(Thank your for a wonderful week!! Enjoy the chapter!)
-Edward POV-
When Claire opened the door, I saw Luke was stuck halfway through the bannister on the stairs. His head and his right arm had gotten through the gap between the bannisters.
"Luke? Why are you like that?" I asked, passing through Claire who opened the door to get to Luke. I walked while clutching my laptop bag and I put down a large, wrapped box which contained my gift for Lily. The box caught Claire's attention, and she asked.
"What is that?"
"This is…a gift for Cam and Mitch. I am grateful for them, so I wanted to give them something. I was hoping that you can give it to them later on. They are coming back today right?"
"Yes. We will go to their house at 5, so I guess I can send your gift for you." Claire said, wanted to take the gift box away from my hand. But I stopped her and said, "Be careful. There is a mechanism that will shoot confetti when it's opened. If handled crassly, the mechanism will be broken."
"Confetti?" Claire asked in confusion.
"Cam likes confetti right? He told me about that before. I also put glitter inside." I said. I actually lied about it to prevent Claire peeking inside the box before Cam and Mitch opened it.
I walked to Luke who's stuck in the bannister.
"He's like this sometimes," She said to ensure I didn't think less of her son.
"Hey Ed." Luke greeted happily with his head poking out of the gap.
"Were you trying to get out using the gap?" I asked as I stood in front of Luke.
"Yeah." Luke replied sadly. Phil was in the bedroom, still trying to find the baby oil to lubricate Luke's head.
Alex spied on me from the kitchen and quickly fixed her hair and clothes before she approached me.
She was nervous to meet me again. She wore her favourite grey shirt with a big peace sign logo on it and said as she stood next to me to poke fun at her brother, "I'm just going to say it. He needs to be checked by a specialist."
"Alex." Claire stopped her daughter from embarrassing her brother and sighed before she walked to the kitchen to continue preparing breakfast for the kids.
"Do you have any allergies Edward?" Claire asked.
"No. I'm fine." I replied from afar. I ignored Alex and turned to Luke.
"Why did you stop halfway? With your head already gone through, it will be easy to get the rest of your body out."
"That's impossible. He won't be able to do it." Alex interjected before Luke could reply. I turned to her and said, "I'm sorry? Are you talking to me? I thought you're going to continue ignoring me?"
She was stunned and a bit flabbergasted by the words.
"I didn't mean too!" Alex said hurriedly.
"What's your excuse then? I already accepted the fact that you do not want to be my friend and I have been grieving for a few days."
"No! That's NOT IT!" Alex said with a raised voice. "I just didn't know what to type back. And then I waited for too long… it'll be awkward for me to start texting! I'm REALLY SORRY!"
"Really Alex? You couldn't just say 'Hey' ?" Luke teased.
"SHUT UP LUKE!" Alex said. Claire peeked from the kitchen after she heard the heated argument.
"Kids, what happened?" Claire asked perfunctorily.
""Nothing mom."" Both Luke and Alex replied at the same time. Claire shrugged her shoulders and continued preparing the food.
I thought inwardly as I saw the situation in the entire house. Even though it was the day of the pilot episode, the situation didn't serve to explain the dynamics of the characters like it was supposed to.
That's when I understand that I'm inside a real world, not a tv show. There wasn't an explanation on why Claire became as uptight and controlling as she was, or Phil's attitude towards his childrens.
"Newgate?" Alex called out with a shaky voice.
"Call me Ed, and I won't hold it against you anymore."
Alex hesitated for a while, and after an internal struggle, she replied, "Okay Ed."
I smiled to show that I didn't carry a grudge any longer. Alex breathes in relief as she finally resolves the misunderstanding.
"Do you really think he won't be able to get out?" I asked.
"He already tried it before, and he got stuck…the same as right now. It will be impossible."
"Hmm… I don't think so. I think he can get out." I said with a smirk.
Alex raised her brows and said, "Prove it then."
