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Authors: Gamali Noelle
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said. “At least I
get their names before I take them home.”
“I neither have the time, nor the patience for that,”
I replied.
“No,” he said. “You just play Mad Mavis and scare the
shit out of them instead.”
*~*
A few nights later, Bryn’s
mother had left to visit his grandmother in Cardiff, and we were driving up the
path towards his house on the island.
“Did you forget that you were
having a party?” I asked. The driveway was packed with cars and a valet service
was busy parking cars.
“Bloody hell,” Bryn murmured.
“Is today the 19 th ?”
“Yes,” I replied. “What’s the
special occasion?”
“Shit! Anjali is going to kill
me! Noira, love, go to my mum’s room and find a swimsuit. I’ve got to find
Anjali.” Bryn unbuckled his seatbelt and was gone from the car before I could
say another word. Sighing, I slid into the driver’s seat and continued up the
driveway until I got to the valet.
“This is Mr. Conchobair’s car, so be sure to park it in the
garage and leave the keys with the house manager,” I said.
The valet nodded. I made my way towards
the front door. It was going to be a long night if Anjali was at the party. I
allowed the tide of the crowd to carry me to the bottom of the stairs and went
to Nina’s room to find a swimsuit. I made sure to select a bikini that had a
tag on it and quickly changed. On my way out, I stopped to check my appearance
in the mirror.
My hair was usually dark brown, but as it
was summer, it looked as if I had blonde highlights. I had my hair in a ponytail,
but decided it against it at the last minute. Turning, I reached for the brush
that was on Nina’s dressing table and combed out my hair. The curls cascaded
over my shoulders. The ten extra pounds from the Cymbalta seemed to have gone
directly to my breasts, and it was cleavage for miles. All the same, I thought,
turning to view myself from the side, cleavage was never a bad thing.
Parties were not my idea of a good time,
but it was either go downstairs or have Bryn eventually come up and haul me towards
the bar. As I didn’t need any unwanted attention that night, I chose to go
downstairs on my own.
Like an appraiser, I sat with a carefully formed smile
on my lips and observed the frivolity in Bryn’s backyard. With clumsy joy, the
revellers pranced about the place. They had genuine smiles on their faces and
laughter was the chorus that they all sang. How could they do it? How had they
mastered the art of carefree jubilance? How did they still have hope?
I was contemplating all those things when Bryn,
appropriately clad in a pair of loud board shorts, suddenly appeared.
“Noira, you’re not being a Debby Downer, are you?” His
face was flushed and his eyes seemed to dance to the beat of the music in the
background.
I took a sip of my martini. “I’m trying, dear, really
I am.”
“Try harder.” He looked rather comical as he shook his
finger at me in an exaggerated manner. “I don’t need your negative aura
spreading throughout my party.”
“Then why didn’t you take me home, Bryn?” I yawned.
“Because you haven’t been out of your house at all in
almost a month, and I want my best mate back, for fuck’s sake!”
I lowered my head, suddenly ashamed of the way that I
had been treating him. Before I could apologize for my surly behaviour, a
porcelain doll-like creature flitted towards us in a blur of black hair and
sweet-smelling perfume.
“Bryn, darling!” she purred, batting her eyelashes
like a whore on crack. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Have you been
hiding from me?”
“N-Never, Anjali.”
I swallowed the last of my cocktail in a weak attempt
to stop myself from hurling the contents of my stomach all over Bryn.
“I’d die and carry the memory of you with me to
Heaven,” Bryn continued.
“Really?” Anjali flashed him a luminous smile and
snuggled closer to him, like a serpent ready to devour.
I cleared my throat. The sight
get their names before I take them home.”
“I neither have the time, nor the patience for that,”
I replied.
“No,” he said. “You just play Mad Mavis and scare the
shit out of them instead.”
*~*
A few nights later, Bryn’s
mother had left to visit his grandmother in Cardiff, and we were driving up the
path towards his house on the island.
“Did you forget that you were
having a party?” I asked. The driveway was packed with cars and a valet service
was busy parking cars.
“Bloody hell,” Bryn murmured.
“Is today the 19 th ?”
“Yes,” I replied. “What’s the
special occasion?”
“Shit! Anjali is going to kill
me! Noira, love, go to my mum’s room and find a swimsuit. I’ve got to find
Anjali.” Bryn unbuckled his seatbelt and was gone from the car before I could
say another word. Sighing, I slid into the driver’s seat and continued up the
driveway until I got to the valet.
“This is Mr. Conchobair’s car, so be sure to park it in the
garage and leave the keys with the house manager,” I said.
The valet nodded. I made my way towards
the front door. It was going to be a long night if Anjali was at the party. I
allowed the tide of the crowd to carry me to the bottom of the stairs and went
to Nina’s room to find a swimsuit. I made sure to select a bikini that had a
tag on it and quickly changed. On my way out, I stopped to check my appearance
in the mirror.
My hair was usually dark brown, but as it
was summer, it looked as if I had blonde highlights. I had my hair in a ponytail,
but decided it against it at the last minute. Turning, I reached for the brush
that was on Nina’s dressing table and combed out my hair. The curls cascaded
over my shoulders. The ten extra pounds from the Cymbalta seemed to have gone
directly to my breasts, and it was cleavage for miles. All the same, I thought,
turning to view myself from the side, cleavage was never a bad thing.
Parties were not my idea of a good time,
but it was either go downstairs or have Bryn eventually come up and haul me towards
the bar. As I didn’t need any unwanted attention that night, I chose to go
downstairs on my own.
Like an appraiser, I sat with a carefully formed smile
on my lips and observed the frivolity in Bryn’s backyard. With clumsy joy, the
revellers pranced about the place. They had genuine smiles on their faces and
laughter was the chorus that they all sang. How could they do it? How had they
mastered the art of carefree jubilance? How did they still have hope?
I was contemplating all those things when Bryn,
appropriately clad in a pair of loud board shorts, suddenly appeared.
“Noira, you’re not being a Debby Downer, are you?” His
face was flushed and his eyes seemed to dance to the beat of the music in the
background.
I took a sip of my martini. “I’m trying, dear, really
I am.”
“Try harder.” He looked rather comical as he shook his
finger at me in an exaggerated manner. “I don’t need your negative aura
spreading throughout my party.”
“Then why didn’t you take me home, Bryn?” I yawned.
“Because you haven’t been out of your house at all in
almost a month, and I want my best mate back, for fuck’s sake!”
I lowered my head, suddenly ashamed of the way that I
had been treating him. Before I could apologize for my surly behaviour, a
porcelain doll-like creature flitted towards us in a blur of black hair and
sweet-smelling perfume.
“Bryn, darling!” she purred, batting her eyelashes
like a whore on crack. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Have you been
hiding from me?”
“N-Never, Anjali.”
I swallowed the last of my cocktail in a weak attempt
to stop myself from hurling the contents of my stomach all over Bryn.
“I’d die and carry the memory of you with me to
Heaven,” Bryn continued.
“Really?” Anjali flashed him a luminous smile and
snuggled closer to him, like a serpent ready to devour.
I cleared my throat. The sight
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