Aaron-lee’s POV
“Bella!” I shouted running down the stairs with anger surging through my veins. I’m going to kill her, so help me God I’m going to kill my Barbie sister and my dad is going to put me in an indestructible chest and throw me into fire.
I see her braiding Ma-fe’s hair, I increase my steps taking two at a time, curse spiral stairs. She looks up and I don’t know what she sees in my face, but her eyes widens and she get up from the sofa, backing away. “What?”
“What? What?” I jump down and start walking towards her.
“What is it Aaron-lee?” She ask backing away from me in increasing steps, she might just tumble down and make my job a whole lot easy.
“What did you do with my phone?” I asked showing her my battery dead phone.
“Mummy seized mine.” She whined.
“So? How does that explain the fact that I switched on my phone and after going through it, it died on me.”
“You weren’t using it last night, I just borrowed it for a minute.”
“Why didn’t you charge it?” Curse huge houses too, because our house was so big, Bella was just dodging me using the cushions as walls.
“I didn’t see you charger, I’m sorry don’t kill me.” She pleaded.
“Too late.” I lunged at her tired of playing catch me if you can. But I missed her and she ran away letting out an ear piercing scream. I closed my ears before she turns me deaf but I hear some other person screaming too. I turn to Ma-fe and she too is screaming.
“Maria Fernanda, why are you screaming too?” She stopped screaming and shrugged.
I shake my head and go to the kitchen, I don’t plan on chasing Bella anymore but when she sees me, she screams and go hide in front of my mum. I ignore her and charge my phone in.
“Lee, stop chasing you sister.” my mum chastises me as she brings out freshly baked cookies out of the oven.
“I’m not chasing her, her ghosts are.” I sit on a stool drinking OJ right from the container.
“Lair, mum he wants to eat me up.” Bella complains I totally ignore her. “Aaron-lee I’m sorry.”
“Whatever.”
“please forgive me, please please please with a cherry on top.”
“Cherry doesn’t do it for me.” I say.
“Strawberry? Chocolate fountain?” She walks away and returns in less than a minute. “Fruit loops?”
I smile snatching my stash out of her hand, “give me that.”
“I’m I forgiven?” She ask holding onto my hand and giving me puppy eyes.
“Um… I’ll think about it.” I say opening up my fruit loop pack and pouring some into my mouth. Yummy.
“Come on I gave you fruit loops.” She whined.
“From my stash. Haven’t Uncle Dylan and Aunt Darlene taught you anything about bribe?” I asked her, Uncle Dylan and Aunt Darlene are our mum’s adoptive siblings, they are twins. Inseparable twins, how cool is that.
Bella moved away stroking her chin. Then she snapped her fingers together as She got an idea, “I’ll bring you coffee to bed everyday for one week.”
“Hmm, deal!” We shook hands on it.
“Why are you upset about it anyway?”
“Someone important sent me a text last night, I didn’t see it and this morning I was going to send a reply before my battery died on me.” I said still feeling angry about the fact that I couldn’t reply Noel.
“Oh yes, you got a text from ‘beanie girl’ who’s that?” Bella said being a nosy Barbie.
My eyes widen. “Did you go through my phone?”
“No, I just saw it on your notification. I didn’t read it. Mom can I some cookies now?”
“Yea go ahead. Lee why didn’t you go to school today?” My mum asked cleaning her hands with a table napkin.
“Um… I over slept.” I said telling the truth, hmm I’m becoming good.
“What happened to your alarm clock?”
“I smashed it.” I said then saw my mum glaring at me. I chuckled awkwardly, “in my dream it was a zombie brain.”
“Aaron-lee Altamira,” Mum called using her serious tone. Bella made a face at me before leaving the kitchen with her cookies. Leaving me to face mum’s wrath.
I squirmed in my seat. “Yes Mom?”
“The next time you skip school I’ll hang you on a tree. The principal called thinking you’re sick.”
Dammit! Jesse was supposed to rig the system so it’ll be as if I’m in school, present in all classes. I guess he forgot, he’s having a rough time now. Daddy issues.
