Gen 8- Chapter 4 Part 1: Waterlily Whip

“Please Mom Please! I promise it will look amazing.”

“Explain to me again, exactly what you wanna do.”

“Ok, I wanna flip the house. Well not totally flip, because it is not in bad shape, but I wanna remodel. New furniture, new wallpaper. You know give it a whole new look.”

“Well…”

“It’s not like we can’t afford it. This will be a chance to really let my artistic-ness shine! Don’t you wanna know I have gone to my fullest potential?”

“Of course. Honey honestly I really don’t care. If you wanna make over the house you can, but on one condition.”

“Anything, what is it.”

“If you start the project, you have to finish it. Understood?”

“Yes, yes, of course! You got it. I will finish it. Thank you, thank you!!”

“You’re welcome dear, don’t push the others too hard now…I know how you get.”

“Nope, I will be good. I promise.”

“Good.”

So that brings us to the most epic yard sale, I had ever seen. Sapph decided that almost everything minus the beds had to go. She was selling old cribs and night tables, lamps, chairs. Our front yard looked like a furniture warehouse store. Once everything was set out, she assigned us all little jobs.

Misty and Midna were in charge of making sure nothing walked off on its own, while Coronation and Prelude were in charge of loading heavier things in the cars. Which left me at the sales table. Unfortunately I was not alone…

“Remind me again why we have to do this?”

“Sapph said it would be good for us. What ever that means.”

I swore she must have hated me more and more, to force me to sit anywhere near that berry-hole. I could feel my skin literally crawling at the sounds of his voice.

“What does that even mean…” I mumbled under my breath.

“She said she wanted us to work together, so we could work out our differences. I told her it wouldn’t work, your always gonna be a little brat.”

I chose to ignore the last jab, and turned my attention back to Sapph who was schmoozing up one of the customers. How come she got to be the sales girl? Why couldn’t she come and sit her idiot boy toy? I bet I could kill at sales. All the thoughts swirling around sounded just as whiny in my head, I felt like a child being forced to sit in time out. I folded my arms over my chest and slumped back in my chair. This was just how I wanted to spend my Friday afternoon…

“I could probably knock a few bucks off, if you would be willing to throw in that end table over there.”

“Hmmm I dunno.”

“Peach and purple, looks like it would be right up your alley.”

Finally I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Every second in his vicinity made me more and more on edge.

“Why is it that I am the brat?” I spat. “How come it is never that you’re the jerk! YOU are always the one picking on me.”

Unsurprisingly that shut him up. He didn’t say a word in retaliation, instead he just sat there turning his attention to other side of the lawn, watching as Coronation and Prelude loaded one of the dressers into the back of a mans pick up.

“You are impossible.” I huffed.

“Excuse me. I would like to buy these lamp.” Never even heard him till the lamps placed down onto the table. I turned to look up at him.

“Oh Sure.”

“She said I could get the pair for 20.”

“Ok.” I nodded grabbing the cash box from under the table. “20 dollars please.”

The man then handed me a hundred dollar bill. I took the bill from him cautiously.

“I’m so sorry we don’t have enough to break a 100.”

“Oh.”

“Ya we do. Here, watch.” Disco tried to pull the cash box away from me, but I yanked it back.

“I will take care of this.” I snapped.

“But there are some 20’s underneath, you just gotta…SEE this is why you are a brat…”

“I’m not the brat! It’s you! Don’t you get it?! My voice becoming more and more shrill, I could feel my temper beginning to bubble over.

We continued to argue, completely forgetting the guy standing before us wanting to buy the 100 year old gaudy lamps. He on the other hand, had not forgotten us.

“Look are you going to sell me these lamps or not? I’m not gonna stand around here all night while you two figure it out.” With that he snatched the bill from my hand and stormed off to his car.

“Great now look what you did…”

“ME!?! Oh you are just asking for it n-”

“That is ENOUGH! I have had it with you!” Sapph pulled me from my chair and royally read me the riot act. “All you two do is fight with each other! I am sick of it!”

