THREE
1990 Words
Victoria sat on her bed going through an old picture album. She was in the dormitory on the school campus; her father had had the dean pull some strings so she could be in the same room with Jennifer. Irene and Amanda were in the room next to them. Amanda was in their room that night, Irene had gone out and was not back yet.
“Did you know I made Alvin do my chores for a week after this event?” she laughingly said as she held up a picture of a younger her and her cousin Alvin.
“Give me,” Amanda said reaching out to take it, Jennifer leapt out of her dressing chair to grab the picture before Amanda could take it. she stuck out her tongue and shook her head at her.
“Childish,” Amanda muttered.
“Matured,” Jen retorted. “Oh, my goodness, I remember this. It was that catering event we had in school. Irene was your partner Vic. Amanda was Rebecca’s, I was sick so I didn’t participate. I can’t remember who was Alvin partner though.”
“I do,” said Amanda. “It was supposed to be Irene but Victoria lured her with some gifts-”
“Can’t even remember what.”
“Neither do I. Anyways, Irene turned Vic’s partner overnight and David became Alvin’s partner. Alvin was so upset, Irene was the best cook amongst us.”
“And she still is, she’s just so lazy,” Jennifer said.
“Alvin retaliated by replacing our sugar with salt. We were so rushed we didn’t even notice until the judges tasted our pastries.”
“Ah. I remember the look on their faces before the gagging. I mean, life was so much simpler then. Irene brushed it off, went home, made another set of pastries and shared it to the judges and our parents. But you, Victoria, you didn’t let it go. You were sulking around for a week. How did you find out it was Alvin?”
“His brother told me, he couldn’t keep it to himself.”
“Oliver? Amanda had a crush on him then,” Jennifer said wiggling her eyebrows.
“Has,” Victoria corrected.
“Oh, please. It was cravings of the past,” said Amanda as she stood up from where she had lain on Jen’s bed to get her laptop.
“Of course, it was. You have Roberts now.”
“Victoria,” warned Jen.
“What?! You guys are still fighting?”
“He hasn’t called me yet so I’d say yes.”
Victoria looked over at Jennifer who was doing her nightly ritual and pretending she was not in the room, “And have you called him?”
Amanda huffed, “You obviously don’t understand how this thing works. He made me angry and he has not called to apologize.”
“Did you make him know that he made you angry?”
“No, I didn’t. He is supposed to know. What the hell is he my boyfriend for if he can’t decipher my moods.”
Jennifer slapped her cream on the table causing some to splatter on the floor, “I thought you were the grown up of our group,” she took some tissues, bent down and started cleaning as if she had done it unintentionally.
“I am.”
“You are obviously not,” Victoria said going back to her picture album.
“If you think I am going to argue with you who the grown-up of this group is then you don’t know me.”
“We are not arguing with you either. We are just saying your boyfriend doesn’t know that he made you angry so you are just fighting with yourself.”
“But he hasn’t called me so you have lost a point.”
“He hasn’t called you because you haven’t called him,” piped in Victoria from the bed.
“That’s not a thing because I-”
“Who missed me?” questioned Irene as she burst into the room with her hands full.
“Are those shopping bags?”
“Why, yes, Jen, they are. I gave myself a little treat.”
“You don’t say. Which poor boy did you hypnotize to pay for these?”
“Your brother, love. Speaking of boys, I’ve got one here,” she stuck her head outside the room and said something to someone.
“Hello, Robert. What a pleasant surprise,” said Victoria as all six feet of Robert entered their room. Robert, their dangerously dark handsome brown-eyed friend, came in smiling with more shopping bags.
“Hi Vic. How’s OSU treating you?”
“Good, really good. Just waiting on that outing you promised us.”
“We’ll go. As soon as I find out how to stop Amanda from being angry with me, any hint?”
“Yes,” Jennifer said, “Call her. She’s been angry that you didn’t call her.”
“Okay, thanks,” he whipped out his phone and dialed a number.
Amanda’s phone started ringing, she took it and left the room. “I might have made matters worse,” he said jokingly and went after Amanda.
“Kisses! She loves kisses!” Victoria and Irene shouted after him.
“Okay, Irene. What is the story behind the shopping?”
“Calm your t**s, Vic,” she said unloading the shopping bags.
