Laughing Fate (6 page)

She looked up at Potter and her smile slipped a little. There was a tiny apology in her eyes. In a blink of an eye it was gone and she was gloating again. ‘Gotchya,’ she mouthed up at him. Her head was still in his lap and his fingers were working through her hair, it was very relaxing. The jerk really had nice hands…

Perri scowled at her sister and said, “Can you get up?" Perri noticed Potter’s fingers tighten just a little as if he wanted to keep Puck there. Great. Poor guy was going to get his heart broken. Not to mention break Baby’s heart. Puck didn’t date men. She was twenty-two and had never been on a date. She disliked anything romantic and she was defensive as all get out. Perri didn’t know why she was like that, she just always had been. Besides she was too busy for a guy right now. She was a workaholic, holding down two jobs.

"Yep!" chirped Puck, as she gracefully stood up and brushed the dirt off of herself. Potter stood up more slowly, obviously reluctant to let her leave his arms. Perri wondered if he knew how bad he had it. Puck was trying to look cool, but Perri could see that she hurt. Potter must have seen it too, because he took a step closer to Puck.

"Just Dandy!" Puck chirped again as she walked into the house with false bravado.

Her steps were still wobbly and her breathing was shallow as if she was in pain. Any anger that Potter may have felt before completely evaporated as he watched her enter the house.  He quickly followed her, ready to help at a moment’s notice.

Perri followed Potter into the house and wondered what it would be like to live in a normal family. Perri was a roll with the punches type of person. She could calmly take on any situation that her crazy family threw at her, but still it would be nice to live with a normal family. She sighed as she entered the house... ‘Welcome to crazy land’, she told herself.

Potter watched as Puck ran around with manic energy, trying to prove how well she was. When Puck declared with false energy, “I’m bored, let’s go do!" Perri yelled at her to rest. When Puck scowled and stuck her tongue out at her sister, Perri scowled back. Who knew Perri had that much scowl in her? She had always been the sweet sister. To out scowl the warrior Puck was really something. Furious indeed were these Berri women.

When Puck picked up a base ball and started trying to juggle it (and ended up hitting Baby on accident), Perri yelled and sent her to her room. When Puck pouted and absently played with a pocket knife, heavens knows where she got one, Perri flipped out and pushed her into her room and forced her to rest. Which worked all of five minutes.

Perri had just shut the door behind her and shared a look with Potter, when they heard a ghastly bellow from the fires of hell, "I’M BORED!" it was a long and drawn out bellow that shook the house.

‘
Oh my god’, thought Potter. She had to be the most bizarre woman in the history of the planet. He knew she was tired. He knew she was in pain. What was up with the false energy?

"She doesn’t want us to feel sorry for her. For some weird reason she would prefer us to be annoyed with her than to treat her like an invalid. You have to show your concern and love through teasing and bullying. She hates people to treat her... nice. She’s weird like that." Perri was sitting against the wall, looking up at him. She took a deep breath, looking undecided on whether to say more about Puck.

“She doesn’t do casual relationships. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her date. I have seen her push a man down and pour soda all over his head for asking her out... so she does get asked. She just never says yes. I think she has issues with trust and commitment, I’m not sure.  Puck doesn’t really talk about her feelings. If you’re interested at all in her then you have to pretend not to be. Gain her trust and get to know the real Puck Berri. She’s the sweetest person you’ll ever meet. "

Potter felt his jaw drop. They both worked at Saltys, but usually he was in the back working on the boards while Perri was up front flirting with the boys. He had nothing in common with her. The chick couldn’t even swim. But she seemed nice enough, even if she was crazy. Him, like Puck? Come on.

"What are you talking about?" He asked looking around for Baby. He hadn’t broken up with her yet...She was sitting on the couch leafing thru a magazine, oblivious to all that was going on around her. He guessed he should break up with her...she was kind of an air head. He looked back at Perri. My god, she really equaled her sister with the look in her eye! He took a quick step backward.

