Say Cheese!, chapter 10
"Arrgh! You're not dead!" he yelled, lunging through the door and pulling me into a hug. Pretty shocked, I didn't say anything. Then he pulled away, grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me.
"Cleo! Say something!" he demanded.
"Erm...hey..." I began.
He grinned, hugging me yet again. "Good girl."
I smiled.
"So, what actually happened last night?" he asked, stumbling after me, through to the kitchen.
"Well," I began as he took a seat at the kitchen table and yawned lazily, "you were totally stoned, Mike was too drunk to move, so I brought him back."
He laughed slightly to himself.
"What you laughing at?"
"Don't you mean ALICE brought you and Mike back?"
I shrugged, blushing slightly as Naz, my room mate, entered the room.
Alice and Naz. My flat mates. Or flat buddies, whatever you wanna call them.
Alice has long, red hair, blue eyes, and is very sensible. For example, we can go to a party, and she won't drink anything except water or OJ. Exactly. But we do have a laugh. Met at high school.
Naz's real name is Rachel. She got her nickname so long ago, I can't remember how or why. We met when I was fifteen, and she was two years older than me, and we both worked at a café nearby. She's now eighteen. Long, brown hair and brown eyes. Usually quite unsociable. She stays in the house most of the day. Rarely goes out, We got on sometimes. Note the word sometimes, though. It could possibly be replaced with never. She enjoys being a bitch to me, and I get wound up and lose my temper easily.
She stood in the doorway for a second, then yawned while stretching. Her plain, white t-shirt rode up slightly to reveal her pale, flat stomach with her name tattooed in black on her left. It brought back great memories of a night last year in Vegas.
"Mornin'," she mumbled, tucking some hair behind her ear and walking over to make coffee.
"Hey," I replied.
"Hi Naz."
She froze where she was, then spun around.
"Billie Joe? When did you get here?"
"Erm...about ten minutes ago," he smirked.
She shrugged, pouring herself some coffee and heading towards the doorway. "I'm going to have a shower," she announced like it was the strangest thing in the world. "If the doorbell rings, it will be my friend."
"Holy hell! You've got friends?!"
She narrowly missed my face when her arm swung out. Maybe she was gonna slap me?
"Not just any friend."
"OoOoOoOoh! Not just any friend!" I mocked, causing Billie to crack up.
"Nick's coming over."
I grinned, taking a sip of my coffee. Then I realized what she had just said, almost choking to death.
"Excuse me?"
She smirked. "You heard me."
"Why?"
"I invited him around for lunch."
Nick. The guy I'd had a thing for since I'd first moved here. We had a bit of a thing going at high school, but nothing serious. I broke up with him because it wasn't working.
**Billie Joe**
If looks could kill, I swear, Naz's corpse would be at my feet right now. Cleo's jaw dropped.
"B...b...b..." she stuttered.
"But what?" smirked Naz. Then she disappeared at the kitchen doorway. Cleo had moved. Her mouth kept opening of the she was going to say something, then closing again. She looked really forlorn.
"Cleo? You okay?" I asked. She didn't say anything just got up, grabbed her coat, and then I heard the front door to their apartments slam, signalling she must have left.
There I was, sitting at the table, all by my lonesome. Then Mike entered.
"Mornin' Bill," he muttered, helping himself to coffee.
"Hi," I replied, still staring at where Mike's sister had been sitting our matter of a moment ago.
"Good-night, space eh?" he smirked, pulling up a chair. I nodded, grinning.
"You look like crap," he added, drinking his coffee.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
"At least are not wearing last night clothes."
He shrugged.
"At least I slept in a house with a hot girl last night."
"Okay, you win."
He did this weird spazz dance in his seat.
"Where's Cleo?"
"Well, now you ask..."
"Naz?"
"Errr....yeah."
"Hell, that girl is such a...a..."
"Cowbag?"
"Not the word I was looking for, but it'll do."
"I agree."
As if on cue, the front door opened, then closed. A minute or two later, Cleo entered the kitchen.
"Sorry about that," she said, apologizing to me. "Hey, Mike."
"Hey sister," replied Mike, grinning. "What did she do this time?"
"Oh, it's nothing," she replied. "I cannot wait until I get away from this place, even if it is only for a week."
I grinned.
Thing is, last year, she found out which prison her dad was in. They haven't seen each other since she was four, almost 13 years ago. My mom offered to take herself, us three, and Alice to England for a week in March next month.
"Anyway," interrupted Mike, "thanks for letting me crash here last night."
She smirked.
"The problem. Anything for my big brother."
He laughed.
"What's everyone doing today?" he asked. Cleo shrugged.
"I might go to see one of my many friends or something."
"You wanna have band practice with John?" Mike asked, looking at me.
"Er, yeah, sure, whatever," I replied, as Cleo left the table to get changed as she too was wearing the clothes from the night before.
"Bill, I've got something to tell you," Mike hissed just after she left.
