Oh, Jealousy!
Everyone has been talking about this huge Fourth of July party for weeks. I was so up for a real party! Then I find out that Melanie is coming home very late on the third. Mom wants to do the Fam thing on the fourth, so going to the party is phffft! Freddie doesn't ask too come over for our family thing, but I can tell he wants to. It's just that with Melanie here… well, it's complicated. So I talk him into going to the party with Carly and Jerry.
It's the fourth, I'm stuck at home with mom and Mel, big woo hoo. Suddenly Melanie gets a call. It's some guy she met at the airport yesterday, and he's asking her out! She's going! (Says he's too cute) Mom shrugs, stops making potato salad and pops open a beer.
Yay, I'm free!
It's just seven o'clock; the party was starting at six. I can grab a bus and be there by seven thirty. Carly and Jerry and Freddie and I have never doubled… this is gonna be so fun!
Getting off the bus, I walk the two blocks to the house where the backyard party is going on. Wow! Everybody in Washington must be here! The place is packed. No sign of Freddie though, even though his car is parked out front.
Whoa!
There he is, but all up in his personal space is some random skankette! All long brown hair and plenty of curves stuffed into a cutesy pink sun dress!
Whoa!
She's got her hand on his shoulder and is laughing at something Freddie's said! He's smiling back at her! At one time, I would have just backed away and gone to the park to lick my wounds, but not now… Uh uh… That boy is mammas, there's gonna be little skankish bits all over in just a second.
I put on my huff and prepare to mangle. Freddie starts to move over toward the punch table. El mucho skanko is staying put. I'm right in front of her, and ready to destroy. Suddenly her eyes light up and she grabs me! She's hugging me! She's saying something, but I can't make it out over the din of the party. What the… She just said something about 'Fredward'.
The hugs over and she steps back smiling like I'm her long lost something or other. Freddie's back with two cups of punch. He hands her one and me the other, then hugs me and says something about how happy he is that I could make it. He gives me a peck on the cheek.
What the?
He's saying something, but I don't catch it. I look at him, all confused and raised eyebrows. He leans in and yells in my ear:
"I see you've met my cousin, Marie."
Oh. Cousin Marie…
I smile, give him a nice kiss, take his hand, smile at Marie and take a sip of punch.
Jeez, it's not even spiked… yet.