by Debbie Civil
Chapter 13
It was easy for Eliza to rent a dodge caravan so that we all could fit. Apparently, you don’t have to be twenty-five to rent a car. You just have to have an uncle that owns a car rental chain. After some discussion, we decided that Danny would come with us. She sits up front with me. Eliza doesn’t drive, though, she has a license. I do. Why? Because her Uncle Marty may have no problem giving Eliza a rental for free. He sure is hell isn’t going to let her drive it.
We’ve spent thirty minutes listening to the music on Eliza’s iPod. Big surprise, she favors Two Chainz, Macklemore, and Kendrick Lamar. Tia is singing a horrible rendition of “Can’t hold us” when it occurs to me that we haven’t cleared this road trip with our parents. Oh well. It’s too late to turn back now. Besides, my folks are in Minneapolis. For all they know, I’m at the mansion tucked under the blankets watching a movie. As for the other girls, I’m not sure what their situation is. But since Danny didn’t protest the road trip, we should all be fine.
“Tia, shut up. You can’t sing a lick,” Eliza complains.
“I happen to have a beautiful voice,” Tia protests. I sigh and turn off the music. Everyone groans.
“Please stop singing, Tia. If you do, the music will turn back on,” I playfully threaten. Everyone, including Tia laughs and the music is turned back on again.
“I didn’t mean to punch her,” Danny admits. Since the speakers are located in the back, I’m able to hear her. I sigh.
“Why did you get so angry?” Danny frowns.
“I told Carmen where I would be and she showed up. She shows up on all of our dates, lately. Malcolm is getting sick of being stalked. I am too. It’s not like we don’t like Carmen. It’s just that…”
“She’s up to something,” I interrupt. She looks confused.
“What do you mean?” Danny snaps. She clearly doesn’t like being interrupted when she’s trying to vent.
“Just think about it. She followed Adam and me outside when we needed to talk. She’s been following you on all of your dates. Who knows if she’s been trailing Nathan and Eliza? Carmen doesn’t do things by accident. Just remember that.” My words seem to make Danny consider something. She shakes her head.
“Carmen has always been nosy. It’s her worst trait,” she says in a condemning voice.
“You are judgmental, Eliza’s reckless, and Tia’s self-centered. That doesn’t mean I should punch either of you in the face.” My gentle reprimand makes Danny feel stupid. It shows in her eyes. She sighs.
“I’m surprised you let me come with you,” she confesses.
“You and Carmen are best friends. You two should work out whatever is bothering you,” I insist. I don’t tell Danny that I need her for this excursion. She needs to help Carmen win the boy of her dreams. All of that will come later.
An hour into the drive, Uncle Kenny calls my phone. I turn down the volume and put the phone on speaker.
“Chelsea, is Carmen with you?” His voice sounds irritated more than worried.
“Yes,” I answer.
“Good. Tell her to call me soon,” he says before hanging up. I shout the message and Carmen, who had kept her phone off shouts “Okay.”
“That’s it?” I say with disbelief.
“Kenny doesn’t worry about much. He’s a lot like Carmen,” Danny says.
“What is your brother’s friend Dominic like?” I ask. She seems surprised that the question is being posed.
“He’s an ass,” Danny responds. Her face twists into one of disgust and I frown.
“What do you mean?” My voice quivers, dread fills my heart. Carmen is pining after a bad boy.
“I mean what I say. Dominic is just like my brother Jake. Neither of them are approachable. I would introduce you if they would actually acknowledge you. My brother Jake is much worse than Dominic, though. All he does is hang in his room and blast music. No one can stand him,” Danny says, frustration filling her voice. I sigh.
“What about you’re other siblings?” Danny smirks.
“Stuck up, drama queen, and overachiever,” she lists.
“Why are they like that?” I ask.
“My parents make sure we are the best. Well, maybe they slipped a little with Jake.” She rests her head on the door, letting me know that share time is over.
The rest of the drive is uneventful. By the time we reach New London, I feel exhausted. Eliza directs us to the Grindstone Hotel, some family owned building and she requests the presidential suite. The suite is essentially a large apartment with three bedrooms, a living room and a small kitchen. I grab Tia’s hand and we both run to the master bedroom with our bags. We remembered that we didn’t have any clothing, we stopped at a mall to buy stuff. Tia insisted we buy luggage so we could look proper when the bellhop escorted us to our rooms. We spent a little time shoving our plastic bags in our small suit cases and hitting the convenient store for more snacks.
“The master suite?” she asks.