I turned to face him..
"Fire away."
"Well, it's about Cleo."
I frowned.
"What about her?"
He breathed in deeply and began to speak.
"I got a letter."
"From Cleo? Why didn't she just..."
"Not from Cleo, asswipe. From Ben."
"Ben...?"
"Ben Wrydon."
I froze, feeling my eyes widen and the jaw drop.
"Ben Wrydon?"
He nodded.
"As in...Cleo's b...b..."
I couldn't bring myself to say it. As far as I was concerned, Mike was Cleo's brother, Cleo was Mike's sister, end of.
Mike nodded. I gasped,.
"He knows where you live?"
He shook his head.
"The old house. The new owner sent it on."
I was still in shock. After all her siblings had done to her, he had the nerve to get in touch. Before I could reply, a pink-haired girl bounded into the room, clad with a black Ramones t-shirt and some jeans.
"I'm back!" she hollered. Then she looking from me to Mike.
"Erm...guys? What's up?"
I opened my mouth to speak, when Mike quickly interrupted.
"Nothing sis, just...still getting over the booze from last night."
She grinned, reminiscing about the night before.
"Yes, that guys," she muttered, grabbing mine and Mike's hand, "was fantabulous."
I smiled weakly. Mike grinned.
"More coffee?"
We both nodded. As soon as her back was turned, I glared at my best friend, mouthing "what?". He was doing the same.
As she turned around, we both smiled "over-sweetly" at her. She frowned, smiling slightly and sliding us our coffee's.
"Somebody's had their happy pills this morning."
We didn't say anything.
"Anyway, I had to be at work an hour and a half ago. You got your key?" she asked the two of us. We both pulled out a small, single, silver key from our pockets and put them out on the table.
"Righteo. Will you be here when I get back?" she asked, draining the last of her coffee; I shrugged.
"Do you mind if we invite some friends over?" asked Mike.
"If as in friends, you mean Johnny boy, then sure. Instruments are in my room, apart from the guitar, which is in Alice's room. Don't wake her up, though, she hasn't been asleep long. Now, as we're standing here playing twenty questions, I'm making myself even later for work. See ya later."
"Bye," we chorused.
She pecked us both on the cheek, then left. I turned back to Mike.
"What the hell?"
"What the hell what?"
"You're not gonna tell her?"
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
He sighed.
"She's got a big point in her life coming up. I don't want to be the one who gives her a nervous breakdown. But, if you wanna, go right ahead."
I looked at him and sighed.
"I guess you're right."
He flashed me a nervous glance.
"I hope so..."
"Cleo! Say something!" he demanded.
"Erm...hey..." I began.
He grinned, hugging me yet again. "Good girl."
I smiled.
"So, what actually happened last night?" he asked, stumbling after me, through to the kitchen.
"Well," I began as he took a seat at the kitchen table and yawned lazily, "you were totally stoned, Mike was too drunk to move, so I brought him back."
He laughed slightly to himself.
"What you laughing at?"
"Don't you mean ALICE brought you and Mike back?"
I shrugged, blushing slightly as Naz, my room mate, entered the room.
Alice and Naz. My flat mates. Or flat buddies, whatever you wanna call them.
Alice has long, red hair, blue eyes, and is very sensible. For example, we can go to a party, and she won't drink anything except water or OJ. Exactly. But we do have a laugh. Met at high school.
Naz's real name is Rachel. She got her nickname so long ago, I can't remember how or why. We met when I was fifteen, and she was two years older than me, and we both worked at a café nearby. She's now eighteen. Long, brown hair and brown eyes. Usually quite unsociable. She stays in the house most of the day. Rarely goes out, We got on sometimes. Note the word sometimes, though. It could possibly be replaced with never. She enjoys being a bitch to me, and I get wound up and lose my temper easily.
She stood in the doorway for a second, then yawned while stretching. Her plain, white t-shirt rode up slightly to reveal her pale, flat stomach with her name tattooed in black on her left. It brought back great memories of a night last year in Vegas.
"Mornin'," she mumbled, tucking some hair behind her ear and walking over to make coffee.
"Hey," I replied.
"Hi Naz."
She froze where she was, then spun around.
"Billie Joe? When did you get here?"
"Erm...about ten minutes ago," he smirked.
She shrugged, pouring herself some coffee and heading towards the doorway. "I'm going to have a shower," she announced like it was the strangest thing in the world. "If the doorbell rings, it will be my friend."
"Holy hell! You've got friends?!"
She narrowly missed my face when her arm swung out. Maybe she was gonna slap me?
"Not just any friend."
"OoOoOoOoh! Not just any friend!" I mocked, causing Billie to crack up.
"Nick's coming over."
I grinned, taking a sip of my coffee. Then I realized what she had just said, almost choking to death.
"Excuse me?"
She smirked. "You heard me."
"Why?"
"I invited him around for lunch."
