Change of Plans

Chapter Six

Unedited, but I hope you enjoy! This is just a filler chapter. More to come next chapter! Don't forget to comment and vote! Thank you. :)

Chapter 6

"Where on earth have you been?!"

"I--"

"Elizabeth, do you know how long I waited at the airport for you after your arrival time? Do you understand how scared I was when I didn't see you and Bryce walk out of those doors?"

"Mom, I--"

"And where the hell is Bryce? Did you forget your brother? Oh God, oh God, oh God! What is your father going to think now?"

"MOM!"

My mom stopped pacing across the living room, put her arms on her waist, and glared at me. She was wearing an old pink bathrobe, slippers that she'd swiped from a hotel room, and her hair was an absolute mess. I didn't comment on her disheveled appearance. She seemed a little on edge.

That was an understatement.

"Mom," I said more calmly this time. "We missed our flight and something came up, so Bryce couldn't come with us." I took a few short, slow steps towards her. The key was to be extremely cautious. No sudden movements and no yelling. Anything could end up setting her off.

"How are you here now then? If this is a dream, then you're grounded when you get home. I stayed up all night waiting for you and I have work tomorrow."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. It was way too early in the morning for this conversation. "Mom, you're being ridiculous. I took Dad's car and it, uh, stopped working when I was on the highway." That's not exactly what happened, but she doesn't need to know that. A small white lie never hurt anyone. "I had to hitch a ride," I explained.

"Hitch a ride," she repeated to herself.

I nodded. Since we could first talk and walk, our mom pestered my sisters and me about "stranger danger". Eventually, it just became nagging.

"Elizabeth," she began. When Mom used my full name, anyone could tell that she was mad. And right now, she was about to snap. "You rode in a stranger's car?!" She shrieked. I cringed and my hands flew up quickly to cover my ears.

I heard rustling come from inside the apartment. The living room was dimly lit, but I could somewhat make out the silhouette of someone emerging from the bedroom.

"Mom? What's going on?" It was Jane. "Why are you up at," she checked her watch, "four in the morning?" Jane came out of the room dressed in a classic white "I Heart NY" T-shirt and an old pair of sweatpants that could pretty much be considered capris. She was rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands and yawning.

"Hey Jane," I said. At the sound of her name, her head snapped towards me and her hands dropped from her face.

"Beth?! What--how--where the hell were you?"

"Guys, it's not that big of a deal," I complained. "You're blowing this way out of proportion. I got stuck in a storm and a nice, well-mannered man helped--"

"A man?!" My mom raged. She was fuming. Her nostrils were flaring, she was frowning, and I'm almost one-hundred percent sure she was seeing red. And I just couldn't bring myself to care. I was beat, tired, and minutes away from collapsing on the nearest surface and falling into a deep coma.

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"Mom, please calm down," Jane urged. She approached Mom from behind and gently placed her hand on her shoulder. Mom shrugged it off.

"Elizabeth Hilles. Never in my life did I think you'd be so stupid and wreckless as to ride a car with another man on a nearly empty highway. At midnight, nonetheless! Have I taught you nothing?"

"Mom. It's fine. I'm a grown woman and I'm here now, aren't I? Let it go." Mom sighed, bur thankfully dropped the topic. Jane grabbed her by the shoulders and ushered her into her room. She kissed her on the cheek before closing the door gently and turned to me. Without saying anything to her, I dropped my purse on the counter in the kitchen, grabbed my phone, and headed towards my room.

"Beth, be nice to her. She has a lot on her plate." Jane's tone was soft and gentle. She was always the caring one. The pretty one. The smart one. With two other sisters, I was always being compared to one and sometimes both of them. Besides the fact that Audrey could sleep through a tornado, she was a lot like Jane. For once, I'd just like to be appreciated for being myself.

"Honestly, Jane." I faced her and pointed to Mom's bedroom door. "That woman is being absurd! It's four in the morning. I haven't slept in hours and I have a very important meeting today. She should cut me some slack."

"She loves you."

"I know. And I love her. But I also love sleep and I'm deprived. So good night," I grumbled. "I mean... morning." I started down the hall to my room. I opened the door and immediately fell face-forward onto my bed. I felt my soft mattress mold around my body as I breathed in the fresh scent of laundry detergent. I sighed contentedly. My eyes felt dry and my eyelids were already drooping shut, but before I could fall asleep, Jane walked into my room. She was nervously tugging at her shirt and biting her lower lip.

I groaned. "What is it now?" I asked. It came out as more of a mumble because my face was pressed into the pillow.

"I wanted to tell you that I, uh, met someone," she admitted.

Instantly, I shot up out of my horizontal position and stood in front of her. My hands were on both sides of her, gripping her arms. "Tell me," I demanded. For Jane to be in-like with a man was rare. Mom's been pestering her for years to find someone and get married, but she's picky and demanding like you wouldn't believe. To find out about a man that made the cut? That's one for the books.

"I can't even begin to describe him, Beth!" She fawned. "He's every woman's dream man. Smart, charming, and funny! Not to mention incredibly hot, handsome, cute... You name it. You'd have to meet him to understand what I'm talking about."

"Sure."

"Uh... Sure about what?"

"I want to meet him. You've got guys lining up at your door, so I want to meet the man who's deserving enough to be dating my sister."

"Yeah, uh, you see... We're not exactly dating," she squeaked. "He hasn't asked me out and I'm not even sure if he likes me."

I gasped. "What? You must be joking. How could he not? Jane, stop being such a poopersnapper." She raised her eyebrows at my word choice. "You're exactly like the female version of the guy you just described. Embrace yourself and don't let him get away."

Jane was quiet and her forehead was creased--she was mulling over what I'd said.

"Now go get some sleep and think it through." I spun her around and shoved her out of my bedroom door. "And don't talk to me until you've decided to go after Hottie Lamottie with the Swimmer's Body!" I swiftly shut the door before I could give her any time to make a remark about my Hannah Montana reference.

Now... Bed sweet bed.