"Skyla..." He mumbles, his eyes trail to Alex's arms around my waist. "Aren't you supposed to be busy today?"
"What do you mean?" I blink in confusion.
"Your brother, isn't he going out with Anna and his friends. Weren't you invited? I heard you were." He questions.
What? No!" My mind is in an utter state of confusion. Now that I think of it..., "Right. I'm going out with them... but it's not today. It's tomorrow."
"What are you guys yapping on about?" Alex cuts in.
"Nothing." I assure him, but Mason is the opposite of assuring, it's like he's trying to get rid of me. "Shut up and sit down Mason." I direct my harsh tone at Mason, but he is reluctant.
He shakes his head and waves to me, "Come out." I stand frustratedly and follow him outside.
"What do you want?" I fume the moment we are alone.
"I don't know if you're trying to avoid me or what, but you can't just leave others hanging to try and interfere in my life."
"What are you talking about? Alex called me over!" All I can see is red now, he is really getting on my nerves.
"I thought you were going out with your brother's f—" He speaks but I interrupt.
"Like I said—" I was about to repeat what I said earlier but he too, cuts me off by cupping a hand to my mouth.
"Shut up and listen because I am deeply confused, you say tomorrow, but tomorrow is Thursday and your brother and his friends are going for some band concert alone, so there is no way you guys are going out tomorrow. When you accepted Alex's Valentines invite, I was certain it's today. Now, you're out here, and I don't know what you're trying to do but it's not okay. Are you attempting to follow me around with your newfound boyfriend and make me jealous?" I see him wince as he says 'Valentines', but I don't take it to heart.
I push away his hand and yell, "Don't make everything about you! You can't just run off and expect me to come after you! I'm not trying to be in harm's way, I'm just trying to live a little. Alex does not relate to this and your jealousy does not relate to me. I am avoiding you!" Alex comes out of the room with a worried expression. I smile at him and he nods and heads back in.
I turn back to Mason and add, "And you're making that very hard."
"So you're still pissed at me for taking in Mabel?"
I ignore him.
"You are... never thought a girl like you would be jealous." He shrugs and I glare at him.
"Jealous? I don't even know what this is about! You literally left me outside the house to wait and be let in by your cousin! You should have at least treated a guest properly, not run away with some chic!" I'm panting by the time I'm done. He doesn't reply and I storm back towards the room.
Everyone looks up at me when I walk into the room. I smile weakly and Tanya frowns when she sees that Mason isn't with me. "Where did he go?"
I shrug.
I don't wanna know.
Alex, thankfully, covers for me, "Whatever, let's resume the game. Come on, Skyla." I gratefully sit by his side as he toys with my hair. I let him touch me because we're in a crowd, and since it's friendly care, I don't seem to mind. Not like he's going to— scrap that thought...
We play a few more rounds and the twins gets most of the points, me and Alex only managed to nail one.
"We're so good at this!" The twins sigh together, happily.
"So, guess the twins are the winners then." Axel heaves and stands up. "I'll be off looking for my long lost partner now, don't worry about me." He jokes.
"Okay, we won't!" Riley gleams and Axel glares at her as Kiley shares a giggle.
"What's up?" I turn and whisper into Alex's ear, but not too close.
"Axel likes Riley." He smirks and my mouth forms an 'O'.
"Does Riley know about it?" I ask curiously.
"Not if Kiley can help it." He glances at Kiley who's smile widens by the seconds. When her eyes catches mine, I shoot her a cheeky look and she raises an eyebrow. She points to the door and I nod.
"Be back in a bit." I tell Alex after Axel disappears out of the door.
"What's up?" I ask Kiley as we walk away from her room.
"What's up with you and Mason?" She asks once we are out of earshot.
"Nothing."
"Then how about you and Alex?"
"Nothing. How about Riley and Axel?" I attempt to change the subject.
"Oh. Riley and Axel are in good hands. My hands. I'm getting Riley to like Axel before V day." She winks and I'm almost glad that she goes along with the change of topic, until she changes back to me and Mason. "Did you and Mason argue? What was that argument about that thing about a outing with your brother's friends?"
"I'm just going out with my brother's friends on Va—" The sudden realization hits me and my jaw drops.
"What is it?" Kiley looks down at me.
"He's right. I'm supposed to be out with my brother's friends on Valentines."
"Damn, clashed dates. You've got to tell Alex, he's not gonna like having to go alone."
"No! Keep it to yourself, I'll cancel on my brother's friends."
"Atta girl." She laughs and takes my arm. She walks me back to the room and I know at that instant that I've made the right decision. Before we open the door, she takes a good look at me and pats me on the back, "I'm gonna make you look sexy on that day. Alex will lose his eyes."
I laugh as we walk back inside, hand in hand.
—————
"Skyla? Is that you?" Henryk peeps around his room door and his smile widens when he spots me.
"Hey, I'm home."
"Out with friends?" He smirks.
"As for you." I smirk back at him.
"I was thinking..." He walks out of the room, grabs a watermelon from the fridge, and places it down on the counter. "There's a concert tomorrow. One of Zach's friends invited us there, so I've been thinking if you wanna join us."
"I could... if it would make up for me not being able to join y'all on Friday." I duck my head as he looks up from his watermelon.
"Why can't you join on... oh... you've got a valentines date? Ah..."
"Ye— what! No! I mean it's a school thing... so yea."
"I see... sure." I am about to leave when Henryk throws me another question, "Sis, is there sugar in the cabinet?" I move to the cupboards and open it, sure enough, a filled bottle of sugar stands beside a bottle of salt. "Yep!"
"Could you get it over?" He asks politely and I frown.
"What? Why?"
"Just get it." He instructs.
"If you're making watermelon sugar, number one, you're stupid. Two, I need half of it pure." I tell him.
"No! just bring the whole thing over so I can pour the all the white thingies on this whole round thing!"
"What? Can you use proper english." I realize then, that we have been yelling at each other when we are like only five feet away from each other. I smile.
Henryk must have read my thoughts because he hushes me, "The neighbors will hear ya."
"Speak properly, what is the white thingy, Henryk?" I glare gleefully at him but his eyes are fixated on the watermelon he brought out.
Why is he even staring at it? It's like it's his kid or something.
"Come." He jokes and laughs at his own joke as he heads towards me for the sugar. For a moment, I just stare at him, confused, and when I finally figure out what he means I stare horrifyingly at him. "Ew! What's the watermelon supposed to be then?"
"My balls. of course." He shrugs it off likes it's nothing. Nothing, nothing at all.
"Gross. You and your dirty head and horny mouth!" I spit.
"You and your curious mind." He sticks out his tongue at me like he's a three year old pervert.
"There's only one watermelon, what do you mean balls?" I ask, suddenly curious, and he looks at me before focusing on the watermelon.
After a while, he starts explaining while working on the huge watermelon, "If you're sure you wanna know, it means... i'm chopping this watermelon open so it looks like two balls... shaving its skin... and... sprinkling the white things, which is the damn sugar, obviously, onto it and vualá!" I laugh at the watermelon coated with sugar emptied from a previously full can of sugar and stare at it.
I still don't get how his dirty mind visualizes something so... I can't even find the word.
"Try it." Henryk pushes half of the watermelon to me. "Trust me you'll love the sugar combination." Henryk assures me and I form my hand into a pistol and fire a bullet at him.
I wanted a pure watermelon... sob...
"I think you're insane." I exclaim and head to my room.
"Suit yourself! I can totally eat this all for dinner." Yep, my brother is definitely out of his mind, but hey, what's up? I'm equally insane too.