"You can't have him," I barked.
"Ooo... Is that a twinge of jealousy I see?" Amber said, sarcastically.
"Shut up. I didn't call you here to be an a*s."
"Fine, then what do you want? Other than having me meet a total hottie" Amber cued, using a puppy dog face, and stroking Mother Nature’s cheek. I rolled my eyes.
"I need help."
"With what? Be more specific. It doesn't help using phrases." Amber complained, as she turned to me.
"With him." I stated, putting my hands to my hips and slouching.
"How can I help?" She asked, finally getting up. Mother Nature followed and then headed to the kitchen, where I suspected he was trying to come up with another batch of cookies.
"I want to get rid of him." I whispered, hoping he wouldn't hear.
"But why?!"
"Why?" I mocked. "Well, I don't know... maybe because he's a total stranger claiming to be Mother Nature and he won't leave!" I clasped my hand to my mouth, realizing how loud I had just spoken. Amber was silent, also trying to hear for any sign of a backlash. Nothing. We both sighed at the same time, full of relief.
"Well, that's one way to kick someone out." Amber laughed. "So how do you suppose we get rid of him? It's a shame though; he has so much potential as my boyfriend."
"That's the thing. I don't know how to get rid of him. I asked him to leave, but he's claiming to want to grant me a wish."
"Wow. He may be hot and all, but I don't think his brain is in the right place." Amber said, looking around.
"Exactly. That's why we have to be very swift and we can't do anything to piss him off. I just bet his string is almost cut."
Amber nodded her head in agreement.
"Cookies are ready!" Mother Nature chimed, as he strolled out of the kitchen, a tray of cookies back in his hands. Amber and I straightened up.
"Umm...thanks. I guess." I said.
"Ya, same here." Amber put in, uneasiness at the bottom of her voice. Now that I had told her about him, I was sure she was contradicting herself on whether to keep him.
Mother Nature smiled and then placed a cookie in each of our hands.
"Hey I was wondering if we could call you something new," I asked, "Mother Nature is pretty awkward to call you, being a man and all." He nodded in approval.
"What about...umm...Kevin?" I suggested putting in the first name I thought of.
"Please..." Amber scoffed. "I don't want to think about a little kid when I'm planting my lips on him." Mother Nature looked confused.
"Fine...” I said, nibbling on the end of the cookie. I closed my eyes, trying to think of a guy name that would suit his eccentric personality. Nothing.
"How about...Angelo!" Amber exclaimed, jumping up and now, clapping her hands together.
"What a name," I said, shaking my head.
"But it's nice! He's so hot he could be an angel and the ‘o’ could just be for effect, like he could be Italian or something!" She explained. Plead filled her eyes.
"Fine," I gave up. "Fine...Angelo will be your new name," I instructed, making sure he understood.
"A-n-g-e-l-o..." He repeated, pronouncing every syllable. Then he smiled.
Amber finally left, but there was still the fact that both my father and brother had no clue I had a guy in the house. In a matter of an hour, I would have to conjugate a plan to hide Angelo and also explain what had come over me to cook.
"Let me help, Hope." Angelo offered, taking the scrub away fro me, and finishing the counter.
"Thanks," I said allowing the silence to take over. I resumed cleaning the rest of the kitchen.
"Tell me about yourself Hope." I looked up to see Angelo looking at me with curiosity.
"You should know, since you know so much already." I declared, turning back around, scrubbing even harder. I didn't appreciate him in my business.
"I only know your name and that you’re filled with a very deep sadness." I didn't reply. The noise of scrubs mixed in with water and soap filled the air.
"It is okay if you wish not to tell me."
"I'm stuck," I tried to explain. “I’m stuck in this hell hole of a town and there is no way for me to escape." I sighed. "My brother has never had a mother and everyday I blame myself for it. I blame myself for everything. I am the reason she left my father. I am the reason why she never cared for her children. She never wanted us because of me." I stopped scrubbing long enough to realize that my eyes were beginning to water. I leaned against the counter, facing Angelo and put my head against the cabinet.
"It is not your fault." Angelo said.
"And how would you know?"
"Because I know your mother loved you and your brother very much."