“Ok, it won’t happen again.” I lied. I guess I’m still bad.
“Whatever, cookies?” She said smiling and handing me a cookie.
I skeptically collected it. “Why are you being nice?”
“Oh my sweet handsome perfect son.” She praised grinning widely at me.
I sighed dropping the cookie, “Mum what do you want?”
“Me?” She said in mock surprise. “Nothing. But… your grandma Dani you know her right”
I groaned, ofcourse I knew my grandma Dani, my dad’s mum not my ex convict grandma, that’s my mum’s mum. “Yea?”
“Well she’s hosting a charity ball in Virginia and she wants you to attend.” My mum says blinking at me.
Ball? “No way mum. please I don’t want to go to a ball. I’ll be out of place.” I whined.
“Well you’re her grandson and she wants you there, possibly to flaunt you around. Don’t you want to be surrounded by rich people and costly champagne?” My mum said trying not to laugh at my predicament. She knows me too much.
I squint my eyes at her, “I don’t want that.”
She burst out laughing. “Well you have to go. She has organized everything already, its happening during your winter break and your grandfather is expecting you too.”
I felt like crying, this is not happening to me rich now, when my grandfather is involved I have no say in it. “Mum please don’t let me go. Grandpa has probably already found a bride for me amongst his rich political friends. He’s going to force me into an engagement.”
“No he won’t, your father made sure of that plus don’t beg me wait to beg your grandma Dani, she should be here any minute.”
I start hitting my head on the counter and when I here the door bell ring, my almost jump out of my body. She’s here? “Oh no mum, she’s here. She’s here already you have to hide me.”
“That can’t be right, she’s not supposed to here now. Cars aren’t like planes now. Go check it out and please stop being scared of her arrival before I dip you head into this batter and bake you.”
I nod, “you’re right mum, I have to face her sooner or later.” I wash my face and try to make my hair look presentable before I start making my way to the living room.
“Jesse!” Ma-fe screams and I immediately know its not my grandma, I sigh in relief as I enter the living room but I seemed to have sighed too early because as one as I step one foot into the huge living room I see her and suddenly she’s all I can see.
She’s putting on black leggings with a big shirt that has one shoulder slipping off and her traditional beanie. I halt in my steps and relax in the wall watching her. She’s so beautiful. I’ve never been attracted to any girl as I’m attracted to Noel. She draws me to her and I can’t help it. Everything in me wants to be with her, protect her, wipe her tears and make her smile.
She laughs looking at Ma-fe in Jesse’s arms and I don’t know why but I’m smiling now. Suddenly I regret not going to school, I would have seen her a lot today, talked to her, even staying in the same room with her would be enough for me. I did oversleep but I also wanted to give her time alone. Yesterday she looked like she needed it. I don’t know what’s conflicting her about being with me but at this point of my life now I’m ready to wait for her. I’m ready to wait for her until she accepts my feelings and reciprocate it.
One day she’ll be mine. My love. My little dolphin. My beanie girl.
“Mom!” Bella shouts like a banshee, “Jesse’s being annoying!”
Somehow when I look back at Noel this time she’s staring back at me. I almost gasp at the way my heart starts thumping. Is this normal? I’m like a freaking teenage girl in love. She doesn’t look away and neither do I. From way across the room she still manage to hold me spellbound. I swear she has a super power. I smile at her and it like that’s what she’s been waiting for all through because she sighs and smile back. We keep smiling at each other and its Jesse’s oaf self that breaks the connection.
“Oh come on Bella you know you love me,” he coos still oblivious that I’m here. I signal to Noel to keep quiet as I start tip toeing to Jesse.
“Shut up Jesse!” Bella shouts.
“Bella and Jesse sitting in a tree, K. I. S. S.— ow!” He stops singing as I smack him across the head.
“I’ll kill you,” I complete the song for him and the girls burst out laughing, including Noel and I can’t help but feel very proud of myself.
