8. CALL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Call

 

     WE REACH THEIR HOUSE AT ALMOST SIX. I WANT TO SAY THAT I want to go home now since it’s morning already and for sure my mom is already awake, but I’m too tired and sleepy to have another trip, all I wanted to do now is to climb to a bed and fall asleep. And I can see that Adam is feeling the same way. I can see that everyone is still asleep, well, except for Ryan, I notice him jogging. Before Adam went to his room, he showed me to the guest room, which is a little far from his.

     The room was like the ones they have in most of the five star hotels. The bed was a round pale white with a mahogany canopy that matches the shade of its wooden floor. While the carpet, curtains and lamp are all varies shades of white. It’s quite big for a guest room, or maybe like Adam’s without those shelf and shelf of CDs, though there are some beautiful masterpiece and a shelf of books.

     I took off my bag, shoes and jacket and slowly climb to the bed. I tried to remember all that happened in Venice but I suddenly fell asleep.

 

     I woke up still feeling lack of sleep. I look at my phone and

 

 

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it’s already one pm. I went outside the room, though I’m not sure where the bathroom is. I headed toward Adam’s room but he wasn’t there, they’re probably in the dining room. I took a peak first at every room if they have a bathroom, then I remembered that every do have a bathroom. Stupid of me. I went back to the guest room and I was right. At the back side of the room was the bathroom, I walk inside and I saw that my toothbrush was there, though I’m pretty sure that it’s mine, I examined it first, it took me a minute before I’m a hundred percent sure. After I brush my teeth, I stared at myself and I’m pretty messed up, I decided to get the brush in my bag then I carefully brush my curls. After that, I went downstairs to see what they were doing.

     “Good afternoon Alyson…” Ashley greeted.

     “Good afternoon too… um, where’s the others?” I asked.

     “Adam is eating lunch now… the others are in the dining room as well, though I’m not sure what they’re doing… did you like the clothes I put on the chair beside your bed? Or do you want another pair of clothes?”

     “Yes… thanks… it’s just right…” I hope that clothes are not something I would regret later.

     “Do you want to eat lunch now?”

     “Um sure… but can I take a bath first?” I bit my lip.

     “Sure honey…”

     “Thanks…” I said and went back to the guest room to get the clothes. There was a black cami with button detail, red sequined bolero, black jeans and she even left me a pair of black boots, silver belt, guitar necklace, and star earrings to pair with it. And there was also a pair of my underwear and now I’m very sure it’s mine. My mom said before that I should put initials so that I won’t get it mixed up with hers, God this is embarrassing, but I have no choice.

     I took a bath and wear her clothes though I didn’t put the star earrings, well because I’m already wearing one. I brushed

 

 

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my curls then took my bag and toothbrush and went downstairs again and now I saw that everyone is in the living room except for Adam.

     “Oh hey, that looks great on you…” Ashley complimented.

     “Um, thank you very much… maybe I’ll give it back to you tomorrow…”

     “You could keep that and the other ones I gave to you at about two days ago…”

     “Okay… thank you again…”

     “That’s okay… my closet is a little crowded…”

     “Maybe you mean over crowded…” Ryan added.

     “Well a little like that…” she smiled shyly.

     “Okay… but I guess I need to go home now… my mom is probably still worried…”

     “Don’t worry about it… I called her again just to say that you’re having a sleepover here… then I decided to drive to your house anyway to get your toothbrush and underwear…”

     “What did she say?”

     “She just said that it’s okay at least I confirmed it and now she’s sure that you’re really safe…”

     “Oh… okay…”

     “Well, I bet you’re already hungry so c’mon… you need to eat, you’re a little skinny…”

     “Okay…” then she led me to the dining room, and I can see at the kitchen, Adam is washing the dishes.

     “Hey Alyson…” he said after finishing the last plate.

     “Why are you washing the dishes?” I asked.

     “Well you see, the last one who eats gets to wash the dishes…”

     “Then I should be the one who’s doing that…”

     “Do you think I’ll let you?” he said walking toward me. Obviously it’s a rhetorical question.

     “Of course you should… “

     “You’re a guest here… so that means I’m going to wash

 

 

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yours too…”

     “No way… that’s too much…”

     “I’ll leave you two for now…” Ashley said tapping Adam’s shoulder.

     “So what do you want to eat?” Adam asked.

     “Anything… I guess…”

     “Well, there’s still some roasted turkey, pasta, salad, muffins, cakes…”

     “I’ll just have the roasted turkey and pasta…”

     “Don’t you want a slice of cheesecake?”

