Entangled (7 page)

“This isn’t New York, Noah if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, this is not.” He forces the milk down onto the table, a pissed off expression crossing his face. I shut my mouth before further comments slip out.

“Do you always act like a dick?”

“Maybe.” I force out. He asked.

“Seriously Noah. You’re not in New York anymore. This is not your home. At least have the common courtesy to act like a guest and not a douche bag. I don’t care about your life back home. But this is my house, my life, don’t fuckin’ start shit!” Stunned by his outburst, I stare at him, knowing he’s right. At least that I should respect him and his mother. I really need to leave, find my own place.

“Sorry.” I mumble under my breath.

“We’re family. I want to help out but I need your help as well. Be nice to my friends, respect me and we’ll be fine. I promise him to be on my best behavior. I have no choice.

Maddy

Today is the perfect day to swim. It’s not too hot, in the seventies. July has the hottest temperatures but June has great temps too. “Andi!” I yell, loud enough for the complex to hear. A few minutes of nothing, the door bursts open.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” Her face is frantically searching my face for what, I don’t know.

“Nothing, I was just yelling your name so you could hear me.”

Relieved, she gestures for me to scoot over so she could lie next to me. I scoot, she lies. “Okay, you scared the shit out of me.” No longer able to stifle my laugh, I roll over and laugh into my pillow. She elbows me in the shoulder, clearly peeved. “Well, what did you want my attention so badly for that you had to scream so loud and scare me half to death? I thought you were having another nightmare.” My laugh dies in my throat and I realize I didn’t consider my nightmares and that fact that I’ve woken up screaming her name. I feel like an ass. I roll over to her and bury my face in her shoulder, mumbling an “I’m sorry”.

I finally look up at her and ask, “Wanna go swimming today?”

“Well, let’s see, I’m off today, it’s nice outside, I need to work on my tan, uh, hell yes. I’ll invite the guys.” She climbs off the bed and out of the room, excitedly.

I stare up at my ceiling, too lazy to get up. And because that’s all there is to stare at, a poster of Vampire Diaries. Being a TV junkie, I don’t have one in my room. It’s not that I don’t want a television in my room like all of the rest of society, it’s just that not having money or having money only for the stuff you really need, makes it hard to buy the stuff you really want. I had to make sacrifices in order to make it by. It sucks, considering I’m behind on The Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill and Supernatural. The only way to catch up is to buy the seasons on DVD. I don’t even know what happens with Stefan and Elena. But I’m a Damon fan, but who isn’t? Oh Andi isn’t. She won’t watch the show with me. Some roommate, right?

After having enough of the silence and boredom, I finally force myself out of bed. “Okay, they’re coming over. Get ready.”

I race back to my room, which isn’t really racing since my room is not that far from where I was standing. I open my top drawer and search through my garments and look for my bathing suit. I pick out two bikinis and one one-piece. Quickly putting the one-piece back because let’s face it, I’m not ten anymore.

“Go with the pink and blue one. Very sexy.” I turn to the sound of Landon’s voice.

“Thanks for knocking.” I put the black suit back, deciding on the blue and pink bikini with the boy brief bottoms, which I’d settled on before he waltzed into my room.

“I did.” He sits down on my bed. “Oh wait, sorry that was in my head.” He smiles innocently, grabbing me in a hug. We stay in an embrace until Andi’s voice reaches the room, telling us to hurry up.

I move to get up but he keeps me in place. “We can stay here, if you want.” Landon tries to keep me in his lap but I get out of his grip. “No, swimming was my idea. Now come on.”

“You’re killing me, Maddy.”

“You don’t have to come.” I snap irritably. He flinches at my tone. Good. I’m tired of him begging. He suffocates me and it’s getting old. I’ve told him to move on. I don’t mind dating, but I won’t give into sex just because he needs to get laid.

I leave the room to get changed into my bathing suit, a little frustrated now.

