Kaleidoscopic

Chapter 23

"Tell Nadine I'll call her," Bones said, looking freshly humbled. Evan nodded, kneeling on the floor as he tried to wash blood splatters and beer stains out of Heather's shag carpeting. 

Bones was holding the collar of his own shirt against his split lip. It was swollen and bloody when he turned to leave. Danny was waiting by the stairs with a look that said: You really had to fight Kenneth? But he still patted his friend's shoulder before they headed upstairs. Danny glanced at Evan before he left, like an optical goodnight kiss.

Mr. Hagley had run into the basement with a baseball bat when he heard the commotion. The fight had barely started – Evan had only suffered a few blows and Bones had just begun purpling Kenneth's face. Chris was lying on the floor in the fetal position, as if he wasn't the one who started the whole fight.

After Mr. Hagley broke up the brawl, Kenneth and his friends left. Once they were gone, everyone else followed. Kenneth didn't bother saying goodbye to anyone. He looked too devastated. Yeah, he was cocky enough to get into a fist fight over a girl, but he still a teenage boy with a broken heart. Even with all their fights and broken promises, Kenneth still expected Nadine would be his wife someday. That picture-perfect expectation had now been ripped down the middle and Kenneth was left to grieve over the pieces of his highest hopes. If Evan were in a more forgiving mood, he'd be inclined to feel some sympathy.

Heather was so upset about the party ending early that her mom had to burn some sage to get rid of her negative energy. Nadine didn't even have the desire to console her friend. Instead, she opted to go search the freezer for some frozen peas, thinking they'd help ease everyone's bruises. She left Heather on the coach with Chris – both of whom were supervising Evan and Jackson scrubbing the ruined carpet.

"Who do you think would win in a fist fight?" Chris wondered. "Obi-Wan or Han Solo?"

Evan was aimlessly scrubbing a stain that looked like grape juice. He opened his mouth to respond to the Star Wars question, but Heather beat him to it – scoffing.

"Really, Topher?" Heather spoke. "Han, obviously."

Jackson, Evan, and Chris turned to her in surprise. She blinked, realizing she had said that out loud. As if she was being reprogrammed by some sort of Barbie-overlord, her posture straightened and her cheekbones rounded with a perky smile.

To dodge further questions, she stood and said, "I'm going to go ask my mom if she has any brillo pads. They're the best."

Chris watched Heather walk away, imagining her sitting at the movie theater with a bucket of popcorn and a Han Solo soda cup. It was the first time he grinned while thinking of a girl other than Nadine.

"Where's the carpet shampoo?" Evan asked.

"I put it right next to you," Jackson said.

"It's not here," Evan gestured behind him.

"Then you must have moved it."

"I didn't move shit," Evan insisted.

"Then where is it?"

"I don't fucking know. You probably hid it," Evan accused.

"Oh, sure," Jackson huffed. "I hid it. Because I want to clean carpeting all night."

Evan rolled his eyes. "Stop being a dick. Where is it?"

"I don't fucking have it," Jackson said.

"Bullshit," Evan said.

Jackson exhaled. "I'm sure Mrs. Hagley has another can," he said, getting off the floor.

"We wouldn't need another can if you didn't hide the first one," Evan said. Jackson took off his yellow rubber glove and tossed it at Evan's face.

Jackson was the type of guy who stayed late after a party to help clean up. Even if it meant spending an extended amount of time at his ex-girlfriend's house with Evan Webster. The red-haired boy would rather be anywhere other than his tiny chrome-home. In truth, he really wouldn't mind cleaning the carpeting all night.

Nadine approached, passing Heather with a lighthearted smile. She was still the sunshine in the room, even though her world had just entered a twilight.

"How's your hand?" Nadine asked Chris.

"Turns out," Chris flexed his fingers, concealing a wince. "I'm a pacifist."

Nadine gave him a shallow nod – amused – and then sat next to him. "I never thought you'd be the one to punch somebody," she admitted, handing him the bag of frozen peas. He took it hesitantly. "Especially Kenneth."

"I'm so sorry, Nadine," Chris rubbed his forehead with his good hand. "I know he's your boyfriend. I shouldn't have punched him, but I couldn't just let him talk to you like that. He's a dildo-breathed son of a bitch that needed to taste a knuckle sandwich...like...a three-decker knuckle sandwich with a side of whoop ass, you know? And Bones looked like he was about to faint. And everyone was just staring at you. And people were laughing...You didn't deserve any of that." He paused to shake his head. "I am so sorry. I shouldn't have started anything. You need someone mature. And my actions weren't mature. I'm a wreck. A monstrous juvenile. I understand if we can't associate anymore – "

She stopped his rambling by placing a kiss on his cheek. His reaction was like Peter Pan after Wendy offered him a thimble – his entire face was consumed by wide eyes and red cheeks. Nadine wanted to turn on the song My Girl by The Temptations because the trumpets and jolly finger snaps were the perfect soundtrack to accompany Chris's awestruck face.

"You always look out for me," she beamed warmly. "Thank you."

Chris started babbling nonsensical words, but Nadine didn't really notice as she stood up. Heather ushered her over to the record playing, complaining about some scratch on a limited-edition vinyl. She sounded as dramatic as Chris when he talked about Marvel characters.

"Breathe," Evan said, still scrubbing. He didn't even look up because he knew it wouldn't make a difference.

"I'm never going to wash my face ever again," Chris decided.