A/N: Heyy! Sorry for the long wait.. Here goes Chapter 10! R&R :)
CHAPTER 10: How About No?
Today's Friday, my last day at the country club. After that, I got one free week before school starts.
It was around 5 pm when Claire and I were called by Ms. Rachel to the office. When we got there, we saw our other friends, and about 17 to 20 more teenagers who also had their summer jobs at the country club. On the far side, Heather and Madison were, as usual, busy texting with who knows who.
After a few moments, our group meeting with Ms. Rachel finally began. She said a lot of things and one of these was about where to get our last pay til 6:30 pm today. She also said something like we're all welcomed to come back next summer blah blah blah.
We were dismissed... And luckily, the line for our last pay was fast. As soon as we got it, we all headed to the parking lot. Everyone was unusually busy with their phones.
"Hey, wanna go to the mall?" Anne asked us while walking.
Claire perked up at once, "Yes! Let's go!"
"I'll go too," I smiled.
Still texting, Mae replied, "I can't, sorry. I promised an afternoon with Matt."
"Who's Matt?" I asked, hoping that they wouldn't stare at me like I wasn't supposed to ask that question.
"Her boyfriend," Claire chuckled.
Mae grinned, "What's with the chuckle, Claire? And yes, April. He's my boyfriend."
"Oh okay," I nodded and looked back to my phone.
"Uh, I can't either. James just texted me and asked if I could meet him today," Olivia said.
Claire leaned to me and tried to whisper, "James is her -"
"Boyfriend," I completed her statement.
"Yep. He is," Olivia confirmed. "I gotta get a cab now. Bye!"
"See ya!" Claire shouted as we all waved goodbye.
"How about you? Where are you gonna meet Matt?" Anne asked Mae.
"Oh, he's gonna fetch me here."
"Okay. See ya then!" Anne replied as we hopped in her car.
I sat at the back, and Claire sat at the front beside Anne who started driving. Claire was still busy texting for some reason.
I looked at my phone and read the text message I just got from my mom.
Mom: April, come home before 7 pm tonight.
I checked the time. It was almost 6:30 pm.
Me: But I'm going to the mall with my friends :(
Mom: We have dinner with the Heffleys tonight, remember?
What?!
Me: Mom could I just skip dinner with the Heffleys tonight? I'll be there the next time, I promise.
I crossed my fingers and hoped that she would agree.
Mom: Nope. This is a family affair. You should be here and that's final. The mall can wait.
If I argue with her, I might end up grounded. If I ditch the dinner, I will end up grounded. I have no choice.
I looked up from my phone. "Hey girls, I can't go to the mall with you. My mom texted me and said I have to go home," I sighed.
"But why?" Claire looked back and pouted at me.
"We have dinner with-" I stopped myself. I don't wanna bring up Heffleys in front of Anne again, "We have a family affair tonight. It sucks, I know. Anne, could you drop me at my house before you go to the mall? My mom said I need to be there before 7."
"Sure, April," she nodded.
A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of our house. I got out of the vehicle and waved back at my friends before they left.
I knocked and my mom opened the door. She wasn't angry but she was quite frantic. "Go get dressed! The Heffleys will be here in a while!"
I dragged my bag and lazily climbed the stairs. I don't want to have dinner with the Heffleys again. We have this stupid dinner with them every 2 weeks and the only people who enjoy it are the parents.
I heard my phone ring as I threw myself on the bed. I grabbed my phone from my bag to check who sent the message.
Claire: You have dinner with the Heffleys, don't you? :-)))
I knew she'd figure it out.
Me: Yeah... -_-
Claire: lol I knew it! Haha good luck and have fun! :P
And... she's being sarcastic.
Me: Very funny, Claire. -.-
I put my phone on the bedside table. I wanted to skip dinner so bad. Maybe if I pretend to sleep, my parents won't wake me up anymore...
Yep. So that was my plan. But the moment I closed my eyes, someone was banging my door.
"April! Are you ready now? The Heffleys are here," yelled my mother.
I didn't respond.
She sighed and lowered her voice, "April, hunny, if you're pretending to sleep right now, you'll be grounded 'til the end of summer."
"Almost ready, mom!" I answered back almost immediately and jumped out of my bed. My mom knows me so well... and i don't want to get grounded.
I grabbed a shirt, a blue cardigan, and a pair of jeans from my closet. I got changed as fast as I could so I won't get lectured after dinner. I slipped into my flat closed shoes before rushing out of my room.
I went to the dining room where Mr. Heffley was sitting at one end and my dad was sitting on the other. To his right were Manny and Mrs. Heffley. To his left were Greg and Rodrick. I chose to sit on the vacant seat between Mrs. Heffley and my dad since I don't want to sit beside that juvenile.
"Sorry I'm late," I half smiled at all of them.
My mom came out of the kitchen and set the main dish on the table.
"April."
"Yes mom?" I looked up at her.
"That's my seat."
"But-" I sighed as she raised her eyebrows at me. I stood up transferred to the only vacant seat left which was between Rodrick and my dad.
The food was delicious as always. My mom was chatting with Mrs. Heffley about parenting and household stuff while my dad was talking to Mr. Heffley about their work. Tonight's dinner was the same with every dinner we had with the Heffleys, except that Rodrick was extra irritating this time.
