Seasons Are Changing and Waves Are Crashing
tri
The doorbell rang throughout the still house. The girl froze, wondering who on earth it could be. Deciding it was probably the postman or those kids again; she got up, checked she was presentable in the hallway mirror and went to the door. Glancing through the window as she got there, she realised it was the female from next door. The girl froze in front of the door, not sure if she should open it. Knock, knock, knock, the girl rapped the wooden barrier again. Sighing, the girl cracked the door open slightly, eyeing the fake brunette.
“Can I help you?” the lady asked her in a soft voice, noticing the dish in the other woman’s hands.
“Hi! I’m Juliet!” Juliet smiled widely, giving the lady the impression she was impulsive. “I’m – I mean, my boyfriend and I, are your new neighbours,” she smiled again.
“Oh, hello,” the lady bumbled, glancing towards the women’s shoes as she pushed the door from 6 inches to completely open. She was cautious of people these days but Juliet didn’t seem too threatening.
“I just thought I would come over and introduce myself. I brought some food – a sponge cake I made myself,” she nodded down at the dish before her which had so much cling wrap around it, you wouldn’t know what it was.
“That’s very kind,” the lady smiled back, pondering on whether to let Juliet in and have a slice of cake and coffee with her.
“So, what’s your name?” Juliet asked, peering at her. The lady blinked, a little embarrassed she hadn’t thought to introduce herself.
“Rachel,” she answered, giving her a happy face.
“I was thinking perhaps we could get coffee sometime? Just have a chat, get to know some people around here,” Juliet proposed, “we could have cake together if you like?” she beamed, looking very enthusiastic.
Like you already know, Rachel hardly left the house and was alone for most of the day. She didn’t mind being alone – she’d rather be alone than be with Callum – but sometimes she craved some company. Having no friends in a town that you’ve become so familiar with, makes you feel out of place, emphasising the loneliness. Rachel thought that with Juliet living close by, she could be friends or even acquaintances with Juliet without Callum finding out. It would be quick and easy to put distance between them as they lived so close so Callum wouldn’t realise. If Rachel made either close friends or many regular friends, Callum forced them to move away. Rachel had managed to keep them put for 8 years now.
“Oh sure, that would be good. Come in,” Rachel offered and Juliet followed her into the house.
“Wow, you have a really nice house,” Juliet complimented.
“Thank you,” Rachel said, leading her into the spacious, white kitchen. “Have a seat,” she added. Juliet sat down at the classic, white wooden table near the entrance to the deck.
Rachel got out some plates, spoons and offered ice cream to go with the cake. It wasn’t long before they were chatting on about something. The pair had a lot in common, which surprised both of them. It wasn’t long before the ladies lost track of time.
Rachel had forgotten about her worries and all the things she was meant to do: cleaning the house, watering the garden and cooking dinner so she just has to warm it up later. Those things didn’t really matter; it only annoyed Callum when she didn’t do the domestic duties. It didn’t make him very mad. What did matter though was the fact they lost track of time ergo Rachel’s plan to have Callum ignorant of her and Juliet’s encounter, and possible friendship, miserably failed.
Juliet
Rachel was awesome. We talked about so many things – fashion, movies currently showing, music and more. She came to be much more comfortable around me and I really liked her. I told her about where Andy and I had just moved from and that we were in the music industry. A lot of the time, when I told people I was a vocalist and guitarist, they never took me seriously but Rachel did. That meant a lot to me.
However, good times don’t last. The vibe changed as soon as we heard the front door open. Still suspicious about what I had seen earlier, I watched Rachel and her reaction at – what I assumed – was the coming home of her partner. Her eyes widened as she turned to the clock and she glanced at the floor as she stood up from her chair. The clunk of keys hitting a surface was heard from further down the hall which cornered around, blocking our view of the person who’d entered.
“Girl, where are you?” the tone was stony and harsh. “Rachel?” Rachel stood at the counter uneasily, placing our cups down. She wouldn’t look anywhere near me.
“In here,” she sang in a happy voice as the loud steps got to the room. I instinctively knew the happiness was an act although I knew it would have fooled many people in the past.
“Why a –” his voice changed to a nicer register when he saw she wasn’t alone, “Oh, hello. Rach, who is this?” he asked, coming in and kissing her on the cheek. The way ‘Rach’ rolled of his tongue was odd, like he didn’t call her that often.
“Hello, I’m Juliet,” I introduced myself, “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m your new neighbour.”
“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine,” he said.
“Juliet brought over some sponge cake. Would you like a piece?” Rachel asked, going behind the kitchen island.