"Dare to bet?"
"Bet on what?" Alex replied hesitatingly. Then, she shook her head and said confidently. "Okay, it's a bet."
She was confident that Luke wouldn't be able to get out of the gap and knew for sure she was going to win in the bet no matter what we're betting on.
Phil walked downstairs and greeted me happily when he saw me, "Hey D-Money!"
"Eddy is fine Vitamin P." I said with a smile.
Alex and Luke were confused by the interaction, but they didn't say anything. "Just wait a while. I'm going to free Luke now." Phil said and opened up the baby oil cap.
"" No. Don't!"" Alex and I stopped Phil at the same time.
"Wha….What is happening?" Phil asked in confusion.
"They are using me as their science experiment." Luke said with excitement.
"Are you okay with this Luke? If you're uncomfortable, we can cancel the bet." I said.
"I always wanted to be a science experiment. You won't take this away from me!" Luke replied agitatedly.
"Ohhh…I remember when I was the subject of a science experiment in college. They always make me compete against a monkey." Phil reminiscences.
I ignored Phil and turned to Alex, "So, What are we betting on?"
"If Luke can't escape, you'll…" Alex took some time to think, and then she said, "You go first."
"If I win…You need to back me up when I lie about something, 3 times."
"Then if I win, you need to do the same thing." Alex said.
"We got a deal then?" I said, holding my hand out for a handshake.
"Deal." Alex shook my head confidently.
Phil laughed and said ceremoniously, "And the GAME IS ON!! NERD VERSUS ARTIST!"
"DAD!" Alex was in disbelief and stopped her dad quickly as she was called a nerd.
Phil realises what he said and quickly apologised, "Sorry."
I studied the stair's height and Luke's height roughly. I then pulled the lamp table after putting the lamp on the sofa. I brought the desk closer to the stairs to make sure Luke wouldn't fall on his head after he got out.
"Luke. Now, you won't fall." I said reassuringly. I noticed that he could get out from the bannister, but the difference in height would make him fall and knock his head directly on the floor. I also put some cushions on the floor for him to be more confident.
"First, get your left hand through." I said.
"How?" Luke asked. For him, there wasn't any more space for him to move.
"Bend your knees, and let your head be placed around the middle." I guided him through the process. He lowered his head, and finally managed to get his left hand through the gap.
"Hey it worked!" Luke said excitedly. It was easy for him to shimmer his body, and he passed through smoothly until his torso managed to get out of the gap. He rested his body on the table I had set up and tried to get his waist past the gap.
"I'm stuck!" Luke said after struggling.
"Told you." Alex said haughtily. She was a bit scared when Luke managed to get half of his body out, but now she had won.
"Nah. Only his belt is stuck. If he takes it off, he can pass through." Phil said, being deeply invested in the bet.
"Take off your belt Luke." I said.
"I can't." Luke said. "You do it."
"No. NO help! He needs to do it himself." Alex quickly stopped me.
"Luke, you heard your sister. She doesn't believe in you." I said in a fake sad tone. "But I believe in you Luke. You can do this. Show Alex she is wrong."
Phil added, "You got this Luke!"
Luke showed a look of determination and re-enter his left hand through the gap. He unbuckled his belt and also his pants in the process. As he passed through the gap, his pants were taken off by the bannister. He almost got all of his body out of the gap, but his feet were stuck.
"Take off your shoes too Luke." I said.
He kicked off his shoes, and finally the stuck pants managed to be taken off. He got one leg out of the gap, making Alex's face turn ashen.
"What are you guys doing!?" Claire saw the sight of a pantless Luke lying on top of a small table with one of his legs stuck in the gap. Alex, Phil and I turned to Claire at the same time.
Luke however, ignored his mother and freed his other leg from the gap!
"I DID IT!" Luke said excitedly!
"Ya did it buddy!" Phil hugged the pantless Luke after he saw his son – with his own efforts, managed to overcome a challenge.
