The Story In His Picture

Chapter 7

Song – Mama says by Ibeyi

…/…

Luke sensed what was about to happen. He was going to say something about it when Tami pulled the handle of the door at the back which meant I get to sit in the front seat. My respect for her multiplied by a thousand folds.

I had a theory, either Tami did that because she was trying to get me to like her, or she was just one of those girls that understood. I told myself I’d never sit in the front seat with Luke again, she deserved it.

I put my leg on the dashboard and started humming to the song Luke’s speakers were blasting. Soon, Tami joins in and I realize she has a very nice voice. Luke parks somewhere across the field and strolls to buy food for us, leaving Tami and me alone.

“You have a very nice voice,” I say to her as we walk towards the field. “Oh! Thanks,” she says, smiling. “We sing a lot in our family,” she adds. “Interesting,” I say.

 “Hey, can I take pictures of you,” I say to her? Most people don’t like showing in pictures so I always ask people before I take their pictures. “Sure,” she says and I smile.

Tami’s outfit totally gave me the summer look I needed. The fact that she’s brown-skinned just made everything better. I took a few pictures of her before Luke showed up.

“Hey, I thought you were going to take pictures of me,” he says. “Jealous much?” comes the retort from Tami. I just laugh at both of them and grab my food from Luke’s hand.

I whisper into Luke’s ear to ask her out there and then. I had noticed Tami’s body language and it seemed like she had been waiting for him to ask her.

 Luke drags Tami towards open space and I suddenly feel like a mum. Mum, Mum! Oh my gosh! We were supposed to clean the house today, they’d be back tomorrow. “We’re screwed!”

I remove my phone from my purse and I call Jay. As soon as he picks up, I shout “we’re screwed”. “What?” Jay says. “Who?” Someone says, really close to my other ear, from behind me which results in me screaming and dropping my phone.

I look back to see Chris laughing uncontrollably. I roll my eyes and pick up my phone. By the time, I finish explaining to Jay the reason we’re screwed, I still see Chris occasionally laughing and I don’t find it amusing at all.

“That was not cool,” I face him with a frown on my face. “It was breathtaking!” Luke says. I turn to see him standing beside Tami with his arms around her neck. I glare at him and he apologizes straight up.

I tell Luke and Tami to go farther from where I was standing so I’d be able to take shots of two of them. Chris spends the entire time apologizing but I don’t give him the time of day.

“You know, I’m only begging you because I consider you to be cool, like not really cool but yeah, you’ll come around”. I look at him and scoff.

After 5 more minutes of Chris whining in my ears, I yell “Fine!”. “You’re lying,” Chris says. “I’m glad you’re aware,” I say walking towards the car.

I signal Luke and Tami that it’s time to go. “Don’t you have your own car?” I ask him knowing fully well that he brought his bike. “I want to go with you guys.”.

“Really, that’s the best retort you can come up with,” I roll my eyes and ask him what really happened. “My cousin followed us out today and I had promised him he’d ride it home plus, I’d never pass up riding with my favorite person”. “He definitely didn’t mean that, he was just being Chris”. “Fine, as long as you keep quiet throughout the ride”.

“We both know that’s impossible, Grey”. “Why’s he smiling so much, something’s definitely up”. I sit in the backseat with Chris this time, leaving Luke and Tami to bond.

…/…

We get home just as my brothers drove into the garage. I smile because we can finally do the same amount of work. As Tami and Chris were about to call it a night, I shout “Wait!”. They all pause in their tracks including my brothers. “Everyone’s gonna do something, including you two,” I motion to Chris and Tami.

Jace and Jay go to their room to clean it, I assign Luke and Chris to the sitting room, then, Tami and I head to the kitchen to work. Not so long after, Chris and Luke come to the kitchen.

“Hey, can I work with Grey instead, I need to tell her something”. “What could Chris possibly want to tell me,” I say to myself.

 “Sure,” Luke says with bottles in his hands. “Uhm, no, we’re not switching partners”. Luke and Tami would barely get any work done.

 “Please Grey, it’s kinda important”. I mutter a series of incoherent words and I finally agree. Yes, my curiosity got the best of me.

Luke and Tami leave Chris and me alone in the kitchen and Chris begins to rant while working. “So, I know you’ve probably been wondering why I’m still with Natasha”. I nod although, I’m really wondering why he wants to tell me.

“Natasha’s dad and mine are well, business partners and my dad, well, kinda forces us to be together. In his mind, we match and other stupid stuff. I really do not like my dad for doing this and it really sucks”. I hear him rant as I do the dishes. It amazes me that Chris can’t stand up to his dad but I understand.

“You don’t have to say anything, I just needed someone to listen,” He adds. The only thing I can bring myself to say is “Okay” and it comes out as a form of a whisper. “By the way, never mention this to anyone, don’t ruin my reputation”.

“Wasn’t planning on telling anyone, and it’s kinda nice to know, you’re only with her because of that reason”. He shrugs and says “thank you for listening”. We work in silence afterward and some minutes later, we finish with the kitchen.

Luke decides to take Tami home, she keeps repeating, ‘I’m dead”. Technically, her mum isn’t expecting her to get home this late, she’ll be fine. Jay decides to lend Chris his bike because it’s late and even though his house isn’t so far, trekking is not an option.

Jace orders pizza for us and we spread it out on the dining table, eating and chatting away. I head to my room after telling my brothers' goodnight.

Laying on my bed, I can’t stop thinking of what Chris told me. I have too many questions on my mind. Are they going to get married eventually? Is probably the biggest question on my mind because if they do, Chris is definitely going to be unhappy for the rest of his life.

I try to sleep but I can’t. So, I call Jay. I know his room is not exactly far from mine but, I can’t stand up and walk all the way there, I’m lazy.

“Hey, Jay”. “What do you want? Gen, I was chatting with Van”. “Well, I can’t sleep and I need you to entertain me”. “I’m pretty sure you have friends, Gen, call them! Goodnight”.

“Don’t bother calling me either I’m on the phone with Elle” I hear Jace shout. I huff as Jace cuts the call.

Now, who shall I disturb next?

…/…

I wake up at midnight trying to remember how I slept, I pick up my phone to see a text from Henry that read “Goodnight Genny”

When did I chat with Henry?