Complications

A Chapter by Rae

Ali wakes up at the Norgen's. Now that her house is gone, where will she go now?

    Underneath me felt strangely familiar. It was comfortable like a cloud, and warm like the sun. It smelled a lot like Bengt, a citrus smell, that I loved to breathe in. My eyelids pried themselves apart, and I recognized where I was. I was in Bengt’s room.
   Was meeting Mason and my house burning down all a bad dream? I hoped it was. I found Barry cuddled in my arms, burn marks covered him. It wasn’t a dream. I hugged Barry closer as I laid back down. The last thing I remembered was Bengt singing to me. He must have brought me back to his house.
   I sat up and heard talking coming from downstairs. I crept silently out of Bengt’s room and down the stairs. In the kitchen, I saw my mother and Hasse talking while Emelie and Bengt made food.
   “How could this have happened?” my mother asked, sipping coffee from one of the mugs.
   “It certainly could not have been an accident,” Hasse said rationally, “I believe it could have been that boy that was stalking Ali.”
   My mother almost choked on her coffee, she sputtered, “W-what?! Ali was being stalked?! Since when?!”
   “Since the day you picked her up,” Hasse explained, “She never told you?”
   My mom shook her head and began, “Ali rarely tells me things. I’m lucky to get a greeting out of her. She talks to your family like she has known you for her whole life. It makes me jealous that she can be so nice to people that aren’t her family.”
   Hasse narrowed his eyes, but he did not say anything. I could tell that he was holding his tongue. I would have told her off if it were me, but it’s not. I crept farther down the steps so I could hear better, but my foot stepped on a particularly creaky step. The whole kitchen turned their heads to face me. I got up from my crouch and descended the stairs normally.
   Emelie greeted me first, ‘How are you feeling, dear? You must be exhausted from all that happened yesterday. Why don’t you rest just a little more?’
   “It’s alright, Emelie,” I reassured, “I’m well-rested.”
   I could see the jealous glint in my mother’s eyes, but neither her nor I spoke of it. She continued to sip her coffee as if she did not see me being sweet and kind to another’s mother.
   “Ali,” Hasse spoke in his rough and manly voice, “Are you alright?”
   I nodded and said, “Yes. I’ll get over my house burning down, eventually.”
   “I’m sorry,” he apologized.
   “Don’t be,” I said with a smile, “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I strongly think that Mason did this.”
   “Mason?” my mother asked.
   I sat down and began, “This new boy transferred to our school. His name is Mason. I found out that he was convicted of several thefts and one arson. I made him angry the other day because I would not let him copy off of my homework. I think it was because I knew about him that he did this to me.”
   ‘That name sounds familiar,’ Emelie started, ‘I saw a news report on him this morning. Perhaps it is still on.’
   Emelie turned on the TV and sure enough, Mason’s face was on the news. It was a newscast of my burning house. Apparently, he was caught with a Molotov Cocktail and was arrested. I just wish he was caught before he did that act.
   “I’m glad he was caught,” I said, taking my mother’s coffee and sipping it. My mom made a face before swiping her coffee away from me. Emelie sat down my own cup, however it had hot cocoa instead. I went to sip it, but I burned my tongue.
   ‘Careful,’ Emelie warned, ‘It’s hot.’
   Thank you, Emelie, I thought with sarcasm. Bengt sat right next to me with a mug of hot cocoa.
   ‘How are you feeling?’ Bengt asked.
   “Fine,” I said, “I’m happy that you made it out. And thank you for rescuing Barry for me.”
   ‘It was no problem,’ Bengt said, ‘I’d do anything for you, Ali. You are my best friend.’
   I smiled widely at him. I felt very different today. Normally, I’d feel snarky, but today I felt more grateful. My house just burned down, and I lost all my stuff, but I had Barry still. And it was all thanks to Bengt.
   “You can stay here, if you want,” Hasse told me.
   My mom intervened, “No, it’s alright. We can stay with grandma, right, Ali?”
   I grimaced. I hated my grandmother. She was mean, and she smelled like burnt feet for some unknown reason. I’d much rather stay at the Norgen’s. However, I knew that my mom did not want me staying here any more than I had to. She was insanely jealous, and everyone could tell.
   “I guess,” I muttered.
   “Great, then it’s settled!” my mother piped, leaving to make a phone call.
   Hasse turned to me and said, “You know, you could just stay here.”
   “I know,” I replied, “But I don’t want to disappoint my mother. Even if I have to temporarily spend time with the grandmother that hates my guts.”
   Hasse gave a chuckle, “Well, we’ll be here if you need us.”
   I nodded. I suddenly remembered that Hasse was a mind reader. I didn’t want to ask him right here though. It just didn’t seem like the right time.
   “Bengt,” I asked, “May I get on your laptop? Mine is kind of… fried.”
   I laughed at my own joke, but apparently it wasn’t very funny. I stopped laughing.
   ‘Sure,’ Bengt said, ‘It’s up in my room.’
   “Thank you,” I said, running up the stairs.
   I got back into Bengt’s room and felt myself calm again. I sat down and grabbed his laptop. It was so much different than my own. It was bigger and thinner then mine. It was also jet black, while mine was a gentle lavender color.
   I opened it right up and logged into the blogging site. I decided to write to V&W instead of putting up a new blog. What had happened seemed to be more personal. I wrote:

