Hearts and Spades

I let out a long sigh, and stare at the clock again, for the third time in ten minutes. I’ve finished all my homework and assignments, I’ve binge-watched three seasons of a popular TV show that Dana kept insisting that I watch on one of the streaming platforms on our smart TV, and I’ve eaten enough boredom-induced food that I might just be in a food coma right now. And it’s only the 29th of December.

My brother took our gaming consoles with him when he left for school and because of my mother, my father never replaced them. Makes sense but then that’s one less thing for me to pass the time with.

I restlessly flail around on the couch for a minute and then I stop and sigh. I’m so bored.

Suddenly, I hear a vague ringing noise coming from somewhere off to my right and I notice that my phone is vibrating and beeping at me. I wonder who could be so insistent that they want my attention and then I notice that Rowan has been spam texting me for a few minutes now.

Elle

Hey

Elle

Eleanora

Hello?

Please answer me

I’m dying here

Elle

Elle

Elle

I can’t help but laugh a little at her antics, noticing that the first message had only been sent five minutes ago and she has now started the very real possibility of blowing up my phone with texts.

Hi, I’m here, I text back, and immediately she responds

Finally!

I’m wondering if you wanted to come to our house now for new years

Our parents are leaving tomorrow, and they said you could come now

If you wanted to

I want you to

Please save me from all this testosterone!!!! :(

I laugh and wonder a little if I should just go spend time with them. I’m so completely and utterly bored at home, all alone, and I can’t really just keep doing nothing for days.

Well, I can, but I don’t want to.

So, I decide, without worrying about it too much. It’s not like anyone here is going to miss me.

Sure, just let me pack up some of my stuff and I’ll come over

EXCELLENT

I’ll have our driver come to pick you up in an hour

Thank you, thank you, thank you

Well, I guess I know what I’m doing now.

I heave myself off the couch and look down at my tattered sweatpants and holey shirt.

Okay, first, a shower and change my clothes. Then I can pack a bag.

I run up the stairs two at a time and strip quickly before hopping right into the shower, nearly freezing to death while I wait for the water to heat up.

I take a short shower and with a towel wrapped around my hair, I start running around my room and throwing things into a duffle bag for staying over at the Meier house. I pause for a moment, looking at the camera on my nightstand, that I haven’t put away since Christmas day. But I also haven’t picked it up since then either.

I decide to put it in my bag too, though I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to use it when I’m at their house. It’s only three days anyways.

I hop myself into a pair of jeans and an oversized knit sweater, and then I pull a brush through my still damp hair and leave it to fall down my back. I go back into my bathroom and start rounding up my toiletries and shower things so that I can use them at the Meier house as well, and then I grab myself a towel as well, then I don’t need to borrow one.

Soon enough, the hour is almost up, and I lug my bag down the stairs, then take a look at my backpack. I laugh at my thoughts, I have already finished everything, and even if they need help, I don’t need to bring my stuff to do that. So, without looking back at my schoolwork I toss my duffle bag onto the couch and pick up my phone off the couch where I left it when I went upstairs. I notice that there are several texts from Rowan telling me about how the driver was coming and that I should be ready to go soon.

I debate for a few moments whether I should tell my dad that I won’t be at home for the next few days, but I decide against it. He won’t be home either and he won’t care if I do or don’t tell him where I am.

I put on my boots just as I hear the crunch of the snow as a car treads over it, and I throw my jacket on before going and grabbing my duffle bag and my cell phone. I make sure that the door is locked behind me before I head down the steps and Zachery gets out of the car and opens the back door. I blush a little, not used to the fancy treatment that the Meier children get, and thank him as I slide into the car. He closes the door gently and then gets into the front again, pulling out of the driveway quickly

It doesn’t take us long to make it back to the Meier mansion, and Rowan bounds down the front steps towards the car even before it comes to a complete stop. She practically rips the door open and grabs me, barely giving me a chance to take off my seatbelt and grab my duffle bag before she drags me into the house behind her. Babbling a mile, a minute.

“I’m so glad you agreed to come over, Tristan and Al are already here, and it feels like I’m being overwhelmed by the amount of boy there is in the house. And I thought I was used to it already being the only girl in four siblings, but you add more and it’s just too much, you know? Or maybe you don’t.” She giggles at her comment and then drags me through the kitchen and into the basement.

“GUYS GUESS WHO’S HERE!” She shouts, even before we get on the stairs, and I see Caleb and Tristan’s heads peek around the corner at the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, hi Elle.” Caleb greets.

“Yo,” Tristan follows suit and then the two of them disappear back around the corner. Though it doesn’t take Rowan long to drag me down the stairs and into the giant basement.

That’s when I see Tristan, Xander, and Caleb all sitting around playing a game of cards, though I’m not sure what one it is since I’ve never seen one played the way they are. Or maybe I’m just not paying enough attention to the game itself to be able to tell. And then the two younger ones, Albert and Nicholas are playing Mario Kart on the TV.

Finally, Rowan releases me from her hold, and I’m able to take off my jacket. Though Rowan takes it from me immediately and tosses it onto one of the unused chairs, with my duffle bag following closely behind it.

Then she plods over to Albert and Nicholas and grabs another remote, probably planning on joining in on the game once they’re done the round.

I sidle up to the others curious about their card game.

“Hey, what are you playing?”

“We’re playing hearts” Tristan responds as Caleb puts down a card.

“Hearts? Isn’t that usually played with four people?” I ask them as I sit beside Xander and look at his hand for a moment. I’ve never really played hearts before but as far as I know, you need four players.

“Yeah, usually,” Caleb responds

“But we altered it to fit three since no one else wanted to play,” Tristan adds.

“And three of us wanted to play so we couldn’t just do a two-man game,” Xander responds, and then he notices me looking at his hand so he hides it with a little bit of a glare.

“Okay, want a fourth then? I’m not good at hearts, a bit of a noob actually, but I’m willing to play.” I offer and then the three of them smile.

“None of us are good at hearts,”

“It’s just a fun game.”

“We’ll deal you in once we’re done this round.”

They all speak at the same time and I’m just lucky that I understood any of their points at all.

“Okay, thanks.” I grin and watch as the boys continue to try and slaughter one another with cards.