Mark My Words

15 | Talkin' 'Bout The Car Wash

Traffic pulled in before long, and their line of customers gathered around the brat fry stands lined with cookie packages from Lu's effort. Brynn still had control of the stereo, so when a familiar blue Maserati. Rosalie left her stand among the vehicles, passing her sponge to Juliana. Unfortunately for her, though, there weren't many places to go other than the brat fry where the car owners stood.

Pittmen's car doors opened.

"Hey ladies!" Jamie-Lee said with a flare, throwing an arm up. He propped a foot up on the open ledge leading into the Maserati's passenger's seat, showing off a pair of salmon-pink khakis and a polo.

"Jesus Christ, Jamie, you look like you took two steps off a golf course for a whiskey old fashion," Alyssa said to the amusement of all the varsity girls veterans.

Rosalie grabbed a sign from off the stone hedge lining the Bradshaw sidewalk, grinning as Jamie-Lee pushed his sunglasses up, hand over his heart. His brunette hair spiked into a tuft behind his glasses. As he argued with Alyssa, Lennie Pittmen shut the driver's door and pocketed his keys. Jade was the closest to him, too shy to manage a simple 'Hello', but Brynn was there to blush and wave. Lennie offered a smile before turning to open the back seat door.

Harper stepped out, heels clicking on the pavement. She was wearing a pink sundress and pilot glasses pushed up to hold her heavy, blonde hair back. She flicked her hair over her shoulder, and Rosalie imagined the cameras, the lights, and a photographer counting down as Lennie and Harper both turned towards the curb and took their steps to fame. Rosalie was certain Brynn was near-fainting, which just meant that Jade was no better—both of them holding their breaths.

Rosalie was rendered speechless and motionless a few paces away from the brat fry stand Jade's dad was running. Unfortunately, that meant she was stuck staring at Lennie and Harper, and wound up catching their attention.

"Mason," Lennie said, and instantly Rosalie stuck her nose in the air and shot him a withering stare.

"Pittmen," she said, tucking the sign beneath her arm. "Thanks for coming by."

"Yeah—The Berrys organized an impromptu outing. The weather and all," he said, and Rosalie nodded and hoped she looked as pretentious as she felt, eyeing Pittmen down her nose.

"Pity Jamie didn't invite you," Harper said, and though her tone didn't suggest an insult, the words did. Rosalie could hardly bother to look at her, not when she saw the way Pittmen's eye twitched at the comment.

"It's fine. I'm not really into grandiose republican country clubs," Rosalie said, and the look on Harper's face made it worth it. Rosalie pegged her pink dress with an unimpressed stare before adding, "Or dressing up for wrinkly old men."

"Yikes, Rosie," Joanna chimed in from behind. She swung up, arm resting on Rosalie's shoulder. She pointed a lazy finger at Harper's getup, and Lennie's sour glare. "Pittmen? As in... Senator Jolie Pittmen?"

"Yeah, that's my mother," he said, slowly, as if navigating the minefield that was Joanna's personal opinions.

Joanna settled with a hard, cold stare before offering an approved nod. "Alright. Then I'm guessing Harper's the republican one."

"My parents are," Harper remarked, looking disgusted.

Joanna laughed, glancing at Rosalie before saying, "Well, I wish you the best. C'mon, Rosie, duty calls."

She tugged Rosalie by the wrist, and together they headed back to the mist of water drenching Lennie's Maserati. Jamie was there, still arguing with Alyssa. It was when Rosalie and Joanna showed up that he became distracted long enough for Alyssa to nab Brynn's hose, stick her thumb over it, and send a spray of water at Jamie's back.