Food Queen (Completed)

Chapter 8

"Hey, wait, Rose! What happened to you?"

Calvins deep voice shouts from downstairs. I can hear his footsteps pace closer.
Crap. I wasn't fast enough.

"Nothing!" I shout back.

"Oh not this again! Havn't I told you about women and nothings?"

"Don't say a single word! It will only make it worse."

Taking two steps in a time I sprint the last part of the stair. Almost there, almost safe inside my room. I slam the door shut, throwing myself at the soft linings on top of my bed. A few seconds later a silent knock can be heard from the other side.

"Go away!"

But apperantly he doesn't take my advice very seriously.

"Tell me what's wrong and I will leave you alone within a second. I promise, speaking about the problem will make you feel better."

I don't answer. I am sure this problem will not. It will still be as tangled a mess as before only with the little difference that my gossipmonger for brother will know about it.

"There is a guy. Who wants my money. End of story."

For moments the only thing meeting me is silence. Like Calvin had turned away and disappeared through the walls even though I know he never would, or could. Then I hear a calming breath from the other side. Like he focused on keeping himself together.

"Okay, if you don't want to talk about it, I shall leave you alone. I just need to ask, why does he want your money?"

I sigh. No more questions Calvin? Great, this will really help our new relation as close housebuddys. To get rid of him I decide to let him into half of the story.

"I didn't pay at Nando's."

A quiet murmur. A sharp edge of shame tickeling, making it's way through my throat against my will.

"Oh Rose!"

I hear footsteps as he walks away and then a slap from skin as if he did a facepalm. When he is nowhere to be heard I spin around on my back, curling under my blanket. This didn't make me feel any better.
After spending some time being a lump of shame under the covers I dial the number of Nick. Seven long sounds manage to go. Ten. Eleven. Twelwe. The phoneline seems almost dead. For a moment I feel sick. Worrying if something is seriously wrong. Then he picks up.

"Hello."

"Hi Nick, I just need to talk. Say something nice."

"Like what?"

"Come on. I know you can come up with something."

A content giggle are to be heard from the other side then he remains quiet for a second.

"Your sparkling purple orbs. The way you always smile against people you meet, how you sound when you laugh - clinging through the air when someone tells a joke you like. Your small rounded lips. How your face looks like the shape of a heart. And especially, not to be forgotten, your long brown hair bouncing in that pony tail of yours."

I smile. Nick always knows what to say. Only this time the smile is fading. Something nibbling at my insides. Something that doesn't seem fully in it's place. Something that takes the romantic edge off the fine gesture. Telling me that maybe I have got it all wrong. 

I directly shake it off. This is just bullshit. Depressed thoughts, not my own. Nick loves me more than anything. I know that and he knows that I feel the same way about him. We have gone past the friendzone area a long time ago. We have gone past the doubting point.

"Thank you." I say. Then handing him my shot. My hidden wild card.

"Have you ever met someone wanting your money?"

He keeps silent for a moment. I can hear his soft breathing through the distance while thinking.

"What do you mean?"

I sigh. The only reason I brought it up was to get answers.

"I wonder if you have ever met somebody that just because of a tiny reason started to ask for you to pay? Like all the time."

"No, I guess that has never happened."

He releases a shaky laugh.

"So you don't know what I can do then?" I continue. Demanding an answer.

"Has that happened to you?"

I can hear how he frowns from his voice. How he suddenly understands. Seeing the whole picture. Puzzling it together. It's like being pictured naked.

"Yes..."

The awkwardness of being exposed rises up my neck. Taking the form of a very hot blush. Burning beneath my skin. I shouldn't feel this way with my own boyfriend.

"Who?" he goes on. Now he's the one demanding an answer.

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Come on. I am your boyfriend, I will always believe in you."

The eagerness in his voice is almost unbearable. 

"Can we just talk about something else? Like how was your day. I really don't want to talk about this right now."

"Are you sure?" he goes on, I can tell that he really wants to know now.

"Yes."

A disappointed sigh comes from the other side of the line. A long sucking breath. He is about to continue, say something, discuss something that didn't make sense to him, but then remembers my wish and changes subject.