“You’re pregnant,” I point out. The room has a king sized bed, a large bathroom with wide counter tops and a luxurious tub. I’m about to tell her that I regret leaving when she smirks at me.
“We are sharing. Eliza snores. No one can get any sleep with her.” Carmen walks in wearing her night gown. She pushes my and Tia's suitcases into the room, then tosses herself into the bed. I glare at her before searching for something to wear. As I’m slipping into my pajama pants, Eliza and Danny run in, Eliza doubling over with laughter, and Danny looking worried.
“Don’t worry,” I’m on mute,” Eliza assures as I hear Grandma Betty.
“You guys left the state without asking? I was supposed to send you to Cape Cod to spend some time with Ryan and Violet. Eliza Philips, you know better than to take your cousins to New London. I need to call Jake. Hopefully, he will keep an eye on you,” Grandma insists. Danny breaks into laughter at the thought of Jake checking in on us. “Otis, call Jake and Kaley. Let them know that they need to check on the girls tomorrow. Put ten thousand dollars in Chelsea’s bank account. That will support them until Tuesday. Don’t you think? No, make that fifty grand. Tia’s really expensive,” Grandma insists. My eyes roll at the amount of money that’s going to be in my possession. “Since I’m gone. There’s nothing I can do about this. Just be safe,” Grandma Betty orders.
“Yes, Grandma,” Eliza says after unmuting the phone and taking it off of speaker phone. She hangs up and says, “You’re so welcome. I saved you guys from the worst weekend of your lives. Ryan and Violet are two cranky old people who hate children. We would have spent the entire time reading,” Eliza says. Despite Danny calling Eliza “careless” she looks relieved. Carmen chuckles.
“Last year, she had me read The Grapes of Wrath and forced me to write a five page essay,” Carmen says. I laugh and raid the mini fridge which is packed with caffeinated drinks. Since we are under twenty-one, they must have gotten rid of the liquor.
“What to do?” I ask as I settle down beside Carmen. Tia sighs.
“I’m not sure. But I’m thinking that we could go on a shopping trip.” Eliza makes a snoring sound.
“We always shop. Maybe we could see if there is a contest going on,” she suggests. Danny, the voice of reason plops herself on the bed and sighs.
“Jake is coming to babysit us. Most likely, he will insist we go back to our house to watch movies,” she tells us.
“We don’t have to do what he says,” I announce with defiance. Seriously, I am not going to be stuck with someone who doesn’t want to deal with me. Before anyone can respond, my phone rings. Reluctantly hopping out of bed, I fish the phone out of my purse and answer the call.
“Chelsea,” Tiller says sounding worried.
“What’s up bro?” I ask. He pauses for a moment.
“Did you talk to Teresa?” Of course, He couldn't be calling to check on his little sister. He’s just hoping that I will be okay with him dating someone who has made the last two years miserable. Ho
w could he ask me to forgive her?
“Not yet. I’ve been pretty busy,” I say before talking about Peter, Adam, and everything that has been going on. Informing my brother of Peter had little to do with wanting to talk about him and more to do with distracting him. Tiller hates the idea of me dating. He would insist on talking to any prospect.
“So, you have a new boyfriend?” Tiller asks. His voice is filled with annoyance.
“Well, yeah. I…”
“Chelsea, I’m going to invite Teresa to Thanksgiving,” he announces, causing a stab of pain to shoot through my gut. So I’m going to have to spend the holidays with Tiller, Teresa, and my parents? So they make the jump from talking on Facebook to meeting the family? Being a fifth wheel would suck. There was little hope of her parents saying no to their daughter spending Thanksgiving in Minnesota, with a guy they barely knew. Teresa’s parents allow her to do whatever she wants. They are more focused on being her best friend.
“What!” My shriek causes the girls to stare at me.
“Mom and Dad don’t mind. I figured it will give us time to get to know each other.” A fear that is so sharp that it takes my breath away lances through my stomach. Being uncomfortable at home makes me feel unbalanced. With Mom, Dad, and Tiller, it is easy to feel carefree. I have been hoping to go see my parents. Living in my grandmother’s world has been stressful. I crave a sense of normalcy. But it looks like thanksgiving will not be normal, not in the least.
“She’s coming?” What a dumb question. But nothing else is coming to mind.
“Yes, Teresa’s already bought the tickets,” he announces. So this is official.
“Well, I guess it’s all settled then,” are the choked words that escape from my mouth.
“Chelsea, everything will be fine,” he insists.
“Goodnight,” I respond and hang up. Eliza stares at my pale face and sighs.
