.
.
.
I immediately turned around with the glass and hurried into the kitchen to get a mop.
I took in a deep breath.
What the hell was he doing here? After all these years?
He had changed a lot.
The last time I saw him was when I was a crazy 8 year old.
He still had the same blond hair and deep green eyes, and he still had the cutest lips ever, according to me.
When he was nine which was the time I saw him last, I was basically crushing on and tripping for him like crazy! I couldn't do a day without talking to him or having him talk to me.
he was so handsome and cute then, but then he's really changed.
Wait, he was a year older than me so he should be 16 now and then he looks so hot and handsome.
I mean breathtakingly handsome, jaw dropping handsome.
What am I saying, he's beautiful!
Gosh, what are you doing Ell?
And why's the word. ' Boyfriend ' repeating in my head?
Gosh! No no! What happened seven years ago mustn't repeat itself.
You were foolish then!
You ended your beautiful friendship and cousinship with that stupid action!
Why did I do it?
Memories of when I forced my first kiss on him came flooding my head .
he looked at me like I was crazy and belonged to a psychiatric hospital and since then we never talked till he left, now he was back and stupid memories haunted me, why did I do that? Thinking back, it was stupid, I was obsessed with him, and I hated it, how was I to face him?
I didn't even notice I was gripping the mop hard.
"If a mop could choke. It would have died from the way you're gripping it's neck" someone said and I looked back.
It was Edriel. Where had his cute little squeaky voice gone? This voice wasn't deep like the boys at school, but it was older, no longer tiny.
" Remember me?" He asked.
" Of course, why not?" I replied with a weird little laugh.
" So, you've changed. a lot. Not the eight year old I knew"
" And you're definitely not the nine year old I knew"
He smiled.
A super charming smile. I lost my breath for a second.
This mustn't repeat itself Ellie!
" Keep it up. looking beautiful" he said and left. I realized I had been holding my breath and then my heart was thumping like crazy.
" Did the crush return? It isn't okay to crush on your cousin Ellie, especially not on Ed, it'll be so embarrassing to let anyone know! " I said to myself and left the kitchen.
I mopped the floor while my mum and his mum talked.
They were sisters, twins actually, and they never stopped talking whenever they were together.
She was Aunt Beatrice while my mum was Britney. Beatrice and Britney.
I mopped the milk and I returned the mop.
I didn't want her to notice me because I had to calm down first and collect my thoughts which were like flies roaming over spoilt food.
I was about climbing the staircase when my dear Aunt Beatrice called.
" Oh Ellie, didn't see you there! Come on! Have you seen Eddie? Oh my! Eddie!" She shouted as she came to hold me.
" Yes mum." he answered coming through the door.
" Do you remember Ellie?"
" Yeah I do."
" Do you remember Eddie?" She asked me.
" No" I said instantly. It was a lie that was already exposed, a stupid lie! Why did I lie?
I'm clueless.
" Oh that's bad, you were young anyway and so many years have passed"
" But in the kitchen." He was saying
" I didn't want it to be..." I said and stopped, looking for the perfect lie to use to finish my statement but I couldn't find a suitable one.
" Okay" he said and went for the door. When he was about closing it he said:
" Do you perhaps remember your first kiss?"
Oh M.
I choked on my spit and started to cough
" What?" My mum asked puzzled.
I never said anything about a kiss, and I wasn't the lover girl type so she was probably shocked that I'd kissed a boy before.
" Oh my Britney, you didn't know? Eddie was Ellie's first kiss!" Aunt Beatrice said.
Worse, she exposed who my first kiss was.
" Really?" My mum said wide eyed.
" Assignment! " I shouted and ran to my room.
I ran to my room and I stayed there all day long due to the earlier embarrassment.
" Christa!" I called.
" Yeah?" She replied dryly. Her bedroom was next to mine so we had easy communication.
I went to my window which was beside hers
" Why is he here?"
" I should be asking; why is Johnny here?" She said in her straight flat tone.
Johnny was Ed's younger brother.
he was 12 while Christa was 10.
I knew she liked him but she wouldn't admit it.
" You mean you don't know?" I asked.
" I know"
" So why are they here? "
"Well they're family and the rest of the family are also coming.
all of them, tomorrow. We're all taking the family yacht to Italy and..."
" We'll be on a yacht together? "
" Yes and the best part of it is that you'll be able to invite three friends. Ed has two friends he wishes to invite so he gave me one of his invitations so I get to invite four friends"
Then she suddenly shouted. "Four! And then, I am determined to make Johnny crush on me again"
She actually had some life in her voice.
" Wasn't it the other way round? You liking him?"
" I heard from Edriel that Johnny used to crush on me and I don't let go of my crushers" she said and left.
