Pure Belleza | ✔️

(55)

I stared at the suitcase on my bed and counted the items of clothing again.

T-shirt's, shorts, boxer shorts, socks. It was all there. I'd leave the toiletries for the morning.

My phone sat beside the suitcase, speaker phone on as I zipped up the bag.

"You sure that you packed all of it Bernie?"

Her loud and exasperated sigh came down the phone line. "Sí. I've been stealing her clothes for the last two weeks and stashing them in a bag underneath my bed. I think she's starting to notice though."

"I suppose that doesn't matter since we'll be leaving in the morning," I shoved my suitcase under the bed and picked up my phone. "And Elias said he'll drop it off on his way to Kiara's this afternoon? I have to meet her at the parlour at four so it'll have to be before then."

"Yes. Yes. Yes," she sounded as if she was one finger snap away from diva. "It's all covered. She has no idea. Dad is dropping off the suitcase and her passport. I'm single and no one is arranging surprise vacations to Spain for me."

I laughed and wandered out into the living room. "You're thirteen, Bernie."

"Irrelevant."

"Hey, I bought you that cloth mannequin for your birthday. That was nice, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was," she said and her excitement picked up. "Please attempt to get a video of Amalia finding out that she's going back to Barcelona. She's going to be so excited."

"Of cour—"

The door slammed shut. "What up motherfucker?!"

"Bernie, I have to go. Thanks for your help."

I hung up the phone and Lucas walked around the corner in a hoodie, a backwards cap and a pair of docs.

His hands were in his jean pockets and I flicked the kettle on.

I hadn't been expecting him but Lucas dropped in unannounced often enough that I wasn't surprised.

He threw his arms open. "You didn't come for Halloween cock breath. What the hell?"

"Oh. The dorm party thing, right? Sorry about that. Slipped my mind."

He walked into the kitchen and scoffed. "You didn't get my thirty three messages? Got a new girl and you dropped me. Slack bitch."

I stirred coffee and sugar into the mug and rolled my eyes. "I ignored those because you ignored mine. The one where I told you that Amalia's little sister was having a birthday dinner. It was a Day of the Dead theme. The girls wore super extravagant make up. It was cool."

"Yeah I got that text," Lucas hoisted himself up onto the countertop and chugged a bottled smoothie. "I chose to ignore it. You chose a thirteenth birthday party over Halloween with your brother. That's disappointing."

"Yeah," I felt sort of bad. But I had told him I wouldn't be able to come to Texas for Halloween weekend. And I'd seen his Instagram story. He had a good time. "It looked like a good time though. Mills made a good Ariel."

"What about my Prince Eric costume?"

"Yeah I wasn't sure about that black tousled wig, dude."

He smacked my arm as I lifted the mug, coffee spilled over the edges and I shot him a warning look.

"So Bernie," he pointed a finger me as he lifted the smoothie. "She's the account on Instagram, right? The one that occasionally leaves me a super hateful comment in Spanish. I mean, it's been a while. But still..."