"Luke! PUT ON YOUR PANTS!" Claire shouted from the kitchen. "Phil! Seriously?" She called out to her husband in disbelief and stampeded toward the group.
"Uh-oh." Alex exclaimed after realising that her mother was mad. "It was Edwa-" She turned beside her to find me, but I was gone. I had already moved away to the living room when I saw Claire.
"What is going on?" I approached them innocently as if I only came there after I heard the noise.
"Great Phil. Now he will want to do this again." Claire said while checking whether Luke has any injuries. "Good job Phil. Good job." Claire said in anger.
"It wasn't me who told him the way to do it." Phil defended himself.
"It was Alex." I said. Alex was stunned, and looked toward me in horror. I mouthed the word 'Bet' toward her as she faced me.
Luke and Phil catch the situation, but Claire doesn't. "Alex?" Claire asked.
Alex hesitated for a while, so I urged her stealthily with only my facial expression. She finally sighed and said, "I did it."
Luke exploded into excitement and screamed "Woo-hoo!!!" Before he ran through the living room. He got two of his lifelong wishes fulfilled today. To get out of the bannister's gap, and to get Alex in trouble.
"Luke!" Claire snapped and Luke froze in his tracks. "PUT ON YOUR PANTS, AND GO TO THE KITCHEN!"
All of us – Phil included, checked our pants as she yelled, and ran to the kitchen together.
I saw Haley in the kitchen texting after I walked in. I greeted her normally and sat down on the chair at the dining table for breakfast that Claire had already prepared. Haley ignored me and continued texting without acknowledging my presence in her house.
"Edward, I will make the cake right after this." Claire said. Maybe she wanted me out of her house sooner, or she just couldn't let me wait long, I didn't know which way she was thinking.
"Right now? Okay. Phil, are you busy after this?" I asked after I replied to Claire.
"I have a showing in the afternoon, but I'm free now. What is it, Eddy?" Phil asked.
"I have created a website, and I want to get your opinion on it – If you're willing."
Phil was excited, "You have created a website? That's why you bring your laptop with you! Okay. I will take a look."
"Really? You… made it… on your own?" Claire asked in scepticism.
"I did. It wasn't fully completed yet. You can check it with Phil after this. I would love your opinions on this." I said with a smile. Claire didn't expect that, and she said, "Really? My opinion?"
"Yeah. You were a marketing major in college right?" I asked.
"How do you know?" Claire narrowed her eyes in suspicion. Phil quickly whispered to Claire, "I told him yesterday."
"Hmm? Why?" Claire whispered back to her husband.
"I don't know. He asked." Phil said.
[Claire's commentary]
"I knew it. He's planning something. I need to find out what." Claire said.
[Commentary ends]
"What website did you make?" Alex asked.
"It's for my dad's business. Ship tourism and leisure." I explained. Haley finally raised her eyes from the phone as the conversation intrigued him. I turned to her and asked for her help, "Haley, can you help me to take a look too? I would love your opinion."
"Really? I thought I was vain and shallow." Haley replied with venom in her tone.
"Yes. That's exactly why I want you to take a look. You're kinda the target audience for the website." I replied with a sly smile on my face. She scoffed but she didn't refuse to help me in the matter.
…
-3rd Person POV. Football field-
Manny's soccer match finally started after a long time waiting for Jay. When the game started, something unexpected happened.
Jay was sitting on a foldable chair while Gloria was reacting dramatically at the side of the field.
"¡Vamos, Manny! Kick it! Kick it!" Gloria yelled out but Manny stopped running forward after passing the ball to the mid-fielders.
"Why aren't you kicking it!" Gloria yelled in frustration.
[Manny's commentary]
"My friend Edward taught me something yesterday. Soccer is like a game of chess. You cannot win the game alone. All of the pieces needed to move together as a team for one to win."
"When I stood on the field, I realised that… none of the kids there knows what they are doing."
"So I took the command, and made the field my chess board."
