This couldn't have been happening. It was just so...impossible. Like one of those strange, cliche dreams which seem alright while they are a dream, but when they collide with reality the balance of the universe is disturbed.
Not that I wasn't happy. I couldn't even explain what I was feeling in that moment when Arthur told me he loved me. Something cut off the sensible part of my brain, and made me lean forward and wrap my arms around his neck. He presses his lips against mine, and for a few moments, nothing mattered. If someone asked me whether I'd spend forever like that, I'd say yes.
Something was missing, though. You know those romantic comedies where everyone falls in love and lives happily ever after? There's the music, the sparks and butterflies, the swirling camera angles, and the sweet sappiness, which seems to be the definition of sweetness while it lasts, but when you look back on it, it seems sickening?
Music (metaphorical music inside my head) tick
Sparks and butterflies tick
Swirling camera angles (also metaphorical) tick
Sweet sappiness Oh, definitely tick
Then what was missing? Why couldn't my first kiss romantic scene be perfect? Even if I was only kissing my best friend, it could have been perfect, but it wasn't.
"Agh! They are stuck together! What am I meant to do?" – Ashley's voice came from somewhere behind me. At lightning speed, I de-tangled myself from Arthur's arms and collapsed on the floor, painfully colliding with a wheel from the chair I was sitting on.
The door was flung open as soon as I gasped due to pain and surprise. My sister was standing at the door, holding two identical glass cups, one inside the other. She looked concerned and mildly harassed.
"I was washing them, and now they are just stuck like this, and I can't separate them!" – She said sadly. – "You know how much Mummy likes these glasses, they are from France."
So much for privacy and romantic moments.
"Come over here, let me see." – Arthur said with a chuckle. He took the glasses and tried pulling them apart. – "Doesn't work like this. They are too warm, so they expanded and we can't separate them yet. Try washing them with cold water."
"Thanks." – Ashley took the glasses and ran off downstairs. I slowly got up from the floor, avoiding making eye contact with Arthur.
"Your sister is funny. You two are so alike." – Arthur said.
I was very surprised. Cute as Ashley may be, we have little in common, appearance-wise and personality-wise. She looks a lot like our mother, with stunning green eyes and adorable golden blonde curls. I'm stuck with brown hair that can't decide whether it's wavy or straight and brown eyes. I vaguely remember my father getting drunk mildly intoxicated and commenting that my eyes are the colour of whiskey. I was so incredibly flattered.
As for personality, my sister was innocent, sweet, attention-loving and very curious. I'm nothing like that. I'm just...me. I couldn’t see how Arthur could find us at all similar.
"So...where do we stand?" – I asked the question that has been nagging me ever since Arthur's confession and the kiss. Somehow I always tend to blurt out inappropriate questions.
"Dunno." – He said with a smile. – "I'm happy the way things are. Aren't you?"
Honestly, no, I wasn't. I didn't like the uncertainty and wanted to know what happened to a relationship which used to be friendship. I didn't like the knowledge that things will have to be different now, and I would have to adjust. Sure, it seemed like a good kind of different, but I was not planning to get romantically involved, let alone with my best friend.
It was all just so insanely complicated.
"Well, we're supposedly together now, Right?" – Arthur asked, noticing the look on my face. He was not longer smiling. Now his expression was pained and hopeful at the same time.
"Right?" – I asked him in the same tone that he asked me. I didn't want to be the one to decide. I just knew I'd mess it up.
"Right." – Arthur said uncertainly.
"Right." – I agreed with a small smile. Arthur gave me a slightly awkward hug, and that feeling came back again. The feeling that this wasn't how relationships are meant to be. The feeling that something very important was missing here.
I adjusted my straw hat in front of the mirror. Despite the fact that the straw was Italian, and there was a silk blue ribbon on it, the hat was nonetheless made of straw. In other words, dry grass which cows enjoy chewing. The new fashion, apparently. My blue and white sundress perfectly matched the ribbon on the hat and the new wedges. My mother must have put a lot of effort in getting my outfit for the barbecue to be so perfectly co-ordinated.
"Autumn, are you coming?" – Father called from downstairs.
"Yeah!" – I called back, took one last look at my reflection, and ran out of the room.
We got into the Audi, parents in the front seat, Ashley and I at the back. So seemingly idyllic.
My parents knew nothing about Arthur and me, and I was hoping to keep it that way for the longest time possible. For a few days, I was acting as the almost perfect, sophisticated and well-mannered girl they always wanted as a daughter, and they were perfectly happy. My mother even let the incident where I left the dinner table and refused to go to Malcolm Alberts' golf tournament slide.
I got along with Arthur as well. I didn't voice my doubts that something was missing, and we managed to have a good time. We went for walks and saw a movie together, acting like a happy couple. It was a lot like before, when we were just friends, except with a lot more physical contact.
Colin wasn't around as often, he seemed slightly resentful to what was happening, but upon questioning said everything was great.
The barbecue was on a grassy area near a lake. The women wore sundresses to celebrate one of the last warm autumn days, so I fit right in with my outfit and straw hat. I noticed the Alberts, but hoped they wouldn't notice me.
The Melkins' were also there, except for Matt. I felt slightly disappointed, although I'd never admit it. For reasons unknown somewhere in the back of my mind I was hoping he would come. Now that I was here, I realised there was no way Matt would have possibly fit in.
Arthur made his way to greet me, giving me a quick hug when my mother wasn't looking.
"You look nice" – He commented. The ultimate typical compliment, which still makes most girls blush and feel a lot better about themselves. Not me.
"This hat is so stupid." – I took it off and flattened my hair. I honestly preferred getting sunburnt to wearing it. Not like there was enough sun to get sunburnt anyway.
"Yeah, you look better without it. It's great that your hair is growing out again, you always looked so pretty with longer hair." – Arthur said.
"Actually, I was thinking about cutting it." – I said quietly. I was always sure that I looked better with shoulder-long hair with shorter bangs to frame my face.
"No way! Please grow it out. Girls look so much better with long hair." – He sounded so bossy.
Award for annoying a girl with compliments goes to Arthur Melkins.
If anything, I felt like crying.
Icon & Arthur Doll <3
I made it myself. It's actually relevant.
And this is the Arthur Doll I made with the doll wizard thing that Quizilla keeps advertising.
I made one for each character, you'll get to see the other ones in next updates.
Please rate <3