     “Well, you know that that’s my weakness…”

     “Well then… here you go madam…” he said giving me a plate of roasted turkey, which was already sliced, and pasta. And then on the other hand is a plate of a sliced cake.

     “Thanks…” I said as I sat on the chair.

     “What drink do you want?”

     “Gatorade, iced tea, coke, water…”

     “I’ll just have an iced tea…”

     “Okay…”

     “So what time did you wake up?” I asked taking a bite on the roasted turkey.

     “An hour before you…”

     “Ah…” I said taking another bite.

     “Here you go…” he said giving me a glass of iced tea then sitting next to me.

     “What’s the grosses thing you ever eaten?”

     “You really want to know?”

     “Yah…”

     “Umm, hot sauce iced cream…”

     “Gross! Did you finish that?” I said taking a sip.

     “Of course not…”

     “Why did you try that anyway?”

     “Truth or Dare…”

     “Ah… no wonder… usually I just take the truth there…”

 

 

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     “Hey, after you finish, I’d like you to meet someone… my most favorite girl…”

     “Your favorite girl?” I asked raising one eyebrow.

     “Yes…”

     “What’s her name?” I took another bite on the pasta.

     “Maddie…” he said smiling crookedly.

     “Is she your cousin?”

     “Nope… not a relative or something…” I elbowed him. “What did I do?”

     “Nothing…” I look away and too another big bite.

     “Don’t worry… I just know her for two years… we’re just really close…”

     “Yah… that would help…”

     “Finish that first…”

     “Okay…”

 

     After I finish my lunch, I insisted on washing my dishes, but he got it before I did. It took us almost half an hour to finish, well because we were playing with the bubbles, but in the end, I washed my plate and utensils while he washed my glass and the small plate.

     “Okay… now we’re finished… where’s your favorite girl?”

     “C’mon…” he said. Then he took my hand and dragged me to the back part of their house. “And here she is…” he gestured to a cute Shih Tzu wearing a purple plaid dress that matches the shade of the walls.

     “Aw… she’s so cute!” I said taking my hand from Adam’s and reaching for the Shih Tzu. “How old is she?”

     “Like I said… I know her for two years…”

     “Is she a gift or something?” I said as I gently brushed my hand to her fluffy hair.

     “Yes… for me… well you see, as a kid, I always dreamed to have a puppy… but when I was ten, my first dog died. It was a Japanese Chin… his name is Mickey… it took me almost six

 

 

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years before I recovered…”

     “You’re really a dog lover?”

     “Well, when Mickey died, I was afraid at first to have another because it might die again… it’s traumatic you know… but one time I watched a show where this guy has like ten dogs and everyone of it was healthy… and then I think about it, if a guy can take care ten dogs, then why can’t I do it in one? Then I insisted to my parents to buy me another one, but they won’t agree, well I insisted everyday… then on my birthday, they surprised me with Maddie…”

     “Well… um, that’s an interesting story… um, could she do some tricks?” I said brushing her hair again.

     “Of course… give her to me… I’ll show you…”

     “Okay…” I said handling her to him gently.

     “Watch…” he said putting Maddie down. “Dance…” he commanded and Maddie followed.

     “What else?”

     “Maddie, what is the cube root of twenty-seven?” then Maddie barked three times.

     “How many months does it take for you to train her and for her to follow?”

     “A month or so…”

     “Ah… um, what else does she do?”

     “Wait…” he said taking a hoop. “Okay, Maddie, jump…” then Maddie jump. “Now jump backward…” and Maddie followed. “Alyson, could you hand me those balls?” he pointed at the three blue balls.

     “Here…” I said handing it to him.

     “Maddie, juggle…” then Maddie bit each then throw it at the air and suddenly she used her paws to juggle.

     “Wow… how come she can do it and I can’t?”

     “Learn from the best…”

     “Don’t you give her something after every trick?”

     “Usually yes… but she just had lunch…”

 

 

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     “Ah…”

     “Do you want to see more?”

     “Sure… what else?”

     “Find something that you think is really hard to find, even for me…”

     “Okay…” I look around then I saw a small hat that was hidden behind a large basket. “Okay, um, I’d like her to find a small dark blue hat…”

     “Okay then… Maddie go find a blue hat…” then Maddie quickly walk toward the hidden hat behind the huge basket without sniffing or something then she took it and headed toward me.

