Double Fated (Book One)

by C.K. Mullinax

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Cancelling all my previous plans, I decided to devote my Saturday to g-mom. The rest of our family members had scheduled commitments. So, it would just be the two of us like old times.

  G-mom and I compiled the pictures during the first half of our waking adventure…she still refuses to acknowledge the existence of mornings.

  We were drinking sparkling grape juice through straws and toasting each other with a cold Strawberry Pop-Tart when we finished. We watched our production once, declared it a cinematic masterpiece and took it to BlitZed. After viewing a trial run, Sebastian stored it in the safe.

  Willow’s Mustang was parked in front of my sorority. So, Momma-C’s family-lookout assumed I was still inside the house. My sisters figure that I’ve been staying with my family because my door has been locked for the last two nights.

  I wanted to take g-mom into my bedroom without getting the third degree from my sisters. Although we could have called Ava’shay Command to trans-verse us into my bedroom, I knew g-mom would prefer a more stealthy approach. So, I asked her to concoct a plan to sneak us inside, undetected.

  G-mom scoured through our small, community storage shed until she found enough items to create a noisy distraction. I climbed up on top of the building and waited. She toppled the box, intentionally making a huge commotion. Scrambling up to meet me, we waited for my guardians to come rushing over to investigate. Then, we simply climbed over to the balcony. Following in her footsteps, we both crawled along the narrow ledge until we reached my window.

  My terrified brothers didn’t realize that it was g-mom that taught me how to run Parkour…

  The trivial fact that my bedroom was locked up tight wasn’t about to stop us. G-mom had come prepared with a glasscutter. She would have the pane replaced for me, later today.

  We quietly looked through the clothes in my closet. I wanted her to see all the gypsy outfits Momma-C and Willow bought me. Then, we tried on the jewelry, perused my digital photographs and next, we sat on my bed to gossip in hushed tones.

  I waited until the last minute before calling Command to trans-verse us to the theater. I squeaked in with less than a minute to spare. Professor Marcus shot me a disapproving glance as I raced into the dressing room to get ready.

  Other than missing my initial cue to enter the stage, the rest of the performance was perfection.

  Grandma Edie, Tray and Haven joined g-mom on the front row. I knew my brother was pressed for time because he kept eyeing his watch throughout the entire musical. He was evidently in a massive hurry because he didn’t ask me anything about what was on my agenda this evening. He would take my niece home after he trans-versed me, g-mom and grandma to my sorority.

  Thankfully, none of my sisters were home. Quickly changing, I called Command and asked for a spiritual ride to the mall where my flash mob had occurred. I want my two g-moms’ all to myself. I’ve had to share them all week. So, I wanted to take g-mom and Grandma Edie out on the town without running into someone I know.

  The plan was to hit a Karaoke club packed with strangers. I wanted to dedicate a few numbers to g-mom. That way she would get to experience how I found out about my singing ability, the same way I discovered it.

  I sang three songs under the guise of “G.M.’s Mystery Bunny”. G-mom cried the whole time I was singing.

  Grandma Edie followed me into the restroom to hug me after I sang my last number.

  “That was such a thoughtful gift for a daughter to give to her mom. This day means so much to her…” she revealed.

  I sang some more…we sang…and finally, they sang together. I was having a ball, when someone unexpectedly sat down beside me.

  “Sneaking around in Camp Enemy, I see…” Wally Baxter said with a sly smile.

  “More like sneaking away from Camp Rival and taking a break from the spirit week chaos…”

  “Awww and here I thought you were on the hunt for more memorabilia…”

  “Nah, you can keep what you’ve got…at least, for the time being…” I stated, humorously.

  G-mom and Grandma Edie took their bow. They came over and I introduced them to the quarterback I pranked.

  We ordered another round. Then, g-mom and grandma riddled him with hilarious and semi-embarrassing questions. He graciously answered most of them, although he was studying the floor while he did it. We laughed and carried-on for well over an hour. Then, they sprang a question on him that made me blush.

