Summer Paradise

Chapter Two | A Basketball Game?

Chapter Two | A Basketball Game?

       "Claire!" My mom calls from downstairs. "I need your help with something."

      I groan. Opening one eye, I check the clock on my bedside table, 7:48 am. Are you kidding me? It's a Saturday and I have to get up this early? I close my eyes and pretend that I didn't hear my mom.  

      "Claire!" My mom says, louder this time.

      "What?" I shout back. There's something wrong with that woman, I swear. I'm so not in the mood to get up. I slept late last night watching season three of The Walking Dead. I have yet to reach season four. I am not a morning person.

      I hear a knock on my door and my mom peeks her head in. "Oh, I didn't know you were still sleeping."

      "Right," I mumble in my pillow.

      "All right," she whispers. "I'll just ask you later." She slowly closes the door and leaves me with silence.

      I sigh and try to go back to sleep. I toss and turn but I couldn't sleep anymore. I'm already awake. My mom knows me too well. I fix my bed and wash my face. Heading downstairs, I see my mom fixing the kitchen. 

      "Mom, what are you doing?" I ask, watching her as she walks around carrying pots and pans. 

      She drops a pan and I pick it up, placing it on top of the counter. After dropping the pots and pans in the cabinet, she answers, "I'm cleaning our kitchen."

      I look around the room but find it spotless. I give my mom a confused look and raise an eyebrow.

      She shrugs. "Could you wipe the counter tops, please?"

      I sigh and get a wet towel by the sink. I never  I begin to wipe the counters as my mom goes around and "cleans" the already clean kitchen. I hear footsteps and turn around to see Joe flop down on one of the dining chairs. He puts his head down on the table and sighs loudly causing my mom to stare at him with worry. 

      I roll my eyes and ask, "Joe, what's your problem?" He ignores me. What's his problem? I poke him and push his head to the side. "Joe."

      He looks up with an annoyed look. "What do you want?"

      "I want you to tell me what happened to you. You look awful." His hair is sticking up in weird angles and his eye bags are deep.

      "Remember the girl I like?"

      I snort. "Which one?" 

      "Chase Castell," he says simply. "You know, curly brown hair? Tall?" he adds when I give a confused look.

      "Okay, whatever. Go on."

      "She's dating Jason."

      I make a sour face. "Jason Anderson? That guy?"

      Joe sighs and nods. "He doesn't fu­—"

      I cut him off before he could cuss in front of mom. Jason Anderson is the kind of guy girls should steer clear of. He's the ultimate playboy and the girls know it but they still succumb to his charms anyway. That's obviously why Joe's so devastated; Jason is just gonna break Chase's heart. "Since when were they dating exactly?"

      "Last March."

      "You mean this year?"

      He nods and buries his face in his hands. "I know I'm caring about this so late but it keeps nagging on me now. I can't stand knowing that some ass is gonna break Chase's heart. Like what the eff?"