[Edited] Chapter 4: The Thing With The Truce!

Nova:

Urgh!

I frickin' hate nightmares! They're reason why I'm usually grumpy most mornings.

Getting up, I walked to my bathroom and washed my hair. Then I applied my leave-in conditioner and wore my shower cap and then relaxed in my bath tub reading magazines.

Ah! Today, I don't have to hurry because my co-worker Sara is taking up on my shift because yesterday she begged me to do her shift as she had to leave early for her sister's birthday.

About half an hour later, I got up and brushed my teeth and then washed my hair. I wrapped a towel around my body and searched for my blow-dryer in my bags.

Yeah! I still hadn't finished unpacking.

Talk about being lazy!

Finding my hair dryer, I turned towards my mirror and connected the wire to an outlet and started blow-drying my hair. The mirror was still covered in vapour 'cause of my hot shower. I took a nearby cloth and cleaned the mirror whilst blow drying my hair with other hand.

Hee hee. I'm so multi-talented!

As soon as I saw my reflection in the mirror, I screamed out loud. I HATED HIM!

I switched off my blow dryer and marched towards Scott's room, still in my towel. I opened the door to see him still sleeping soundly. That jerk!

I ran to his bathroom and took a bucket of cold water and poured it over him.

He jerked awake and started muttering curses out loud. Once he saw me, he blurted out, "What the-"

He rubbed his eyes and stared at me with wide eyes. "Wow! You look..."

"I know what I look like, you jerk. How dare you mix dye in my leave-in conditioner?" I snapped at him, angrily.

Did I mentioned it? Yeah, the jerk dyed my hair red! Red!

Oh, the horror!

I'm a blue girl! How dare he?

He was still staring at me in awe, "I loved my hair and... and... now it's frickin' red." I sobbed, sitting down in his bed. This seemed to snap him out of his day dream.

"I'm sorry, 'kay? I guess, it was way too extreme, but look at me." He sat besides me and placed his hands on my cheeks. I immediately swatted his hand away, angrily.

"Brownie, look at me." He whispered softly, with his hands on my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, but I don't regret doing it; 'cause you look amazing, sweetheart. I swear to God! You're still the most beautiful girl in the world."

Say what now?

"Wh-what?" I looked at him confused.

He laughed, "When you entered the room and started screaming at me, I couldn't hear a word you were saying 'cause, I still couldn't believe how amazing you looked. Plus barging in my room in just a towel, didn't help either!"

"Well... I was seriously mad at you!" I said sniffing loudly.

"I know and I'm seriously sorry." He whispered softly, nudging my arm.

"I'm gonna get back at you, ya know?" I grinned at him.

"I know! I'm looking forward to it, Brownie." He said smiling.

"You might wanna change my name to Red instead of Brownie!" I grumbled to him, my hand gesturing towards my hair.

"Nah... you'll always be my Brownie." He said softly.

My Brownie! Oh my!

"Um... so I'll get going." I mumbled, getting up. "Sorry! For the... um... cold water." I grimaced.

"Yeah, I kinda deserved it!" He said, running his hands through his now wet hair.

I quickly ran to my room and change into my black shorts and a baby pink tee. I blow-dried my hair and look into the mirror. Hmm... it doesn't look bad, I guess. Deep red kinda suits me.

Huh!

I walked to the living room, to see everybody as usual at the table eating breakfast.

"Morning, guys!" I said and sat down next to Scott, smiling at him. Everyone looked at me in awe, with their mouth open. Ryan even dropped his fork!

"Wanna help me?" I whispered to Scott.

"Sure." He smiled.

We leaned over the table. I closed Aria and Drew's mouth while Scott does Jenna and Ryan's.

"Wow, Novey... you look-" Ryan starts but says nothing. "Great! I'm speechless!"

"Oh my God! Ryan Davenport is speechless! Has the world come to end?" I exclaimed, faking horror.

"Ha ha ha... very funny." He replied sarcastically. "But, seriously you look... wow."

"Thanks Rye." I say to him, smiling.

"Seriously, Nove. You went to a parlour or something?" Aria asked.

"Or something." I answered looking at Scott as he winked in response.

This prank did turn out well, I guess. But this time, I'm not gonna go easy on Scott. I have to think of a perfect not-so-extreme but not-so-easy either prank. What to do? What to do? Think, small brains! Think!

Yes! Gotcha!

I quickly ran to my bag in my bedroom in search of my video camera and recorded the video for the prank. Today, Aria, Ryan, Jenna & Drew were going to Aria's childhood best friend Gretchen's twenty fifth birthday party. Aria & Drew and Ryan & Jenna were going together as each others' date. The party was at Stretford so they said after the party ends they'll probably stay at the nearby hotel and will be back home tomorrow for lunch.

Tonight will be perfect night to execute my plan!

Insert evil laugh.

But before doing that, I had to unpack and clean my room.

