Page 2 of Mark
“Noodle, is what your mum said true?”
I hate it when he uses his pet name for me. It reminds me of a time when things were a lot easier. It also happens to break my resolve. “Dad, I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” I truthfully reply.
“Are you really going to let your sister down?” he asks. “She was supportive of you when you left home.”
Because she couldn’t wait for me to leave so she could have you to herself.
“She consoled you after the break up. You need to move on, Noodle.”
More like gloating,I think, but I don’t say it out loud.
I sigh. “Fine. I’ll go.”
“I knew you would do the right thing. We will get your sister to book your plane ticket and we will reimburse her.”
“God, no. I’ll buy my own ticket.”
Or sell a kidney so I can get one.
“Nonsense. She’s booking one for Mike anyway,” he explains, which makes me inwardly groan. Mike is Danny’s cousin who earned the title of the pervy uncle. Every family has one. The guy who stares at your tits whilst speaking to you; who gets a little too handsy and always finds a way to get into your personal space. I hate him with a passion, so much so I made a promise to myself that the next time he touches my arse, I am kneeing him in the balls. Esther’s wedding won’t make me break that promise. Dad pulls me out of my thoughts before I can argue. “We have to go. We are going to be late for our dinner.”
“Dad, wait. I can pay—” I stare at the phone when it cuts off. “He cut me off.”
Summer finishes braiding her thick, light brown hair that has pastel rainbow colours at the tips. “You owe me brownies. You gave in quicker than you did the time they wanted you to dress up as The Wicked Witch.”
My shoulders drop in frustration. “She put my dad on the phone. I’m not a pushover.”
She hums in the back of her throat. A hum that silently says: ‘if you say so’. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to find my damn cat,” I grumble, scanning our cosy living room. Everything in here, from our sofa to our knick-knacks, is beige, my favourite colour. Everything looks tidy and clean in beige. It’s soothing. “I’ll tackle the phone call problem later.”
“Did you look under the bed?”
“Yes,” I reply, glancing behind the television again.
“Did you look above the cabinet in the kitchen?”
“I’ve searched every inch of the place thoroughly,” I admit. “You’ve watched me.Threetimes.”
Mellow is a ragdoll that I adopted whilst living with Summer and her parents. Their neighbour fosters cats, and they had a ragdoll whose breeder was mistreating it. When she gave birth, I fell in love with the kitten who was pure white. As he grew, his fur changed to a sandy colour. I named him Mellow because he was so chill. He loved his sleep. But since moving into our own space, the fucker has been constantly trying to give me a heart attack. The last time he went missing, we were searching for hours. He was in the ornament pot near the television the entire time and the fucker didn’t come out at my panicked voice calling his name.
But I haven’t seen him since seven this morning, which isn’t like him. He never says no to treats. If he could, he’d eat them all day.
Summer picks up her bright pink nail varnish. “Maybe he got out? I haven’t been out at all, so did he follow you out this morning?”
My eyes widen when I realise what must have happened. “That psycho across from us!”
“The hottie?”
My nose scrunches up. “Stop calling him that. He isn’t right in the head,” I growl, causing her to laugh.
According to the woman who lives above us, he moved in last year after another guy moved out. None of the neighbours have issues with him because he flashes that smile and they melt on the spot. But I know different.
At first, he reported me for having a cat, which he later refused to own up to. I know it was him. He eyed my Mellow like he was planning his murder. Then, to top that off, he accused me of being obsessed with him, which is absurd.
All because of a few misunderstandings.
The first incident happened when we were coming here to decorate. Me and Summer got wasted the night before, and I was still kind of drunk when we got here. My head was fuzzy, and being unable to find my bearings, I accidentally walked into his flat—just as he was coming out of the shower. No one was more mortified than me.