Gone Too Soon Part 6

Amelia's Point of View~



        Keagan and I arrived at Milo's the exact same time as Hattie did, which led to a ten-minute conversation before even entering the house. Keagan shook is head and shoved past Hattie to enter the house while Hattie and I talked and talked about things that we knew for sure the guys could care less about. Another five minutes passed before we finally decided to enter. When we did, Milo's golden retriever, Obi-Wan Dogcobi, greeted us with loud barking and a lot of kisses.


        Hattie lowered herself to Obi's level and talked to him in a baby voice. "Hi, baby boy. Miss me? I missed you. Oh, yes I did."


        I scoffed. "You're killing his limited brain cells."


        "You have no heart." She retorted, standing up. "Think the guys are in the kitchen?"


        "Are you kidding? Of course. They're always near wherever the food is."


        Hattie and I went to the kitchen, and sure enough, the guys were raiding the fridge and placing all their findings on the table. I snagged the can of spray cheese and drizzled some on my tongue. "Part of this nutritious breakfast."


        Milo passed me some Ritz. "Eat up."


        "Bless you." I took on of the sleeves of crackers from the box and hopped up on the counter, my feet dangling as I sprayed a huge mound of cheese on a buttery cracker. "So, what's on the agenda today?"


        "My mother wants me to watch Kayde while she and Dad are gone." Milo said. "So, if you want to hang out with me, you're going to have to stay here."


        "Alright. Looks like Kay Kay gets to hang out with his favorite older woman." I said, ditching the crackers and cheesifying my tongue directly. I pushed away the thoughts coming forth of my own younger brother and forced myself to think of anything but him.


        "I would be jealous, but Kayde is like, seven." said Keagan, kissing me on the lips. I was too surprised to notice that he was stealing my cheese can from under my nose. My eyes widened and I smacked his hand away without hesitation.


        "Mine!" I screeched like a rabid animal. "Go look for something else."


        "Can't you share?"


        "Rule number one: never take a woman's cheese without her consent."


        "I thought the rule was never take a woman's chocolate." Keagan said with a flirtatious wink.


        "Same difference."


        "That phrase is an oxymoron, my dear."

    
        I quirked an eyebrow and shrugged indifferently, not intending to respond. 


        Rambunctious, playful, skinny Kayde ran into the kitchen and jumped onto Milo's back, looping his arms around his neck and his legs around his torso. Kayde's specialty was showing up at the most inopportune of times. That, and being totally obnoxious and ridiculously cute at the exact same time. I don't know how he does it. Milo always told me it was Youngest Child Syndrome. Craving attention, being willing to do anything to get it, so on and so forth.
   

          "Guess what?" Kayde asked rhetorically. "Mom said you have to make me anything I want for lunch and dinner. Anything I want. And guess what I want?" He actually waited for Milo to answer that time.


           "What?" Milo asked boredly.


           "Hot dogs, candy, and mac 'n cheese...oh, and pizza. Pepperoni and bacon pizza. And ice cream. And cake. Oh, and-"


           Milo halted Kayde's speech with putting a hand over his mouth. He removed him from his back and looked at him with as much of a firm expression Milo the Softy could muster. "I will get you one sweet thing and one salty thing. Got it."


           Kayde looked vaguely disappointed. "Fine." He grumbled. 


           "I'll pay you five bucks to go to your room for an hour." Hattie offered.


           Kayde thought over the offer. "How about ten?"
 

           "How about five?" 


           He put out his hand. "Deal."


           Hattie shook it. "Pleasure doing business with you. Now scat."


           Kayde heeded her warning and ran out of the room with a skip in his step, giggling in victory the whole way. 


           Mr. and Mrs. Nail came into the kitchen soon after Kayde's exit, smiling at Milo and then at me.


           "Hello, Amelia darling." Mrs. Nail purred reaching for her keys around Keagan, almost as if he didn't exist. "How have you been?" 


           "Um, fine. Thank you." I replied, returning their smiles.


           "You have such fine skin, darling." Mrs. Nail went on conversationally. "Why do you use?"


           "Soap and water?" I said, hesitating.


           "Well, your skin is exquisite. Like a white porcelain doll's." She smiled again sweetly. She turned to her husband. "Shall we go?"


           "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Nail." Hattie said, waving a hand slightly to gain their attention.


           Mr. Nail nodded his bald head curtly. "Hattalia."

           Mrs. Nail nodded in Hattie's direction and said nothing. She went over to Milo and kissed his cheek. "We'll be gone until 11:30. Make sure Kayde is in bed at a decent hour. You know my number. Call me if something goes wrong."


           "Bye, Mr and Mrs. Nail." Keagan said to them as they began to exit, giving them a half-smile.


           They didn't even look back to acknowledge his words and swiftly left the kitchen, leaving behind an awkward and deafening silence.


            "How rude." I said, breaking into the silence.


            Hattie looked profoundly hurt, but she said with the utmost indifference: "You know they're racist, Melia." 


            "Still very rude."


            "Don't take it personally, sweetie." Milo said gently, kissing the side of Hattie's head. "They're idiots, as we all know."


            "I know. I just...wished they liked me, you know?" Hattie said. "I mean, I'm dating you, and we're pretty steady. It would make me feel a lot better if they even tolerated me." She stood. "What does my skin color have to do with anything? I speak like a normal human being, I dress normally, I'm quite smart...what's so wrong with me that they can't accept me?"


            "Nothing at all." said Milo. "They're just biased. Don't take into account anything they say."


            Hattie sighed lightly, setting her head on her hands. "I'm sure they'd rather you date Lia."


            "Yeah, probably." Milo allowed. "But she's not you. I love Amelia and everything, but I'm in love with you."


            Hattie looked up at Milo and smiled big, a smile far too big for her face. She leaned forward and kissed him deeply and soundly, wrapping her arms around his neck and closing her dark brown eyes as the kiss went on. She pulled away a little and smiled again, lightly punching his arm. "You..."


            Milo stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Me?"


            "...Moron." She laughed quietly, setting her forehead on his. "My moron."


            I grinned, tearing up in the smallest bit. Seeing Hattie so happy and contented made me so, so glad. She deserved a guy like Milo, just as Milo deserved a girl like her. Never in my life had I seen such a perfect match. Well, other than Keagan and I. My best friend looking so joyful made me warm up from the inside out. They were a sight to behold.


           "They're great, huh?" Keagan asked me, putting an arm around my waist as Milo and Hattie conversed in sweet, hushed whispers. 


           I nodded. "Definitely."