Becoming the Luna

Chapter 64

"W-What? N-No!" I try to say with as much indignation as possible and I must fool Virgil because he leans back and stops questioning me.

"Then you won't mind if I wear trunks then." He leans his head back, closing his eyes.

I stop myself from choking before it gets too late, could I still lie that I don't feel really good enough to swim?

"That's true, maybe you should wear your trunks too, Hayden." My mom suggests happily and my mouth drops open.

"Why?" I ask, making a horrified face.

"Because Virgil is going to wear his!" She exclaims like it answered every question there ever was and maybe it did, Virgil and I had always done everything at the same time like our first official haircut which my mom claims I kept sobbing as the barber clipped off my hair because I felt that the hair being cut would feel lonely, I still don't believe her.

"Fine." I agree distractedly, getting up to go to my room, I suddenly wanted to be alone. "I'm going to shower, I'll come back down in maybe ten minutes." I explain, hastily moving my chair backwards when Dale looks like he wants to help me out and Virgil keeps staring at him like he's waiting for him to make a move so that he'll shut him down.

"Take your time, baby." My mom calls to me and I'm grateful for her words. "I'll pack your swimming trunks for you." She tags on.

I cringe at her last words, wondering exactly what I had agreed to, well, there was no saving me now, I think, hurrying up the stairs.

I had worn shorts over the garters and I've never been prouder of a decision as I am of this because as I fly up the stairs the sweater rides up my body as well.

I don't stop hurrying till I'm in my room, I quickly slip the bolt in and collapse on the bed, finally getting some time to myself.

It wasn't that I didn't adore or want the company of my mom and friends but it got a little overwhelming sometimes with how much attention they liked to lavish on me, plus, right now I really needed to think some things through.

I sit up again, deciding to clean up first before I get lost in thoughts about a lot of things, well mostly Virgil and Dale but you get the picture.

I stay true to my words and shower quickly, drying up and getting dressed in simple three-quartered shorts and a plain top, I wasn't going to spend much time in my clothes anyway.

I flop on the bed again and Apple raises her head from her basket where she's engrossed in playing with a ball of twine to look at me, probably wondering what sort of mentally unstable person she had for an owner.

"Sowwie Apple," I say, my voice getting muffled against the pillows. "Or do you want to hear why I'm so upset?" I ask her, surprised when I hear an answering meow.

I roll around till I'm at the edge of the bed, hanging off slightly so I can keep eye contact with Apple. "I guess I always end up talking to you when my thoughts and emotions get a little too much for me to handle."

Apple meows again, returning placidly to her task of pawing at the bright blue, ball of twine.

Anyone walking in on this scene would probably think I've lost my marbles but as strange as it sounded, talking to my pet cat was actually therapeutic.

I didn't particularly need replies or words of advice I just needed to unburden my heart a little, the past hours from last night up till this morning had been short but filled with so much.

Gingerly, I prod around the memories of h-him, I wasn't about to uncork that bottle of terrifying feelings so even though it probably wasn't healthy - because I still couldn't even say h-his name - I would only handle the memories of the bathroom with a long spoon.

The memories I'm more interested in is the one after anyway, had Virgil really meant what he said? Or was he just comforting me because of the trauma I had gone through? There's no way I'm about to confront him about that.

But if he did mean them, then I have to step out of my bubble of believing that they were just both very nice to me and actually face the reality that they might both actually really like me.

I place my palms on my head in a panic. "Apple, I think I'm dying." I tell my kitten solemnly, thoroughly meaning my words.

Apple glances at me like she can hear the panic in my voice or maybe she's just wondering why the weird human is staring at her.

If Dale and Virgil truly did like me then it was a disaster in the making, I couldn't possibly have both, right? How did I even feel about that?

I groan into my hands, wondering just what I'm supposed to do.

Maybe what I've been doing all these while, hiding in my bubble of make-believe that they couldn't possibly like me that way but the bubble had popped now and there was no going back in it.

Right now, no boundaries had been set yet so everything was still up in the air but what if they decide to get serious, which looked like what was going to happen soon if all these kept up and I wind up having to choose.