He kept kicking and stepping on my foot all throughout the meal. I frowned at him and signaled him to stop. But he didn't so I stepped and kicked back. So underneath the table we were having this pathetic foot fight. Good thing no one noticed.
"Stop it!" I whispered to him while he was stuffing food in his mouth.
"How about no," he silently responded while chewing.
Later on, only the parents were left in the dining room. Rodrick, Greg, Manny, and I were watching TV.
I got bored with the TV show, so I excused myself and went upstairs.
I closed the door as soon as I got in my room. I changed into a pair of shorts because I planned to sleep in a while. After that, I took off my cardigan and lied down on my bed.
"Nice room."
I almost screamed when I turned and saw Rodrick standing there, smirking and scanning my room.
I got up and stomped angrily towards him. "What are you doing here?! Get out of my room!" I yelled at him (but not very loud because I didn't want to attract the attention of the people downstairs) and tried to push him out. Yeah he's skinny but he's stronger than you think. He was just standing there, looking at the ceiling and the walls.
"Get. Out. Of. My. Room!" This time, I dragged him towards the door. We were already there when he suddenly faced me and shrugged my arm off. I got pushed to the door causing it to close. He was standing in front of me with his hands on the door too. So basically I was stuck between his arms.
He leaned in closer to my face and looked at me straight in the eyes...
"Haha! No way," he chuckled as he removed his hands from the door and walked around my room.
I groaned and went back to my bed, "Why are you doing this?"
He relaxed himself, sat down on my computer chair, and placed his feet on top of my desk, "Why am I doing what, Prescott?"
"My name is April Preston. Is it-"
"I know your name, Prescott."
"Then why do you keep calling me that?! Ugh!" I said as I angrily lied down on my bed and looked away from him. "If you couldn't pronounce my last name correctly then why don't you just call me April? I mean, dude, is it that hard to say Preston or April?" I kept blabbering those words while facing the wall.
I didn't get a response this time. There was silence for a minute or two, and then I turned to find out why he wasn't responding... He was now using my laptop and probably surfing the internet.
I got up from my bed and walked towards my desk. "First you invade my room, now you're using my computer without my permission. Wow, just wow," I said while watching him scroll through his Facebook timeline.
I tried to calm myself, "Rodrick. Turn that off now and get out of my room please."
"No, I'm busy."
I rolled my eyes and slammed the laptop shut. Rodrick was able to remove his hands just in time.
"What the hell?!" he yelled.
"It's your fault. Don't blame me," I glared at him.
He pushed back the computer chair and jumped to my bed.
"What is wrong with you?" I sat on the computer chair.
He stretched and placed his hands behind his head, "Hmm... I don't think there's anything wrong with me."
"Then why are you always annoying me?"
"It's fun."
"This is your definition of fun?!" I shook my head.
"Why are you always so cranky?"
"I am not! You can even ask my friends," I stuck out my tongue.
"Yes you are cranky, Ms. Cranky," he sneered.
"You're so immature. This is why Heather never liked you."
He rolled his eyes, "I'm done with that little choosy spoiled brat-"
"Woah woah. Last week you were all 'I'm gonna make a love connection with Heather. I love her so much blablabla' –" I made funny faces as I said that.
"Shut up," he glared at me.
" – now you talk about her like she's garbage. Is that how you treat a girl?"
"Look, I have respect for ladies okay?"
"You do? Okay. Let me see, you just trash talked Heather behind her back, you once poured shake all over me, you once threw a tray which almost hit my face, you entered my room without permission, and you're making my life a living hell. You do have respect for ladies," I clapped my hands slowly in mockery and sarcasm.
"You don't know me... and stop that. You sound like my mom." With that, he turned his back on me and started snoring, or maybe he was pretending to sleep. I don't really know.
"Oh-kay. Now he's sleeping on my bed," I sighed and muttered to myself.
"Rod-rick Heff-ley! Get-off-my-bed!" I tried pulling him with all the force and effort I can exert.
"RODRICK?!" Mrs. Heffley's voice that echoed through the house startled both of us, making us accidentally shriek simultaneously.
I fell on the floor. Rodrick fell from the bed and landed on top of me. It took a few seconds before one of us reacted.
"Ew, Rodrick get off me!" I pushed him away.
We both had the feeling of panic during that very moment. He got up and ran to the door. I stood up and tried to catch my breath. He grabbed the knob and pointed at me before going out, "We will never talk about this, okay?"
I gulped and agreed with him, "No, we won't."
He went outside and shut the door.
Okay what just happened? No, April. Forget about it. You will not talk or even think about it. No.
I paced my room uncomfortably as I heard their voices outside.
"Where were you? I thought I heard someone screaming." Mrs. Heffley questioned her son, while the sound of her footsteps was leading to my room.
"Uh. I- I was in the bathroom," Rodrick lied as he blocked the door of my room (I can hear their footsteps and see their shadows through the gap under my door).
"But there's a bathroom downstairs."
"G-Greg was there and I had to, you know. Mom could we just go?"
"Fine, but just-" their voices faded as they descended down the stairs.
Good. They didn't find out that the bastard was in my room.
I slumped on my bed and reorganized my thoughts before closing my eyes.
A/N: Okayyy. So there it is :) I need your advice, reactions, and comments about this chapter. Tell me if you like it or not... so I can do better in the following chapters! Thanks for reading and please leave a review! :))