“I’m so excited.” Andi catches up to me as we circle around to the pool. Landon is still pouting like a child, lagging behind. I’m not gonna let him ruin our fun. “I’m excited too.” I loop my arm through hers and we approach the pool. It’s not too busy, only a couple of groups with three people. And most of them are laying out, sunning. I find a spot in the corner and gather some chairs. “This is great! Oh shit,” Andi pauses in thought, “We forgot drinks. The pool makes me thirsty.”

I shrug. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll call Derrick and ask him to bring some booze.” Landon walks away with his phone. I’m not in the drinking mood, but he’s already out of earshot. Andi gets in the pool, wearing her white bikini. It looks good against her skin tone. She tans easily, sun or bed. I on the other hand can get dark but not quite as dark as her. The only time I ever notice or think about it is in the summer, wearing bathing suits.

At first the water is slightly chilly. It’s only in the low seventies, not warm enough to heat up the pool, especially when the clouds are covering the sun every so often. I swim on my back, closing my eyes. “Hey.” I peek one eye open at Andi, swimming circles around me. “What’s Landon’s problem?” I guess she’s noticed him pouting too.

“He’s butt hurt, cause I turned him down.”

“Again?” She says in mock surprise. I splash her in the face with water. She splashes me back. “When is he going to learn that it’s not gonna happen? Again, that is. Or when are you going to give in and get it over with?”

I pretend to think about it and then say, “Never and never. Now let’s swim.” We swim laps, race each other and dunk one another under water. It’s like we’re kids again and for just a minute, I allow myself to feel like I am. And that my mother will come by and lean down over the pool and say, “Girls, time to get out of the pool now, you’ve been in there long enough, you’re gonna turn into prunes” with a smile on her face that says “five more minutes” and walk away. I smile at the many memories of her, and then my smile disappears at the realization that they’re only memories.

“Hey.” Is all I hear Landon say right before he dunks me. I inhale a mouthful of water and choke cough when I come back up, trying to catch my breath. A look of shock registers on his face, he begins patting me on the back. “Shit, I’m sorry.” I wipe my eyes and after a minute when I can breathe, I laugh and splash him. In return he splashes me and it ends up being fun and games.

“It’s about fucking time you show up. I’m thirsty.” I turn and see Derrick with a case of beer. With Noah.

“Sorry dude, I didn’t know I was on your time frame.” He sets the case by the chairs and takes a beer out for Landon and brings him one. “So, uh what the fuck is he doing here?”

“Dude chill out, he’s my cousin. I invited him to be polite. And can you stop using the F-word in every other sentence?”

Landon begins to protest but I hit him in the chest stopping his words. I’m not sure why but he already doesn’t like Noah. “Be nice.” I watch Derrick walk away to sit with his cousin. Noah’s wearing khaki shorts and blue sleeveless shirt and sandals, a hat and sunglasses. And I can’t look away.

“Heads up!” Landon grabs me and throws me in the water. I need some goggles. I gasp for air when I come up, perturbed that he shocked me yet again. “Dammit, Landon. Could you give me fair warning next time?” I float away on my back before turning to my belly to do strokes. When I look back, Derrick has gotten in the pool splashing Andi, joined by Landon. I lean back against the wall of the pool and let my legs float. Watching everyone splash around and laugh, I keep to myself, observing, watching Noah. Watch me. The moment our eyes lock, I feel my face flush. I want to know who Noah is, what his story is.

Landon swims toward me, fully aware that Noah is staring at me, and not too happy about it. “What the fuck is he staring at you for?”

“Probably because I’m repulsive and he’s thinking, “what the hell did I come here for? This bitch is making me nauseous, why is my cousin friends with her?””

“Yeah, whatever. That’s a load of shit. He needs to be taught a lesson.”

“You need to swim, relax and quit being an asshat.” I dunk him under water, quickly making a getaway.

After twenty minutes, I’m ready to get out of the pool and lay out. I grab my towel and wrap it around me, sitting in a chair. “You don’t swim?” Noah opens his eyes like he just noticed me, “I do but I wasn’t in the mood today.”