“Yes, that would be great, considering you haven’t started dinner yet,” he said coarsely.
I blinked a couple of times at his condescension towards the poor girl. So what if she hadn’t started dinner? It’s not the end of the world! If he’s so terribly hungry he can make himself something!
“Sorry, that’s my fault. I couldn’t stop talking,” I laughed. I wasn’t going to say ‘it was our fault. We couldn’t stop talking’ as I knew he’d be more suspicious and blame her.
“Oh, I see,” he said as Rachel cut him a slice of the very good cake.
“I better get going,” I said, standing up and picking up my plate.
“You should let Rach do that,” he told me bluntly as I put my plate in the sink.
“It’s fine. I have legs too,” I laughed and there was an awkward silence as he just stood still, judging me. I could feel his suspicion of me. God, this guy was a control freak.
I thanked Rachel for having me for coffee and she thanked me for the lovely cake before I left. I was the splattered dragonfly on that guy’s thick, filthy windshield. And, despite what I promised Andy, there were going to be a lot more dragonfly’s on that guy’s windshield.
Christian
I groaned loudly, stumbling down the stairs of my townhouse. Fuck, I needed an aspirin badly. I pushed stuff out of the way in the drawer, grasping the pill bottle. I took one and washed it down with water. I heard a clonk and then a thud from upstairs – where I’d just risen from. A curly, messy, black haired girl holding her t-shirt to her chest emerged. Disregarding the smudged mascara, she was an attractive girl. She held her head down with shame, only glancing at me once, before making her way out.
After my pounding hang over subsided, I got a call from Ashley that I’d been waiting for.
“Hey dude! So... how was it?” he pried without care. I rolled my eyes.
“You expect me to remember?” I asked and he laughed.
“How much did I drink last night?” I asked him, rubbing my left temple.
“I lost count of how many shots we did,” I could feel his grin, “And, don’t change the subject. How was it?” he asked again. I snickered.
“Judging by her hair, makeup and the walk of shame, I’d say it was pretty fucking good,” I gloated. He hooted on the other end.
“Sweet dude! Want to meet up? Jake’s out with Ella... again,” he complained.
Lately, all Jake does is stuff with Ella. He never hangs out with us anymore and if he does, she comes along and it’s only for a short time.
“Yeah sure, would love to,” I agreed.
Jinxx
“Don’t you think this is a bit much?” I asked looking at the mountains of food spread out in front of me for the guests.
“No, you know how everyone gets,” Sammi laughed, making me smile. I put my arm around her waist, looking around the room at all the purple and pink decoration ribbon.
“We’re not missing anything?” Sammi asked, gazing over everything. I shook my head.
“I know you,” I told her, bringing her close, “You never forget anything when it comes to planning things. Our wedding is a perfect example,” I kissed her forehead. Her deep, red lips beamed at me. I couldn’t resist leaning down and pushing my own against hers. She pushed back instantly. That was when the door bell rang.
“So the baby shower begins!” I declared, pecking her once more before getting the door.
Sammi
“Hi!” I greeted Juliet and Andy with a hug against my round belly. “How have you guys been? What you been up to?” she asked as I led Andy and her inside for the baby shower.
Traditionally, only women went to baby showers but we invited everyone saying we completely understood if the guys didn’t want to come.
“Yeah pretty good,” Andy slid off his jacket, putting it on the coat hanger. “We’ve just finished renovating,” he informed me.
“That’s great!” I said as Jinxx appeared from the hall.
“Guys!” he smiled, opening his arms. My mouth fell open slightly followed by an urge to laugh.
“Err, honey,” I started, “you’ve got..." I wiped at the side of my mouth. Jinxx imitated my actions, wiping the cherry red lipstick off his face. His blush of crimson followed. He’s so adorable.
“You can put the presents over here,” Jinxx directed. A second later, the doorbell rang again. Man, this was going to be fun!
Juliet
“I thought you said you weren’t going to get involved.” I looked at Andy. “You promised me.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” I told him, taking his hand on the sofa I’d just sat down on. I’d just got back from Rach’s – which would be the 3rd time I’ve been over there this week.
“But things are a lot worse than I suspected,” I admitted. He turned around to fully face me.
“And that’s exactly why I didn’t want you to get involved,” he raised his voice. I sighed.
“Rach is lovely and we’ve become friends. I’m not going to forget about her – not when she’s a lovely friend,” I argued.
“And what if you get hurt? I’d never forgive myself when I knew it could have been prevented,” he admitted.
“And I’d never forgive myself if something terrible happened to a friend, especially when we live right next door.” Andy looked at the coffee table.
