Thank you @_theunsaid.words_ for the cover. Luke and Millie look like they're standing on top of the world!
Chapter 17: We Don't Play
I solemnly said, "We are all gathered here today to mourn the loss of an innocent soul."
The sun was shining over the funeral and we had picked a secluded area by a lemon tree.
I unfolded my crumpled piece of paper and read out loud:
"Never again will the world hear you purr,
No one can undo the days that were,
Though we best remember your gentle spirit and golden fur."
Austin mumbled, "Where Jake at?"
My cheeks blushed at the memory of Jake's song. I folded my English homework and slipped it back into my pocket. Unlike Jake, I can't make my rhymes sound good with an angelic voice and guitar strings.
"We meet here to honor and pay tribute to the life of Roger the cat. We want to bring comfort to his friends who are here and have been deeply hurt by his sudden death."
"Millie," Chad interrupted, standing patiently, "We don't know this cat."
"And when we find out who the owner is, we're going to have to dig it up," Cearra pointed out.
I had filled her in on the whole incident, except for the backstory of the threatening letters. She'd insisted on attending the funeral.
"Let me repeat myself," Chad cleared his throat, "We don't know this cat. It's a cat, people."
Luke elbowed him and he fell silent.
In the quiet that followed, I continued, "We never had the privilege of knowing Roger in his lifetime, but I want to apologize to him. For whatever reason, his death was used as a means to intimidate us."
It's a scary but true thought - we are partly responsible. Someone hated me, Luke and Art enough to slaughter a cat as a hostile signal. It's our duty to give Roger a respectful farewell.
"Austin," I nodded to him.
Austin stepped forward and chucked some rose petals over the shallow grave.
"Anyone have any words they wish to share?" I asked the small congregation.
"Quick words," Chad corrected, "My date is waiting by the car and I told her this would be fast."
I still couldn't believe that Chad brought a girl to a cat's funeral on the way to their first date. But then again, it's Chad.
She was standing by his car in the driveway, reading something on her phone. She often looked up to watch us.
"I'll say a few words," Luke said.
He was wearing a gray hoodie and navy shorts. Though he hadn't dressed in black for the funeral, he'd at least made zero smart*ss comments during the ceremony – unlike his friends.
"Do I keep sprinkling these petals or we good?" Austin asked, holding up the bucket I'd given him. There were 100 petals on the floor around him.
Maybe we should've rehearsed this.
"We're good. Thanks Austin."
"Sorry to interrupt you, bro," Austin mentioned to Luke, getting back in line next to Chad and Cearra.
Luke nodded and started his speech: "Cat, we'll find out who did this to you. And they will join you in a very shallow grave."
And that was it.
He did mean a few words. We all stood in silence and a few more seconds passed by...
"I hope you're up there, drinking milk," Cearra added, "And chasing toy mice."
**
The next afternoon, I entered Luke's bedroom with my backpack in my hands.
"Hey Minnie," he said, chucking his clothes from the chair into his cupboard to make space for me.
"I have your mom's birthday present," I told him, unzipping my backpack.
He kissed me hello. I pulled out the little box that I'd wrapped during my shift at Lola Rae and presented it to him.
"Her birthday's tomorrow but you don't need to get her anything," he said, letting his hand rest around my waist.
"I know, but it's for you to give to her. Remember, I asked you what favors I can do to repay the cost of the laptop?"
He held the box in his left hand, before placing it on the desk next to his new laptop. Then he sat down and pulled me onto his lap.
I was surprised by the move and my backpack dropped to the floor next to his feet. I wrapped my hands around his neck and my fingers played with the back of his soft hair.
"Minnie," he told me, "You're my girlfriend now. We don't play these games anymore."
My fingers froze in his hair. His blue eyes looked up at me. He was relaxed with the full weight of my body on his knees.
His hands rose and locked around my waist, "You feel me?"
Oh, I feel you
"Yes," I closed the space between us and kissed him softly, "But you're the only person I'll ever want to play with."
Our lips were still touching when he replied, "Well that changes the meaning."
Suddenly, he pulled me into the air as he stood up and threw us both on the bed. I screamed at the abrupt movement but laughed when my head brushed the pillow. I reached for it underneath me and hit his shoulder with the pillow.
He turned away so it wouldn't get in his face and laughed.
I loved the sound of his laugh.
"I'm still using the present by the way," he told me, "I forgot to get my mum one."
I smacked him with the pillow again.
"What was that for?!"
"For forgetting your mom's birthday!" I said, right before I hit him again.
"And that one?!" he exclaimed, reaching over me to grab another pillow from the bed.
I inhaled his familiar smell while he did.
"For forgetting to say thank you!"
He smirked and loosened his grip. "Oh, I can very quickly make you say thank you."
"How?"
That's when I realized we were on his bed...
**
Later that evening, the sun was setting outside his window. The colors of the sunset shone against his desk. Luke was sitting in front of his new laptop, downloading Microsoft Word.
He had an assignment to write for bio. He wasn't that focused about it. While he waited for it to load, he spun a basketball on his index finger and played with the ball.
Meanwhile, I was sitting on his bed, taking a math quiz on my computer. I was practicing for the mathlete competition coming up. My first one since I rejoined the team.