“
Stop it Potter. I’m serious. If you are going to stick around you better be ready for one hell of a fight because she’s not going to want your attentions. And you have to want to spend the rest of your life with her; because once you do earn her love it’s going to be ALL of her love. If you make her love you and walk away, you’ll kill that part of her forever. Do you understand?"

Potter felt his lungs closing and air rushing in his ears. Was that a fog horn?? ‘Oh my god I have a tumor’ he thought, slightly hysterical. Perri was talking about commitment to the shrew. To the little warrior who even now was banging something against the wall. My god. He had only just started to entertain the thought that maybe Puck wasn’t as scary as a seagull, though of course she had her moments, not commit his entire life to her! Glancing about wildly for a quick exit, he stammered that he had an appointment to go to and literally ran out of there.

Perri smiled sadly as she watched him run away. She half hoped she had chased him away, but she didn’t think she had. He’d be back; she knew that he wasn’t one to back away from a challenge. He’d be back with a plan, Perri was sure of it. She walked away from Puck’s door, noting the sudden quiet now that Potter was gone, and sat next to Baby.

Baby looked thoroughly bored.  She had entirely given up any pretense at concern over Puck, and was now leafing through magazines.  It was time for her to go, Perri thought.  Puck needed some one on one time right now. She smiled at Baby and suggested she leave in the kindest way she could think of.

"Baby you must be bored. I’m sorry I’m not good company right now. Could you do something for me? Tell Stokes that I can’t see him tonight. I really shouldn’t leave Puck right now."

"Sure thing love, sure. See you later, okay?" They hugged and Baby walked out leaving Perri all alone. Baby’s expensive perfume lingered in the room, even after she left. Perri paused a second to breath in the delicious scent and then walked upstairs to join Puck.

She peeked into Puck’s room and saw that she was staring at the ceiling silently. Pushing the door open and walking in, Perri smiled and asked how everything was. Puck smiled gamely and gingerly touched her head.

"It hurts like the dickens, Perri. I was so stupid today. Did Potter tell you what I did?"

"No...what happened?" she asked as she sat on the bed with Puck. Puck breathed deep and stared around her room thinking before she spoke.

“
Well for starters I went to the beach with out gassing up." Puck winced at the accusing glare Perri sent her.

"I told you!”

"I know, I know....it gets worse. I saw Potter and his gang surfing at the cove. No big deal. As I was getting out of the water I saw Potter completely spaz out over a seagull! Did you know he was afraid of them? I didn’t. So I mocked him just a little, I couldn’t help myself. Then I walked over to my car and it wouldn’t start and I was just so mad! So I started beating my jeep up with a very small twig I saw laying nearby.  It was a very ‘Falty Towers’ moment.  So Potter and his gang come up and Mr. Macho says something I didn’t quite like so I threatened to kill him.... Oh God! I’m a crazy stupid person!

He must think I’m insane! So anyways I threaten him and he offers me a ride home which naturally got me mad, so I started walking home. The big stupid oaf wouldn’t back down and he again offered to take me home and I refused, so the stupid idiot went to get his car to take me home...stubborn son of.......so anyways he almost ran me over and I dodged and fell and that is how it all happened. Oh god, I’m a loser." Puck had her head in her hands and she was moaning from embarrassment.

"Oh my!" Perri said trying to take this all in. She knew that Puck had a temper...but she sounded like she had gone insane.

"Puck why do you care so much what he thinks?"

"Who?" she asked, trying to play it cool, but she was not successful.

"Potter you idiot! Why do you care so much?" Puck was picking at something on her comforter. She looked as if she was seconds away from crying, which terrified Perri. Puck never cried.

"Cause, he’s popular and all macho and a surfer...and I just want him to respect me. To notice me, I didn’t want him to ignore me. But now he thinks I’m insane!"

"Puck do you like him?" asked Perri carefully. One had to be very careful when discussing such matters with Puck. Too much concern or interest would kill anything she did feel for Potter. Boy, did she have a weird, emotionally stunted sister!