“Dude Sapph. Take it easy. It was just a couple of lamps.”

“It has nothing to do with the lamps! You two are always fighting! CONSTANTLY!”

I could feel my ever growing anger expanding more and more. My cheeks flushed from embarrassment, and knowing he was getting a kick out of it, made me even angrier, but jumping across the chair would not have been prudent at the present juncture.

“And YOU! You are just as bad. All you do is pick on her! What is up with you two? Why can’t you just get along!? I refuse to accept we are going to spend the rest of our live together with you two at each-others throats all the time!”

“Babe.”

“Don’t babe me!”

Hah now it was my turn to enjoy the show, unfortunately it was short lived.

Sapph stormed into the house, and returned with a note pad. She ripped a sheet from it and shoved into his chest.

“This is a list of supplies we need. I already called Berry Junk and they have it set aside. Now you two are going to go pick them up and you better start thinking about a way to coexist on the way! Got it?”

Reluctantly I grabbed a sweater from the house and walked over to Disco’s truck. This was a literal nightmare come to life. Stuck in a vehicle with HIM for 30 minutes both ways. That was an hour! An hour of my life I wouldn’t be getting back. He leaned over in the cab and unlocked my door. I threw the sweater in the center seat. It took all of my strength to force myself into that passenger seat…

“Let’s just go and get this over with. OK?”

“Fine.” I hissed, over-dramatically slamming the door.

The entire ride over was spent in absolute silence. I wasn’t about to say anything, and for once he was smart enough not to start anything with me. Cars and trees rushed by, the low hum of something on the radio was practically drowned out by the silence. How is that even possible? I don’t know, but it was. Finally we arrived at the other side of town. I threw on my sweater and we hopped out of the pickup.

Unfortunately everything was dark. From the looks of it, who ever Sapph had talked to, had already gone home for the evening. My feet squished down into the really yucky dirt. First time in my life I had wished I had a pair of flip flops with me.

We walked to the far side of the building just to make sure we didn’t miss anyone.

“Hello?! Is anybody here?”

No one.

“I don’t think anyone is around.”

Hated to admit anything he said was right, but this was one time I couldn’t deny it. “Ya I think you might be right. Let’s just get out of here. This place is creepy.”

We headed back for the truck, but instead of walking to the drivers side, Disco followed me to the passenger side door. “What? Do you want me to drive or something?

“No.” He replied curtly sticking the key in the door and unlocking it.

“Oh.” I opened the door slowly. I wasn’t sure how to take it. Did he actually just do something nice and courteous? For me? I slid into the seat and watched him carefully as he made his way to the drivers side.

Once he was inside, he put the key in the ignition and tried to start it up, but it wouldn’t. It would turn over, but it wouldn’t acutally catch. The whirring sound of the starter rolled over and over as he tried several times to get it going. “Come on, Come on! Not now! Please!” Finally he gave up and smacked the steering wheel with the palm of his hand.

“You’re kidding me right?” I unbuckled my seat belt.

“It’s been having trouble, but I can usually get it started. I think it finally died…”

“This…is…fantastic.”

“I’m sorry. I had no idea it was gonna actually die.”

*Sigh* “Well we better call someone.” I went to pull my phone from my pocket, but it wasn’t there. “Uhhh we are going to have to use your phone. I don’t have mine.”

He looked across the cab at me with a sheepish smile. “I don’t have mine either…”

In frustration I jumped out of the car.

“So neither of us have a phone? And now we are stuck across town with your junky janky pick up!?”

“I told you! I had no idea it was gonna die on us! It was supposed to be a quick trip! I had set it on the kitchen counter. I even thought about grabbing it at one point, but I just wanted to get this thing over with. Sheeeesh!”

I started to say something else, but then changed my mind entirely. I closed my eyes. “You know what. Arguing isn’t gonna get us home. We better start walking. Come on.”

For once in his life, he listened to me, locking up his truck first and then we started out for home.

Suddenly this hour of agony was turning into an extended engagement that I wanted nothing to do with…