors? All the fucking times we beat him up? I beat him up?"
"No one fucking told you to!"
Something flashes in her eyes when she says that; regret. She regrets saying it.
My heart is racing. I'm having the biggest eyes in this group. I haven't seen them together as friends who act like friends and do friends' stuff, so to see them argue is weird. The others are all standing with their heads down.
"Really? That easy? Okay."
"Isaac....," Parker sighs.
Isaac ignores him and storms away, leaving a thick air behind.
"Why is he calling you?" Landon asks her.
"Because I decided to fuck him again," Elaine spits. "Comments?"
Landon's anger is felt now, Dylan closes his eyes the second that leaves her lips, Iona is looking at her with disappointment in her eyes and Thomas is looking at Landon. Parker left to find Isaac, and I'm scared again. I'm scared Isaac is gonna do something stupid, I'm scared they're gonna start fighting, I'm scared Landon is gonna freak out, but Dylan comes to my rescue, as always. He lifts her up from outside of the pool, making it look so much easier than it should be, as she keeps on growling at him.
We don't remain in the pool for many more minutes either. No one said it, but we all knew it was time to head upstairs.
Elaine didn't stay the night, and so didn't Isaac. Parker showed up late, and when we asked him where Isaac is, he answered "He's out doing the biggest mistake of his life", and no one asked more, even though that answer ignited lots of questions.
We all went to our rooms, ready to start overthinking the second we laid our heads on our pillows, but Landon showed up in my room, trying to explain to me what was going on.
"She likes him," he started off with, causing me to widen my eyes. "Isaac. Pretty much. When Mia showed up and kissed him and all she just lost it."
"That's terrible," I say.
"Yeah. She's trying to get over him by sleeping with Colton, which pissed us all."
"What's your deal with him?"
I remember how they both, him and Elaine, freaked out when he talked to me on my first days in school. I did wonder why they hated him so much.
"He was Elaine's boyfriend her first year here. He spread some really bad rumors about her and exposed some... pics when she ended it, and she was so bad Isaac beat him up. That's kind of where their friendship started."
"And now she likes him?"
"Yeah. It hasn't been her best day. She gave me what she calls the golden words; to get over a man you must get under another, which disgusted me, but those are the rules she unfortunately decided to follow."
To say I don't wanna call her stupid is a lie. She's really stupid. Do people really do that? I thought it was something that only happened in movies, not in real life, and the fact that it happened in movies was also disturbing. I didn't see her as that kind of girl, but to be honest, I don't know her that well either. "Too bad for her, Colton isn't a man. He's barely a toddler in comparison to the man Isaac is. We'll try to fix this later, go to sleep. I'll fill you in as soon as I get new information about the two idiots. I'll see you tomorrow."
He puts his hand on my cheek as he gets up from my bed and then kisses my forehead. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He then leaves and I try going to sleep, but when I can't, I decide to call Kaitlyn. I need to make up to everything I didn't do and tell her.
We talk for almost two hours about everything. She asks about Landon and the boys, I ask about school and her brother, Julian, who's about twenty two if I'm not wrong.
"I need to talk to you," she says, her voice serious all of a sudden. Sleep has started to build a fog around my brain, but I continue talking to her. It's four am, but we're used to it. Our conversations have always been late, even back in Minneapolis.
"You already are," I state.
"No, I mean.... there's something you should know."
"Okay..."
She worries me a little now. The moments when that voice is talking to me are few, but usually, the consequences aren't.
"There's... a guy...."
I freeze for a second, but then I start laughing.
"This is why you got serious? A guy?"
"It's not funny, you know him."
I can already sense where this is going.
"Well he's nice, and I'd love for you two to be together."
She stays silent and my laugh is what is heard first.
"It's not funny Hayden."
But she still joins in.
"Why is that a problem? You and Dylan look good together."
"He doesn't like me."
"Sure he does, you just don't know him good enough to tell. He's really easy. You can ask him for a hug the first time you meet and he'll be your best friend from that second."
"I don't know. It's pretty far away, I mean.... how?"
"It's not that far, and you can always come for a few of the holidays. If Julian doesn't find out, that is."
"He'll kill him."
"But seriously, try. What about you come down for Easter break in a month?"
"Amen. Mum and dad are heading for the Netherlands that week and I'm not staying with Julian."
"Perfect."
"Thanks. I'd love to talk, but I need to go. See you at Easter?"
"Yeah. Kisses."
"Kisses."
That's what she started doing when she fell into the European royalty phase; air kisses and gloves. She dropped the whole glove thing after a while, but the kisses remained. That's her way of saying "Bye, I love you". Kisses.
~
One good friend is enough to fill the empty space of a thousand people in your heart, but thousand people aren't able to take one good friend's empty seat.
~
Well.... what did you think?
Elaine likes Isaac?? And Mia thrown in the same mess?
Elaine's "golden sentence"?
Once more; Kailan????
The shit's getting deep from now on, but I mean it's nothing that an author can't fix right?
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Until next Friday,
Adios
xoxoMichelle <3