[Commentary ends]
"Pass to eleven!" Manny yelled from afar. The opposition team were swarming the ball in droves, making various parts of the field being open. Manny has been commanding his team in battle after his coach was proven to be useless. He was from Colombia. He knew how 'soccer' was played.
"Manny. What's next!" A spikey-haired blonde kid in a number eleven jersey yelled in anxiousness.
"SHOOT WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!" Manny yelled in frustration. The number eleven kid kicked the ball, and it went into the goal!
[Manny's commentary]
"Edward also told me, if I was sure about something, don't be afraid to let out what I'm thinking. I screamed a lot today. I think my throat is more sore than the rest of my body."
[Commentary ends]
"Son of a bit-" Jay cursed while smiling after seeing the score being tied in 1-1 in the first half of the game. "How the hell did he know how to play soccer?"
After having their chess game last night, Jay thought of Manny as a chess genius and they had played together for a few matches. Like Edward predicted, as they argued with each other while they were playing – both of them were closer to each other today.
Gloria was still frustrated as it wasn't Manny who scored the ball. "I don't know. Maybe that Edward kid is a good coach. For sure better than this one." Gloria said, staring dagger at Manny's team balding football coach. The coach broke into a cold sweat and moved further away from the Colombian mother, fearing for his safety.
"Is Manny yours?" A young dad in his ripped jeans and a heavy metal t-shirt walked to Gloria. He took off his sunglasses and put it on top of his hat as he held his hand for a handshake with Gloria.
"Yes." Gloria replied.
"I'm Josh. Ryan's dad." Josh said as he pointed at number 11 on the field.
"Gloria Pritchet. I'm Manny's mother." Gloria replied.
"You know that was the first goal in the kids' entire season?" Josh said in excitement. "They were usually beaten black and blue." Josh continued.
"What?" Gloria asked – she didn't know what the word meant.
"He means they always lose badly." Jay explained from his seat.
"Oh, that must be your dad." Josh said, looking toward Jay.
"Her dad?" Jay muttered.
"Yeah?" Josh said, didn't know what he said wrong.
"No, no. That's funny. Actually, no, I'm her husband." Jay said. He was trying to get up from the chair to get to Gloria.
"Don't be fooled by the, uh- Give me a second here." He said as he struggled to get up.
Although the kids played well, the opposing team had more experience than them, and managed to bring the score to 3-2. It's a minute until the game ends, and Manny has the ball.
But then, he saw Brenda Felman – a pretty, blonde-haired white girl wearing a long sleeved white shirt and jeans, riding her bicycle at the park and was watching him playing in the field.
Brenda wasn't watching Manny, but was watching the kids playing as a whole, but Manny was too lovestruck to care. He stopped running to wave at Brenda at the last hour of the game. The whistle was blown, and the game was finally over.
The crowd groaned at Manny as he had abandoned the chance for the game to be a tie.
"Oh Geez. Didn't you have a talk with him yet?" Jay asked Gloria – his tone full of dissatisfaction.
"I didn't. I don't want to put him down…right before his match." Gloria replied as she watched Manny smiling meekly while waving at Brenda.
Manny requested to go to the mall to confess to Brenda, that was when Gloria told him what Edward had told her.
"She has a boyfriend?" Manny asked in a sad tone.
"Ay Papi. I'm so sorry." Gloria said to comfort him.
Jay added, "Don't feel bad Manny. You did very well today. There was this little snafu at the end, but I think you have a knack for this game-"
"I'm quitting soccer." Manny said.
"What? Why?" Jay asked in exasperation.
"I only took part in this to show Brenda my athletic side because I know she likes men who play sports. Now, there isn't any reason for me to play anymore. Mom, can I use your phone to call Ed? I want to thank him for teaching me."
"But Papi, I don't have his number." Gloria said. She only knew the landline number, but not Edward's personal phone number.
Manny said, "I'll call Luke. Maybe he knows."
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