Dedicated to 'applestar15'- CONGRATS and happy belated birthday! :)
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The car ride home with Leo had been hysterical. He kept trying to be mad at me for my involvment with Tess' face- just wait 'til he found out about the photos...- but ultimately failed, he was just too loved up at the thought of her coming to sleep by him last night. I teased him mercilessly of couse, as any good cousin should.
As we pull up outside the house a thought occurs to me that I hadn't considered. My eyes widen and my heart starts hammering as I pull down the mirror, hardly daring to breathe as I inspect my neck in the mirror.
"Oh shit. Oh shit, Leo! Shitshitshit!" I start wailing.
Out of the corner of my eye I can see him smirking at my pain.
"You think this is funny!" I half squeal.
"No... I think it's hilarious!"
"My parents will kill me!"
"You shouldn't have been eating that circus performer's face last night then!"
"Not helping!"
"Come on, chill out Mel. You're parents are the most relaxed people I know."
"What's that to do with anything! I'm 17 but my dad sees me as 7! Mum might be somewhat ok with it but dang it they're going to think I'm a slut!"
"Come off it Mel, they won't think that!"
"Maybe if they were small they wouldn't mind. But look at my neck Leo. These. Aren't. Small"
"Guess not." He's trying to be sympathetic but he just keeps sniggering at me. I roll my eyes, this is going nowhere.
"Ughhh... do you have any concealer?"
He doesn't even dignify that with an answer, just a look that says- "do I look like I have concealer?"
"Figured. It was worth a shot." I sigh.
Maybe if I strategically placed my hair... I fiddle with it, trying to make it cover the worst patches to no avail. Grunting in frustration I smack my head back against the headrest. Could I make it past the main room and into my bedroom quickly cover up and then race back to the front to walk in as if we'd just arrived? Nope.
As if to accentuate my feelings of doom and gloom, the front door flies open and there's mum and dad, smiling in the doorway as they wait for us to get out of the car. There is no escape. I sigh resignedly. Time to face the music.
With my head hanging low and my eyes fixed firmly on the ground underfoot, I couldn't look more guilty if I tried.
"Hi guys! Did you have a fun night?" Mum asks brightly.
"It was fabulous, completely awesome night!" Leo responds eagerly.
"That's great! What about you Mel? What did you think?"
Three sets of expectant eyes fall on me.
"No, yeah, it was great. Agree with Leo, 100% um. Yeah, I desperately want a shower though. Would you mind too much if I raced off for a few more minutes?"
I can see Leo shaking a little beside me, he's laughing! That asshole! He's going to give me away! I kick him, feeling peeved.
"Sure, was it that hot and sweaty last night?" Mum asks, I can almost see the glimmer in her eye in my mind.
Oh, god, could her choice of words be any more awkward? Leo loses it at this point, laughing right out loud. I cringe.
"Oh yeah, you should have seen a certain someone with one of my best friends..." I say dangerously, hinting to Leo that he needs to shut the hell up.
YOU ARE READING
Behind the Cherry Tree, A Not-So-Short Story
RomanceMel and Mike met as toddlers in the playground. One thing lead to another and they became unlikely best friends, quite the reverse of their parents feelings- which are something more along the lines of the hatred shared in Romeo and Juliet. But fear...