“Oh well what about a drink?”

“Not in the mood for that either.”

“So then what are you in the mood for?”

“Napping.”

“Could’ve stayed at home and done that.” I mumble to myself. Irritated, I throw myself back on the chair wondering why I bothered to be nice to him. “Your boyfriend looks pissed that you’re talking to me.” He’s got his eyes closed but when I look at Landon, I see he’s glaring in our direction. I close my own eyes and take a nap, in the sun.

When I wake up, Noah’s gone and the guys are getting ready to leave. “Where’s Andi?”

“She went home. She was tired.” Guess I’ll be joining her.

Noah

“So, I’m coming to visit you.”

“No shit, when?” Eating lunch at a restaurant in town since I don’t get good service where my aunt lives.

“Well I’m hoping in the next month. So you better have a place of your own.” I hadn’t talked to Spencer much since I left New York. Trying to adjust to country living is tough shit.

“Kick ass, bro. I’ll see what I can do.” I take a bite of my burger, holding the phone on my shoulder. I look across to my right and spot a blonde staring at me. She’s cute, except for the creepy vibe she’s giving off.

“Yo, Noah are you listening?”

“Huh?” I finally hear his voice, bringing me back to our conversation. I wipe my hands on my napkin and hold the phone properly.

“Have you met anyone yet?” I roll my eyes and take a drink.

“Spence, I didn’t move here to meet anyone.”

“Okay, but are there any hot chicks there? Surely, you’ve seen some.” I laugh but say nothing. “Tell me they have hot girls there. Somewhere.”

“Jesus Spencer, there’s always at least one hot girl in every state. Chill out.” The blonde from earlier is staring at me again, or still when I look up. I finish my food and pay.

“I’m finding a new hangout. Kasey won’t stop following me around asking about you. God, what a psycho.” I cringe at the sound of her name.

“Are you kidding?”

“I wish I was. I’m ready to come visit my best friend and get out of here for a few days.” I start up my jeep and head back to the house. “Well, hey I gotta jet. I’m at work. Text ya later”

“Okay, later.” I hang up and turn the radio on to drown out the ringing of my thoughts in my ears. I’ve never been able to hear the voices in my ears so clearly, but here it’s so quiet. It’s almost another world, one I’m not sure I can survive.

As soon as I pull up to the driveway, I see my aunt taking grocery bags into the house. I walk to the back of her truck to find more bags and take them all inside.

“Oh thank you Noah. I didn’t see you pull up.” I set the bags on the counter and sift through them, curious.

“No problem, I just got here. I was in town eating lunch, and using my phone. I don’t get good reception here.”

“Yeah, being out in the country limits a lot of things.” We put food away in silence, but it’s actually a comfortable silence.  I see similarities in her and my mom and it makes me wish I’d had moments like this with her. “So, have you heard from your mother?”

I look away from her gaze, a little embarrassed. “No, I called her on the way here but got her voicemail. I guess she really could care less if I got here in one piece or not.” Remembering the disappointment I felt when I called her to say goodbye, erases the short-lived sadness I felt only moments ago. What do I have to do to get her to give a shit? Or to wake up and realize what a dead-beat mother she’s been-die?

“Noah, it may not seem like it, but she cares. Your father just really did a number on her. I hope she bounces back, for your sake. And hers.”

“As far as I’m concerned, I have no father.”

When we finish unloading everything, I look out the window, at the yard, well yard is an understatement, and how it could use a cut. I turn to look at my aunt, sitting at the table, “Could I mow the lawn? It looks like it could use a trim and I need something to do.” The amount of land she has is unsettling. I’ve never mowed so much grass before but I know it’s easy. I think.

“Why Noah, that would be nice of you.” She smiles, “Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do for putting me up in here. I appreciate it.” And just like that, I realize I want us to get along. My aunt and me. Why shouldn’t we? She’s not like her sister and I’m grateful for that.

We go behind the house to a garage where she houses all supplies and tools. And a riding mower. I’ve never been on one, but it looks simple enough.