Hello everyone! I don't know why people always ask for reviews and threaten them that if they don't get more reviews, then they won't post a new chapter... But here is my first review threat: If I don't get at least five people (different people, obviously) to review (right now I think I have two or three), then I won't post the next chapter. It probably won't work, since my story isn't exciting, but I probably won't remember my threat so I'd probably post it even if I get no reviews... Oh well! Here goes. I'm just improvising for this chapter. Oh and sorry if you get confused about the paragraphs. I didn't want to waste the space. If at about half way, you don't know where it's going, then sorry!! Oh and this chapter contains a two-sentence spoiler for transformers 2.
Breakfast. Bacon and eggs. Milk. Juice. Toast.
"Mum?"
"Yes?"
"What time is it?"
"Ummm..." she twisted around to see the clock. "11:19."
" 'Kay." I poked my boiled egg. It rolled over and fell into the tomato sauce.
"Mum?"
"Yes?"
"Why do I have tomato sauce for bacon and eggs?"
"Dunno, hon. You know I cook all thisses and thats. Not that I cooked the tomato sauce. I have some, too."
I looked her plate. "Hey, not fair! You got a fortune cookie!" I protested childishly.
"You could get one too!"
I extended my hand.
"Get it yourself, lazybums." she laughed.
"Ugh..." I peeled myself off the chair to get a cookie from the cabinet. It was hardly morning, well it was morning, and already the temperature was twenty something degrees - and to think my father went out with snow gear!
I looked throught the cupboard and found the bag of cookies. I reached in and took one out. I closed the door and on my way back to the dining table, I cracked it open. A tiny piece of paper drifted out, following the breeze. I grabbed it before it could run away and smoothed it out onto the table.
"That was for dessert, Jenny!" My mother scolded.
"Mu-um..." I was eighteen and my mother just lectured me about dessert and meals (not really.)
A pause.
"Well? What does it say?" she said, picking up her own one.
"It says, 'Good luck with cleaning up today.'" I read.
My mother chuckled. "Hey!" I punched her lightly on the arm.
She opened hers. I ran up behind her chair and read it over her shoulder.
The paper said, "Did you say goodbye?"
She stood up abruptly and not only did she give me a sore knee cap from the backing of her chair, the top of her head hit my bottom jaw and I bit my tongue.
"Ow!"
"Sorry, hon. You okay?" She looked at me with concern in her eyes.
I was rubbing my knee and trying to blow on my tongue (it didn't work) at the same time. "Ythleah," I managed. She sat down as abruptly as she stood up.
I sat back down as well and suddenly remembered my movie date with Ib. I had half an hour to get changed and drive into city. I stuffed a large piece of bacon in my mouth, chewed it about three times and washed it down with a gulp of milk. I did the same with the whole egg.
"Slow down, love, what's with you?"
"I'm late for my date." I almost choked on a jagged piece of cookie and gushed all the food down with a final scoff of the milk. I patted my satisfied stomach and grimaced as I felt the trail of food slide down my oesophagus.
I recalled a fact I learnt a few years ago in science, apparently your throat had these muscles where they consecutively squeeze the food down, top to bottom. I could almost feel that right then.
I rushed to put the things in the dishwasher. However, as I lifted my plate and hurried towards the kitchen, my thumb slipped right in the tomato sauce and crash! came the plate.
"Woah! I'll go get the dusters!" My mother said as she caught sight of the shards.
"Mum... I'm so sorry!"
"That's alright," she said, reappearing with the scoop. "A lot of things happened to me when I forgot some dates with your dad."
I couldn't imagine. You know when you see your parents get all mushy, you sometimes wonder what would've happened (or what wouldn't have happened) if they hadn't met...
"Thanks mum." I said, with meanings more than one. I picked up a remaining piece of ceramics and flicked it into the bin.
"Do you think that was the fortune cookie's work?"
I had forgotten about it. "Good luck in cleaning up today," I recited. "Dunno, but I'm glad the cleaning's over!"
*Precisely half an hour later*
I spotted Ib not far away from the cinemas, and waved at him. He soon saw my hand and made his way towards me. The place was really crowded on Saturdays.
"Hey. Awesome." He looked me up and down, and seemed impressed by my red and grey knee-length dress. "You look great! I see you're making use of the necklace I gave you."
"You look great, too," I joked, though it wasn't really a joke. I fiddled with the sword shaped charm on my necklace. He always looked great, especially cute when he cries at the end of movies. That's why I loved going to the movies with him to watch sad, romantic movies.
"So... What were we going to watch again?" He asked, his hand protectively draped over my shoulder; swerving me towards the entrance of the cinema.
"Have you watched the first Transformers movie?"
"Oh yeah, it was awesome. Spielberg is so great."
"Wanna watch the second one?"
"Sure." We sauntered to the ticket place and bought two tickets for Transformers 2. When we got into the dark theatre, the trailers had already started, so I quickly switched off my phone after noticing the time was 12 noon.
At parts of intensity and hope of the movie, I would grasp Ib's arm as tightly as I could. I wondered if I hurt him. And then came the part where Sam "died." The atmosphere was so intense, I closed my eyes and when I opened them to look at Ib, he was looking at me. Staring. Love filled his eyes. I couldn't bother watching the movie (even though it was at the best part); my boyfriend was about to give me my first kiss!
It didn't happen. Ib's phone started ringing; he went outside; I started watching the movie again, wondering how Sam was alive again. I heard a noise in reality and saw Ib, rushing to me. I stood up, grabbed my handbag and excused myself as I squeezed out of my row. When we were outside, I saw the worry in his eyes.
I knew something terrible had happened, but I was not prepared for the explanation.
"It's your mum, Jen. Your house has been broken in, and she's been attacked. She... she tried to call you... She couldn't, so she called me - she knew you were with me..."
"I... She... Is she okay? Of course she's okay, she's your mum, stupid." I told myself. "Right?"
"Her voice was... hoarse, but she hung up when the ambulance came. She... She told me to tell you she... she loves you... And she told me to take care of you."
I started shivering, then shaking, and just could not stop. Ib made as if to hug me, but I ran out of his embrace and to the car park. I had to get home. When I reached my car, I just couldn't do anything. Ib had chased me and carried me into the front passanger seat. He started driving me home, that man. Oh, he was a lifesaver.
In 20 minutes of silence, we were there. There. Home. The outside was beautiful as it always was; I stepped inside. Everything was a mess. With an occasional trace of still-red blood, the sight was accompanied by broken vases, broken thisses and thats. Thisses and thats. My mother's favourite phrase. Some policemen came in and saw us. Ib went up to talk to them. I couldn't hear any of it. I saw one of the men wave a roll of CRIME SCENE. DO NOT CROSS tape around, gesturing for us to leave.
I looked around once more before Ib came up to lead me away.
I had a lot of cleaning up to do.
