Mending Wounds

Chapter Three

When I was six years old, I met two kids in kindergarten. I remember that before I met them, I hated going there because no one would play with me or be friends with me because they thought I was a little weird. One day, I was sitting on the swings alone during playtime while everyone else was playing together. I remember those two little brown haired and hazel brown eyed twins approaching me, they were in a different grade, they invited me to play and never left my alone since that day. A year later, I got introduced to my third best friend, their younger brother.

Those friends were the Gouglas siblings, Alex, Derek, and Cole. We been friends since the first time we met. Since the day we first met, we were inseparable, until we reached primary school. When we finished kindergarten, we faced the reality where I had to go to a government school, and they had to go to private school. Alex’s mum and mine knew how closer we were, they saw a friendship that was worth keeping so they made an arrangement. Since it was three to one, my mum agreed on letting stay over every weekend.

Everything worked out that way, the four of was were able to survey almost 14 years of being friends, at least three of us did. When I was 14, Cole decided that he didn’t want to study here anymore and insisted that he studies abroad. He planned everything out, he looked up a student exchange program that allowed him to study in town in Texas, provided him with a dorm with several other exchange students, as well as with a monthly meal plan and discounts. He had all the documents and evidence that he needed, ones that gave his parents no room for arguments and doubts that he came make it on his own. It wasn’t such a big deal, but I was sad when he left.

One night while I was asleep in his room, Cole came back to surprise the family and me in the process. He had a girlfriend back then, but that didn’t stop our feelings to somehow grow for each other. When he broke up with his girlfriend for cheating on him, we started dating a while after and everything just feel into place. Cole wasn’t just Alex’s twin brother, he was my best friend, the person who brought me out of my comfort zone, my first boyfriend, and my first ex-boyfriend.

Almost a year later, we broke up. It was a really messy and big breakup that almost broke my friendship with Alex and Derek as well. My breakup with him literally broke my heart in half, even more when Cole decided to leave again. According to him, he wanted to see the world and get a summer job somewhere in Manhattan where his grandma lives. that night, we had our last final fight before he packed-up and left. We never spoke to each other again, not once in the past two years after. At least not until last night.

The room was too bright when I woke up, so bright that it took me a couple of minutes to adjust to the light. It was loud too, loud enough to wake up a whole goddamn neighbourhood. I was in the confusion phase, where I was still in bed trying to remember the events of the night before and where I was. When I was able to regain my full wakeful, I found myself on Derek’s chest, his arms around me to hold his controller.

“Mic” Derek said, a bit too loud for my liking “Watch out for that sniper on the roof”

I immediately pushed myself off him, a little weirded out because I never cuddle with him before, that’s not how our friendship worked “Wohh”

“Ey, look who finally woke up” he smiled “For the record, sweetheart, you were the one who climbed over me”

I nodded.

“What time is it?” I asked as I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

“11:23” I heard Cole say.

To my luck, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, next to Mic with their backs to up and eyes focused on the game displayed on the TV.

I rolled my eyes and got up “That’s my que to leave” I said then left.

I made my way to Derek’s room, where I placed my duffle bag on the bed and started rummaging through it for cloths. I needed a shower bad, as well as something that would keep me locked up alone for the next half an hour in order to gather the patience and energy to deal with Cole’s ass for the rest of the day. It was evident from our last night enter counter that he will be on my nerves for the rest of his trip before he leaves again.

I looked up to the open door when I heard a knock, Cole was leaning against the doorframe “Can I come in?” he asked.

I ran my hand through my hair “What do you want know, Cole? I’m not ready for round two of your stupid insults and arguments”

He put his hands up in defeat “I just want to talk”

Taking my silence as a yes, he strolled to the bed and took a seat next to my bag. He watched me in silence as I took out my towel and shorts, deciding not to take out my bra and underwear first.

I felt my heart skip and beat when he reached out to me, our eyes locked as he played with one of the curls that fell over my face. A smile tugged his lips while he twirled the curl around his finger.

“Your hair is different” he stated “I like it”

I tore my eyes away from him then cleared my throat, attempting to hide my flustered face. I then used my hand to push the curl that he was playing with behind my ear. He gave me a small smile before his eyes dropped to my bag and a grin appeared on his face.

He dipped his hand into his bag and pulled out one of my bras, it was a black and white stripped wireless pushup bra and matching boxers by the string. It was something Alex gifted me for valentines last year when she decided that she wanted to take the role of my boyfriend, so I don’t feel lonely.

“This is an improvement” he said.

I snatched it from his hand and stuffed it between my clothes “Alex got them for me” I explained.

“Bet your boyfriend likes it” he randomly said, then dropped his eyes to his fingers as he picked on his nails.

I roll my eyes “Not yet” I told him.

We fall into a moment of silence, before a chuckle fell out of his lips “You’re still a virgin, somethings don’t change” he said “What is this? Boyfriend number 3 or 4 after me?”

