When There Was Me and You

CHAPTER SEVEN |:| IT'S COLD IN HERE

C H A P T E R  S E V E N  |:|  I T ' S   C O L D  I N  H E R E

a month after and a year before

June 4, 2009

"Dinner is almost ready, come down," Mom says after knocking on my door.

"Okay, Mom, coming!" I turn off the study light and close my book. I look at the clock and it says 6:30pm. I frown; confused that it is still a bit earlier than our usual dinner.

I fix my bed, knowing what my mom will say about how messy it is after Chrissy came over. I hum along and laugh when I see Chrissy's hairclip.

I walk over my lamp table and set the hairclip aside so I can give it back to her tomorrow. I continue fixing my alarm clock and picture frame of me and Chrissy being silly at the lake with bubbles around us. I smile at the memory and continue cleaning the drawer below the table.

When my hand touches the photo of me and Christian spending New Year's together this year, my heart is suddenly as heavy as a rock. He looks so much manlier than before, now that he is sixteen. He told me that he has been working out a lot ever since his practices became harder.

I bite my lips, not wanting to remember what happened. I return the picture; it feels as if the picture was taken years and years ago. When Christian and I used to hang out.

"Massie!"

"Coming!"

I run down the stairs and go to the kitchen, the place where all our foods are kept. I help Mom bring out the food– a lot more than normal. "Mom, the two of us can't finish all of this."

My mom raises her eyebrow. "Of course not."

"So, why did you cook a lot more than usual—" I stop in my tracks when I notice that there are five plates ready at the table, instead of two. I look at my mom worriedly as I set the food down.

"They should be coming soon." Just as my mom says those words, the doorbell rings.

"Mom, who did you—" But my mom quickly greets the visitors.

"Lovely to see you again, Kate!" A tall man hugs my mom and behind him are two other people.

People who I didn't expect to come.

"Yanny!" My mom smiles widely as she greets her best friend. And then there's me with a scowl when I recognize the person behind the parents.

Christian looks surprised to see me, but why would he? He's at my house.

I scan him carefully, as if he is a stranger. Because he kind of is.

"Uhm, why are you still, uh, wearing that outfit?" I try not to sound so awkward that my mom will notice. "Just came after practice?"

"Yeah. If only I knew that I was going to be dragged here right away." He rolls his eyes and enters our home.

Our parents are already chatting happily as I close the door, not letting the cold wind come in. It suddenly feels cold now that the Andersons have come.

∞ 👪 ∞

"Massie, you looked surprised at seeing the Andersons. Didn't Christian tell you that they were coming over for dinner?" My mom, who is sitting at the head of the table, asks me. She's oblivious to the awkwardness between the guy on my left and me. I have to answer quickly.

"He didn't, maybe he wanted to surprise me."

All eyes are now on Christian who fidgets slightly, something that he does when he's caught on the spot. "Surprise."