My Living Nightmare
Chapter 6
“This is not goodbye forever, right? I will see you around?”
“Of course Alex, it’s just the other side of town… The way you’re acting you’d think it’s a freaking other continent. Now, don’t I get a hug?” Camille asked, extending her arms wide.
“Of course Cammie, you are my sister from another mister… The way you’re acting you’d think you’d never get one,” I said, mimicking her tone and stepping forward to be enveloped in a bone-crushing bear hug.
“This house is going to be even lonelier than before with you gone… You better come visit… Or else.”
“Or else what?” I laughed.
“Or else I’ll set Sapphire after you.”
“You’re cruel.”
“I know.”
We were standing in the foyer, saying our goodbyes. Sean and Phil were outside, packing my bags in their car. My parents were having a quiet but rushed conversation with Christine while Camille and I hugged. It bothered me, but to be perfectly frank, I’d rather not know what they were discussing. It’s true what they say, ignorance is bliss.
“Since you seem to know such a lot I hope you know that you’re crushing my lungs.”
“Oh, oops, so sorry Alex. It’s just I’m really going to miss you and… wow, I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I’m seriously going to miss your whining,” Camille said, releasing me.
“I do not whine… A lot anyway,” I pouted.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire…”
“Seriously, how old are you?” I chuckled at her childish acts of bear hugs and singing of… of… is liar, liar, pants on fire a nursery rhyme?
“I am twenty five and proud of it! Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to go have a word with Sean Rivera. Say goodbye to your parents in the meanwhile.”
I watched her walk out of the front door and over to the Rivera’s limo. Yes, limo. Discreet, isn’t it? Though, to be fair it was the company’s, and since Phil didn’t have time to go home from his office and pick Sean and his mother up, it probably worked out cheaper to have the limo driver round them up before coming back for him. The fact that he was already at the office before I had even woken up for breakfast was extremely alarming, and it had the word WORK-A-HOLIC written all over it.
It was automatic. As soon as I was alone I felt awkward and out of place. How did you say goodbye to two people who arranged for you to get married when you were just at the tender age of one?
Christine seemed to sense what was coming on and quickly followed Camille out the front door.
My mother was the first to speak.
“Well, I guess it’s goodbye for now. We’ll be popping in every now and then for dinner and the like. Now don’t worry, the Rivera’s are good people. They’ll treat you like one of their own, so I want you to be on your best behavior. I’m going to miss you, sweetie,” she said, stepping forward to give me a quick squeeze before moving back to my dad’s side.
“Like your mother said, I want you to be on your best behavior at all times. Keep to your curfews; let them know where you’ll be going and when you’ll be back and no storming out of the house because of an argument or two. Be nice, okay?” he said. Without waiting for a reply he shocked me by giving me a quick hug. “We love you, Lexie, forever and always. It’ll be for the best, you’ll see,” he whispered in my ear, before stepping back and clearing his throat. Righting his tie, he led us out the front door.
“I just want you to know that while I won’t be screaming all the time, it doesn’t mean that I’m just giving in. I’m not getting married. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from watching iCarly, it’s that every contract has a loophole.”
“Of course Alex, it’s just the other side of town… The way you’re acting you’d think it’s a freaking other continent. Now, don’t I get a hug?” Camille asked, extending her arms wide.
“Of course Cammie, you are my sister from another mister… The way you’re acting you’d think you’d never get one,” I said, mimicking her tone and stepping forward to be enveloped in a bone-crushing bear hug.
“This house is going to be even lonelier than before with you gone… You better come visit… Or else.”
“Or else what?” I laughed.
“Or else I’ll set Sapphire after you.”
“You’re cruel.”
“I know.”
We were standing in the foyer, saying our goodbyes. Sean and Phil were outside, packing my bags in their car. My parents were having a quiet but rushed conversation with Christine while Camille and I hugged. It bothered me, but to be perfectly frank, I’d rather not know what they were discussing. It’s true what they say, ignorance is bliss.
“Since you seem to know such a lot I hope you know that you’re crushing my lungs.”
“Oh, oops, so sorry Alex. It’s just I’m really going to miss you and… wow, I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I’m seriously going to miss your whining,” Camille said, releasing me.
“I do not whine… A lot anyway,” I pouted.
“Liar, liar, pants on fire…”
“Seriously, how old are you?” I chuckled at her childish acts of bear hugs and singing of… of… is liar, liar, pants on fire a nursery rhyme?
“I am twenty five and proud of it! Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to go have a word with Sean Rivera. Say goodbye to your parents in the meanwhile.”
I watched her walk out of the front door and over to the Rivera’s limo. Yes, limo. Discreet, isn’t it? Though, to be fair it was the company’s, and since Phil didn’t have time to go home from his office and pick Sean and his mother up, it probably worked out cheaper to have the limo driver round them up before coming back for him. The fact that he was already at the office before I had even woken up for breakfast was extremely alarming, and it had the word WORK-A-HOLIC written all over it.
It was automatic. As soon as I was alone I felt awkward and out of place. How did you say goodbye to two people who arranged for you to get married when you were just at the tender age of one?
Christine seemed to sense what was coming on and quickly followed Camille out the front door.
My mother was the first to speak.
“Well, I guess it’s goodbye for now. We’ll be popping in every now and then for dinner and the like. Now don’t worry, the Rivera’s are good people. They’ll treat you like one of their own, so I want you to be on your best behavior. I’m going to miss you, sweetie,” she said, stepping forward to give me a quick squeeze before moving back to my dad’s side.
“Like your mother said, I want you to be on your best behavior at all times. Keep to your curfews; let them know where you’ll be going and when you’ll be back and no storming out of the house because of an argument or two. Be nice, okay?” he said. Without waiting for a reply he shocked me by giving me a quick hug. “We love you, Lexie, forever and always. It’ll be for the best, you’ll see,” he whispered in my ear, before stepping back and clearing his throat. Righting his tie, he led us out the front door.
“I just want you to know that while I won’t be screaming all the time, it doesn’t mean that I’m just giving in. I’m not getting married. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from watching iCarly, it’s that every contract has a loophole.”