I looked at him with a mixture of hurt and annoyingness “And you’re still the asshole you were the last time we’ve met. f**k you, Cole” I spat before then stormed out with my cloths hugged to my chest.

I walked into Alex’s room, shut the door behind me “Your brother is really piece of ass” I said in annoyances to Alex whom was watching some show on her laptop.

“Tell me something I don’t know, Hun” she chuckled “He’s only been here for what… 12 hours and he’s already on your nerves? Must be a record”

I ignored her amusement as I walked into the bathroom.

“I wouldn’t do that If I were you” she called stopping me “Jeremy is in there”

I groaned as I leaned against the door.

She moved to the edge of the bed to sit up “Hey, this won’t change anything right?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

She sighed “I mean this won’t change anything between us and cause you to leave again”

I shook my head “Nothing will even make me leave you guys, especially not your d**k of a brother” I gave her a comforting smile “All I have to do to avoid him around the house. It’s no big deal. I mean I spent two years not speaking to him, I can spend a few more”

She gave me a nod.

“BTW, we invited Ben for brunch” she pointed out “So that automatically means that you’re invited too”

I groaned “You could’ve told me that yesterday, i***t. I didn’t bring anything brunch appropriate”

She jumped out of her bed then walked into her closet “You can wear my Harrier dress; I know you’ve always wanted to wear that” she offered.

I looked at her like she was crazy “What? No” I said, shook “Alex, that a 250 dollars dress. There’s no way in hell that I would wear that for brunch”

She frowned “Why not?”

I grabbed the white dress out of her hand, then shoved it back to the closet where it belongs on the fancy side of the closet.

Alex grew a new habit over the last two years. She wouldn’t go shopping all month, and when she would get her paycheck from her job and her online art store and the occasional paycheck from the store she designed dressed for as a side thing, she would spend it on buying sustainable dresses from an experience online brand called reformation. I didn’t disagree to her spending habits, it was her hardworking money after all, and she only buys one articles of clothing each month from online stores.

She also had a reason to buy all those nice dresses. On monthly bases, Alex had at least 10 occasions that she need to dress up for; she has her dad’s company parties, company parties for the visual design company she worked in, brunches with her co-workers, family, and dad’s colleges and their family, as well as her fancy once in a month dinners or outings with Jeremy.

“Why not? It’s too fancy for brunch, too reveling around the legs to wear here, and too goddamn white for me. The last thing I want to spell something on it” I explained.

She rolled her eyes then started digging into her closet “How about the Court dress? You like that one, don’t you?”

“Sure, if you want me to flash my boobs to everyone at American Ally” I told her “How about we look at the less fancy and expensive part of the closet?”

She went through her cloths until a smile appeared on her face “Hoe about my white mini dress? The one with the buttons and contrast stich?” she asked “It’s not that short, at least not on you. It would look perfect”

I gave her a nod, not arguing. If it was one thing that Alex was mostly good at, it was dressing other people and designing. During summer breaks in high school years, she spent her morning taking online fashion and designing course, and on occasions, she’d go with her mum to work. Fashion has always been one of her strongest gifts, even when we were 7 years old.

“Do you want to take a shower in Derek’s room instead?” she asked “Jeremy is taking his time in there, plus I need to take one too before we leave in 30 minutes. I’ll take one in my parents’ room to speed up the process”

I took the dress and walked into Derek’s room. It was empty, so I walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower, one that did not involve mt hair. After my shower, I slipped into my undergarments then into the dress Alex gave me. It didn’t surprise me when the dress hugged my body perfectly, highlighting all of my good features. I then tugged at my hair tie, letting my curls fall down my back then ran my hand through with a little oil to give my hair a shiner look.

Using the make-up that I took from Alex’s room before leaving, then applied the minimal amount of make. I carefully lined my eyes with light brown eyeliner, brown eyebrow gel to hide the little gabs in my eyebrows, a little of blush, highlight, mascara, and a maroonish shade of lipstick.

When I was happy with the result of my lacking skills of makeup, I walked out of the bathroom while putting my earrings on. In the bottom of my bag, I pulled out my black white Authentic Vans then slipped them on.

When I walked back into Alex’s room, Jeremy was sitting on the bench in front of his bed putting his shoes, while Alex was fixing her Magdalena coloured Lucky dress in the mirror. She was wearing white lace-up sandals with her dark cherry hair loose curled and perfectly falling around her face.

“Morning” Jeremy smiled at me “You look good”

“Good afternoon to you too, Jay” I said with a smile as bright as his “You clean up nice too”

It was true. Jeremy is a really good-looking guy, even without getting dressed up and all. He had this stunning Mocha coloured skin, hazel coloured eyes, black hair cut into a crew cut. Today he was wearing a white t-shirt, off-white shorts, shorts that were a darker shade of beige, and white sneakers.

“Let’s hit the road kids” Alex called.