Nick. The guy I'd had a thing for since I'd first moved here. We had a bit of a thing going at high school, but nothing serious. I broke up with him because it wasn't working.
**Billie Joe**
If looks could kill, I swear, Naz's corpse would be at my feet right now. Cleo's jaw dropped.
"B...b...b..." she stuttered.
"But what?" smirked Naz. Then she disappeared at the kitchen doorway. Cleo had moved. Her mouth kept opening of the she was going to say something, then closing again. She looked really forlorn.
"Cleo? You okay?" I asked. She didn't say anything just got up, grabbed her coat, and then I heard the front door to their apartments slam, signalling she must have left.
There I was, sitting at the table, all by my lonesome. Then Mike entered.
"Mornin' Bill," he muttered, helping himself to coffee.
"Hi," I replied, still staring at where Mike's sister had been sitting our matter of a moment ago.
"Good-night, space eh?" he smirked, pulling up a chair. I nodded, grinning.
"You look like crap," he added, drinking his coffee.
"Thanks."
"Anytime."
"At least are not wearing last night clothes."
He shrugged.
"At least I slept in a house with a hot girl last night."
"Okay, you win."
He did this weird spazz dance in his seat.
"Where's Cleo?"
"Well, now you ask..."
"Naz?"
"Errr....yeah."
"Hell, that girl is such a...a..."
"Cowbag?"
"Not the word I was looking for, but it'll do."
"I agree."
As if on cue, the front door opened, then closed. A minute or two later, Cleo entered the kitchen.
"Sorry about that," she said, apologizing to me. "Hey, Mike."
"Hey sister," replied Mike, grinning. "What did she do this time?"
"Oh, it's nothing," she replied. "I cannot wait until I get away from this place, even if it is only for a week."
I grinned.
Thing is, last year, she found out which prison her dad was in. They haven't seen each other since she was four, almost 13 years ago. My mom offered to take herself, us three, and Alice to England for a week in March next month.
"Anyway," interrupted Mike, "thanks for letting me crash here last night."
She smirked.
"The problem. Anything for my big brother."
He laughed.
"What's everyone doing today?" he asked. Cleo shrugged.
"I might go to see one of my many friends or something."
"You wanna have band practice with John?" Mike asked, looking at me.
"Er, yeah, sure, whatever," I replied, as Cleo left the table to get changed as she too was wearing the clothes from the night before.
"Bill, I've got something to tell you," Mike hissed just after she left.
I turned to face him..
"Fire away."
"Well, it's about Cleo."
I frowned.
"What about her?"
He breathed in deeply and began to speak.
"I got a letter."
"From Cleo? Why didn't she just..."
"Not from Cleo, asswipe. From Ben."
"Ben...?"
"Ben Wrydon."
I froze, feeling my eyes widen and the jaw drop.
"Ben Wrydon?"
He nodded.
"As in...Cleo's b...b..."
I couldn't bring myself to say it. As far as I was concerned, Mike was Cleo's brother, Cleo was Mike's sister, end of.
Mike nodded. I gasped,.
"He knows where you live?"
He shook his head.
"The old house. The new owner sent it on."
I was still in shock. After all her siblings had done to her, he had the nerve to get in touch. Before I could reply, a pink-haired girl bounded into the room, clad with a black Ramones t-shirt and some jeans.
"I'm back!" she hollered. Then she looking from me to Mike.
"Erm...guys? What's up?"
I opened my mouth to speak, when Mike quickly interrupted.
"Nothing sis, just...still getting over the booze from last night."
She grinned, reminiscing about the night before.
"Yes, that guys," she muttered, grabbing mine and Mike's hand, "was fantabulous."
I smiled weakly. Mike grinned.
"More coffee?"
We both nodded. As soon as her back was turned, I glared at my best friend, mouthing "what?". He was doing the same.
As she turned around, we both smiled "over-sweetly" at her. She frowned, smiling slightly and sliding us our coffee's.
"Somebody's had their happy pills this morning."
We didn't say anything.
"Anyway, I had to be at work an hour and a half ago. You got your key?" she asked the two of us. We both pulled out a small, single, silver key from our pockets and put them out on the table.
"Righteo. Will you be here when I get back?" she asked, draining the last of her coffee; I shrugged.
"Do you mind if we invite some friends over?" asked Mike.
"If as in friends, you mean Johnny boy, then sure. Instruments are in my room, apart from the guitar, which is in Alice's room. Don't wake her up, though, she hasn't been asleep long. Now, as we're standing here playing twenty questions, I'm making myself even later for work. See ya later."
"Bye," we chorused.
She pecked us both on the cheek, then left. I turned back to Mike.
"What the hell?"
"What the hell what?"
"You're not gonna tell her?"
"Not yet."
"Why not?"
He sighed.
"She's got a big point in her life coming up. I don't want to be the one who gives her a nervous breakdown. But, if you wanna, go right ahead."
I looked at him and sighed.
"I guess you're right."
He flashed me a nervous glance.
"I hope so..."
