HOME | DD

Description
Chapter 9 – The necklace.

   That night, Jean invited Red's family over for dinner. We all crowded around the small oval table, I sat beside Red and Jean, Jean sat beside Caroline, Caroline sat beside Red's father, and he sat beside Chris, who was basically sitting in Red's lap. It was awkward, almost all our knees touching.

   Jean cleared her throat, "Sorry about the squeeze, folks… I couldn't find the leaf."

   Chris smiled politely and shook her head, "It's alright Jean, I'm sure none of us mind."

   Caroline rolled her eyes, glaring across the table at Red, who kept her eyes on her plate.

   Red seemed to smile cheekily, Caroline knew she couldn't say anything.

   I heard Caroline scoff, and she stood, "I'm not hungry… something stinks and it ruined my appetite."

   Close your legs then.

   She glared at me coldly like she knew what I had thought. I smiled.

   We finished dinner in peace, then I took Red to my room, "This is my room" I said, showing her around a bit.

   She smiled, "nice…"

   I closed the door and smiled, "You want to watch a movie?"

   She nodded, "Sure"

   We picked out some cheesy old horror movie and popped it in, turning the lights off.

   I leaned back against the wall, sitting on my bed, a few pillows stuffed up under me. Red sat beside me.

   The movie was quiet; I wasn't really watching it though. I watched Red through the corner of my eye; she was completely engrossed in the TV, fiddling with something in her hands compulsively.

   I tried to see it, but her thumb blocked my view. I turned and watched the TV again, some dude was throwing a bag off of a cliff into the ocean. I yawned and slumped back, crossing my legs.

   Red turned to me, "Hey."

   I raised an eyebrow, "Hey?..."

   "Here." She said quickly, passing me a small necklace.

   It had a long silver chain, at the end of it hung a tiny silver heart and something engraved in it. It was two female symbols, linked together by their circles and the line on the bottom.

   I stared at it, then smiled, "Thanks…"

   She turned to me, "Open it"

   I found a tiny little clasp on the side of the heart. Opening it, I noticed there was something inside. A Yin and Yang. The Yin in silver, and the Yang in gold. I looked up at her, "How much was this…"

   She blushed, "Not telling… but don't lose it…"

   "I… I can't take it; I'll lose it if I take it off…" I offered it back to her.

   She took it, smiling, clasping it arund my neck, "So don't take it off?"

   I sighed and gave up, laughing softly, "Well… thanks…"

   She smiled, staring at me for a long moment.

   My mind flashed back to the first time she had looked at me so closely that day on the bus.

   "Do you like it?"

   I nodded, "I love it… it's beautiful…"

   She smiled again, "Good."

   She leaned forward slowly, I felt a dizzy feeling build up, she wanted to kiss me.

   I seemed to be swaying forward also, dream-like.

   Our lips were just about to touch for the first non-surprising time ever, when Caroline burst through my door holding a toothbrush, "Brooklyn!?" She snapped, glaring back and forth between us, "Sorry to interrupt your little make-out session, but you used my toothbrush."

   I grumbled, shaking my head, "I didn't."

   "Uh, Yeah you did. I can tell Brooke. Now I need a new one."

   "If you think I used it, just Wash it…" I sighed.

   "I can't just WASH it Brooke, you can't just Wash away dyke grit."

   Red's eyes darkened.

   I glanced at her, then back at Caroline, "So get another God Damned toothbrush then. Leave me alone."

   Red looked startled, she glanced up at me, an amused smile quivering at the corners of her mouth.

   Caroline scoffed and threw the toothbrush at me, slamming the door. A picture fell off of my wall and hit the floor, good thing it didn't break.

   "Hey what's your problem?" Red yelled at the door.

   It was silent for a few seconds, then Caroline poked her head back through the door and scowled, "You." She spat, glaring at Red, "Don't touch any of my stuff."

   Red rolled her eyes, "What, are you afraid of me or something?"

   Caroline laughed, "No… I just don't want your smell or your look or your… Germs all over my things."

   Red smiled gleefully, "Cause you're scared of me."

   Caroline's face reddened with anger. I giggled softly, remembering the picture Red had drawn of her.

   "What are you laughing at?" She snarled, stepping into my room.

   Red stood. She was about 3 inches taller than Caroline. She looked down at her, "Leave."

   Caroline crossed her arms, "Make me, freak."

   "You're acting like a child" I said softly, standing too. I, unfortunately, was shorter than her.

   "You just wait." Caroline sneered, "I'll get you."

   Red smiled cheekily, "You can't, she's mine."

   Caroline fumed, "Not like… Ahhh!!"

   Red laughed and Caroline stormed out of the room, slamming the door again.