"So, what took you so long?" Andrew asked, handing me a knife and a piece of gum. "Helps keep you from crying." He held up an onion.
"Ah-ha." I turned back to a cutting board surrounded by deep leafy greens, peppers of every colour, a big cucumber, a pickle, a few tomatoes, and a can of black olives with a lid shredded by an old fashioned can opener— the electric one had given out less than halfway through the job.
The gum was soft, and boasted a taste that matched its rosy colour; I mulled it around a bit as I busied my hands, shredding the lettuce first.
The Delaney's kitchen was a sweet combination of blue and yellow on white. There was a pot of water on the stove, not quite boiling; and a pan with a blot of oil, awaiting a purpose. A small cobalt vase, ablaze with bright yellow carnations and sleepy tulips, sat on one counter; enticing my curiosity as to where Mrs. Delaney had found tulips at this time of year.
"Well, I told you this morning that my parents weren't back?" I began at last.
"Uh-huh." He said cheerfully, not turning his attention from the onion he was dicing.
"They still weren't back when I got to the house. 'Laina was thoroughly freaked, and Ben was worried - but he wouldn't admit it." Andrew shook his head. "So I told them we'd call the police if they weren't back by dinner, and we just hung out for the rest of the afternoon— but they walked in right in the middle of an old cartoon around five..." I sighed. "'Laina was asleep and Ben was getting there," I grinned. "I wish you could have seen us, sprawled all over the living room. Anyway, it turns out, they didn't just have dinner."
Andrew stopped chopping and laughed. Recovering only long enough to say "Wow." before doubling over again. And it really hadn't been that funny to me until I saw him absolutely lose it— the whole thing had been quite stressful for me so I didn't really think about how crazy it really was. I did laugh a little then, but not half as heartily as he did.
By the time Andrew could breathe well enough to speak again, he was crying.
"Fuck." He said. "And I thought I was gonna get away with it this time." He used a hand towel to dry his eyes. "It's a good thing I don't wear eyeliner anymore. That stuff used to run so fucking bad..."
"Well, with as much as you wore," It was my turn to laugh.
"Yeah," He chuckled. "That's when I figured out the gum thing."
"Anyway, so my parents spent the night and most of the morning in a hotel without telling us— which is something they've never done before— scarring my sister for life, and effectively grossing Ben out, and I couldn't get out until six," I gasped, having said all that in one breath, and sighed. "So, here I am." I shrugged. "Sorry I'm late."
"Ah-ha." I turned back to a cutting board surrounded by deep leafy greens, peppers of every colour, a big cucumber, a pickle, a few tomatoes, and a can of black olives with a lid shredded by an old fashioned can opener— the electric one had given out less than halfway through the job.
The gum was soft, and boasted a taste that matched its rosy colour; I mulled it around a bit as I busied my hands, shredding the lettuce first.
The Delaney's kitchen was a sweet combination of blue and yellow on white. There was a pot of water on the stove, not quite boiling; and a pan with a blot of oil, awaiting a purpose. A small cobalt vase, ablaze with bright yellow carnations and sleepy tulips, sat on one counter; enticing my curiosity as to where Mrs. Delaney had found tulips at this time of year.
"Well, I told you this morning that my parents weren't back?" I began at last.
"Uh-huh." He said cheerfully, not turning his attention from the onion he was dicing.
"They still weren't back when I got to the house. 'Laina was thoroughly freaked, and Ben was worried - but he wouldn't admit it." Andrew shook his head. "So I told them we'd call the police if they weren't back by dinner, and we just hung out for the rest of the afternoon— but they walked in right in the middle of an old cartoon around five..." I sighed. "'Laina was asleep and Ben was getting there," I grinned. "I wish you could have seen us, sprawled all over the living room. Anyway, it turns out, they didn't just have dinner."
Andrew stopped chopping and laughed. Recovering only long enough to say "Wow." before doubling over again. And it really hadn't been that funny to me until I saw him absolutely lose it— the whole thing had been quite stressful for me so I didn't really think about how crazy it really was. I did laugh a little then, but not half as heartily as he did.
By the time Andrew could breathe well enough to speak again, he was crying.
"Fuck." He said. "And I thought I was gonna get away with it this time." He used a hand towel to dry his eyes. "It's a good thing I don't wear eyeliner anymore. That stuff used to run so fucking bad..."
"Well, with as much as you wore," It was my turn to laugh.
"Yeah," He chuckled. "That's when I figured out the gum thing."
"Anyway, so my parents spent the night and most of the morning in a hotel without telling us— which is something they've never done before— scarring my sister for life, and effectively grossing Ben out, and I couldn't get out until six," I gasped, having said all that in one breath, and sighed. "So, here I am." I shrugged. "Sorry I'm late."
posted by Allison at 8:58 AM
