Teen Ink

Matchmaker's Mansion: Ch. 9

“Shay,” Ever gently lowered the picture of the girl till it was face down on the desk. “She’s going to keep coming back. It’d be easier just to accept it.”

Ever’s mind flew back in the past to earlier in the day when he was walking Asha to the end of the hallway. She had been lost in thought, especially after he had played her the song.

“Shay hates me, doesn’t he?” Asha turned her worried eyes to him.

Ever paused, “You remind Shay of someone very special to him, someone that’s no longer in this world.” Asha’s face fell. “But don’t let his coldness keep you away, Asha. He needs you.” Ever smiled and stopped at the end of the hallway, letting her walk the rest of the way herself. When she disappeared from sight, he stood there for a little while longer with his hands in his dress pant’s pockets. His unfocused gaze turned to the standing angels beside him. He smiled faintly down at the statue, “It’s ironic how you guard the hallway of your opposites.”

Ever’s mind came back to the present when Shay moved- crossing his arms over his chest. Through the midnight bangs that had fallen over his eyes, he could feel Shay’s glare. He really didn’t like lectures, especially when they were about his past.

Ignoring his silent attitude, Ever looked over at Chase—his variety blonde head had fallen back against the headboard, his eyes closed, mouth wide open. In his arms he hugged a purple dinosaur plushie.

“Is he over it yet?” Ever asked.

Shay followed his gaze, “It’s never lasted this long before,” his voice rasping a little like it always did when he tried to sound like he didn’t care.

“He must be serious about her then,” Ever felt a sense of pride for the younger boy, but didn’t know why. Perhaps because Chase had learned to love again…and he couldn’t.

*******

Asha peaked through the crack into a new room. All the other rooms that she had previously been in on other days were empty. Every day it seemed as though she went further down the hall, a new door opening to new surprises.

Light poured out of the crack, blinding her one eye that she had put up to it. “Ever?” said a boyish voice that she recognized to be Chase.

“Yes?” Ever said back.

“What does ‘nefarious’ mean?” Chase said, and she opened the door wider to stick her head in. Ever sat on the edge of a blue sofa, leaning over a glass coffee table as he scribbled something on a piece of paper. Chase sat in front of a tv screen, staring up at it with his fingers clicking at a controller.

Ever wrote something on his piece of paper, then reached for his guitar sitting beside him and strummed a chord. He strummed again, bending his head to listen carefully. Writing a quick note on his paper, his eyebrows pinched together in thought, “Uh, I believe it means ‘extremely wicked’. Why do you ask?” Ever looked back down at his guitar.

“Oh, no reason. It just popped into my head and I thought maybe I had invented a new word,” Chase said slowly as though in a daze- all his mind power was on the TV screen.

Ever chuckled and glanced up, catching Asha’s eye. “Well, I just came up with a new word.”

“Tell me,” Chase said in a flat tone.

“Asha’satthedoor,” Ever said.

Chase repeated it under his breathe, looking confused. Several seconds later his face lit up and he looked over at the door, his eye sparkling bright. “Asha!” he raced to get up, hopping on one foot when he lost his balance. Asha smiled when he opened the door wide.

He looked perfectly fine, his face was back to it’s original tan color but it looked a little thinner than normal. “Are you ok now?” Asha said as she stepped in, getting a small feeling of shyness when she noticed how cute he looked in his jeans and t-shirt that fit his lean body perfectly.

“Definitely,” he ruffled his hair at the back of his head and smiled wide.

“What was wrong with you?” Asha asked, still curious as to what it was that had made Shay say that it had been “her” fault.

“Uh…” Chase’s eyes flicked to Ever, “well…”

Ever quickly said, “Let’s just say that he came down with love-sickness.”

Asha glanced between them and laughed. Chase joined her but said, “The funny part is he’s serious.”

Asha opened her eyes wider, still smiling, “Wait, really?” She looked back at Ever.

His face held a small smile that quirked the edges of his lips, “Chase is a little different than every other guy out there.” He turned his attention back to his guitar.

Asha continued to stare at Ever, feeling as though he had forgotten the most important piece of information that she needed to know. But Chase took her by the hand, distracting her from the feeling tickling at her brain.

“You have to play this game with me!” Chase said. “Ever stinks at it and I can’t peel Shay away from his books. Guess you’re my victim of fun for today.” He pulled her in front of the TV screen and left her standing there as he pushed some buttons on the TV screen.

The game loaded- the title Super Freak coming on the screen. Immediately Chase motioned for her to sit down on the couch next to Ever who scooted over for her.

As soon as “loading” had vanished from the screen, Chase started to move. His body swayed, moved, and danced to the digital people on the screen.

“What is this?” Asha leaned over to Ever so he could hear her.

Ever looked up and smiled at Chase dancing perfectly. “It’s his favorite game- Kinect: Dance Central. I’m not a fan of it.” He turned his attention back to his guitar and music sheets.

Chase continued to dance, his body moving with fluidity. She giggled when he turned around to dance facing her. He exaggerated his hip movements and tossed his head to make his blonde hair fly. At the end of the song he winked as she clapped loudly.

“Now it’s your turn,” Chase said and pulled her up before the TV.

“Bu-but,” Asha started but Chase had already sat down next to Ever and the dancers on the screen were starting to move. She glanced over her shoulder at Chase and Ever watching her. Nervously, she turned back to the screen and tried to follow the steps shown off to the side on the screen. Her feet stumbled, fumbling it out. Why couldn’t she do it anymore- she had been an amazing dancer back in middle school!

The words freestyle came up on the screen but she stood unmoving. She turned around and in frustration said, “Chase, I can’t do it. I can’t dance.”

Chase stood up and walked over to her. “You were doing pretty good there.”

“No, I wasn’t,” she pointed a finger at him, “and you know it.” A guilty smile cracked onto his face and he chuckled.

“What can you do then?” Chase said, stepping back to give her room. The music from the game kept going but they were no longer following the steps even though freestyle time had ended.

“Uh, well,” Asha racked her brain for a dance move, but only coming up with the stupidest one. Hesitantly, she started:

(Here is Asha’s dance- and I stink at descriptions, so I decided to just show you it.LOL! It's the pizza dance-http://v7.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=acq2va&s=7- and if this link doesn't get to you then look up "korean girl's pizza dance". You'll find it somehow. ^_^ And if you don't want to look it up then it's not really a loss. In fact, you've just gained a few spare minutes!!!)

Chase laughed loud as she danced, his eye twinkling with humor. “She’s too cute,” he yelled to Ever, who nodded back with a smile on his face. Chase’s smile widened as she danced and just when her dance had ended he grabbed her by the waist, lifting her up in the air. She yelped with excitement as he gently lowered her, keeping her hands in his as he guided her in random dance. At that moment she was in bliss as she danced with Chase, her heart pounding with the music.

“Don’t dance with your feet, dance with your heart,” he bent forward to whisper into her ear. The music continued to go as he made her laugh when he did the body roll, looking like a wave of water. Gently, he twirled her like a ballerina and as she turned she caught a glimpse of Shay on the far side of the room with his book lowered for her to see the small smile on his face.