Finders Keepers

“You know, you can just wear a neat button-up shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans to wear to your friend’s wedding,” I said as I was waiting for Jack trying on a shirt in the fitting room.

“I feel like shopping,” he retorted before opening the curtain. I turned to look at him. He looked really funny in a dark green shirt, so I held my laughter and shook my head. He closed the curtain before trying on another shirt.

“So, you and Zack,” he started as he continued trying on.

“Zack and I are nothing.”

“You guys were staring into each other’s eyes too deeply when I got there.”

“It’s nothing,” I said a bit too quickly. I took a vertically striped shirt from the rack right as he opened the curtain, revealing a flowery patterned shirt wrapping his lanky body. He looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows, trying to be ‘sexy’. “What the fuck, Jack?” I giggled. “Try this instead,” I handed him the shirt and he went back inside the fitting room.

“Nothing is between you and Zack? Really?” he asked again.

“Ye—“

“Bullshit.”

I rolled my eyes. “Ja—“

“I can see the way you guys look at each other – especially him! It looks like he’s going to rip your clothes off and fuck the life out of you.”

I raised my eyebrows. “...Oh?”

“I mean, in a passionate and loving way. Not in a lustful, horny wolf kind of way.”

“Shut up, Jack. Something’s wrong with your ey—“

“Dammit, Penny! What size did you get me?” He opened the curtain and I couldn’t help but to laugh. He could only button one button of that shirt and he looked well funny.

“I’m sorry, I’ll get your size. I wasn’t paying attention,” I apologised before taking a medium-sized one and handed it to him.

After a few moments, he asked, “There’s a party tonight, do you want to come? It’d be a great chance for you to know people around.”

I thought for a moment. “Sure, why not?”

“I don’t know, maybe because Alex might forbid you because he’s afraid some jerk is going to hook up with you?”

I chuckled. “He’s not going to be afraid, Jack. I told him the story when once a jerk tried to hook up with me and I grabbed his balls really hard. Needless to say he backed off and held them painfully.”

I heard him laughing. “You’re something, Penny.”

- - -

Jack sat across me as we were having yoghurt in Red Mango. His bag of new shirt was on the floor next to his feet and I watched him as he was eating his yoghurt.

He cringed, holding his temple. Probably he was having a brainfreeze. I giggled and he glared at me jokingly. “Thanks for helping me today, Penny.”

“Don’t mention it,” I retorted as I put a slice of peach into my mouth. I realised he’d been awfully quiet today – well he talked and all but he wasn’t full of energy like he usually was. I haven’t hung out a lot with him but it’s easy for strangers to see his true personality.

We finished our yoghurt and he walked me home. Alex and Lisa weren’t home yet and Baz was nowhere to be found, so I assumed he was still with Zack. Jack went home after having a glass of water; he said he wanted to finish a videogame at his house.

I didn’t know what to do so I headed to my room. After moving around in the room for two minutes, I set up an easel, medium-sized canvas and a chair facing out the balcony of my room. I changed into a pair of boy shorts and an old t-shirt and prepared the acrylic paints, brushes and some water on a small table near the easel.

I saw our neighbour across the street was washing his car and I thought it’d be a good object to paint so I grabbed a pencil and started sketching. By the time I was done sketching, he was done washing his car and went inside but left his car in the driveway. It wouldn’t be a problem to me, though.

I started painting and painting for what it seemed for hours, and I saw Zack’s figure with Baz heading to the house in the sidewalk. Placing the brush I was holding and fixed my shirt, I went downstairs and found him giving Baz water.

“Hey,” he said when he noticed me.

“Hi. I thought you’d be done walking him by the time I’m home,” I said as I walked down the stairs.

“Baz kind of didn’t want to go home,” he laughed. I stepped on the third last staircase but slipped. I fell and thought I would be dead by then but when I opened my eyes, Zack was under me with his arms around my torso.

“Geez, you almost give me a heart attack,” he said, breathless.

“Yeah, sorry. And thanks,” I replied, getting off of him. “I thought I’d be dead,” I nervously laugh before standing up and went to the kitchen, suddenly feeling hungry. I realised the sun was setting, sending golden rays into the house.

“Do you want to stay for dinner?” I offered as he entered the kitchen.

“I’d like to, but I can’t. Mum wants me to have dinner with the family; she said I ate out too much.”

I smiled, thinking that he was a family guy. I like that.

And so he left, leaving me alone in the house. I made some mac and cheese and went back to my room with Baz. After finishing my dinner, I put it on my desk and continued painting. An hour later it was done and Alex and Lisa were home.

I was about to go out from my room and go downstairs to have a chat with them when I heard them slamming the door and I heard some moaning. I heard them going upstairs and slammed their bedroom door shut. I scrunched up my face, God knows what they’re going to do so I covered my ears with my earphones and listened to music in a maximum volume while surfing the internet.

It didn’t help much, I still heard them doing it until one in the morning.

Jesus.