How Could I Make This More Poetic?

“Ayden! Is that you? My, you’ve grown so much!” Mrs. Belfield smiled when she saw me walk into the house.

“Um-It’s nice to see you too?” I answered unsure of what I should say.

“So how have you been? You’re parents? It’s been too long. You and Jeff haven’t been over each other’s houses in forever.” She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a huge bear hug.

“Yeah, right. I’ve been good. My parents are just working a lot.” I gave an uneasy grin. I think Jeff caught it because he dragged me away from his mom and up to his room.

Jeff opened his bedroom door and walked in. The room was a complete pigsty. Clothes, I’m guessing a mix of dirty and clean, were everywhere. The pile of Cd's, which he had in the corner of his desk, was halfway ready to avalanche to the ground. I think I saw something move under the bed. Notebooks and papers were spread out in random places. I’m pretty sure that the walls at one time were a cream color before the wallpaper of band posters clustered over it.

“Um, have a seat wherever.” He motioned around the room.

“Better said than done,” I mumbled to myself. I made my way over to his desk and sat in the desk chair after I had to thrown a few shirts and a pair of jeans over to the bed.

“I’ll be right back. I’m going to see if I can find my history book. It should be in the living room.” I nodded to acknowledge that I heard him and kept looking around the room. It was a mess, and that was being nice.

“Hey, Jeff, do you have my-?” someone walked into the room. “Oh, sorry, you’re not Jeff.” The boy smiled. "Great, another one of Jeff’s basket case girlfriends,” I heard him mumble. I don’t think that I was meant to hear it. “Um, who are you?” he asked nicely.

“Ayden,” I answered.

“Ayden? Ayden? That name sounds familiar.” He put his finger to his chin and looked up. “Oh my god! Ayden!” he shouted and ran over to me picking me up in a hug and spinning me around in a circle.

“Alex?” I asked.

“Yep!” he smiled like a Cheshire cat. Alex was Jeff’s older brother. He was always nice to me. He loved me like a sister back when I was friends with Jeff; the feeling was mutual on my part as well. He was about 5 years older than me too, making him about 21 now. “How’ve ya been kid?”

“OK, I guess,” I smiled.

“I haven’t seen you in a while, where have you been?” I didn’t say anything. My glanced fell to the floor. “Don’t tell me that you two aren’t friends anymore.”

“Sorry, it’s true,” I managed.

“Since when?” he asked in disbelief.

“Beginning of freshmen year. Jeff never told you?” I looked up at Alex’s hurt looking face. “I guess that fact that we sort of can’t stand each other right now would surprise you right now, wouldn’t it?”

“What! No way! You guys were attached at the hip. Man, what did he do? I’ll kick his butt for you.” He was the big brother that I never had; only problem was he was also the brother of the kid that hated me with a passion.

“Don’t know. First day of high school changed him I guess. Now I’m just the center of his jokes.” I saw Alex tense up a bit. “No, no, don’t worry about it. It’s fine. There’s nothing to get worked up about.” I tried to cool him down.

“Are you sure? I can’t believe he would make fun of you.”

“It’s fine, really. Don’t worry about it, please.”

“Fine, but only under one condition.”

“What?” I asked and he smirked.

“I get another Ayden hug.” He opened his arms. I chuckled and gave it to him.

“Thanks,” I smiled into his arms.

“Wow, you two look comfy,” Jeff laughed from the doorway. “What you doing here, Alex?”

“I came to look from my CD that you stole last night. I walked in here and this girl here looked lost amongst your dirty monster of a room. Dude, when are you going to clean this thing? Let alone have someone over and leave them in here. Gees, something stinks,” he started waving his hand in front of his nose. I could hold in my laughter. Alex was always the funny one too.

“Grow up,” Jeff rolled his eyes.

“But Ayden likes it, come on. At least she has a sense of humor. Ayd, can I have you as a sister instead of him?” Alex laughed.

“Of course, not like you weren’t before.” Alex’s face made it look like he won the biggest prize.

“I knew I liked you.” He started walking to the door. He stopped for a second when he was next to Jeff and said, “You are an idiot for losing her as a friend,” and then kept going. I saw Jeff’s face drop. If there was any happiness in his face before, it was now completely flushed.

“I guess we should get to work,” he shook off what his brother just said.

“Yeah, we should,” I agreed and grabbed the book from him. I started copying down important notes that we could use and explain; he did the same.

Most of the project was written with minimal talking. There was an occasional “Is this right?” or a “Should we add this?” and that was it.

“Ayden dear?” Ms. Belfield appeared in the doorway. “Are you staying for dinner?”

“It’s that late already?” I looked at my watch. It was 6 o’clock. “Thanks anyway Ms. Belfield, but I think that I should be heading home. I didn’t realize it was so late.”

“Are you sure honey? You can stay and then I can get Alex to drive you home.”

“No, it’s OK. Thanks so much,” I smiled and stood up.

“You’re not going anywhere!” I heard Alex shout from the other room. “You’re staying!”

“But-,” I was cut off.

“Ayd, your staying, deal with it.” Alex appeared in the doorway.

“Fine,” I sighed in defeat.

“Good,” Ms. Belfield clapped. “Oh, do you need to call your parents and tell them where you are?” Oh no, I don’t want them knowing that I’m basically home by myself all the time.

“Um sure,” I shrugged. Jeff sent me a questioned look.

“Mk, Jeff will show you where the phone is. I have to make sure nothing is burning.” She left.

“You said your parents weren’t home,” Jeff commented.

“I don’t want other people to know that. You just seen me lose about getting out of dinner, do you honestly think your mom wouldn’t do something if she found out that I basically live by myself?” I glared at him.

“Fine, I guess so.”

“You what?” Alex appeared in the doorway again. “What do you mean that you live by yourself, Ayden?” Uh-oh, this can’t be good.