Chapter 10: CHAPTER 9

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."- Albert Einstein.

Ashley's POV

I watch my best friend gush at  Lucas' photos, liking and commenting on every post of his. She squeals anytime he smiles, grins, or even winks.

'Blond guys are sooo hot.... it makes me want to faint' she would repeat over and over, fanning herself with her palms as if she were on an island where it scorches non-stop.

"I need an ice cream," she speaks up. Wait! I thought she wasn't going to do anything other than fawn. Guess I was wrong.

I roll my eyes at her and scoff.

"You've got some in your fridge?" she asks.

Oh!!, now she wants to fill her tummy... unbelievable! I thought Lucas was going to take her to lunch. No??!! Haha!.... thought as much.

I walk past her and head for the door. With my hands on the doorknob, I open the door and slam it shut right after me, leaving her by herself. As I walk towards the stairs, I hear the ringing of my name from her lips countlessly yet I ignore it and descend the stairs. When I finally get down, turn it on the Television, stretching my limbs I walk towards the couch and plop on it.

Switching channel after channel I finally landed on a TV series that was being shown. A few minutes into the series, footsteps waltz down the stairs which I surely know it is Cam's.

I turned and surely it was her, "Didn't know you had legs to come get the ice cream yourself." I tease Cam when I notice her entry towards the kitchen.

Chuckling and shaking her head she ignores me. I turn my attention back to the TV and after a while she makes her presence known. In her hand was a bowl of chocolate ice cream. She walks towards me and takes a seat next to me, after which she opens the lid of her ice cream and consumes a spoonful.

"Best friends before crushes," I mutter with an eye roll.

She scoops yet another spoonful of the ice cream and devours it. "Of course ..." she mumbles as she licks her lips, nodding her head as she does so.

"But you don't seem to be doing that," I frown, "at least not in these few hours," I complain.

She looks at me and sighs, "You know you'll always come first... I'm sorry for making you feel left out." She covers the tube with its lid and places it beside her. Turning back to me, she tries to come up with a sorry face.

"Left out?" I screech 'You don't understand, do you?" I sit properly.

"Of course I do!" she mutters trying to keep her lips in a thin line but fails miserably as her lips lift slightly in a small smile.

"You surely don't. You've not seen my cousin for crying out loud yet you're picking him over me." I shoot her a pointed look and she bows her head low so I continue, "I've watched you spend hours fantasizing about someone you haven't set eyes on, where's the logic in that one?" I squint my brows.

She lifts her head "Is it just me?..." she asks amusement dancing on her lips "...or  do I  smell jealousy?"

Really?!!

"You green-eyed monster," she hits me playfully,  a grin on her lips and the 'I can't believe this!' expression on her face. In a matter of seconds, her chest reverberates, her grin now turning into full-blown laughter.

Is she freaking doing this right now?!!.. I'm not kidding for crying out loud.

After a series of her reverberating laughter I pick up a cushion from the sofa and smack her shoulder with it, in the hopes that she would stop and probably apologize for calling me jealous—I mean who does that?– but no her laughter doesn't die down, it rather increases ten thousandfold. Seems like I'm the oil to her engine of laughter. How sad!

With raised brows and an earth-swallowing glare towards her, I listen in on her laughter over and over again, milliseconds turning into seconds, and seconds into minutes.

Her laughter starts to infuriate me so much that I climb on top of her—taking my cushion along—in a straddle.

"What are you doing?" She says in between laughter but I ignore her. Lifting the cushion in the air, I begin to attack my target. I hit every part of her body I could lay hold on till she hiccups in between her display of laughter muttering multiple sorry's.

She keeps sorry till I shoot her one last glare before ceasing my lame excuse of an attack. She stops laughing this time around.

"I promise I'm going to change," she mutters mirroring a steady look that only lasts for a couple of seconds,  because immediately after I climb off her she cackles back in laughter, again.

What is so funny? Just tell me!!

"Camilla Lyndsey Anderson!!...." I yell and she halts "... for once in your life, be serious!"

She gives me a sheepish look. "Okay, fine! I'm sorry, didn't mean to laugh at you. I promise I'm a changed woman, now." She says rubbing off the tears underneath her eyes after which she pats her cheeks with her palms.

"Girl!" I correct.

"Huh?!", she squints her eyes in confusion.

"When did you become a woman?" I roll my eyes at her.

"Oh! Sorry, let me rephrase that. I'm a changed girl. Better?"

"Now.... that's better, but still I'm not buying it. You need to make it up to me."

