Unconditionally

Chapter Seven

“Dogs leave paw prints on your heart.”

The world is completely upside down. My hands are pressed against the dew covered grass, my bare toes are pointed to the sky, and I can feel the blood rushing to my head.

“Are you going to give up, Mackenzie?” Haze asks me with a smirk on her face and arms crossed over her chest.

Six days have passed since that embarrassing message from Ashton. I acted completely chilled but was freaking out inside. Damn Haze took the picture and sent it to him. To Ashton Lotest.  Ashton and I have still been talking but nothing extravagant has happened. He trains, I work. He calls, I answer.

 Anyway, after I clocked out this afternoon I picked up Haze and we’ve been hanging out for the past few minutes. We haven’t been doing anything and we’re pretty bored, so Haze announced the idea of having a handstand contest. She went first and her time is something that’s hard for me to beat. Stupid Spanish blood. I move my hands since my wrists suddenly start to hurt, but right when my hand moves to a different patch of dew grass I slip and fall on my back. My breath escapes my lips and I feel dizzy as the blood begins to circulate fully.

“I won!” Exclaims Haze while doing a happy dance.

I groan while rubbing the back of my head. Haze stops her victory dance and walks over to me. “You okay, loser?” She asks me.

I scowl at her comment and stand up. I rub my aching wrists as Haze rambles on about something. Suddenly the sun door is opened with Aunt Sill standing there with her regular apron off and her hair clamped into a bun. Automatically I know what’s going on. I turn to Haze and she raises her perfectly shaped eyebrow in confusion.

“Duty calls.” I tell her with a sigh.

“What’s going on? Is everything okay?” Haze asks me.

I turn around and look at my best friend.

“Yeah, my aunt probably just got a vet call and needs my help.”

“May I come,” She asks me. Her dark colored eyes water and a puppy face comes alive. Don’t say yes, Mackenzie. “Please? I’ll be perfect and listen to whatever you say!” Don’t do it. “Fine.” I say with a huff of breath.

Haze smiles and quickly puts on her white flip flops. The light color makes her long, tan legs seem even tanner and longer.

“Let’s go, Mackenzie!” Hollers Sill.

I roll my eyes and rush into the sun room to put on my flip flops also. Haze and I walk off the front porch, and Sill honks her horn. We begin to run to her vehicle. When we were younger, Haze and I were taking our time when Sill was rushing to work. She honked her horn, twice if I may add, and as we began to walk down the porch she honked a final time and drove out of the driveway, leaving us with our jaws to the ground. We’ve learned our lesson.

I snap my passenger seat belt in place and Sill drives out of the driveway. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are tire marks on the street’s curb by how much my aunt rushes.

“Like you never rush.” Scoffs Haze from the back seat.

Did I say that out loud? Sill laughs and pats me on the shoulder.

“She can’t help it if she’s like me and her mother.” Says Sill.

My mom. I miss her even though I hardly know a thing about her. She died when I was four so how am I supposed to remember her laugh or her voice? I can’t even remember what colored underwear I am wearing. Putting together all the information that my aunt and uncle have given, I have come to this conclusion: she was head over heels with my father, always rushed to different places, loved an adventure, and was always gentle to ever person she met. I clear my throat at the sudden awkwardness.