Someone I Used to Know - By Blakney Francis Page 0,80
feeding the seagulls,” she stated slowly. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Those birds have diseases, you know.” My eyes never left the flying terrors that flapped near her feet.
“You’re scared of them.” Realization spiked her words with amusement.
I eyed the bird-free space to my right and thought about making a run for it.
“Fine, fine,” she shooed the varmints away. “Now tell me what your complex is.”
I took a deep breath, reluctant to share, but frightened she’d call them back if I didn’t.
“My sisters invited me to watch Hitchcock’s The Birds with them when I was four. I was led to believe it was the sequel to The Little Mermaid. Needless to say, it had a lasting impact.”
“They sound like fun girls.” The smile on her face was possibly the biggest I’d ever seen.
She was wrong. My sisters were a bunch of spoiled mongrels. But her smile was oddly contagious and not even one of the scariest moments of my life could keep me from catching it. I relaxed into my seat, but kept a careful watch for any lingering invaders of the sky.
Adley was right about one thing. Simple moments could be beautiful too. It was then, staring out at the never-ending stretch of ocean, that I finally understood California’s appeal for the first time.
She was staring at me. I could feel it. But to acknowledge her gaze was to reveal the profound affect she had on me.
“That stupid line from the movie – the one I refuse to admit actually came out of my mouth – it was wrong, you know…If I had said that, it was only because I was some poor, naïve seventeen-year-old that had never known what it’s like to miss home so badly – so deeply – it makes you try to find pieces of it anywhere you are, even in the smallest of places, even when it makes no sense at all.”
It was like she was speaking the words right off my soul. I’d never been homesick before. Ironic it happened then, when I’d actually found a piece of California I wanted to keep.
“Even if you’re only a few miles from home, standing on the very same coastline that your parents can see out there window?” I asked, turning the table back on her.
Her eyes focused determinedly ahead as she nodded and wiped briefly at the corner of her eyes for an absent bit of moisture that never materialized.
“Even if you’re hundreds of thousands of miles away,” she assured me.
I’d seen the danger coming.
Even when I’d just wanted to fuck her, even when I’d thought she was just a puzzle, even when I was just trying to get her out of my system, I’d always known I was playing with fire. I liked her. I liked her so much I didn’t know what to call it anymore. I liked every twisted thing she said, and most telling of all, I wanted to spend every waking moment with her, even though she was a pain in my ass, sometimes especially then.
She was also the best root I’d ever had, and you just didn’t let sex like that slip through your fingers.
There were strings. Actually, the point of just having strings was a far distant memory. There were chains. I was chained to her.
We were in a good place, though. I sure as hell wasn’t going to ruin it by trying to discuss my newly realized feelings with her. She couldn’t be trusted with them.
Not then, but one day.
***
Eventually an AD found us there, and ordered us back to set. Or really he just ordered Adley back to Madeline’s side, but she was my source of entertainment, and without her I would’ve just been the creepy bloke sitting by himself.
I didn’t like hanging around set when I wasn’t called, but there was no trailer for me to hide in, and observing wasn’t without its advantages. There was something strangely adorable about watching Adley run from Madeline. Adley was a fortress, and Madeline reduced her to a frightened kitten.
“I thought I was the method actor here.” Madeline stepped in front of me.
I was sitting in one of the spare directors’ chairs, and for once, we were nearly eyelevel.
“You can be whatever you want, ankle biter.”
“You don’t actually have to be sleeping with Adley Adair to get into character.” Her hands found security on her hips in an irritated gesture.
My face caught, just before it blanched with shock, quickly smoothing back into measured blankness.