“What’s wrong? Grandma told you that Ryan and Violet were coming for you?” she asks, a smirk lighting her face when I smile. I sit on the bed and say, “Teresa is coming to Thanksgiving dinner.”
“Grandma is allowing that?” Tia asks.
“I’m going to Minnesota to spend time with my family,” I tell her. Everyone stairs at one another, not processing the information that they have just been told.
“Why won’t you stay in Gately?” Tia asks.
“Because I have to see my family,” I respond.
“They could come here. Grandma would love that. She’s always talks about seeing Tiller,” she quickly explains. Something about Teresa joining us in the mansion makes me want to puke. That’s exactly what I want, having Grandma witness my insecurities first hand.
“I would rather not. I…”
“What about Peter?” Carmen pipes up. “I’m sure you want to at least see him during the break,” she reasons. I pinched the comforter as their ideas take some time to marinate in my exhausted brain. Everyone coming to the mansion for thanksgiving wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Would it? Who knew? It was hard to say. Teresa and Tiller could be broken up by then.
“Let’s not think about it,” I decide. Eliza looks as though she wants to protest. But Danny shoots her a warning glance and she says nothing.
Sleep comes extremely easy. Staying that way proved challenging. Although Tia doesn’t snore, she hogs the blankets and kicks on occasion. And she also talks in her sleep. So at 9:00 in the morning, I give up and decide to watch TV in the living room. Maybe when the other girls are awake, we can order room service. I curl up on the couch and flick on the television. There isn’t anything riveting to watch on a Saturday morning, unless you like the news, cartoons, and infomercials. But eventually, I do settle on a lifetime movie that holds my attention. I’m midway through the movie, trying to figure out if the killer husband will be caught when there is a knock at the door. Groaning, I’m on my feet and looking through the peep hole. The stranger on the other side is tall with dark hair.
“Open up. It’s Jake,” he announces. After opening the door, he rushes in with annoyance filling his dark eyes. They roam the room, trying to take in every detail. He frowns at the luxury. He obviously thinks that we are high maintenance. Seriously. Don’t tell me that he’s one of those. This clown with his dark jeans, boots, and black t-shirt wouldn’t last ten seconds being poor. He shouldn’t be so self-righteous.
“You’re Chelsea?” Jake asks when his eyes finally land on me.
“Yup,” I answer after plopping down on the couch. If he wants to talk, that’s perfectly fine. But nothing will stand against me finding out the conclusion to this movie.
“Did you hear?” Jake asks as he sits in the love seat.
“No,” I say, a little sharply. Sensing my distraction, he grabs the remote from the coffee table and flicks the television off. He glares at me.
“I’m your babysitter. Kaley is in the Hamptons visiting her boyfriend. Just don’t get on my nerves,” he orders before turning on the television again. I notice that Jake doesn’t put the remote back. Maybe he plans on turning off the television if I annoy him. The movie ends twenty minutes later and Jake yawns.
“It's too early to watch crap like this,” he declares. His comment makes me giggle, mainly because it’s so random. I’m about to respond to him when Danny exits. Like usual, she’s well put together in skinny jeans, a peasant top, and a pair of flats. When the siblings lock eyes both of them glare at one another. It’s apparent that she wasn’t kidding last night.
“Kaley is out of town?” Danny asks. Her brother shrugs and absentmindedly begins channel surfing. The awkwardness of this situation makes me uneasy. I abruptly leave and take a shower. Choosing comfort over style, I wear yoga pants and a t-shirt. Tia still hasn’t awoken by the time I’ve finished. Maybe the drive tired her out. Yesterday was a long day. We have all stayed up eating snacks and talking. As soon as I walk out, Carmen opens her door. She is still dressed in her hello kitty pajamas. She is about to greet me when my eyes slide to the living room. She doesn’t understand until I point at what she’s wearing and shake my head. She nods in understanding and quietly slips back to her room.
“Danny, why did you guys come here?” Jake hisses. How charming! They are about to get into a fight. Deciding that wearing more appropriate outdoor clothing would be more practical in case of an escape, I’m back into my room, changing into a pale pink cocktail dress and flip-flops. The plan is to grab the keys and make a mad dash out of here. The excuse is that we need more chocolate, gingerale, and crackers. It is believable because Tia had talked about us getting more crackers for her last night. Rushing toward the door someone knocks before I can answer. Oh great. If another visitor comes, there is no excuse in the world that will be acceptable. Staying would be the polite thing to do. Opening the door, my worry turns into elation. Peter stands in front of me, his dark eyes lighting up. He has a giant sized bag of smart food in one hand and roses in another. His gifts are adorable.