"Ya right."
"No, it is true. A mother bird has to let go of her baby birds. And by doing so, they learn to fly."
"I really don't think birds will help."
"I'm sure your mother loved you and you'll probably never know how much." And he left it at that.
We managed to put everything a way by the time my brother came home from soccer practice, along with my dad. Luckily, Angelo had hidden without any protest, hiding in the small of my closet. I knew we had done a good job at getting rid of evidence when my father hadn’t even noticed the smell of cookies. After dinner was finished with and my brother’s homework was done, we headed to our usual spot; in front of the TV.
“Hey dad, I’m tired. I think I’m going to lay down now.”
“Already?” he asked, not looking up from the football game. My brother was busy playing with his action figures.
“Ya, I have a long day at school tomorrow.”
“Well, goodnight sweetheart.”
“Goodnight.” I hated lying to my dad but I wasn’t ready to break the news to him.
When I got to my room, I found Angelo looking through my old yearbooks.
“Hey!” I said, rushing over to him and grabbing my 04-05 book from his hands. “That’s mine.”
“You were very cute, Hope.” He commented, getting off from my bed and going towards the window. “Your smile is very bright.”
“Enough with the literacy. Sweet talk won’t help you, buddy.” He continued to stare at the window, tracing along the cracks that I had made, when I had thrown my book.
“Why do you want to become a tree?”
“It was a silly idea, just forget about it.” I said, putting the yearbooks back on the shelf.
“No, it’s not. A tree is a beautiful thing. I could understand why you would want to become one.”
“Not exactly...”
“You want to become one because they are free; they have not one care in the world…”
“You know, those cookies were delicious.” I said, trying to change the subject. He took the hint.
“Really?! Mother always said I was a great cook!” And that’s when I realized how happy Angelo had become. It was as if his whole face had instantly light up, like a thousand stars.
“Ya,” I agreed, smiling back.
The next day at school must have been one of the hardest days of my life to sit still. The idea of Angelo alone, in my house, doing god knows what, scared the s**t out of me. Even Amber seemed a bit out of it, not even bothering to pass notes like she usually did.
“Hey,” I greeted, sitting next to her at the lunch table. For Amber, lunch was an apple and a diet coke, clearly a sign that she wanted to lose nonexistent weight.
“Hey,” she replied, looking down.
“What’s gotten in to you today?” I asked, laughing a little. There was tension between us.
“Listen, I’ve been thinking...” she started. I nodded, all the while chewing at my chicken sandwich, wanting her to know I was all ears. “I think you should keep him.”
I nearly choked, hearing those words come out of her mouth. Smart, oh so observant Amber, was losing her mind! “No, no, and no… I am not keeping him. Amber, are you listening to yourself? At first, you like him and I can understand why, but then you changed your mind. Now you want to go back? He’s a freak!” Curious eyes and ears surrounded us.
“Calm down, Hope.” Amber ordered, trying not to cause attention.
“Calm down?! Amber, you do realize there is a freak claiming to be Mother Nature in my house?!” I heard whispers throughout the room as I realized I was standing up from the table. I quickly sat back down.
“Yes, I know already, but will you just listen to me for a sec…?” Amber asked with a harsh tone.
“Fine...”
“Okay, let’s think…supposedly he’s here to grant some extreme wish you made wanting to be a tree, you changed your mind, but he won’t leave…”
“Ya?” I was still confused.
“Well… maybe he can’t leave until he grants you a wish.” Amber could tell I wasn’t following because then she said, “Okay, it’s like the Genie in the bottle...Alright, you see…you get three wishes and then the Genie goes back in the bottle until someone else picks it up. Well, maybe if he grants you a wish, he’ll then leave. I mean he ‘if he is Mother Nature’ then this will work.” She finished it with a smile.
“So… You’re suggesting I replace my stupid wish with something else?”
“Exactly! But don’t waste it on stupid stuff…like a better attitude.”
“Hahaha...Very funny,” I said, sarcastically. “But what if he doesn’t grant me another wish and I have to be stuck with him for the rest of my life?”
“Well then, you either choose to be a tree or you’re screwed.”
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