What the heck?
I was the only one unaware of the whole family meeting at our house.
Shortly, we went downstairs for dinner and my eyes was on my plate of tuna.
" So Ellie, you're in what grade?" Aunt Beatrice asked.
" 9th Grade".I replied without looking up.
" Oh. So any friends? "
I thought quick.
" Uh... two!"
" Names?"
My heart was beating at the lie I was about to utter.
" Mia and Sissy " I said.
" Wow nice names, So remember we leave the day after tomorrow, since Britney said you don't know anything about all our preparations because you're always stuck up in your room "
" Oh"
" During the days on the yacht, if there's anything you need, ask Eddie okay?"
" Okay "
" And your friends, make sure to invite them, I want to see them! It's a must"
A large bell dropped in my stomach.
How would I get to invite Mia and Sissy?
They didn't even agree to be friends yet.
" Do they know about you and Ed being lovebirds?"
I coughed.
" I don't remember him so..."
Everyone looked at me.
My lies had definitely expired. How could he who was just a year older remember while I just a year younger not remember?
" I don't remember well, that's all, so I don't talk about him"
" Alright, I hope you all get along well"
Then the TV was turned on in the living room and the mums screamed. It was their favourite TV show.
When they were together, they behaved like little kids.
They stood up and hurried to the living room talking about the show.
It felt really awkward as it was us, the children alone in the dining room.
" So you really don't remember me?" He asked.
Did he really buy that?
" I gave you an answer" I said with my eyes fixed on my plate.
"Wow, so you don't remember the guy you forced to kiss you?"
That was intentional, he knew I remembered him, I wouldn't blame him, he had grown up so he had the guts to bring the topic up.
When he was younger, he wouldn't even look me in the eye, now see him all grown up, bringing up the topic himself.
My sister and Johnny looked at me.
" Oh alright I remember you. You don't need to say more" I said.
" You sure? " He asked.
" Afraid he'll leak your secrets?" Christa said like a mature lady giving advice to a young girl who wanted to confess her feelings to a guy.
I didn't reply for a while but then, I knew if I didn't, she'd go on in that stupid motherly voice of hers and say things no one needed to remember.
"It was just something that happened while you were still..."
" HEY!" I said cutting her off.
Was that what she called normal?
Who the hell asked for her advice?
"Watch your temper darling!" my mum said from the living room.
Eddie covered his food.
" I guess you still have that temper" he said
" I guess " I said with a fake sigh " Aren't you eating anymore?"
" Well, unlike you, I remember many things and one of those many things is the fact that whenever you get angry, you spit a lot and I don't want to pretend like my food's fine like I always did"
What?
Who was he to come after Seven years and think he could walk all over me?
Christa and johnny burst into laughter.
" He means that you spit a lot!" She screamed suddenly as though I didn't get it.
" HEY!" I shouted and they all covered their food, Sadly, I knew something flew out of my mouth when I shouted.
" I remember when Ellie spat in my food while talking and I was forced to eat it cause she was so nice to me" Johnny said to Christa. In that foolish childish whisper everyone could always hear...they all burst into laughter again.
" I can hear you just fine, you know?" I said
" Just be happy she doesn't eat boogers anymore" Christa said seriously to Johnny.
" Yuck!" Johnny exclaimed and his expression was enough to make me feel embarrassed.
" Lost my appetite" Eddie said and stood up and went to his room.
That was a long time ago when I thought they were delicious candies given to kids by God so they could eat whenever they were hungry! It's unfair!
Christa thought it was funny. Despite her all mature show, she was using me to get attention.
" Mummy! Christa's saying bad things about me so they can all laugh!" I said feeling wronged.
" Christa!" my mum called
" Yes mummy" she replied back to robot mode.
" How true is that"
" I was just trying to bring in some humor, the table was boring".
" So you had to use your sister's mistakes?"
" I'm sorry"
" Now up! To your bedroom!"
" This early?"
" It's late " she said and Christa raced upstairs.
" I'll go too, Goodnight Ell"
" Night"
I ate alone at the table and took all the dishes to the kitchen and retreated to my room and sat in my chair with my books on my table.
I did my assignments and tried to do some researching but I couldn't concentrate.
All my mind was on Eddie and his being handsome.
Did he hate me because I kissed him?
He wasn't all smiley like he used to be.
I thought Leopards didn't change their spots, so why did Ed change? He was supposed to still be humble and he was still supposed to look at me like the princess I was.
I found myselt thinking about our lovely past back when we were inseparable.
I sighed.
Then a lightbulb came on in my brain.
" Wait a sec, could he be....?" I covered my mouth.
" He could be my pass to get to the reign girls!" I said.