     “Wow… she’s really a smart Shih Tzu…”

     “Like I said, she learned from the best…”

     “Is she the only dog here?”

     “Nope… Nate has a Maltese… and Shane has a Havanese and a poodle…”

     “You’re really a dog-lover…”

     “Of course… how about you? What pet do you have?”

     “None… my dad is allergic with the furs, well, before…”

     “Ah… but have you tried taking care of one?”

     “Of course… Miley, my best friend, have one…”

     “What’s the breed?”

     “Glen of Imaal Terrier…”

     “Ah…”

     “Hey, what’s the name of their dogs?”

     “Nate’s Maltese is named Cookie… Shane’s Havanese is named Cupcake then his Poodle is named Strawberry…”

     “Yummy… then how come yours is named Maddie? Not any other food?”

     “I just want to be unique…”

     “Really…” I raised one eyebrow and smiled crookedly.

     “Of course… what are you thinking?”

     “Nothing…”

 

 

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     “I know that look… what are you thinking? That I named her to my favorite ex?”

     “I’m not saying anything… why are you so guilty?”

     “I’m not guilty…”

     “Are you sure?”

     “Yes! Why are you asking anyway?”

     “Nothing… hey where’s the other dogs? I want to meet them…”

     “Here…”

     “Wait… they have separate rooms?” I asked as he opens another door.

     “Yes… well, except Shane’s pets… you see, our parents said that it’s our responsibility to take care of our pets… well, except when we have a tour… we just leave them to a dog sitter…”

     “So why do they have separate rooms again?”

     “Specifically, our dad said that the owner is the one who should take care of he’s pet, you know, the one that should feed, bathe, etc… we can visit the other pets if the owner is gone, sick or something… though we still break the rules… we can’t help ourselves from not playing with the other pets…”

     “Okay…” I said as I walk toward the room, and I saw a Havanese that is wearing a red checkered dress and a poodle that is wearing a blue plaid dress. “Can they do tricks too?”

     “Cupcake is the newest one so not yet… Shane got him two months ago… Strawberry can do what Maddie can…”

     “So where’s the other one?”

     “Here…” he said gesturing to another door.

     “Okay… I said heading toward him.

     “He can do more tricks than Maddie can…”

     “Like what?”

     “Wait… Cookie, get the papers and give it to me…” then cookie followed but instead of using his mouth to hold it, he used his paw and walk toward us.

     “Wow…” I applaud lightly.

 

 

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     “He can also juggle like Maddie… Cookie, what’s the cube root of one hundred twenty-five?” then Cookie barked five times.

     “You really love math…”

     “I told you, it’s my favorite subject…”

     “Can I ask something to him?”

     “Sure…”

    “Okay… Cookie, how many girls did Adam dated?”

     “Hey… I already told you about that…” then Cookie barked ten times.

     “Wow… you really did date ten girls…” then my phone ring.    “Hello?”

     “Alyson! I have great news for you! Go home now!” my mom said excitedly.

     “Okay… bye…”

     “Bye…” then I shut my cell phone.

     “My mom said she has good news for me so I should go home now…”

     “Okay… I’ll drive you home…”

     “Thanks…”

 

     We reached our house by four. I can see that my mom is peeking from the window. But when I went out of the car, she went outside too.

     “Alyson, bring Adam too…” she shouted.

     “Okay…” I said surprised. “Do I need to repeat that?” I looked to Adam but he was out of his car already.

     “Nope…” he said taking my hand.

     “So what’s the news?” I asked when we went inside.

     “First, your dad called and said that we don’t need to go back to Boston because he’s going here! We’ll be staying or maybe I should use the word living here in California! He said many from here heard about him and that he’s a great lawyer and like about five clients wants him to be their lawyer! And

 

 

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good news is that his last client has a sister here and wants him to be her lawyer and she gave us a house here! And the best part is that it’s just a few blocks from here!”

     “Really! Well, I’m a bit… speechless…”

     “Congrats…” Adam said.

     “When will dad be here?”

     “He said after a month…”

     “Where will I study?”

     “There are a lot of schools here…”

     “Are you in college now or on your fourth year?” Adam asked me.

     “Fourth year…”

     “You could go to the Abraham Lincoln High school…”

     “Okay…”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Reviews

[elyza0926]

i like the flow of your story.. it actually makes me smile, and i'm really enjoying every chapter.. :)

[Coyote Poetry]

The story is very good. Venice food did sound very good in a few chapters back. Good description of characters and events. Great job young lady.
Coyote

[mmzx]

:D