“Chelsea, I thought I could surprise you,” he says breathlessly “But, Malcolm and Nathan had the same idea. They are down the hall arguing over who gets the car.” I smirk and brush my lips over his. Jake startles me by placing a hand on my shoulder.
“Who’s he?” Jake asks more out of interest. Peter doesn’t look in the least bit worried about another guy being in our suite. He simply smiles and explains that he’s my boyfriend. For the first time since I’ve seen him, Jake grins wide.
“I’m Danny’s brother Jake,” he says. My boyfriend looks over his shoulder and tenses. He chuckles and we lock eyes. He doesn’t want to be around for Jake and Malcolm meeting and neither do I.
“Let me put this stuff away,” I suggest. Jake moves over to the side and I’m quick about tossing the smart food on the bed and using an empty water bottle as a make-shift vase. Tia’s up and about which is a good thing. When I return, Carmen is dressed in leggings and a shirt that reaches mid thy. Jake, who has returned to the love seat stares at her and it’s clear that Carmen m
ay want to reconsider her choice of crush. His eyes narrow on her face and it fills with anger. When his eyes lock with mine, I want to faint. I’ve never seen someone that upset before. It takes me a while to notice the source of his anger, Carmen’s black eye. Jake takes a deep breath then scowls at Carmen as if her having a black eye is all of her fault.
“What happened to your eye?” Jake asks.
“Danny punched me. I…” He calmly walks over to her, grabs her arm and drags her out the door. It’s evident that he and Carmen have some unfinished business to talk over. Danny curses, stands and sees Peter standing awkwardly beside the door.
“You made it up here?” Danny asks. The barely contained jealousy in her eyes makes Tia glare at her. I ignore Danny, Take Peter’s hand and we walk into the hallway. Apparently, I just love pissing Malcolm off. When I spot him, I glare. He doesn’t seem surprised by the hostility that greets him. But to his credit, he ignores it.
“Is Danny awake?” he asks. Nathan seems flushed and agitated.
“I want to take Eliza to a museum,” he hisses.
“I won the coin toss,” Malcolm reminds him. As Peter is about to take the keys I yank them out of his grasp.
“Neither of you should be driving anyone around. I seem to remember that I had to drive both of your ladies home. I don’t like driving the Caravan, so picking them up isn’t going to be an option,” I snap. Everyone stares at me. Nathan looks embarrassed while Malcolm seems kind of agitated.
“In my defense, Eliza ran off,” Nathan argues. Because he is the least likely to leave his girlfriend stranded, I toss him the keys. Malcolm looks momentarily bummed, but at least he can acknowledge the truth in what I’m saying. Nathan rushes past us and knocks on the door. When it opens he rushes in and the three of us are left in the hallway.
“Malcolm, she does have a point,” Peter says, his eyes growing serious. Danny rushes out, sees Malcolm and shakes her head.
“What are you doing here?” Her anger is definitely uncalled for. For one thing, she was angry when she hadn’t thought that Malcolm had come. I’m about to tell her that when Malcolm answers.
“I figured that we could go out to lunch. Maybe we can take a walk down town and see the sights.” Danny shakes her head.
“I’m not walking.” Seriously? Danny is being a brat right now. Before I can say something to defend Malcolm, Jake strolls out from around the corner and tosses Malcolm his keys.
“Take her out of here,” he orders. Sensing the belligerence that is pouring off of Jake, Malcolm grabs Danny’s arm and ushers her toward the elevator.
“Where’s Carmen?” I ask after searching the hall for her. Jake actually smiles at me. He probably will be nice to anyone that didn’t punch her.
“Sleeping. She’s tired,” he says.
“Grandma forced you to get a room here,” I finally realize. Jake nods.
“She told me that either I come to the hotel to assure that Eliza stays out of trouble, or she sends Otis to pick you guys up to send to Ryan and Violet,” Jake admits. Judging by the wince, he’s gotten sent there before.
“What’s going to happen to Tia?” Peter asks us.
“She’s going to go to the spa,” my cousin Tia answers as she waltzes out of the room.
“Where’s Eliza?” Jake asks with suspicion.
“Making out with Nathan. It’s disgusting,” she whines.
“Who’s Nathan?”
“Don’t worry Jake. He’s under thirty,” Tia assures as she runs toward the elevator. Danny’s brother looks relieved.
“Eliza has gone to rehab,” he explains before heading down the hall. Peter frowns, shakes his head, and then grabs my hand.
