First Comes Like #Wattys2020

10

TEN

I let Dean in though the front door and into the living room. My mom is sitting on the love seat, on the phone, but she smiles at Dean when he walks in.

Everyone smiles at Dean. I just don't get it.

We sit in the living room and lay the calendar on the coffee table. And then, we argue (with our voices low) about who has to write.

"You're so lazy!" I fling a marker into Dean's lap. He flings it right back and it bounces off my left boob. 

"Wow Pinkette." I hiss, "Now you're assaulting women?"

At that, Dean looks remorseful. But then he leans forward and whispers to me, "I can't write because my fingers are sore from playing the guitar." He gets the marker from the floor and holds it out to me. 

"Besides,"Dean says, his voice extra low, "You have a nicer handwriting."

"Flattery gets you nowhere." I say, but I take the marker anyway, "Let's just do this so you can get the hell out of my house."

"Fine with me."

That's when my dad walks in. He plops down on the couch, removes his shoes and glares at Dean.

"Aren't you that Pinkette kid?" He says, his tone just the tiniest bit harsh. Dean sits up straight and looks from me to my dad.

Before he can say anything I say, "We're working on a school project, Dad." My dad makes a humph sound and turns on the TV. Dean looks at me with his eyebrows raised. I shrug.

We both know this has everything to do with the feud between our families.

Dad looks away from the TV and back at Dean with narrow eyes. "What are your goals in life? What sports do you play? Are you using my daughter for sex?"

Dean and I nearly choke. On air. Apparently, this had nothing to do with our family feud. My dad thought Dean and I, DEAN AND I, were dating.

Unbelievable.

Mom quickly says goodbye to whoever she was talking to and shakes her head at my dad. "They're not dating George." She says, "They're just friends."

I speak up fast. "We're not even friends."

Mom opens her mouth to say something, probably to chastise me for saying such a rude thing, especially in front of my guest, but Dean doesn't give her a chance. He casually leans back on his hands and looks at her. "Enemies actually." he says.

Mom shuts her mouth. Dad gives a low growl. I almost laugh. 

"We should probably work on this in my room." I decide, out loud. I get up and Dean grabs the calendar and follows me upstairs.

"Leave the door open!" Dad calls after us.

Dean and I can't stop laughing at the absurdity of it all. The only thing that was likely to happen behind closed doors was a murder. And I was determined not to be the one who ended up in a pool of blood.

"Damn." Dean says throwing himself onto my bed, "First Nina and now your Dad. Is your mom the only one in this house who doesn't think we have something?"

I laugh and roll my eyes at him.

We sit on the floor of my room and while Dean reads out our list of activities for Valentine's Week, I find the date and mark it with a red permanent marker. That's done pretty quickly and then Dean and I are left to do 'further planning', according to Ms Fitz.

We write down some of the things we need to do, like get a DJ for the dance and go to the mall to buy decorations.

"So your Dad doesn't like me."Dean says out of the blue.

I shrug. "Like daughter, like father." I say and Dean snorts.

"Take this however you want, "Dean says, "But at least the ladies in this house like me." He runs his hands through his hair. "Right Nina?"

Nina appears at the door with a faded yellow shoe box in her hand. "Right." She says, before I have the chance to respond.

I don't understand it. It's like she can sense when Dean is around.

"What's in the box, kiddo?" Dean says, taking the box from Nina removing the lid. It's filled with bracelets made with different coloured threads.

Nina holds up a red one in Dean face. "Buy one."

Dean lets her slip it onto his wrist and pulls out his wallet from his back pocket. "How much?"

"Only five dollars." Nina says in her best salesperson voice.

"Five bucks!" I say, "Nina, how many have you sold?"

"Just thirty." She looks past me, at the closet, "For today."

My jaw drops. Nina was definitely a con artist for getting the kids at her school to buy plaited pieces of thread for five dollars.

"Impressive."Dean says and gives her a high five. Nina turns to me and holds up a purple one in my face.

"It compliments your eyes." She says, letting it sway from side to side, "Buy it."

I shake my head at her. Her sales magic wasn't going to work on me.

"The two dollars you owe me? For that cookie you bought at the mall?" I tell Nina, "Forget it and give me a bracelet for free. Which should be no problem since Dad's giving you fifty bucks for the bet you made on me." I give her a pointed look.

Nina's tries to hide her smile and groans loudly. "Come on, Val." She sticks out her bottom lip and gives me puppy eyes.

"Yeah, come on Poof." Dean says, putting his face next to Nina's and sticking out his bottom lip too. It's cute, but I fold my arms and frown at them.

For five minutes, we're just staring at each other. I won't budge. Eventually Dean frowns back at me.

"She's cheap." He pretends to whisper to Nina. I roll my eyes. He pulls another five dollar bill from his wallet and hands it to Nina. "I'll buy another on her behalf."

Nina claps her hands and squeals. Dean playful pulls her pigtail. I watch Nina carry her box out of my room then I turn to Dean, "You didn't have to."

He laughs. "It's not for you, Poof. I want two."

Ouch.

"Go home, Pinkette!" I yell and he gets up, grabs the calendar and pulls one of my curls as he heads out the door.