Fourteen: MTOABB

MTOABB

"How was the sleepover?" Mom asks, as I enter through the door.

"It was productive, mom." I move to kiss her on the cheek.

"Why don't you get yourself ready for dinner, I'm almost done here," she says, and I nod.

Maybe you've taken note and realised I've yet to talk about my father - and you are right. You should give yourself an applause, I know I would.

Mr. Jenkins - my dad.

He isn't all that bad and maybe that's because he is barely at home.

He visits during the holidays and tries his best to make it for special events like our birthdays. He has a restaurant in New York that I've visited once or twice. A beautiful little cosy place that doesn't do too bad, but not that good either.

Mom had tried to convince him to shut the doors of Little Bailey down, but that didn't go as planned as Little Bailey is still very much running.

Brody is one of the waiters - he should still be there, but we lost contact somehow so I only know as much as you do.

And yes I had a tiny little crush on Brody - with his perfectly smooth brown skin and matching eyes, I tell you - his smile alone would have you swooning.

But that all disappeared when him and my sister turned out to be dating - she's a sneaky child, I tell you.

And now I find out that she and Gomes knew each other from before and I mean like KNEW each other - yes let your mind go into the gutter - Chloe didn't have a problem jumping into it and not telling me.

How do you not tell me?

What else has she not told me? - she's been spending a lot of time with Gomes ever since he arrived in our little town, you've been seeing that too, right? It's not just me.

I drop my backpack on my bed and stroll to Chloe's room. One knock turned into two and then turned into three and... you know where I'm going with this.

She isn't home.

"Mom, where is Chloe?!" I shout from up the stairs.

"How many times must I ask you to not shout in the house?" She asks, all the way from the kitchen - it's evident that she too shouted - how else would her voice have traveled all the way to where I am currently standing.

I sigh, knowing she won't answer my question unless I went and asked her up close.

"Mom, where is Chloe?"

"She is not home."

Clearly - I internally scream.

"Where'd she go?" I ask.

"She went out, Rossita." Mom sits down and dishes herself a plate of spaghetti and bolognese.

"With who?"

"Her friend."

I relax back in my seat and dish myself a plate too, adding an extra fork full of spaghetti.

"Juliet?" I ask.

"No, it was a boy. His name was Prinse - very oddly beautiful name for a very good looking boy. Look at Chloe picking a well respectable looking young boy, and here you are stuck with a naughty boy."

"Zack is not naughty, mom. And... Chloe isn't dating Prinse," I say, but deep down I was hoping and praying that I was right.

She wouldn't date him - not when she told me I could go for him- I'm not thinking of that part, I'm with Zack, but she can't say one thing and do another.

I ended up getting the kitchen cleaned while mom was binge watching Suits - it's been like that for a week now. Some nights when I'm not drowning in work, I would join her.

And no, Mike Ross was not my favourite character - it had to be Harvey and Donna - how do you not agree with me?

"Are you going to join me tonight?" She asks, shifting already to make room for me on the couch.

"Not tonight, mom."I shake my head and move to go to my room.

I lay in bed- so many ideas swirling through my mind like the earth pivoting around the sun.

I laid there for what feels like hours and still no sign of Chloe.

Just let your eyes close for a few seconds, Rossita - that was a bad idea- instead of seconds passing, 3 hours had gone by and my eyes shockingly fluttered open to the yelling of mom's voice. It's very seldom that you hear her shout so I fill my slide-in slippers with my feet and rush downstairs.

I come face to face with a soaking wet Chloe.

"Mom, I'm sorry," she says moving past me to head upstairs.

I stand there very curious and itching for some sort of clue as to what had gone down, but nothing. Mom returns with a mop and wipes off the wet foor.

I run back upstairs, finding Chloe already stripped to her under garment.

"What was that about?" I ask.

"I'll tell you all about it when I've gotten some sleep."

"So are you going to tell me about how you and Gomes slept together and not even one of you had the courtesy of telling me?" I cross my arms against my chest, the anger slowly building up.

"Can we talk about this later?" She falls on to her bed with a fit of fatigue.

"How can you tell me it's okay to like him when you and him... I bet you two found this funny when you were alone, right? "The pathetic little girl who happens to not make up her mind on what she wants" am I right?"

"Rossita," she groans, pulling her blanket over her head.

"You are so sneaky."

"It happened a long time ago. And what was or is the reason for me being obliged to tell you? Or are you and Zack no longer together?"

"You didn't just say that. I tell you everything!" I yell at her, but only loud enough for mom to not hear.

"I'm sorry, why don't we talk about this tomorrow? I'll tell you everything and even tonight's little rendezvous will be on the agenda. For now, I need to sleep."

"Move over," I tell her.

I slip under the covers next to her.

A ping goes off on my phone.

We need to talk _Zack

My eyes already halfway asleep didn't read too much into it and fluttered fully shut, but boy should I have answered when he texted.