“I’ve seen the marks, the blemishes, the bruises...” I trailed off. Andy brought me into a side by side hug. “She keeps trying to hide it,” I told him. He kissed the side of my head and held my hand, indicating he wasn't angry anymore.
“Andy... I’m not just going to let this go."
“Can I help you?” the lady asked her in a soft voice, noticing the dish in the other woman’s hands.
“Hi! I’m Juliet!” Juliet smiled widely, giving the lady the impression she was impulsive. “I’m – I mean, my boyfriend and I, are your new neighbours,” she smiled again.
“Oh, hello,” the lady bumbled, glancing towards the women’s shoes as she pushed the door from 6 inches to completely open. She was cautious of people these days but Juliet didn’t seem too threatening.
“I just thought I would come over and introduce myself. I brought some food – a sponge cake I made myself,” she nodded down at the dish before her which had so much cling wrap around it, you wouldn’t know what it was.
“That’s very kind,” the lady smiled back, pondering on whether to let Juliet in and have a slice of cake and coffee with her.
“So, what’s your name?” Juliet asked, peering at her. The lady blinked, a little embarrassed she hadn’t thought to introduce herself.
“Rachel,” she answered, giving her a happy face.
“I was thinking perhaps we could get coffee sometime? Just have a chat, get to know some people around here,” Juliet proposed, “we could have cake together if you like?” she beamed, looking very enthusiastic.
Like you already know, Rachel hardly left the house and was alone for most of the day. She didn’t mind being alone – she’d rather be alone than be with Callum – but sometimes she craved some company. Having no friends in a town that you’ve become so familiar with, makes you feel out of place, emphasising the loneliness. Rachel thought that with Juliet living close by, she could be friends or even acquaintances with Juliet without Callum finding out. It would be quick and easy to put distance between them as they lived so close so Callum wouldn’t realise. If Rachel made either close friends or many regular friends, Callum forced them to move away. Rachel had managed to keep them put for 8 years now.
“Oh sure, that would be good. Come in,” Rachel offered and Juliet followed her into the house.
“Wow, you have a really nice house,” Juliet complimented.
“Thank you,” Rachel said, leading her into the spacious, white kitchen. “Have a seat,” she added. Juliet sat down at the classic, white wooden table near the entrance to the deck.
Rachel got out some plates, spoons and offered ice cream to go with the cake. It wasn’t long before they were chatting on about something. The pair had a lot in common, which surprised both of them. It wasn’t long before the ladies lost track of time.
Rachel had forgotten about her worries and all the things she was meant to do: cleaning the house, watering the garden and cooking dinner so she just has to warm it up later. Those things didn’t really matter; it only annoyed Callum when she didn’t do the domestic duties. It didn’t make him very mad. What did matter though was the fact they lost track of time ergo Rachel’s plan to have Callum ignorant of her and Juliet’s encounter, and possible friendship, miserably failed.
Juliet
Rachel was awesome. We talked about so many things – fashion, movies currently showing, music and more. She came to be much more comfortable around me and I really liked her. I told her about where Andy and I had just moved from and that we were in the music industry. A lot of the time, when I told people I was a vocalist and guitarist, they never took me seriously but Rachel did. That meant a lot to me.
However, good times don’t last. The vibe changed as soon as we heard the front door open. Still suspicious about what I had seen earlier, I watched Rachel and her reaction at – what I assumed – was the coming home of her partner. Her eyes widened as she turned to the clock and she glanced at the floor as she stood up from her chair. The clunk of keys hitting a surface was heard from further down the hall which cornered around, blocking our view of the person who’d entered.
“Girl, where are you?” the tone was stony and harsh. “Rachel?” Rachel stood at the counter uneasily, placing our cups down. She wouldn’t look anywhere near me.
“In here,” she sang in a happy voice as the loud steps got to the room. I instinctively knew the happiness was an act although I knew it would have fooled many people in the past.
“Why a –” his voice changed to a nicer register when he saw she wasn’t alone, “Oh, hello. Rach, who is this?” he asked, coming in and kissing her on the cheek. The way ‘Rach’ rolled of his tongue was odd, like he didn’t call her that often.
“Hello, I’m Juliet,” I introduced myself, “It’s lovely to meet you. I’m your new neighbour.”
“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine,” he said.
“Juliet brought over some sponge cake. Would you like a piece?” Rachel asked, going behind the kitchen island.
“Yes, that would be great, considering you haven’t started dinner yet,” he said coarsely.
I blinked a couple of times at his condescension towards the poor girl. So what if she hadn’t started dinner? It’s not the end of the world! If he’s so terribly hungry he can make himself something!
