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"Coming!"
Matilda grunted in distress as she forced her way across a pile of rancid children's clothes to the front door that was being pounded upon as if the world were ending, her nose not reacting in any way to the smell, as she was far to used to it to care.
"Jay, Jake, Jim! Are you decent?" she called out as she passed the shut bedroom door of the three boys. She got a round of high pitched "shh""s and giggles before one of them yelled back to her. "Yeah, we're good."
"What are you.....you know what, I don't even wanna know."
"That's probably best."
Matilda only sighed and continued to trudge to the door. "Coming! Jesus." When she finally flung it open, she was greeted with a glittering smile and a bone-breaking hug from Chuck and a scowl from his lovely partner, Red.
"Hey 'Tilda!" Chuck gabbled happily. "Oh-em-goodness, it's hot out, isn't it?" he asked, gesturing to the sunny blue day behind. Matilda found herself looking at the warm glint of the sunshine longingly as Chuck chattered and Red glowered from the doorway, feeling a lot like she imagined a dog feels on a rainy day. Yeah, Yeah. Nice, real nice Chuck. I'd like to actually taste the fresh air, if that's okay with you.
"Okay!" She cut off Chuck's ramble with a sharp clap of her hands, making him jump. "Well, you've met the boys already and all that, they're in their room, tell them I said goodbye and be good. I'd uh, better get going," she said quickly, snatching her sunglasses from a hook near the door and messily tying her hair into a ponytail at the same time.
"Oh," Chuck said. "Oh, yeah. Ok. Tell Stella we say hi, okay?"
"You tell her to keep her damn hands off of what's mine," Red snarled from somewhere behind. Chuck acted like he didn't hear this, and continued to smile.
Ah. This explained Red's foul mood.
Stella's crush on Chuck was well known across the island, and whenever the two met each other anywhere, she took the term "all up on him" to a whole new level. Chuck was dismissive of it, but whenever someone even mentioned her name, it was not all that surprising that Red got a little more than pissed off.
"I will," Matilda promised Chuck, only grinning a bit. "Bye guys!" After a round of blowing kisses and forcing a begrudged Red to hug her, she was out the door.
As soon as the lock clicked shut, Chuck rounded on Red so suddenly and with such a nasty look that the other actually started.
"What is wrong with you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Matilda! You were so rude to her!"
"No I wasn't!"
Chuck looked almost crazed, he was so angry. Red looked startled and still a little bit pissy, but mostly surprised. Chuck never acted like this. It was always him with the attitude.
"Look, I know you don't like Stella, but-"
"Don't talk to me about-"
"Let me finish! I know you don't like her, but that's no reason to give Matilda the cold shoulder."
Red snorted. "Besides the fact she's going off to fraternize with that floozy."
"Why-You can't call somebody a-why do you hate her, Red? Why? Cause she has a stupid little one-sided crush on me that you know I'll never return?"
"It's because she thinks you're hers! She always has her fingers all over you, and I can't stand it!"
Neither of them payed attention to the three heads poking out from around the corner to investigate the shouting.
"You ever payed attention to me telling her to move? To me going to find you every time she shows up?"
Hesitation. Then, "No.."
"I don't like her, okay? I never will!"
Silence. Then Chuck spoke again, sounding like he was close to tears.
"I love you, Red."
The Blues, hiding behind the wall, all stuck out their tongues simultaneously in disgust.
"Chuck...I...I love you, too okay?"
The Blues puffed up their cheeks, feigning vomit.
A sigh. Then, there was Red's voice. "C'mere."
"They're kissing!" Jay exclaimed silently, looking around at his brothers, all three of them looking similarly horrified. Jake shook his head, looking startlingly like Matilda.
"Gentlemen, this is gonna be a long night."