I roll around some more on the bed, drowning in my dilemma. What do I do when that happened?

I turn to face Apple again, the kitten had gotten bored of playing with the twine and was currently grooming her white fur with slow licks of her pink tongue.

"Apple, what the heck do I do if they actually confront me and I end up having to pick?" I ask worriedly, pulling at my hair.

Apple just gives me a blank stare, unconcerned about my mini panic attack and goes back to licking her paw like she hadn't a care in the world.

Maybe that's why I was content to leave things at where they were right now because I wasn't sure I could handle more.

"Baby?" My mom's voice comes from outside my door. "When I said you could take your time I didn't mean you had the entire day to yourself."

I jump to a sitting position at her words, I had already forgotten that I was supposed to go back downstairs so that we could get started on our journey to the pool.

"Coming mom," I call back to her, dragging myself off the bed with reluctance.

"Alright baby, I've already put your swimming trunks in the car!" She adds and I facepalm, groaning into my hand.

I had almost forgotten that I had nearly signed my death certificate by agreeing to wear swimming trunks because my mom would never give it up after I'd agreed to.

Now I had even more to worry about. "Hey, Apple? Wanna swap bodies for a day?" I ask my cat, moving closer to her to give her gentle pets.

She just meows indifferently like she was saying 'Hell no! I don't want your crazy life'

I sigh and make my way out of my room, making sure to leave the door unlocked and left slightly open for if Apple wanted to go out.

"Where's Hayden, Renee?" I can hear Shana's voice as I make my way down the stairs.

"He's coming!"  My mom replies.

Why are they all yelling?

I slow down, suddenly wanting to take my time getting down there.

There's a spell of silence, most likely Dale or Virgil talking but it's too low for me to hear their words from my spot at the top of the stairs and then Shana is yelling again.

"Don't slam him into the cabinet!" She yells frantically and I pause in surprise, what exactly is going on down there?

"Not my tower of toothpicks!" My mom gasps loudly in horror and then there are sounds of crashing and low thuds coming from the living room, at this, I forget my plan to take my time to annoy Shana and rush down the stairs.

The scene I rush down to see is mind-blowing because I couldn't have imagined, Virgil and Dale are rolling around and tussling like they were arch enemies.

My mom is clutching her tower of toothpicks and standing in a corner of the room in surprise, Shana is holding the other end of a book and poking them with the pole end probably trying to get them to separate.

"What the actual effing hell is going on here?" I ask in bewilderment, standing frozen at the foot of the stairs. "I leave for a couple of minutes and this happens?"

"Oh, Hi, Doll." Dale grins, making a move to come to me, he's pinning Virgil down but when he gets up to come my way Virgil grabs his ankle and he comes crashing to the ground.

Virgil tries to do the same but Dale whacks the backs of his knees and he crumbles down to his knees at the upset in his balance.

"Oh! Hayden, you're here!" Shana squeals brightly throwing the broom to the side, a resounding crash happens and I wince. "Let's go, those two idiots can find their way there." She says happily, running over to take my hand and pull me out.

Virgil and Dale had resumed their tussling and occasional pinning, my mom just gingerly steps over them, still clutching her tower of toothpicks to her chest like it's a living baby.

"Make sure you close the windows, boys, raccoons keep finding their way in." She reminds them not particularly caring that they're literally slamming themselves into every possible surface they can find.

"Will they be okay?" I find myself asking as Shana ushers me out of the house, trying to look back in.

"Of course, sorry." She adds sheepishly. "This might become a common occurrence."

I blink at this, trying to process her words.

What?

Even though my mom acted like we were going to leave them behind, she and Shana get in the back seats with me and we end up waiting.

Not long after, Virgil and Dale are sauntering out looking calm and collected like they hadn't just tried to crack each other heads back in the house.

It seemed like everything seemed to happen whenever I left for a couple of minutes but I also get a sinking feeling in my stomach, if I thought I was in the middle of a love triangle, I had better put my seatbelt on because it was just beginning, whoever said that I had a boring love life?

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