Chapter Four
626 Words
It's 6:36 p.m. when my mom starts making dinner.
She's making the classic Saturday night dinner. Massive cheeseburgers and ice-cold sodas. I'm preparing the tomato and onion slices when the doorbell rings.
In our family, when the doorbell rings, nobody really wants to answer the door, so we all just stand around until someone gives up and goes to open the door.
The doorbell rings again and mom gives me a stern look. "Get the door, Kels."
"Daniel mom said that you should get the door!" I yell at my brother.
"I heard her tell you to get it!" he yells back.
I exhale noisily and make my way to the front door. When I open it Matt is there. I'm suddenly aware of how untidy I am and how I still have an apron on.
Matt, on the other hand, is all neat. His dark hair is all messy, and his blue eyes are striking. He is dressed in a grey hoodie and black slacks.
He's trying not to laugh as he points at me. "Nice apron."
I look down at the stupid apron that had the body of a man with a pair of jockeys on and my face immediately heats with embarrassment.
"What are you doing here?" I blurt out.
"Hi to you too, Kelsey with the worlds ugliest pair uggs," he says. "I'm here to see you."
"Very funny," I mumble.
"Daniel actually called me over," he explains.
I stand aside and it's like slow motion as he brushes past me. Suddenly, the entranceway seems so small and the hairs stand up on my arms. Matt looks down at me for a brief moment as he goes past and once he is out of sight, I let out a deep breath that I didn't know I was holding.
'Get a grip!' I scolded myself.
I steal a quick glance at Matt as he goes into the living room and bumps fists with Daniel who's still on the couch.
I go back into the kitchen by my mom and help her fry the chips and plate up the cheeseburgers.
"Get everyone to the table," she instructs and I do as told.
Daniel, Matt and dad are all focused on some new video game when I enter the living room.
I announce that dinner is ready and they all look up at me as if I am intruding their space.
Dinner is awkward. No one really ever joins us for dinner and Matt must be uncomfortable, but he and Daniel keep chatting away about cars and movies and dad looks so excited, because he's being included in the conversation.
Mom is picking at her food and slowly inspecting it to find faults, while I sit alone and eat in silence.
I'm thinking about painting my nails a different colour. Possibly green. For as long as I've known, everything that I'd ever owned was in some form of green. Right down to my treasured ugg boots.
I'm picking at a fry on my plate when my dad calls my name.
"What?" I look up.
Daniel is looking at me with an annoyed look that I'm sure not everyone else is picking upon. Matt is raising his eyebrows at me and dad is just smiling.
"I said that Matt can accompany you while you go up to the ranch. I am going to be pretty busy and I won't be able to make it funny. I know how much you must have looked forward to us spending some time like the old days, " my dad said, sadly.
I look back at Daniel and his expression says it all. He's clearly not happy about this. But I am.
I smile at him and he frowns and looks away. I'm breaking one of his rules and he can't say anything about it.
I turn to my dad and smile. "Sure, dad. That will be great."
- Writer