“No... I don’t believe in love. Well....that’s not true. I believe that some people find true love. Like you will and like mom and dad. And like our brothers and their wives. But I don’t believe in love for me. So no, I don’t like Potter. I really don’t think I could ever let myself fall in love because it’s just not for me. Why waste the time?"

"
Why not
, you would make a great wife! You are kind, and giving, and respectful, and loyal, and never ever boring! Why wouldn’t you find love? You’re just not looking for it. If you did I’m sure you would find someone."

"No. I am not doing that! I don’t need a man to be happy."

"But don’t you want a family? You love kids, you’re great with them. What are you going to do with your life?" Perri sounded so incredulous, and well she should.

A life without kids and family, a laughing husband were all daunting to Puck. It was not the future she wanted. She just felt that it was wrong for her to search out love. A tiny bit of her hoped that one day a man would be willing to force her to love him, but for the most part...Puck was content with her life. She didn’t want others feeling sorry for her or setting her up with people. If love was in her future so be it.

She just couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d had her chance at true love and that she’d lost. Plain and simple. She’d always believed that everyone had one soul mate. Well, she’d had that and it didn’t work out. Puck felt broken, like there was something inside of her that made her impossible to love.

Feeling her eyes tear up, Puck pushed Perri out of the bed and laughed as best as she could. "Enough of this drivel. Let’s go do."

"But Puck, you’re still supposed to be resting!" Perri argued.

"To HELL with resting! I’m fine. Really! Let’s go do." With that said, Puck walked out the door, pulling Perri along with her. Still feeling woozy and half dead, she convinced Perri to take her out for a movie. ‘Maybe afterwards she could convince Perri to do something a little more daring’, Puck thought with a grin.

****

Puck stood outside screaming, "Are you coming or not you yeller bellied pansy girl? Chicky La La! Come out and Pla-ay!!!" Inwardly wincing at the sound of her own voice, for she still had a mother of a headache, Puck ran outside and continued taunting Perri at the top of her lungs.

"...come on out you hamster lover! You eater of chicken Poo! You drunk pigeon! You little mustard licking booger flicking coward! Come out and Dooooo!" She was walking backwards as she screamed all of that and more. Not looking behind her, she was scared quiet when she ran into a solid person.

"Holy mother of George!" She exclaimed as she turned around. Standing before her was a very amused Potter. He had his arms around her to hold her steady. Completely caught by surprise, Puck gazed up at him with wide happy eyes.

There was still some mischief in her eyes from her obnoxious taunting, but for the most part the happiness was at seeing him, Potter realized. He was suddenly very glad he had decided to come by after all. Perri had scared the living day lights out of him with all that commitment talk. But after a few days of pretending like that bazaar day never happened, he realized that Perri was just being a meddling little sister. That’s what they did, so Potter should just ignore anything she said and not let her scare him away.

Puck’s eyes abruptly emptied of all emotion when she blinked once, looked down at his hands still holding her and back up at his face. Oh crap! There was fire in her eyes. Obviously reality had returned to Puck. Potter very wisely let go of her arms, absently rubbing the spot on his stomach where she had last hit him. She saw that gesture and laughed, the evil wench. Smiling up at him again she asked what he was doing here. Remembering the fire in her eyes, Potter considered carefully what to say to the tempestuous young lady before him.

"Well I left before I had said good bye to you. And I thought it would just be too rude if I left like that." There that was smooth. Not a commitment, or any statement of interest. It was Polite. Very smooth.

Puck stared up at him and frowned. How stupid could he be? Who left and then came back days later just to say goodbye? What a moron. “Really?" she asked with as little emotion as possible.

Uh oh. She was mad. Stupid, Stupid man! What to say now? Damn it, there was nothing he could say. Panicking, Potter felt himself start to hyperventilate. He hadn’t gotten over his fear of her. The only thing that had changed was that he couldn’t stop thinking about her and he knew that she wasn’t always a warrior, sometimes she was cute and cuddly ...but mostly she was still scary, still crazy, and still had death in her eyes ninety percent of the time.