How times have changed. I was a completely different girl to the one who fled out of rehearsal last year after finding out Kaden had cheated on me.
Now I couldn't give a hoot where he was or who he was with.
Sure, he left me with scars, but I feel more beautiful now. I'm working on my trust issues and my low self-confidence.
Luke saved me in a way. He popped my bubble of self-pity and I have not looked back since.
I'm still wearing the smile Luke gave me at summer camp.
I didn't realize I was smiling at him until he called me out on it.
He threw the basketball higher into the air and reached his arm out to catch it, "What are you smiling about, Millie Ripley?"
"Nothing," I answered, shifting the laptop on my lap, guilty as ever.
"I smile about us too," he said.
Was I that obvious?
His phone rang, disrupting the moment, and he picked it up. He glanced over at me and rolled his eyes as I could hear it was his Coach on the other end.
I went back to my math equation.
Sometimes I get the urge to multiply both sides by 0 and solve all the world's equations.
**
"Watch," Luke disrupted my concentration, "Watch."
I looked up and saw him scrunch his piece of paper into a ball. He threw it at the bin, but it missed.
"Well that's embarrassing," I said.
"She's stone cold," he commented, going back to his bio assignment.
"You should probably focus more on your homework," I joked, "Since basketball might not work out."
Another piece of paper came flying through the air and smacked my shoulder. This time, his aim was right on.
**
*Next morning*
I woke up on time for school. I had to, since the laundry had to be done that morning and it was my job to do it.
Flora leant over my shoulder as I hung the clothes up to dry and picked out a shirt. She then got dressed next to me. Meanwhile, my mom's work papers were scattered all over our dining room table.
I thought companies were going paperless.
Her recent promotion was really stressing her out. She gathered them all into her binder as she told us, "I didn't have enough eggs to make breakfast for you girls. But I left two protein bars out on the counter."
Flora went over and picked them both up, "You go to the Coffee Bean before school, don't you?"
"Yes but I'd still like-"
"You should really try harder to lose weight," she chastised.
"OK, but I'd still like-"
"Besides, it's thanks to me that you and Luke are a couple, so you owe me."
She wasn't just calling that favor in for a protein bar. She'd been lording that over my head ever since Luke and I first started dating. Which admittedly, was not long ago.
I don't know how much Flora played a part in our relationship. In Luke's opinion, zero.
But I do remember at Austin's $1 Dollar Party, when she told me to go after him – he and I kissed that night. After all my indecision, my insecurities, my lack of trust, I did need a little push.
I sat down at the bare dining room table. The laundry was done, and my stomach growled. There was no wall between the dining room and the living room. I could see out the window and across the street, through the Dawson's large kitchen window.
It was Mrs Dawson's birthday today. I saw Mr Dawson in the kitchen, making waffles or pancakes. I couldn't tell which, but I saw the golden stack on a plate.
Jake was spraying a tower of whipped cream over his and I saw Luke with a strip of bacon between his lips.
Charlotte must be in college. She comes back so often that I forget she's a freshman in college.
Their mother walked in, dressed in pink silk pajamas. They serenaded her with birthday songs and presented her with a birthday cake. She blew out the candles and opened the cards. Her husband presented her with flowers and tickets of some kind.
I was now next to the window, staring out. How I longed for pancakes or waffles...
Jake handed her his present next and it was a beautiful necklace in the shape of a heart. She hugged him. Then Luke handed his and I recognized my wrapping paper. It was the present I had bought her because he'd been too lazy to do it himself.
She unwrapped it and stared down.
A mug.
It was a giant, pink mug with the word I LOVE MOM on it.
Everyone stared at Luke, who looked embarrassed. He mumbled something and his mother gave him an awkward side hug. After they moved on to the food, he revolved his chair round and stared through the window. He stared through the window and into mine.
Our eyes locked.
He mouthed the words:
I'm going to kill you.
I dove under the window. My sister accidentally kicked me as she passed by with more clothes.
**
Later that day, I walked across the street to the Dawson's house. School had been a flurry of tests and stressful encounters, that I hadn't seen him.
SAT subject tests were this Saturday, so people were getting nervous. I'd signed up for Math.
"Millie," Mrs Dawson greeted me when I knocked on the door.
She had some friends over to celebrate her birthday. They were all drinking tea in the living room.
"Hi Mrs Dawson," I smiled, "Happy birthday. I hope I'm not disturbing you. I was wondering if Luke was in?"
"He won't be back until late tonight, Millie," she answered, "He's at the coach's house with my husband. They're talking about his college offers. He didn't tell you?"
I shook my head. No he did not.
A/N: This chapter is called We Don't Play, after Luke's confession, but I think it's actually quite a playful one. Even though they're together, they haven't lost their original teasing.
A note to all the readers who requested me to update faster this week: this week was marked by political protests and calls for equality. In today's memorial service for George Floyd, his family called for 'change to narrative on race'. Black lives matter.
To everyone who follows me on Instagram, my only post this week was and will be about this very subject. I know I usually update you on the PND series.
We are all readers on this platform. I'd be interested to hear of any books or stories you've read that shine a light on this. I can recommend "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander.
BabyInACorner