  “Well, ummm, I ummmm, that’s one we’ll have to leave up to the imagination. It was a pleasure to meet you ladies. I didn’t mean to intrude on your…” he said, as he got up to leave.

  “Not so fast, young man…” g-mom told him and pointed at the seat.

  He hesitated and slowly, lowered himself back into the chair.

  “Our little girl isn’t the only female in our family that expects exchanges for an evening’s entertainment…” Grandma Edie revealed.

  He and I both gasped and waited.

  “Show us what you’ve got…” grandma ordered him.

  “Yeah, we want to see it…” g-mom commanded.

  He and I were both thunderstruck by their brazen request.

  “Krista, why don’t you do it with him?” g-mom asked me.

  “I’m all for that, Liz! That’s the perfect exchange…” grandma stated.

  “What are you two waiting for?” g-mom inquired while we sat in frozen wonder.

  “I hope it’s not Christmas because this club will be closing soon. We’d like to see you both do it before then. What do you say?” grandma questioned, but we still were not moving. “You have to get something on the list…you know, a duet…”

  I got so winded from laughing that I nearly threw up. Wally fell out of his chair in hysterics. G-mom and grandma fell over too when I finally got out what we were hearing.

  As we would soon discover, Wally had been at a sports bar down the street with some of his buddies. A person recognized me and told him that I was perfectly positioned for him to take some revenge. He walked down here to see what I was doing.

  I didn’t think about seeing LVU players and students when I selected this location. I must be losing my mind. Although Wally seemed a little disappointed when I explained precisely why I chose a club a long distance from home, he understood my dilemma. And, he even offered to sing a duet with me because he couldn’t wiggle out of it.

  G-mom and Grandma Edie hugged Wally goodnight and complimented him on his ‘gifted crooning style’. He didn’t know what crooning meant…I could tell that by his perplexed expression. So I rescued him by leading him toward the door to make a quick escape.

  Even though g-mom and grandma would not have freaked out if I kissed him on the lips, I didn’t want Wally to get the wrong idea about us. So, I kissed his cheek, thanked him for being a good sport and said goodbye to him. He gave me a fleeting, intense look before he smiled and left.

  “Sooo…spill it,” grandma said, sounding just like one of my sorority sisters.

  “Is that the next “Mr. Krista”??” g-mom inquired.

  “No! I’ve had enough football jocks for one college experience. But, Wally’s ex-girlfriend is right about him. He’s a nice, likeable boy hidden in a man-sized body…” I explained.

  “You noticed the muscles, too? So, they weren’t figments of our imaginations…” g-mom commented.

  “He’s a jock…muscles are required!” I told her.

  “So can we assume there’s no chance that we just took a glimpse of your future?” grandma inquired, impishly.

  “That’s a safe bet. I can’t seem to shake the last jock that I ended it with, weeks ago. I’m not about to attach myself to, yet another…” I revealed.

  “It’s a shame…you need a guy with big muscles. He’s gotta be strong as an ox if he’s gonna have a prayer of beating off your brothers…” grandma stated.

  “Wally braved them, once already
…” I said and then, told them the whole story. “If things were different, I might have just given a relationship with him a shot. But, my commitment list is overflowing and romantic socialization doesn’t even appear on it.

  “This ‘shakin’ the last jock I dated’ thing is a bigger challenge than I anticipated, too. Lyle has moved on. He’s dating a girl named Paris. But, the rest of my college world can’t seem to make the transition. They’re obsessed with keeping us mentally affixed to each other. It’s annoying, but that’s where I’m stuck at the present.”

  “Just goes to show why it’s important to make changes, routinely…” g-mom commented, happily.

  “Well, there’s an oxymoron if ever I’ve heard one…routine changes, Lizzy…really??” grandma inquired.

  An oxymoron, indeed…