“Dear V&W,
           It is horrible. My owner was confronted by Mace himself. She had slipped up and told him what she knew about it. It was a stupid thing to do, but my owner regrets it, so I’m not so mad, but it seemed that the boy was angrier than I thought. I was simply at home, waiting for my owner, when I felt the heat rising. Flames licked the windows and floorboards. I screamed and begged for my owner to find me.
       I was in there for what seemed like forever. The flames were all around me. I felt my death nearing with each second. Then I heard the sirens. The firemen were there! I waited for rescue, but none came. I knew they wouldn’t save me, for I was just a stuffed animal with no importance to the world.
       But then an angel burst through the room and plucked me from my death. It was Bengt. I was so incredibly happy to see him. Instead of running back down the stairs, he opened the window and jumped out. Once we hit the ground, the top floor    collapsed in flames.
       I saw my owner sobbing on the sidewalk. I wanted to hold her and comfort her, but as soon as we approached, she threw her arms around Bengt instead of me. I was alright with it, because I loved Bengt as well. He put his life on the line to rescue me, a mere stuffed animal.
       One thing is for certain, I believe that Mace had set the house on fire to get back at my owner. What do you ladies think? Please respond as quick as you can.
~Barry the Lion”

   I didn’t wait for them this time. I shut the computer down and put it back under the bed where I found it the first time.
   I was not looking forward to being at my grandma’s. She was like Bengt’s grandfather. She always told me that I was unwanted, but she never did anything to my dad. That’s probably because he left so soon after my birth. Still, I had no desire to ever see her again. Sadly, I had to. As much as I wanted to stay her with the Norgen’s, I couldn’t let my mother be alone with that monster of a mother. Maybe that’s where my mother gets it from.
   Bengt opened the door and slid inside. He walked over and sat right next to me. He was sitting a little too close for comfort, but I let it slide.
   ‘Ali?’ he asked, ‘Are you sure you are alright?’
   “Yes,” I said, “Everything happens for a reason, right? Anyway, even if I cry or get angry, it still won’t bring my house back. It still won’t fix all the things that were melted in my house. Heck, I bet even the picture I framed of the two of us got melted.”
   Bengt looked surprised, he said, ‘You framed it?’
   I nodded.
   Bengt smiled and took out his picture. It was also framed. I smiled back and took it from him to examine it. It was a beautiful silver frame with vines on it. It really was a great picture.
   “I guess that means we need to take another one,” I joked.
   Bengt chuckled and hugged me, saying, ‘I’m sorry that this all happened to you. I wished it could have happened to me instead.’
   “Don’t say that!” I shouted, “Then Emelie and Hasse wouldn’t have a house either! You are blessed with such good things, Bengt. Don’t take them for granted.”
   Bengt nodded and continued, ‘I’m sorry.’
   “It’s okay,” I said.
   Bengt hugged me closer to his chest. His finger twirled into my hair, and I suddenly felt his lips kiss my temple. I placed a hand in the middle of his chest and pushed myself away from him with wide eyes.
   ‘What’s wrong, Ali?’ he asked me, a sad and confused look in his eyes.
   “N-nothing!” I stammered, “I just… I have to pee!” I got up and rushed to the bathroom.
   As I sat on the porcelain bowl, I inhaled deeply and exhaled swiftly. What had just went down back there? Bengt had clearly kissed me, or at least was trying. Was he trying to tell me something? Was he… trying to take advantage of the situation? No, Bengt was too sweet to do that. Clearly he was trying to tell me something.
   I wonder if he… likes me in that way. I mean, I know I’m pretty fine, but I didn’t think my beauty would affect him. In all seriousness, I had to find out just what that was. Maybe later though, because I’m still in shock at what just went down.
   I heard my mother calling for me downstairs. It was time for me to see the grandmother that wants me dead. That is just fantastic. I came out of the bathroom and ran right into Bengt’s chest.
   He gave me a shy smile and said, ‘Ali, I’m sorry for freaking you out. I know you ran because of that. I won’t do it again. I promise.’
   “But just was that?” I asked. I was curious to know.
   Bengt looked away and whispered, ‘It was nothing.’
   Oh it was something all right. Did he really like me, or was it something deeper than that? I didn’t want to ask now. He didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about it.
   “Ali!” my mom called, “Come on! Granny is waiting.”
   “Yay,” I cheered with sarcasm.
   Bengt gave me another bright smile and said, ‘Don’t worry. You can still see me at school.’
   “I know,” I said. It was most likely out of impulse that I did what I did next. I reached up and pulled him down to my level, then I pressed my lips against his cheek. His eyes widened as I separated the two of us. Both of our faces were cherry red.
   “See you later,” I said to him, hopefully leaving before I could embarrass myself further.
   Bengt had other plans, however. He pulled me back to him and pressed his lips onto my cheek. I blushed harder and endured the affection. When Bengt released me, a tear slid down his cheek.
   ‘Goodbye, Ali,’ he said as he retreated back into his room.
   I stood utterly surprised. I had a very bad feeling about what he said to me. Just what could he mean when he said “goodbye”?

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