“How are you, little sister?” She asks, hugging me. My eyes start to water, but I don’t let myself cry. I missed them so much.
“I’m okay, I guess.” Rubbing my head, we all return to the living room. “Let’s play Monopoly!” I suggest, excited.
They all agree, and we set it up. It seems like an hour passes, and right now I’m rich, Patrick and Linda are doing just fine, and Jake is poor. Like poor poor, which is kind of ironic.
“You are manipulating the dice!” He spits at me, angrily.
A grin forms in my mouth, and my face goes close to his, just to gloat.
“That’s kind ofyourthing, not mine. And even that, you can’t do it properly.” I snort, and he grabs a pillow and throws it at my face.
He did not. I throw myself at him and pull his hair, resulting in his hands also going up and pulling my hair. Linda wraps her arms around my waist and gets me off him, whilst Patrick does the same with Jake.
“How many times do we have to say this?” Patrick sighs, his fingers holding the bridge of his nose. Jake and I are on opposite sofas, just in case.
“Violence is not the answer.” Linda bursts, exhausted.
“Come on, look at that face,” Jake starts, “you can’t tell me that it isn’t very attackable.” He excuses.
“Asshole.” I mutter, my hair looking like I was attacked, which technically I was, and my arms crossed.
“I heard that!” He warns, his smug look being replaced by an insulted one.
“You were supposed to.” I scrunch up my nose, and his tongue gets out of his mouth.How mature.
Patrick and Linda look at each other and close their eyes for a second, realizing that they still have to feed us and keep us entertained for another three hours. I pity them, honestly.
After giving us pizza and putting on a movie, Linda and Patrick fall asleep in each other’s arms. I love their relationship. For several moments throughout this year, I thought they were never coming back. But they’re not like that. I can only imagine their wedding! I bet it will be so cool. And if I go to their wedding, I might bring a plus one. Will I have a plus one by then? I would like to… I fantasize about it for a second. I’m in a beautiful dress, which will have to be fairytale-like, and my hair straightened. My date will be so perfect. He will have to be kindand tall and charming… Basically, the opposite of the guy who is currently sitting in front of the couch, looking at his hands, bored.
I can’t daydream with the movie playing in the background. I move my hand to the remote and turn off the TV. The couple doesn’t notice, obviously, because they’re deep asleep, and he doesn’t complain. Just continues to look at his hands, like they’reso interesting.
I let my head fall backwards on the couch’s cushion, also sitting on the floor, and breathe out, a bit irritated for losing my thoughts and being stuck in a living room with nothing to do,with West.
“So…Your mom left.” He drags, a casual tone.
He’s no longer looking at his hands. He has his head the same as mine.
“Observation on point.” I sarcastically utter, my voice a bit in shock with his bold self.
Up until now, everyone saysSorryor avoids the subject, which, after a while, became unbearable. Like the elephant in the room. He justsaysthis, neither sadness nor pity in his voice. I guess when you’re a child, and you’re not very close to another, you can just be blatantly honest. But what’s curious is that I’m not mad. I become more pissed off when they try to comfort me than when he said what he said.
“That sucks.” He says, again, neither sadness nor pity in his voice, and completely ignoring my comment.
“It does.” My head pushes itself down, and my eyes travel to his face.
Nothing. Not even his face shows it.
His head lowers too, and he looks straight into my eyes. That’s a bit intimidating, not gonna lie.
“Not evenyoudeserve that.” He huffs empathically.
I only retain one thing from that sentence. A strange one.
“Why are you beingniceto me?” I ask hesitantly, completely ignoring the emphasis he had on thatyou.
“I know, right?” He chuckles, letting those rare dimples appear. “I felt it too.” He makes a dorky, engrossed face, and I can’t help but laugh.
A bit of resistance comes from him, but in a matter of seconds, his laugh also invades the living room. I don’t think West ever made me laugh, but I’m not complaining. This is part of one of those rare moments. Unique, if you will. Our laughs have never been heard in the same room before. At least, never caused by the other. It’s nice to change a bit from our screaming and fighting. Not that this will change anything between us. We will always be Madelaine and Jake, Brown and West, fighting for everything and for nothing. Usually his fault. Right now, I let this moment tape itself as it happens, because one day I might want to play it and remember it. Perhaps when he and I go into another fight, or when we stay mad at each other. I will remember that there actually was a moment when we were at peace.