“Sorry, that’s my fault. I couldn’t stop talking,” I laughed. I wasn’t going to say ‘it was our fault. We couldn’t stop talking’ as I knew he’d be more suspicious and blame her.
“Oh, I see,” he said as Rachel cut him a slice of the very good cake.
“I better get going,” I said, standing up and picking up my plate.
“You should let Rach do that,” he told me bluntly as I put my plate in the sink.
“It’s fine. I have legs too,” I laughed and there was an awkward silence as he just stood still, judging me. I could feel his suspicion of me. God, this guy was a control freak.
I thanked Rachel for having me for coffee and she thanked me for the lovely cake before I left. I was the splattered dragonfly on that guy’s thick, filthy windshield. And, despite what I promised Andy, there were going to be a lot more dragonfly’s on that guy’s windshield.
Christian
I groaned loudly, stumbling down the stairs of my townhouse. Fuck, I needed an aspirin badly. I pushed stuff out of the way in the drawer, grasping the pill bottle. I took one and washed it down with water. I heard a clonk and then a thud from upstairs – where I’d just risen from. A curly, messy, black haired girl holding her t-shirt to her chest emerged. Disregarding the smudged mascara, she was an attractive girl. She held her head down with shame, only glancing at me once, before making her way out.
After my pounding hang over subsided, I got a call from Ashley that I’d been waiting for.
“Hey dude! So... how was it?” he pried without care. I rolled my eyes.
“You expect me to remember?” I asked and he laughed.
“How much did I drink last night?” I asked him, rubbing my left temple.
“I lost count of how many shots we did,” I could feel his grin, “And, don’t change the subject. How was it?” he asked again. I snickered.
“Judging by her hair, makeup and the walk of shame, I’d say it was pretty fucking good,” I gloated. He hooted on the other end.
“Sweet dude! Want to meet up? Jake’s out with Ella... again,” he complained.
Lately, all Jake does is stuff with Ella. He never hangs out with us anymore and if he does, she comes along and it’s only for a short time.
“Yeah sure, would love to,” I agreed.
Jinxx
“Don’t you think this is a bit much?” I asked looking at the mountains of food spread out in front of me for the guests.
“No, you know how everyone gets,” Sammi laughed, making me smile. I put my arm around her waist, looking around the room at all the purple and pink decoration ribbon.
“We’re not missing anything?” Sammi asked, gazing over everything. I shook my head.
“I know you,” I told her, bringing her close, “You never forget anything when it comes to planning things. Our wedding is a perfect example,” I kissed her forehead. Her deep, red lips beamed at me. I couldn’t resist leaning down and pushing my own against hers. She pushed back instantly. That was when the door bell rang.
“So the baby shower begins!” I declared, pecking her once more before getting the door.
Sammi
“Hi!” I greeted Juliet and Andy with a hug against my round belly. “How have you guys been? What you been up to?” she asked as I led Andy and her inside for the baby shower.
Traditionally, only women went to baby showers but we invited everyone saying we completely understood if the guys didn’t want to come.
“Yeah pretty good,” Andy slid off his jacket, putting it on the coat hanger. “We’ve just finished renovating,” he informed me.
“That’s great!” I said as Jinxx appeared from the hall.
“Guys!” he smiled, opening his arms. My mouth fell open slightly followed by an urge to laugh.
“Err, honey,” I started, “you’ve got..." I wiped at the side of my mouth. Jinxx imitated my actions, wiping the cherry red lipstick off his face. His blush of crimson followed. He’s so adorable.
“You can put the presents over here,” Jinxx directed. A second later, the doorbell rang again. Man, this was going to be fun!
Juliet
“I thought you said you weren’t going to get involved.” I looked at Andy. “You promised me.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” I told him, taking his hand on the sofa I’d just sat down on. I’d just got back from Rach’s – which would be the 3rd time I’ve been over there this week.
“But things are a lot worse than I suspected,” I admitted. He turned around to fully face me.
“And that’s exactly why I didn’t want you to get involved,” he raised his voice. I sighed.
“Rach is lovely and we’ve become friends. I’m not going to forget about her – not when she’s a lovely friend,” I argued.
“And what if you get hurt? I’d never forgive myself when I knew it could have been prevented,” he admitted.
“And I’d never forgive myself if something terrible happened to a friend, especially when we live right next door.” Andy looked at the coffee table.
“I’ve seen the marks, the blemishes, the bruises...” I trailed off. Andy brought me into a side by side hug. “She keeps trying to hide it,” I told him. He kissed the side of my head and held my hand, indicating he wasn't angry anymore.
“Andy... I’m not just going to let this go."
no ! update please !
12/30/13