“Stop putting it on hold!”
“I said calm down. Who even said there was a story?”
“Um, because there is always a story with you?”
“You seem to be looking for something,” said Jennifer.
Irene really seemed to be looking for something, she had turned all the bags upside down, “Yes, found it!”
“What do you guys think about it?!” She held up a knee length dark brown gown. It was body fitting, had only one sleeve and was beautiful.
“Holy s**t,” Jennifer stood up and went to touch the dress she ran her hands on it. “Come feel it Vic.”
“I don’t need it to. It is gorgeous. So now, the story?”
Irene folded the dress perfectly and put back into the bag, “I have a dinner date.”
“Dinner date? With who?”
“A handsome Mark Williams.”
“Wait a second, Mark Williams. That’s-”
“Mike’s brother. Yes, I know.”
“I’m confused now. Isn’t Mike the guy that came to you after class, Vic?”
“He is and now, Irene is going on a dinner with his brother.”
“Uh, uh. Don’t use that tone with me. You are the girl who doesn’t want boys in her life. I do and if Mark Williams is that guy because trust me, he seems like the one, I am not letting go.”
“You disappoint me, Irene. Why would I not want you two together?”
“Um, because he is Mike’s brother?”
“It doesn’t matter a bit Jennifer.”
“Good because whether it matters or not, you are making me up for that date.”
“Typical Irene. Where are the shoes though?”
“Please, she won’t dare buy the shoes herself. That’s my forte.”
“I did put some on hold though. We have to go tomorrow to check them out.”
“No objections.”
“Now that that is out of the way,” said Victoria slowly standing up from her bed, “Can we check the remaining things you bought?”
“Of course.”
“On a serious note, whose credit card was it?” asked Jennifer.
“Are you saying it can’t be mine?”
“We all know that if it was yours, you would have both only what you needed for that date.”
“Okay, you caught me. It was Robert’s.”
“These earrings are mine, right?” asked Victoria.
“No, yours should be here somewhere. Those are Amanda’s.”
“You do know she is going to be angry with you for bringing Robert,” said Jennifer.
“She can’t be. Irene was just helping her, it’s not like she was going to do anything about it.”
“Did you go meet him?”
“No, he called me and we met at the mall. I was surprised to learn they were still fighting with each other.”
“She said he didn’t call her and she didn’t call him.”
“I think we all know that she behaves childish when it comes to Robert.”
“Poor guy, I will not behave like that if I ever get a guy.”
“You mean apart from the one you are going on a dinner date with.”
“I’m a lady. I got to keep my options open.”
“You are something else.”
“Talking of something else,” Victoria reached up to her bed and grabbed the picture from earlier, “Look at what I found.”
“OMG! This is crazy. Where did you get it from?”
“Old photo albums Mum packed into my bags.”
Irene took a shot with her phone, “I’m sending it to the family group.”
“Alvin is going to rip your head off. I heard he has a girl now.”
“This will-” Irene was cut off with her phone ringing. “Like clockwork. It’s Alvin.”
“Hey lover boy.”
“Why did you send that picture? Take it down before Amy sees it.”
“What picture? Oh, you mean the one where you had braces, freckles and an apron that made you look like a baker’s errand boy? I sent it to ignite old memories. I know you were in love with me then.”
“Ugh, I hate you so much. I'm sure Amy won’t even mind so keep it there for as long as you want.”
“The confidence. Must be nice.”
“It is. How are the others?”
“Good. Being their usual selves, clubbing and skipping classes.”
“She’s lying!” Victoria shouted laughingly into the phone.
“Oh baby, you don’t need to tell me she is, I know. How are you holding up?”
“She’s fine. Where is my fur coat, Alvin? Its winter already.”
“Sweet Jennifer. The coat is on its way, don’t worry yourself,” he went off for a moment, “Listen, I have to go. Talk to you later.”
“Bye,” they all chorused and the call dropped.
“I am so tired,” sighed Irene.
“Not too tired to clean up I hope, because you are not leaving this mess in our room,” said Jennifer indicating to the shopping bags and nylons on the floor.
“Seems like I’m going to,” she said standing up and moving to the door, “Going to go prepare for Amanda’s wrath. Good night.”
“She really is something else,” snickered Victoria.
- Writer