"You mean, make it up to you for your Jealousy?" she wiggles her brows at me in amusement.

"Cam!" I warn.

"So sorry ma lady," she bows her head in mock surrender.

"You can lift your head now, don't try that again. Am I understood?" I utter with a fake British accent.

Cam lifts her head and we both burst out in laughter.

"What the heck was that?" Cam asks after we both calm down.

"A British accent, I guess."

"No, no ... don't ever try it again. Do you know what you sounded like?

"Well... " I splatter my lashes childishly.

"I bet you don't want to know." she grins shaking her head.

The sound of Colton Dixon's No Greater Love playing in the background cuts us out .....

Cam's ringtone

She quickly picks up her phone, her fingers wandering the screen before finally touching accept. I listen as she speaks to whoever it is on the phone.

"Yeah ..."

"Okay.."

"I'm on my way."

And then she hangs up the call.

"Who's that?" I ask.

"My mum"

"Oh..."

"She's asking for me at home," she informs and picks up her bowl of ice cream.  Voraciously she devours the remaining content before putting it down.

"Okay... Let me see you off to your car then."

"You'll make it up to me right?" I ask as we near her car.

"Yeah...I'll hit you up. Be ready, tomorrow I'm taking you out okay."

"Yaaay!!" I squeal and hip-bump her making her almost trip.

"Girl!! Calm down... will you?" she grimaces rubbing her hip which might have bruised a little.

"Well, whatever... I can't help the ecstasy." I exclaim and she rolls her eyes.

"Goodbye, see you tomorrow," she waves before entering her car and pulling out of the driveway.

I get back to the house and continue with the series on the TV.

__ __ __ __

Light feathery touches, someone's fingers drawing patterns on my right cheek, the sound of people talking in the background. The TV.... when did I fall asleep?

Slowly, open my eyes.

"Hello, sleeping beauty." A voice mutters.

"Dad," I croak out.

How long have I been sleeping? someone please tell me.

"How long have you been asleep on this couch?" Exactly my thoughts.

"I don't know. maybe an hour or so?" I croak out. Woah!!! that sounds unlike me.

"It's six pm." dad informs.

"Six pm? !!" I scream in alarm." That's probably two hours of sleep.

"Yeah! Well.... have you eaten anything yet?"

"No! but as of now, I'm craving for pizza, as in right now." I rub my rambling tummy.

"Okay, go take a shower. I'll order for it."

I lift my arms and place my head under, sniffing my armpits.

Dad chuckles, "You don't stink. You just need to freshen up to feel fresh."

"Oh!" I pout before heading for my room.

"Be down in fifteen minutes." He hollers when I'm practically out of sight.

Thought I would be down by fifteen minutes. Oh, how I was so wrong. It took me a good thirty minutes to get ready, twice the expected time. You can't blame me. Oh no!!, I wasn't scrubbing dirt off myself like they do in the movies. I was just enjoying the effect of water on my skin. Trust me...it did feel good.

I go downstairs and head over to the dining table where my dad was already seated with the pizza box in the middle. I watch as my brother descends the stairs after me.

Huh! When did he arrive?

"While you were in heaven busily plucking lilies for your future husband," he smirks

I said that out loud?

I was home alone today because apparently, Dylan is not at home every other Saturday. He leaves home as early as eight am and comes back anytime at all. I've asked him countless number of times what he goes out to do, yet all he does is repeat the same anthem  'A guy needs to explore'. The first time he said that to me I was like 'And what has a girl got to do?'  and he's like  'I dunno, it's up to you.'

"Where have you been?" I ask anyway, as he joins us at the table.

"A guy's got to explore." He replies nonchalantly.

"What does that even mean?" I query.

"Maybe if you go out just a tad extra...." he pinches his index finger and thumb together.

"Whatever," I cut him off.

I turn to Dad with questioning brows, "Why do you allow him to go out all the time?"

"A guy's got to... "

"Okay okay, I get it." I lift my arms in mock surrender and they both chuckle.

I rush to my room immediately pizza dinner was over. Let me give you updates, I ate till I was full, so full, so so full... I felt pregnant.

My eyes start to droop immediately after my head touches the pillow... Terrific!

_______

Since morning I've been waiting expectantly for Cam. I wonder where she's taking me to... Ice cream shopping?!!

Ping !!!

"Come downstairs,"  it says from Cam.

*******

Cam is definitely my favorite character so far ....do you agree with me??

If not!! ... then who's yours?

Let forgiveness thrive. Follow @kadira_writes on Instagram for more.