The Never Ending Road

Hoagieville and Meeting the Parents

We all piled in the car, and I backed out of the parking space, before asking, “Do you guys need to get some clothes.”

“Well, I don’t think they are just going to magically appear Liz.”

“No, I guess not.  To the mall it is.”

“Cool.  I’m hungry!  Is there for at the mall?”

“Yeah.  Niall it’s a mall.  Of course there is going to be food.  It wouldn’t get nearly as much business if it didn’t have food.  That’s half the reason I go to he mall.”

“What sort of question was that Niall.  Of course there is food at a mall.”  This came from Harry.

“Oh, yes you are just sooo funny Harry.  Leave the poor lad alone.  I for one had no idea that a mall in this size a town would have food.” Zayn said.

“There isn’t going to be any sort of designer stores here.  In a town of 60,000 there is no point in having a store like Prada or anything like that, but Louis, if you want some nice colorful pants you can probably go to Hot Topic, though I don’t like going in there.  We have GAP, JC Penny, Dillards, Journey’s or shoes, Herberger’s, Sears, Zumiez, American Eagle, Aeropostale, just stuff like that.  It’s either get clothes here or go on a road trip to the nearest city, and that would be Boise.  I don’t think we want to be in a car for 7 hours.  Oh, I guess there is Spokane.”

“I think we will be fine with this.  We can live without designer clothes for a while.” Liam said.

As we pulled into a parking space at the main entrance, I pulled out my phone.  After I had locked the car, I texted my dad, telling him where we were, and that we would be home in a few hours.

I got a text back as I was walking in the doors saying ‘as long as it isn’t too late.  Be careful.  Its raining out here.’

Okay, guys.  It is five o’clock.  Mall closes at nine.  We have four hours to eat and get all of you a new wardrobe.”

“I WANT TO GO TO HOT TOPIC!” Louis screamed, sounding like a little kid in a candy shop.

“Louis, put a sock in it.  Herberger’s is right here.  Go there first.  What do you guys want to eat?”

“What is there?” Liam, Harry, Niall, and Zayn asked.  Louis had already run into the store.

“We have Dairy Queen, Pretzels, Gyros- OH!  Have you guys ever heard of Hoagieville?” I asked really fast.

“HoagieWhat?” they all asked at the same time.

“You guys have to stop doing that! Its creepy.  Anyway, you’re going to have Hoagieville.  Made in Missoula.  Take this as your first taste of the Missoula culture.”

“Okay whatever.”

After we had spent the first three hours shopping, I told the boys that we were going to Hoagieville.

We went and made our orders, all of them required to get the cheese fries that Hoagieville is famous for.  I had decided that I was going to get some chicken strips with it.

When they took their first bite of the cheese fries, they all looked at each other, then at me, and decided that it was the best thing they ever had.

I would know.  They told me so.

When we got to my house that night, after a very interesting drive from Missoula, we were ambushed by my mother.

“Mom! I’m home with the guys.”

All of the sudden she popped up from around the corner and walked up to us.

She stood in front of us, eying the boys, seeing what they would do under her scrutiny.

Niall broke first, fidgeting with one of his bags, and then Louis started shuffling his feet, and harry started looking through his bags.  Zayn stayed pretty chill, and Liam even smiled at her.

“First things first.  I do not, under any circumstances, want any of you near my daughter in less than pajama pants.  Second, food is served whenever we feel like having a meal.  If you want a meal, tell us and we will decide when to eat.  Third, is sleeping arrangements.  As much as I would like to say that none of you would be sleeping in my daughter’s room, we only have three bedrooms, and Danny refuses to share a room with any of you.  This means that you will all be sleeping in Kai’s room.  If I find out that any of you have done anything more than hug her, you will find yourself becoming very good friends with the couch.  As it is, tomorrow is Sunday, so we will be doing yard work.  We will be expecting you to help.  As Elizabeth and Danny have found, you do not sleep past eleven in this house.  If you do, then you aren’t eating anything until lunch, which is going to be around three.  On Monday, you will ride on the bus with Elizabeth to school, and you will attend until you have to go.”

“Mrs. Keller, we have a rental car that we can use.  As it is, money is no problem.  We can take Elizabeth into school while we are here if that is alright with you.  I heard her say earlier that she has to be at school a little early a lot anyway, and we know that she is in band, so carrying all of her belongings on the bus wouldn’t be very effective.  Louis is just about the most careful driver that anyone has ever seen.  And anyway, the boys and I don’t make it a habit of sleeping naked, or in boxers, so your sleeping stipulations shouldn’t be a problem.  If anything goes further than a hug with Elizabeth, you won’t have to banish us to the couch, because we will do it ourselves.  As for food, most of us don’t really have a problem with the rules, but Niall can’t seem to live without food, and we are all perfectly fine with doing a bit of yard work.”

My mom looked surprised.  Hell even I was surprised.  That was the most that Zayn had said all day.

“And, plus, Liam is Daddy Direction.  He rules all of us.  He’s the most mature anyway.”

“What about you then.  You didn’t say anything about yourself.”

“Not really all that much to say ma’am.”

“He loves mirrors.  I would suggest that you let him into the bathroom the last in the morning.”  This came from Louis, who grinned at Zayn when he shot Louis a glare.

“Well.  I guess there won’t be much of a problem.”

“Just as not to shock you in the morning ma’am, we all have a tattoo of some sort, some of us more than others.  The only one that doesn’t is Niall.”

“Well, nothing can be perfect.  Anything special that we should know about?” she asked.

“Not that we can think of right now.”

“Okay.  Then go get your clothes hung up in Kai’s closet and get to bed.  You all look exhausted.

PIC OF THEIR CAR ON THE SIDE.