Hidden Faces [Discontinued]

Chapter 25

I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to console me by taking us somewhere special. Almost every town held some special memories for us and it was all our mom’s doing.

“Come on,” she prodded.

“Mom, we’re not even dressed properly,” I said.

Her eyes widened. “Oh yeah.”

“Smooth move, Mom,” Dan said with a snicker.

She hit Dan’s bum and said, “Go get changed.”

My brother went up stairs and I scampered up there after him. We knew we had to dress quickly. Though she was being extra nice now, making her wait was not the way to go. If we didn’t hurry, she’d drive off without us.

I rushed to room and threw on a lilac shirt with ruffles on the short sleeves. I looked the barred window and saw my mom in her light orange sundress outside. She was getting in the car. At this point, I just didn’t care what shoes and accessories were on me. I needed to get downstairs and in the car quick.

My feet pounded against the wooden stairs as we made our way to the door. We rushed outside. Dan had a camera slung over his neck and yellow sandals in his hand. He looked more like a tourist than a resident. The car was slowing backing out of the driveway. Daniel grabbed the door and we both hopped in the back seat as our mother began to drive faster.

“Where are we even going?” Dan asked.

 “Took the words right out of my mouth” I thought. I looked at Mom curiously waiting for her response.

“It’s a surprise,” she chirped, her eyes sparkling.

Oh no. Last time she tried to take us to her surprise, we were stuck in the mountains for two days. How we got there? Ask Mom. She took so many turns and when I woke up we were in the mountains. I have to admit, seeing mom’s skirt being eaten by a goat got a laugh out of me.

“Mom,” I said warningly.

“Don’t worry,” she said nonchalantly.

“What if we get lost?”

“Psh, what are the chances that we’ll get lost if I’m the driver?” she said and waved her hand dismissively.

“I won’t even answer that especially since we ended up in the mountains,” I said.

“That was an accident. I took a few wrong turns. That’s all.”

I sighed and stared out the window. In the reflection, I saw Dan grinning. He wouldn’t be smiling if he was forced to take a leak in the mountains again. It wasn’t exactly a fond memory for him.

The fleeting surroundings lost my interest and I found myself fiddling with my seatbelt. Every once in a while I’d make sure to mark a familiar landmark just in case we got lost. What if we were attacked? We wouldn’t be able to flee because we didn’t know where we were.

Dan’s finger poked my arm. “Relax.”

 Then he kept on making weird monkey faces out my window at other drivers. We stopped at a red light and the sudden halt caused Dan’s face to be squashed against the window. The lady talking on her cell phone in the neighboring car looked at Dan horrified and dropped her phone. The light turn green and we left the aghast lady behind.

“Charming.”

“I know,” he said and bunched his face up, trying to creep me out.

“That won’t work on me, you idiot.”

“How are you so sure?”

“I’ve seen Leon’s sexy time face. Now, that was a horrid sight.”