“Hey man,” Jesse says turning to me with a sheepish smile. “Didn’t know you were there.”
“Ofcourse you didn’t.” I ignore him and make my way to Noel, “Hi.”
“Hi.” She replies before bending down to hide her blushing face.
My hand starts moving on its own to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, hold her chin up and kiss her. But Jesse said to play uninterested if I want her to like me back plus I’m taking things easy so I stuff my hands into my pocket.
“You didn’t come to school today.” She said looking up at me.
“Yea, I overslept.” I answered trying to be as monotone as ever. This is so hard. “Miss me?”
“Aaron about yesterday—” She starts talking and I place both hands on her shoulder cutting her off. Ok you caught me, I can’t help it. I want to touch her.
“Yesterday… Its ok Noel. I… I understand. I was moving too fast and… I’ll give you time. Its ok you don’t have to apologize or explain yourself. Its fine.” I say to her. She’s about to say something else but gets interrupted by my mom.
“You,” mom says walking to us. Noel’s eyes widen and she starts backing away. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, every babysitting site, people even thought me crazy.”
“I’m sorry Mrs Altamira I…”
“Oh forget it, just give me your number that’s… If you’re up for babysitting again.”
“Yes ma, sure.” Noel collects mum phone to type in her number. Mum nudges me wiggling her brows, I look at her confused and She mouths.
“I’ll give you later.” Its takes me seconds to realize she means Noel’s number and I resist laughing. Mum is something else.
After the exchange of number, mum leaves up be. I’m about to usher Noel into tee kitchen so we’ll talk and eat cookies when the doorbell rings again and this time its my grandma. I go and hug her and my sisters follow suit each of us receiving a kiss on the cheek.
“Aaron-lee what’s this about not attending my ball.” She asks. Going right down to business then.
“Dani… it’s not that I don’t want to attend,” its totally that. “Its just that….” Oh God, where are lies when you need them. My eyes glance over at Noel and an idea comes in. ” my girlfriend can’t go. And I don’t want to go without her.”
Noel looks up probably surprised that I have a girlfriend. I try explaining to her with my eye to follow the act but she doesn’t get me. “You’re his girlfriend?” My grandma asks Noel taking her off guard.
“Uh?”
“Yes,” I put my hand over her shoulder. “She is.” So much for taking it easy.
“Oh please why don’t you want to go to the ball?”
“She can’t dance and she’s claustrophobic.” I say the lie coming out smoothly as Noel looks at me confused.
“But you’re staying close to her just fine.” My grandma wisely notes.
“Um… she’s adapted to me.”
“Oh please come…”
“Noel.” This time Noel is the one who speaks she’s caught on to the act.
“Noel please come. Your claustrophobia isn’t that bad right?” Grandma says holding onto her hand.
“Uh..” Or not.
Grandma takes that as yes. “See thank God, the ball won’t be crowded I promise. Please come I want you and Aaron-lee there so badly.”
Seeing her plead does weird stuff to me and I decide to just go to the damn ball but she’s pleading to Noel now not me.
“please come Noel or I’ll kneel.”
“Ma’am,”
“Dani its…”
“I’ll kneel Noel, an old Granny would kneel ” Dani blackmails.
“Dani, I’m going to…”
“Noel?”
I see Noel fighting with herself. “Dani I said I’m..”
“Noel?”
“Ok I’ll come.” Noel cries out before turning to hug me by my side.
“Really? Thank you Noel. Thank you so much.” Grandma says.
Its takes me a minute to know that Noel is crying on my shoulder. Oh no she’s scared of dancing. My hand go to her back and starts rubbing it to calm her. I would have confessed the truth to Dani but now I really want Noel at the ball with me. It would be easier that way.
“Is she ok?” Grandma asks concerned about Noel.
“Yea, she’s just excited.” I replied.
Noel looks up at me. “I’m going to kill you.”
I gulp looking away from her. “Yup, really excited.”
Yay and Nay.
————
.
Thanks for the support guys. I really appreciate.
Bye.
~
All of me loves all of you.
~