Chapter 5
Kris
It was my painting day. Every Saturday I go down to the basement- where we kept some gymnastics equipment and athletic equipment- and I would continue painting the mural on the wall. So far, half of it is done, and it took me about a year.
I got absorbed in the colors, following every curve of my brush and observing the deep red. I sighed and hummed a song in my head while painting.
The phone rang. I jumped and turned to take the call.
"Krissie?"
"Dillan!"
"Hi, Kris. I missed you last night!"
"I'm sorry, I left early."
"Oh. Can I come over?"
"Sure! I'm painting right now, but you can watch me!"
"Okay! I'll be there in half an hour!"
I hung up and turned to the mural. And gasped.
There, in the dark red paint, was the name "Brady." Hell, how will I explain this?!
I quickly took my big brush and dipped it in white paint. I covered it up. But it still showed. Frustrated, I painted over it harder. Great. Now the wall is pink. I growled loudly in frustration.
"Kris!" Dillan's voice sounded after half an hour had passed. I was sitting on a yoga mat, staring blankly at the half-pink wall.
"Hi, Dillan."
"What happened? Did you hit your blue period? Oh. I guess I should say your pink period. What'd you do?"
"I made a mistake and painted it over with white paint. And then I messed it up."
To my surprise, Dillan didn't laugh. He went over to the wall and speculated it like he was an art collector looking at a famous painting.
"Actually, if you complete the mural like this, I think it'll look pretty cool."
"Really?"
"Yeah, can't you see it?"
I looked at it. Yeah, I saw it. And I agreed with him. It looked awesome. Thank you, Brady!
"So how'd you mess up?"
No thank you, Brady!
"Um, I painted the wrong thing and tried to cover it up."
Dillan laughed.
"Well, your mistake made a pretty good mural, didn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Hey, why don't you show me some gymnastics?"
"Now?"
"Yeah, you deserve a break."
"Me doing gymnastics is what you call a break?"
"Well, a break for me. All this paint talk is making me tired."
"Jerk," I laughed. He shrugged.
I ran up to the balance beam and stood on my hands. I walked on my hands along it and did a back hand spring, landing on the other side of the balance beam, still on my hands. Dillan clapped and whistled. I grinned and got on my feet. I balanced on my right foot, and then I jumped and landed lightly on my left, halfway across the beam. I raised my arms and caught a hold of the two ropes I had there. I pulled myself off the beam and hung in the air for thirty seconds. Dillan watched me with wide eyes. I pulled my body up until I was upside down, and I walked on the ceiling, following the metal grate that allowed me to move the ropes.
I flipped and landed on my feet on a mattress. I raised my hands.
"Whoo! Go, Krissie!" Dillan whooped. I giggled.
"That was only the easy stuff," I teased him, and I walked over to the paint set again.
Brady
Kris, I moaned in my head. I missed her like crazy! I wanted to see her again. And she hated me. Why? Oh, why?!
Dude, you're driving me insane! Collin yelled in his head.
I think I fared better in the house with Goldie's pregnancy mood swings! Embry groaned. Just ask the girl out or something!
I don't have her number, or know where she works, or anything! I only know what she's like and her name!
Oh, God, this'll go on forever until we find her again! Collin screamed. Why don't you sniff her out?
Sniff her out... That might work. I ran to my house and phased. I picked up the dirty baseball cap and took a whiff. I smelled water, dirt, muck, and... Ooh, a most glorious scent. Tangerines and vanilla. With a hint of ocean breeze. I guessed the ocean breeze was her shampoo.
Okay, now to find a similar scent.
I phased and ran to Port Angeles. I phased again and ran as a half-naked boy down the street, towards the alley. I detected a mere hint of her scent, but it was marred by the smell of garbage and sewage. I huffed and ran to the wall. Her scent was a notch stronger, but not by much. I climbed over it and followed the small scent around to the trees. Her scent was suddenly mixed with mine, and that made it a little stronger. I followed it around until I was in the backyard of a small white house. I heard cheering and some giggles from the basement. The giggler was Kris, I could feel it! But who was cheering? It was... a guy?!
I felt my chest open. My heart fell out. And I felt completely, and utterly alone.
AN: Tsk, tsk, Kris! You broke Brady's poor widdle heart!
