The big difference? She’s tiny and I’m a size twelve. On a good day, that is. On bad days, like bloated period days, or days when I’ve decided that chocolate is calling my name nonstop, which, let’s face it, is most days, then I’m more of a fourteen. Not that I’m fat, but since the images that society forces down our throats these days tell us that if you aren’t built like a stick with boobs (bee sting size), then you are not skinny, but I am a healthy kind of curvy. I’ve always said that I was just born in the wrong century, cause back then? I would have been the shit!
Sighing in exasperation at what I was about to walk into, I pulled up to the street outside my sister’s house. I parked and got out, heading into the darkness of the trees lining the fence, knowing I’m about to have to make an ass out of myself. I grabbed the top of the chain link fence and started jamming my toes into the holes and climbing. I got to the top and started to throw my leg over when all of a sudden a hand grabbed my ankle and I let out a terrified squeak.
“Holy jeebus, shut the hell up, would you?” Jenna smacked at my leg until I had to growl at her to stop.
“Jenna, you idiot, what are you doing? And why the hell do I need to climb your stupid fence anyway? Where’s Noah?”
“Just hurry up and get down here. I don’t have much time to get into place, since you took your sweet ass time getting here.” Jenna moved back from the fence to allow me room to flip my other leg up and over the top.
Just as I got my leg over and started scrambling for a toe hold, my hands slipped and I fell backwards into the grass. Not giving me time to catch my breath, Jenna reached down and started pulling on my arms trying to get me to my feet. Once I got up, she grabbed me and we made a mad dash to the back door. Once we got to the door, she shoved me to the side and looked frantically both ways before sliding the glass door open. She reached back out and pulled me through the door.
“Okay,” she began breathlessly, “I think Noah is cheating on me. He just told me that he has to leave shortly because he got called in to work. I’m going to hide in the back of the car so I can see where he goes, so I need you to stay here with the kids. Got it? Good.” Jenna started to turn away from me, but I grabbed her arm and turned her around to face me.
Putting my hand on her forehead to check for a fever, I asked, “Jenna, are you sick? Or maybe drunk? What the fuck have you been smoking? You’re high, right? Cause there is no way in hell Noah is cheating on you. He’s a detective for cripes sake, so he probably does have to go into work.” I rolled my eyes at her as she ripped her arm out of my grasp and started to stomp away.
“I’ll be back sometime, I’m not sure when. You know where the blankets and pillows are, kids are asleep, duh, so…” and then she walked out to the garage without a backwards glance.
A split second later I heard footsteps thudding down the stairs and scrambled to cram myself into the pantry to avoid Noah as he walked towards the garage. God only knows what was going on with my sister, but far be it for me to ruin her carefully laid plans. Not that they really could be called carefully laid…but you get the idea.
I hear Noah call out, “Jenna? Honey? I gotta go, okay? Call me before you go to bed, baby, I love you. Jenna?” Footsteps start to walk back towards the stairs, hesitate for a second, then I hear Noah sigh and walk out the door to the garage. I stay crammed into the pantry until I hear the garage door go up, the car back out, and the door shut again.
Shaking my head, I headed for the linen closet to make up the spare bedroom and get back to sleep, knowing that Jenna hasn’t thought about when Noah comes home and finds me there and Jenna hiding somewhere in his car. That should prove to be an interesting conversation!