Urgh! Cleaning!

I didn't understand the concept of cleaning? I mean - why did we had to clean the room when we knew that eventually it was bound get dirty again and then you'd have clean it all over again?

Or maybe its just me.

Mmh... I'm weird and I know it!

So, I started unpacking, playing music through the Bluetooth speakers. Anyway, after an hour of unpacking, I started dusting my room when La Da Dee by Cody Simpson started blasting through my speakers.

Believe me - I've heard this song hundred times but whenever it plays; I can't stop singing out loud and dancing. So that what I was doing; singing, dancing and dusting.

Like I said, I was multi talented! Wa-chow!

When the song ended, I turned around to see Scott standing at the door watching me intently with a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "No, no, no. Don't stop 'cause of me. I'm just enjoying the show. Please continue." He smirked.

Oh! He and his perfect smirk!

I walked towards him and placed my hand on his cheek making his eyes widen at my touch.

Me likey!

"Oh! You poor baby! The one and only audience of my performance. How could you enjoy me dancing with all this dust falling over you?" I gushed at him, melodramatically.

I took him by his hand and led him just outside my bedroom door. "Here! Now, enjoy a dust-free performance." I said, smiling at him.

"Thanks." He murmured, still looking confused.

"You're welcome." I whispered in a sing-song voice.

I quickly turned around and closed the door in his face.

"Oww! My nose's bleeding!"

Did I slammed the door too hard? I hoped not!

Should I open and see?

What if he was just playing around?

I could just peek.

I opened the door just a little to see whether he's fine or not.

"And... she opened the door. Thanks, Brownie." Scott said and kissed my cheek.

Wh-what just happened?

He turned to his room while I heard him saying to himself, "Okay, genius Scott - you owe me 30 bucks and cocky arrogant; you owe me 50! I told ya, she'll open the door."

Dear God, he's talking to himself! Should I be worried?

Hope not!

Just before dinner, we sat together watching television, when he received the call, exactly on time.

Good work, Sara! (My co-worker)

He picked up the call and mumbled, "What?No... Who's this? Wrong number!" And hung up the phone.

After five minutes, he received another call supposedly from Beth, Roy's (My ex-roommate) girlfriend. The conversation goes merely the same.

He hung up and asked me, "Why am I getting calls from unknown numbers; telling me that they're feeling lonely?"

I looked straight at the television and replied innocently, "I have no idea."

The movie ended and commercial came on, I quickly pressed the play button of my DVD and sat back to watch him freak out.

The DVD starts playing and I walked in on the screen. "Hey, that's you!" Scott said, adorably still eating his popcorn.

The other me on the television started talking, "Hello boys and girls! I'm here to offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to your very own Scott Taylor!"

As soon as he heard his name, he dropped the popcorn from his mouth and looked at me wide-eyed and grunted, "You didn't!"

The DVD plays on, "So... for all the girls who are feeling too alone and depressed at night, call Scott to make you dream come true about having a phone se-" He switched of the T.V and looked at me and yelled, "How can you do this? You wanna know what this commercial might do to my career? I know dyeing you hair was a little bit extreme but it was nothing compared to this? How could you? How could you jeopardise my career for a simple prank? When my music director and producers see this commercial, what would they think? Oh my God! I'm done forever!"

"Would you listen to me?" I said to him but he kept on rambling, "Career. Finished. Ruined. Done."

I picked up a nearby book and banged his head with it.

He stopped babbling and looked at me.

I grumbled at him, "This is what you think of me? How could you say - I would jeopardise your career for just a little prank? Do you not know me? FYI, this wasn't a commercial, you idiot. It's just a video playing on the DVD. I recorded it to make you think it was a commercial and the girls who called - are my friends. Not some lonely, depressed bitter gourds. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He blinked at me and nodded. "So the video..."He started and I cut him off, "Not a commercial!"

"And the phone calls..."

"Not real." I said to him.

"God! Brownie, I'm so sorry. I always find a reason to find the worst in people! I dunno what's wrong with me." He grimaced.

"It's okay. I kinda deserved it."

"I'm sorry, but I was really mad." He murmured.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry" I whispered.

"Yeah... me too." He said, hugging me loosely.

We pulled apart and stared at each other.

I cleared my throat and blurted out, "I dunno bout you, but I'm really tired of looking everywhere, wherever I go, searching for something that you would mess with. It's exhausting. I'm really tired of your stupid pranks and it's irritating the hell outta me!"

"Yeah, I know what you talking about. After you said, 'I'm gonna get back at ya.' I kept on looking everywhere today to see what prank you could have pulled. Certainly, didn't expect this." He murmured.

"So... what do we do?" I asked him.

"There's only one thing to do." He replied.

"Which is?" I asked him.

He smiled and held his hand forward, "Truce?"

I shook his hand, smiling back at him, "Truce."

***